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Biomedical subjects

J B Forrest

Publications and source records attributed to J B Forrest.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Abdominal pain secondary to a lymphangiomatous cyst of the adrenal: case report and review of literature.

An adrenal cyst is a rare clinical finding with an incidence of approximately 0.06% in the general population. As the majority are clinically silent, adrenal cysts are usually discovered incidentally at autopsy or during surgery for an unrelated disease process. We report a case of a lymph-angiomatous adrenal cyst diagnosed in a 27-year-old female presenting with abdominal pain.

Abdominal Pain

Continuous infusions of atracurium and vecuronium, compared with intermittent boluses of pancuronium: dose requirements and reversal.

This study was designed to determine the effect of prolonged infusion on the ease of reversal of atracurium and vecuronium, and whether factors which potentiate the block delayed reversal. In phase one, 40 patients were randomized (double blind) to determine the steady state conditions for atracurium and vecuronium. Fourteen atracurium patients and 17 vecuronium patients were evaluable. The unblinded second phase involved the steady state conditions using halothane or isoflurane and atracurium infusions. The infusion required for 95% twitch depression (TD95) for atracurium was 7.6 +/- 1.1 micrograms.kg-1 x min-1. The requirement for vecuronium changes with time: TD95 at 30 min was 1.01 +/- 0.16, at 60 min 0.89 +/- 0.12 and after 90 min 0.85 +/- 0.17 micrograms.kg-1 x min-1 (P < 0.05). The mean TD95 was 0.94 +/- 0.23 micrograms.kg-1 x min-1. Multivariate regression analysis of the infusion data revealed a vecuronium model predicting TD95 by the duration of infusion (P < 0.05) and weight (P = 0.05). Atracurium TD95 was predicted by age (P = 0.05). The addition of an inhalation agent to atracurium reduced the infusion rate by 2.01 +/- 0.28 micrograms.kg-1 x min-1 (P = 0.0001) for each increase in MAC. The mean reversal times for atracurium with three different anaesthetics and for vecuronium were not different. Reversal of pancuronium blockade, from less profound twitch depression (86.4 vs 95%) took twice as long as for atracurium and vecuronium for which the following predictors were identified: age, weight, duration of infusion, level of blockade, and type of anaesthetic, using a stepwise regression model.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adult

Multicenter study of general anesthesia. III. Predictors of severe perioperative adverse outcomes.

Little information is available about the incidence of severe adverse outcomes, and even less information is available about the identification and quantification of independent predictors of severe perioperative adverse outcomes. The purpose of this study was to identify and quantitate independent predictors of severe perioperative adverse outcomes in a prospective randomized clinical trial of general anesthesia in 17,201 patients. Twenty-nine prognostic variables for 15 severe outcomes in 847 patients were tested by multiple stepwise logistic regressions from which 20 significant (P less than 0.05) predictors were identified. A history of cardiac failure or myocardial infarction less than or equal to 1 yr; ASA physical status 3 or 4; age greater than 50 yr; cardiovascular, thoracic, abdominal or neurologic surgery; and the study anesthetics were significant predictors of "any severe outcome, including death." There were 17 significant predictors for 10 severe cardiovascular outcomes in 608 patients, including a history of ventricular arrhythmia, hypertension, cardiac failure, myocardial ischemia, myocardial infarction less than or equal to 1 yr or myocardial infarction greater than 1 yr, and smoking; ASA physical status; age; cardiovascular, thoracic, abdominal, eyes-ears-nose-throat/endocrine, neurologic, musculoskeletal, or gynecologic surgery; and the study anesthetics. There were 9 significant predictors for 4 severe respiratory outcomes in 163 patients, including a history of cardiac failure, myocardial ischemia, or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; obesity; smoking; male gender; ASA physical status; abdominal surgery; and the study anesthetics. Colinearity between related prognostic variables (such as disease and ASA physical status) was assessed using progressively segregated groups of variables in eight stepwise logistic regressions. We conclude that the comprehensive stepwise logistic regression of 29 prognostic variables reported here provides a valid estimate of the risks of severe perioperative outcomes associated with general anesthesia.

Anesthesia, General

The incidence of postoperative nausea and vomiting in women undergoing laparoscopy is influenced by the day of menstrual cycle.

Postoperative nausea and vomiting is a major cause of postoperative morbidity. It can lead to increased recovery time, delaying patient discharge and an increase in hospital costs. Past studies have shown that postoperative nausea and vomiting is more frequent in women than men, appears to elevate around the time of menarche and is reduced around the time of menopause. This retrospective review of a one-year experience of laparoscopic tubal ligation at our institute examined the effect of menstrual cycle on postoperative nausea and vomiting. The anaesthetic and surgical techniques were consistent for all patients. Patient data included age, weight, last day of menstrual cycle, the length of anaesthetic, the dose of inhalational agent, the dose of narcotic, emesis on emergence and whether or not droperidol was used. Of the the 235 patients in the study, the incidence of nausea and vomiting was 28%. One hundred fifty-eight had had no preoperative antiemetic and 77 had received droperidol. These two groups were analyzed separately. The incidence in the group not receiving droperidol was 33.5% and in the droperidol group, 16.9% (P less than 0.01). The incidence of nausea and vomiting was higher on the first eight menstrual days (51.6 vs 21.6, P less than 0.001), was highest on day five of the menstrual cycle and lowest on days 18, 19, and 20 where there was no nausea and vomiting. Droperidol reduced the incidence of postoperative nausea and vomiting but the variation in postoperative nausea and vomiting during the cycle persisted.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adult

Multicenter study of general anesthesia. I. Design and patient demography.

A prospective randomized clinical trial of enflurane, fentanyl, halothane, and isoflurane is described. The 17,201 patients were stratified into two groups (preanesthetic medication and no preanesthetic medication) and were randomized to one of four study agents: enflurane, fentanyl, halothane, and isoflurane. Fifteen university-affiliated hospitals in the United States and Canada participated. All patients were first assessed preoperatively. Data were collected during anesthesia, in the immediate recovery period, and for up to 7 days after anesthesia/surgery. The mean age of the patients was 43 yr, the mean height 167 cm, and the mean weight 68 kg. Sixty-five percent of patients were female. In this study 90.7% of patients were classified as ASA Physical Status 1 or 2, and 34.7% of patients smoked. It is concluded that pooling of data across institutions was valid and does allow determination of the efficacy and relative safety of the four study agents.

Adult

Multicenter study of general anesthesia. II. Results.

A prospective, stratified, randomized clinical trial of the safety and efficacy of four general anesthetic agents (enflurane, fentanyl, halothane, and isoflurane) was conducted in 17,201 patients (study population). Patients were studied before, during, and after anesthesia for up to 7 days. Nineteen patients died (0.11%), and in seven of these (0.04%) the anesthetic may have been a contributing factor. The rates of death, myocardial infarction, and stroke in the study population were so low (less than 0.15%) that no conclusions regarding the relative rates of these outcomes among the four anesthetic agents could be reached. The rates of 16 of 66 types of adverse outcomes in the study population were significantly different among the four study agents. Most of these outcomes were minor. However, severe ventricular arrhythmia (P less than 10(-6)) was more common with halothane, severe hypertension (P less than 10(-6)) and severe bronchospasm (P = 0.028) were more common with fentanyl, and severe tachycardia (P = 0.001) was more common with isoflurane. Recovery from anesthesia during the first 30 min was slowest in those patients who received halothane (P less than or equal to 0.001). In addition, patients who received fentanyl experienced less pain during the first hour in the recovery room (P less than 10(-6)). In conclusion, clinically important differences do exist for some outcomes among the four study agents.

Adult

Autoradiographic study of smooth muscle cell proliferation in spontaneously hypertensive rats.

1. The rate of smooth muscle cell proliferation in age-matched 1-4-week-old spontaneously hypertensive (SHR) and normotensive Wistar-Kyoto (WKY) rats was compared using autoradiography. 2. Labelling index, defined as labelled cells/sum of labelled and unlabelled cells x 1000, was obtained from perfusion-fixed superior mesenteric and large mesenteric arteries. 3. In the large mesenteric arteries, the smooth muscle cell labelling indices were similar between the SHR and WKY at all age groups, except at 1 week of age when the smooth muscle labelling index was higher in the SHR. 4. In the superior mesenteric arteries, labelling indices were similar between the rat strains at all age groups. 5. We conclude that, in the SHR, a rapid proliferation of smooth muscle cells in the large mesenteric arteries occurred during the first week of life. This resulted in a higher number of smooth muscle cell layers in the media of muscular arteries. 6. The increased proliferation may play a role in the subsequent development of hypertension in the SHR.

Animals

Comparative pulmonary mechanics in the horse and the cow.

Pulmonary mechanics and lung volumes were measured in horses and cows to determine if differences in breathing pattern between the two species were due to differences in the mechanical properties of the lungs. Tidal volume (VT) was larger in the horses, while the respiratory rate (fR) and minute ventilation (VE) were higher in the cows. The horses often had a double peak in airflow during inspiration and, or, expiration, while the cows had a single peak during expiration. Measured lung volumes were larger in the horses and they had a higher dynamic lung compliance (Cdyn,L), although the static compliance of the lung, chest wall and respiratory system (Cst,L,Cst,w and Cst,rs respectively) did not appear to differ between the two species. The cows had a greater change in maximum transpulmonary pressure (delta PLmax) and an increased nonelastic work of breathing (Wb). However, the pulmonary resistance (RL) did not differ between the two species, thus the higher delta PLmax and Wb in the cows were most likely a function of their higher flow rates. Calculations of the rate of work of breathing (W) indicate that both species breathed at an fR above the minimum W. The fR in the horses was close to the fR predicted for the average minimum muscle force, but the fR in the cows was higher. As the differences in the mechanical properties of the lung do not explain the differences in flow pattern, nor adequately account for the higher fR in the cows, it is suggested that the differences in breathing pattern between the two species is due to differences in the chest wall, particularly the size and shape of the abdomen.

Animals

Comparative ventilation and gas exchange in the horse and the cow.

Ventilation and gas exchange were studied in healthy, adult horses and cows, two large species with different lung structures and different breathing patterns. The oxygen uptake (VO2), carbon dioxide output (VCO2), respiratory rate (fR), minute ventilation (VE), alveolar ventilation (VA), alveolar oxygen pressure (PAO2), and VE/VO2 ratio were higher in the cows, while the tidal volume (VT) and physiological dead space (VD) were larger in the horses. The arterial blood gases, alveolar-arterial oxygen pressure difference (PAO2-PaO2) and VD/VT ratio did not differ between the two species. The higher VO2 in the cows was most likely due to the energy cost of standing, and possibly to a higher cost of digestion. The higher VE, VA, VE/VO2 and PAO2 were most likely secondary to the increased VO2 and the slightly higher respiratory exchange ratio (R) in the cows. In contrast to hypotheses based on allometric equations, the PAO2 of horses and cows did not appear to differ from that of smaller mammals. The VD was larger than that predicted from allometric equations, and even though the VD/VT ratio (0.50) was lower than the previously reported values for horses and cows, it was significantly larger than the predicted weight-independent value of 0.36. Re-examination of the data used to derive the equation for VD raised questions as to the validity of this equation, and it is suggested that caution be exercised in the use of allometric equations for prediction.

Animals

Structural and reactivity alterations of the renal vasculature of spontaneously hypertensive rats prior to and during established hypertension.

The renal vasculature of Wistar Kyoto spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR), prior to (4-5 week) and during established hypertension (21 week) and those of age-matched Wistar Kyoto normotensive rats (WKY) were morphometrically and pharmacologically studied. Under dilated conditions, the vascular resistances (RVR) of the isolated kidneys of young and adult SHR were similar to WKY. Morphometric measurements of renal vasculature indicated that the cross-sectional area of the intima and adventitia and its subcomponents were similar in adult SHR and WKY. With the exception of the preglomerular arterioles, all the renal arteries of adult SHR exhibited elevated cross-sectional quantities of total media, medial smooth muscle cells (SMCs), and extracellular space. Analysis of the SMCs indicated the presence of increased numbers of SMC layers and/or an increase in the SMC volume-to-surface area ratio in arteries sampled from adult SHR. Vascular contraction produced by infusing norepinephrine, BaCl2, angiotensin II, or by stimulating the renal nerves elevated the RVR to a greater degree in adult SHR than in WKY. The sensitivity of the renal vasculature to the various contractile agents was similar in adult SHR and WKY. When compared with WKY, prehypertensive SHR also exhibited increased cross-sectional quantities of arterial media and elevated amplitudes of RVR change in response to norepinephrine and renal nerve stimulation. However, the vascular contractile sensitivity to norepinephrine was reduced. Our results indicate that renovascular wall thickening and the hypercontractile reactivity associated with such a change precedes hypertension in SHR. In prehypertensive SHR, elevations in RVR might be counterbalanced by a decreased norepinephrine sensitivity. An increase in the norepinephrine contractile sensitivity and further vascular thickening with age could elevate the RVR and establish hypertension.

Animals

Prenatal and postnatal hydralazine treatment does not prevent renal vessel wall thickening in SHR despite the absence of hypertension.

Previous studies in our laboratory have shown that the renal blood vessels of 21-week-old Wistar-Kyoto spontaneously hypertensive rats exhibited thicker vascular walls than age matched Wistar-Kyoto normotensive rats. Morphometric analysis of the relaxed renovasculature revealed an increase in the cross-sectional area of the media, which in most cases was associated with an increase in the number of smooth muscle cell layers. To test if these structural changes occur in the absence of raised blood pressure, hydralazine was administered to spontaneously hypertensive rats and normotensive controls prior to and during pregnancy (100 ml/l drinking water), and to the newborn males up to 21 weeks of age (16.9 mg/kg/day by gavage until weaning followed by 100 mg/l in the drinking water). Treated animals were compared with untreated rats. Treatment prevented hypertension development in spontaneously hypertensive rats but did not alter the structural changes found in untreated animals with hypertension. At 21 weeks of age, hydralazine-treated spontaneously hypertensive rats had similar wall-to-lumen area ratios, medial cross-sectional areas and numbers of medial smooth muscle layers as untreated hypertensive rats while these parameters were greater in treated and untreated spontaneously hypertensive rats than in either treated or untreated normotensive controls. Withdrawal of hydralazine from 26-week-old spontaneously hypertensive rats that had been treated in utero and postnatally and had normal blood pressures throughout life resulted in the rapid onset of hypertension. Our results show that renal vascular wall thickening in spontaneously hypertensive rats occurs in the absence of high blood pressure and therefore is not a secondary effect of raised blood pressure.

Animals