J Beddard | PubMed Health

PubMed1986

First report of Angiostrongylus cantonensis in Puerto Rico.

From January to April 1984, 63 Rattus rattus and 40 R. norvegicus were trapped in northeastern Puerto Rico and examined for Angiostrongylus cantonensis adults. Nineteen (47.5%) of the R. norvegicus and 10 (15.9%) of the R. rattus were infected, giving an overall infection rate of 28.2%. Four species of terrestrial snails and one species of brown slug were examined for A. cantonensis larvae. Two snail species, Subulina octona and Aquebana belutina, were found infected with third stage larvae of A. cantonensis. These larvae were harvested and inoculated per os into adult white mice. Immature adult worms were found in the brain tissue of all mice inoculated. This is the first report in the rat and snail populations of Puerto Rico.

Angiostrongylus↗

PubMed1980

Obstetric pain relief using epidural morphine.

Epidural injections of morphine (2.5 or 4 mg) were given to 25 patients in labour. Forty-eight per cent had good relief of pain lasting from 3 1/4 to 11 hours (average 5 1/4 hours). Sixteen per cent of patients had transient or partial relief, and in 36% there was no discernible effect at all. No serious side effects were observed in either mother or baby. It is felt that this technique merits further investigation in view of its potential advantages over more traditional methods of pain relief in labour.

Anesthesia, Epidural↗