Safe general anesthesia for ambulatory dental patients: a technic.
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Ambulatory Care↗
Biomedical subjects
J Springer
Publications and source records attributed to J Springer.
A report of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Gene-Tox Program. Evaluation of mutagenicity assays for purposes of genetic risk assessment.
For the vast majority of chemicals, mammalian germ-line (MG) mutation data do not exist. The question was examined of how best to utilize results of non-MG genotoxicity assays that are included in the Gene-Tox data base to provide information of the likelihood that genetic damage might be induced in and transmitted by the reproductive cells of exposed human beings. Two approaches were used to assess the relative value of different assays for genetic hazard identification. (1) Test results were weighted according to parameters by which conditions of an assay resemble those encountered in the potential induction of transmitted genetic damage in mammals. For this purpose, 35 assays were grouped into 16 categories that were assigned weights ranging from 1 to 15; there were 2367 chemicals in the data base. This system was evaluated by comparing the sum of weighted test results for each chemical with the outcome of MG-standard (MGst) tests where such had been reported. (MGst tests used were the specific-locus and heritable-translocation assays [SLT and HTT] for gene mutations and chromosome aberrations, respectively.) The weighting system produced a few false positives with respect to the MGst results. It produced no false negatives, but the available evidence is limited by the circumstance that MGst test have evidently been preferentially performed with chemicals that had already been shown to be positive in several other assays. (2) Findings from each MGst test were compared with those from each of the other assays in turn, provided that at least 10 chemicals had been tested in both of the assays. There were 11 such comparisons involving the SLT, and 14 such comparisons involving the HTT. The observed concordance was above random expectation in several comparisons, particularly those involving certain mammalian in vivo tests, but in only one case (HTT vs. unscheduled DNA synthesis in the testis) did the degree of elevation approach statistical significance.
Animals↗
Evaluation of sampling plans used in the United States, United Kingdom, and The Netherlands to test raw shelled peanuts for aflatoxin.
The United States is a large producer and exporter of peanuts. The United Kingdom and The Netherlands are major importers of U.S. peanuts. Each country has a different guideline or legal limit for peanut products containing aflatoxin. Peanuts are tested for aflatoxin in each country by using specifically designed aflatoxin sampling plans to determine if the aflatoxin concentration in a lot of raw shelled peanuts is less than the guideline or legal limit. For raw shelled peanuts, the U.S. plan has the highest sample acceptance limit of 15 ng total aflatoxin/g, the UK plan has a sample acceptance limit of 10 ng total aflatoxin/g, and the Dutch Code of Practice (called the Dutch plan) has the lowest sample acceptance limit at 3 ng aflatoxin B1/g. The U.S. plan uses a maximum of 3 sampling units, each weighing 21.8 kg; the UK plan uses a single sampling unit of 10 kg; and the Dutch plan uses 4 sampling units, each weighing 7.5 kg. The sampling variance is lowest for the U.S. plan and highest for the Dutch plan. The sample preparation variance is lowest for both the Dutch and UK plans and highest for the U.S. plan, primarily because of the mill type used to comminute the kernels in the sample. For a given distribution among lot concentrations, the U.S. plan accepts the greatest number of lots and the Dutch plan rejects the greatest number of lots. The average aflatoxin concentration among accepted lots is highest for the U.S. plan and lowest for the Dutch plan.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Aflatoxins↗
Impact of medical examiner/coroner practices on organ recovery in the United States.
OBJECTIVE: The object of this research is to determine the nature and extent of the loss of donor organs during a 3-year period that are otherwise medically suitable for organ transplantation owing to nonrelease by a local medical examiner or coroner. DESIGN AND DATA SOURCES: In a retrospective study of the effects of medical examiner/coroner donor release practices, a detailed survey was mailed to every organ procurement organization (OPO) in the United States. This survey collected specific data (eg, number of cases denied per year), as well as descriptive information. RESULTS: Of the 2670 organ donors reported by 39 OPO respondents in 1990, 62.1% were medical examiner cases, and 129 (7.2%) of these cases were denied recovery by the local medical examiner/coroner. The number of denials increased to 181 (9.6% of medical examiner cases) in 1991 and to 251 (11.4% of medical examiner cases) in 1992. It is estimated that the population of medical examiner/coroner denials from 1990 through 1992 may be as many as 884. Twenty percent of the OPO respondents reported that no cases were denied recovery by a local medical examiner/coroner. A comparative analysis reveals that the proportion of total reported potential medical examiner/coroner cases that were denied increased by 65% from 1990 to 1992, while medical examiner/coroner cases released declined slightly. CONCLUSIONS: Since an average of 3.37 organs were recovered per donor in 1992, it is possible that as many as 2979 people may have been denied transplants from 1990 through 1992 owing to medical examiners'/coroners' denials. There were no donor denials in 10 geographical areas of the United States, nor was there any instance of violation of case law or any documentation of flawed autopsies or collection of forensic evidence in donor cases released. These two factors suggest that the loss of human life from denials is not needed to protect the judicial process. Increased cooperation between medical examiner offices and OPOs could significantly increase the availability of transplantable organs.
Coroners and Medical Examiners↗