PubMed HealthSearch

Biomedical subjects

R M Boucher

Publications and source records attributed to R M Boucher.

12 recordsLinked to original sources

The otolaryngic manifestations of multiple sclerosis.

Multiple sclerosis is a disease characterized pathologically by the disseminated demyelination of central nervous system white matter and clinically by episodes of focal neurologic deficit that occur in a relapsing and remitting course usually over many years. In most cases progressively fixed deficits occur with resultant moderate to severe disability. Symptoms and signs of multiple sclerosis are reviewed, with emphasis placed on the protean manifestations and natural history of the disease.

Clinical Protocols

The diagnosis of Thornwaldt's cyst.

Thornwaldt's cyst is an uncommon nasopharyngeal lesion which develops from the remnant of the primitive notochord. A case report of a patient with a Thornwaldt's cyst and cervical adenitis is presented. Though computed tomography of the head and neck was unremarkable, magnetic resonance imaging of the nasopharynx revealed the Thornwaldt's cyst, suggesting that this modality may be more sensitive in detecting and evaluating cystic lesions of the nasopharynx. The differential diagnosis of cystic nasopharyngeal masses is discussed.

Adult

Ultrasonic synergistic effects in liquid-phase chemical sterilization.

New methods of sterilization employing a chemical with moderate heat and ultrasonic energy have been devised. Inactivation of high-density bacterial spore suspensions is achieved by treatment with low concentration aqueous acid glutaraldehyde solutions at temperatures above or about 54 C. Low (20 kHz) or high (250 kHz) frequency ultrasonic energy is synergistic with glutaraldehyde. Rapid inactivation may also be achieved by using ultrasonic energy and aqueous alkalinized glutaraldehyde solutions at low (25 C) or moderate (55 C) temperatures. If compared to present room temperature techniques, "surface sterilization" time for contaminated objects can be reduced from hours to minutes.

Aldehydes

Synergistic effects in sonochemical sterilization.

The synergistic effects observed during the sterilization of Bacillus subtilis var. niger ATCC 9372 by the combined action of ethylene or propylene oxide with high-intensity airborne sound waves (34.8 kc/sec) were investigated. It has been shown that the number of surviving spores deposited on paper strips decreases exponentially with the sound intensity at sample level. Reductions of the order of one-third of the time required for standard propylene oxide sterilization have been observed by using the combined action of sound waves with gaseous sterilization. At the present time, maximal synergistic effects seem to be achieved for the following experimental conditions: propylene oxide concentration, 500 to 1,000 mg/liter; acoustic intensity, 161 to 162 db; contact time, 80 min; temperature, 60 C; and relative humidity, 40%. The basic mechanism involved in sonochemical sterilization seems to be more of a physical (accelerated gas diffusion) than a chemical nature.

Bacillus subtilis