In a series of Caucasian patients over the age of 40 years, the number of individuals unable to recognize the bitter taste of phenylthiourea (8.1 mg/100 ml) was found to be 28 percent in a "normal" eye clinic population (446 individuals), 17 percent in a series of 155 patients with angleclosure glaucoma, and 53 percent in 211 patients with primary open-angle glaucoma.

Biomedical Research↗

PubMed1964

PROMAZINE AND MEPERIDINE (SPARIDOL 50), AN EFFICIENT COMBINATION FOR PREOPERATIVE MEDICATION.

A number of elderly patients undergoing intraocular surgery were premedicated with a combination of promazine 50 mg. and meperidine 50 mg. Superior sedation and a smoother postoperative course were noted as compared to a control group premedicated with the usual high dosages of opiates and barbiturates. The incidence of nausea and vomiting, urinary retention, and postoperative disorientation was less than 20%. Hypotension was not a problem.Promazine was found to potentiate the action of opiates and barbiturates given in smaller dosages, thus permitting surgical procedures to be carried out with safety in an older population prone to the complications of opiate and barbiturate administration. This finding confirms reports noted in the obstetrical literature.

Analgesics, Opioid↗

PubMed1964

BLOWOUT FRACTURES OF THE FLOOR OF THE ORBIT.

Blowout fractures of the orbit, a frequent complication of midfacial trauma, result from an increased intraorbital pressure which "blows out" the weakest area-the floor. Intraorbital fat and muscles herniated into the maxillary sinus, muscles incarcerated in the fracture, and the displaced orbital contents produce diplopia. After incarceration, elevation of the affected eye is impossible.Diagnosis is frequently difficult because initial intraorbital hemorrhage may limit mobility. Tomograms in the Waters' projection may show the fracture but frequently reveal only a cloudy antrum. The muscle traction test described herein is most helpful.The surgical correction aims at bridging the defect with Teflon or stainless-steel mesh or endogenous bone graft placed beneath the periosteum. Entry is gained through the lower lid. If repaired early, there is no functional loss and the repair is cosmetically excellent.

Diplopia↗

PubMed1964