No abstract available.
Osmolar Concentration*

BACKGROUND: Acid-base derangement are commonly encountered in critically ill patients. This study is to investigate underlying mechanisms of acid-base imbalance and also to examine whether they can predict mortality in burn patients. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed 73 severely burned patients who had admitted to burn intensive care unit, from January to July in 2004. All the patients had inhalation injury, identified by bronchoscopic examination. We analyzed the type and nature of the acid-base imbalances from arterial blood gas analysis, electrolytes and other biological tests between survivors and non-survivors for 30 days after admission. RESULTS: Acidosis was the most common disorder during the early and late hospital periods. Large fractions of those showed decreased strong ion difference (SID), increased anion gap corrected by albumin (AGc) and [Cl-]corrected. Mixed disorder and alkalosis emerged after the 7(th) hospital day. As time went by, albumin, PaO2/FiO2 ratio, pH and SID were more decreased in non-survivors (n=28) than in survivors (n=45) while [Cl-] corrected, alveolar-arterial oxygen tension gradients, peripheral WBC counts and CRP were more increased in non-survivors than in survivors. In the area under the receiver operating characteristic curves for mortality prediction, APACHE II score and % of total body surface area (%TBSA) burn were high: 0.866 (95% CI; 0.785~0.946) for APACHE II score, 0.817 (95% CI; 0.717~0.918) for %TBSA burn. CONCLUSIONS: In burned patients with inhalation injury, various types of acid-base imbalances and electrolytes abnormalities emerged after resuscitation and so, more careful attentions pursued for correcting underlying acid-base derangement.
Acid-Base Equilibrium ; Acid-Base Imbalance* ; Acidosis ; Alkalosis ; APACHE ; Attention ; Blood Gas Analysis ; Body Surface Area ; Burns* ; Critical Illness ; Diagnosis* ; Electrolytes ; Humans ; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration ; Inhalation* ; Intensive Care Units ; Mortality* ; Oxygen ; Resuscitation ; Retrospective Studies ; ROC Curve ; Sudden Infant Death ; Survivors

Forensic pathologists must determine not only the cause and manner of death, but also the identity of the deceased. Some surgical procedures or implants may have a great value for identification. A case of quickly solved postmortem identification through medical information of an ambulatory pH monitoring capsule (Bravo(TM) Capsule) in the esophagus is reported.
Esophagus* ; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration

PURPOSE: To evaluate the effect of dry eye on the corneal thickness measured by Orbscan and ultrasonic pachymetry. METHODS: The central corneal thickness was measured by both ultrasonic and Orbscan pachymetry in 30 eyes with dry eye (dry eye group) and in 30 eyes of normal subjects (control group). Dry eye was diagnosed when a Schirmer test result was less than 10 mm (after topical anesthesia) and the test for tear osmolarity was also performed. RESULTS: Tear osmolarity was 364.4+/-42.9 mOsm/L in dry eye group and 337.8+/-34.5 mOsm/L in control group. It was significantly higher in dry eye group than in the control group (p=0.011). Mean central corneal thickness measured by Orbscan pachymetry was 547.5+/-27.3 microgram in dry eye group and 562.0+/-20.4 microgram in the control group. It was significantly thinner in dry eye group than in the control group (p=0.023). Mean central corneal thickness measured by ultrasonic pachymetry was 535.7+/-27.2 microgram in dry eye group and 547.6+/-20.1 microgram in the control group with out significant difference between the two groups (p=0.059). CONCLUSIONS: The corneal thickness measured by ultrasonic pachymetry is less affected by dry eye compared to that measured by Orbscan pachymetry.
Osmolar Concentration ; Ultrasonics*

No abstract available.
Hydrogen-Ion Concentration

The authors studied on alterations of hematology and coagulation of 2 patient groups, supernatal and deep burn, along 20 first days of intensive treatment. The results showed that decreased platelet aggregation, prolonged bleeding time, reduced prothrombine rate and reduced fibrinogen level in deep burn group, compared to supernatal burn group. These differences were seen mainly at time of T1 and occasional at time T2 and T3.
burns ; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration

No abstract available.
Catheters ; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration

No abstract available.
Catheters ; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration

Background and Objectives: While Theobroma cacao L has long been utilized in the food, cosmetic, and pharmaceutical industries, it was also found to possess antibacterial activity. The beans comprise 10% of the fruit, while the remaining 90%, consisting of pods, is considered waste. It was reported that the pods possess antibacterial activity, and if utilized for this purpose, T. cacao pods will no longer be considered as waste. The aim of this study was to evaluate the antibacterial activity of the cream formulated from the aqueous extract of T. cacao L pods. Methods: The milled T. cacao pods were extracted using distilled water at 4°C for 24 hours. The crude extract was subjected to liquid-liquid partitioning using hexane, ethyl acetate, and n-butanol. Phytochemical screening was performed to identify the constituents present in the extract and its fractions. The extract and its fractions were tested against Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus epidermidis, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Determination of IC50 using 3,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) Reduction Assay was used to evaluate the antibacterial activity. The extract with the highest yield and the highest antibacterial activity were formulated into a cream. T. cacao cream was evaluated with quality control tests for creams and emulsions. Acute skin irritation test was performed on the T. cacao cream to assess skin irritability upon application on adult male albino rabbits. Results: T. cacao crude extract and its fractions possessed antibacterial activity. Among the fractions tested, n-butanol fraction had the highest activity against S. aureus, S. epidermidis, and P. aeruginosa. There was a significant difference between the fractions tested on the three bacterial strains (p<0.05). Although n-butanol fraction had the highest activity, the actual yield obtained after extraction was 0.95%. Since T. cacao aqueous extract also exhibited good antibacterial activity, it was chosen for the formulation study. There was no significant difference between the IC50 of the T. cacao crude extract and the IC50 of T. cacao cream, hence formulating it into a cream did not affect the antibacterial activity of the extract. Conclusion T. cacao pod extract, as well as its fractions, possessed antibacterial activity against three bacterial strains. The T. cacao cream produced was a water-in-oil, non-irritant cream with antibacterial activity, and with acceptable physical attributes.
Inhibitory Concentration 50

Introduction : This study determined the effect of Just Dance Kinect™M on the attention span of selected college students in the UERMMMCI College of Allied Rehabilitation Sciences. Methods : Study subiects underwent a two-week intervention by playing Just Dance Kinect™ for ten minutes each session thrice a week. The pre- and post-intervention attention span scores were determined using the Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of Neuropsychologic Status and compared. Results : There was a significant 8-point increase in the Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of Neuropsychologic Status attention span scores of 30 participants after two weeks of intervention with Just Dance Kinect™. No adverse events were reported by the participants. Conclusion Just Dance Kinect™ appears to be potentially beneficial in improving attention span among college students
Attention ; Dancing