BACKGROUND Studies on peripheral benzodiazepine receptor function have yielded a diverse list of activities of which the anti-inflammatory effects need to be further examined. AIMS To evaluate the role of steroids, nitric oxide and adenosine-deaminase in the anti-inflammatory effect of PK11195. METHODS Pleurisy was induced by intrapleural injection of carrageenan in mice pre-treated or not ...

Tension pneumothorax is a life threatening condition that occurs when the intrapleural pressure exceeds atmospheric pressure. It requires prompt diagnosis and immediate treatment. Tension pneumothorax developing postoperatively after cardiac surgery is not uncommon but occurrence in the operating room during cardiac surgery is rare. We report a case of tension pneumothorax intraoperatively duri...

Chylothorax is suspected when milky white turbid fluid is obtained from thoracocentesis. Conservative management usually involves intercostal tube drainage, dietary restriction, and total parenteral nutrition. Surgery is indicated when conservative management fails. We describe a young woman with idiopathic chylothorax who failed conservative therapy but refused surgery. We instilled intrapleu...

background: morphine and lidocaine are known to influence the perception of pain. the present study sought to determine the influence of local administration of morphine on lidocaine-induced analgesia in morphine non-dependent (mnd), morphine dependent (md) and morphine withdrawal (mw) animals. methods: adult male wistar rats were divided into four groups: control, mnd, md and mw rats. lidocain...

Repeated trials with cold-pressor pain were used to (a) determine whether the modest relation between hypnotic susceptibility and response to acupuncture analgesia obtained in previous experiments is enhanced over a series of treatments; (b) compare acupuncture and hypnotic analgesias; and (c) assess whether acupuncture analgesia increases with repeated treatments. Twenty high and 20 low hypnot...

After unsuccessful treatment with intercostal tube drainage and antibiotics intrapleural streptokinase was used to treat successfully an empyema in a man with AIDS and advanced cutaneous Kaposi's sarcoma who was unfit for surgical decortication. The role of this technique in the management of HIV positive patients with empyema is discussed.

Patients with malignant mesothelioma may present with hemothorax. We used a combination of oral and intrapleural tranexamic acid to treat two patients with this severe complication. Initiation of treatment with this potent anti-fibrinolytic drug resulted in rapid reduction of bleeding and of transfusion requirements.

For labor pain management epidural analgesia is a popular and an effective method. Difficult removal of epidural catheters occasionally occurs, and several maneuvers have been recommended. The purpose of this article is to raise awareness of the problem of retained epidural catheter fragments and identify the potential impact of complications.