Inhaled citric acid as bronchial challenge: A comparison with the ultrasonically nebulized distilled water

MIst test and a test base on the inhalation of a 10% solution of citric acid were performed in 10 symptom-free asthmatic subjects in order to compare their effectiveness as bronchial challenges. the mean percentage decrease of SGaw was 30.4 + 16.4 after citric acid and 52.4 +14.9 after artificial fog (mist test). Mist test showed a hyperreactive condition in all tested subjects. Instead, citric acid induced a significant response in only 4 subjects though it always gave rise to adverse effects (cough, lachrymation, local burning, and vomit). We conclude that citric acid is more discomfortable and less effective than mist test and that, therefore, lacks the basic features of a good bronchial challenge test

Atopic status and bronchial hyperresponsiveness to ultrasonic mist, histamine, and carbachol

carbachol challenge and ultrasonic mist of distilled water are respectively the most and least sensitive in detecting bronchial hyperresponsiveness in asthamatic

[Pharmacologic induction of fetal immobilization for prenatal diagnostic-therapeutic procedures].

Neuro-muscular blocking agents are currently administered to the fetus during intrauterine procedures, in order to freeze fetal movements and to avoid traumatic effects. The authors have evaluated three drug regimens (Pancuronium, Vecuronium, Atracurium), both via the intramuscular and the intravascular route of administration to the fetus. The time lapse between injection and disappearance of movements and the duration of paralysis have shown no significant differences for each group. The duration of fetal immobilization, on the other hand, has resulted excessively long for the necessity of the procedure. The authors speculate that immaturity of fetal metabolism can be responsible for the prolonged action of the drug. No side effect related to paralysis have been recorded at birth and after two years follow-up

Bronchial hyperresponsiveness to physical stimuli induced by inhaled propranolol in normal subjects

Not only inhaled propranolol induces bronchospasm in asthmatic subjects, but it also increases sensibility to physical stimuli such as to ultrasonically nebulized distilled wate

Magnetic resonance imaging in pregnancy: study of fetal cerebral malformations.

This paper reports 15 examinations by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) performed in pregnant women whose fetuses had cerebral malformations identified by sonography. In all the cases the fetuses were immobilized by ultrasound‐guided intravenous or intramuscular curarization. The diagnoses by MRI and ultrasound differed only in one case where an occipital meningocele had first been suggested. No cerebral abnormalities were demonstrated in this case by the MRI study, and this was confirmed at birth. In the remaining 14 cases, MRI confirmed the ultrasound diagnosis of cerebral malformation. In four of these cases, MRI added some additional information to the ultrasound diagnosis of ventriculomegaly by detecting agenesis of the corpus callosum in two fetuses, one Chiari malformation and one triventricular hydrocephalus. Another two ultrasound diagnoses of microcephaly actually proved to be semilobar holoprosencephaly with MRI. In the following cases, the MRI diagnoses concurred with those of ultrasound, and was therefore used unnecessarily despite providing further anatomical details of the lesions: two cases of agenesis of the corpus callosum, one case of anencephaly, a cystic hygroma of the neck, an alobar holoprosencephaly, a Dandy–Walker malformation and a mild isolated hydrocephalus associated with diaphragmatic hernia. In one case of iniencephaly, sonography offered closer approximation to the correct diagnosis. The results obtained unequivocally confirm the high sensitivity of ultrasound examinations in the prenatal screening of cerebral malformations and show that MRI proves to be complementary in uncertain cases or when more accurate anatomical detail is required. Copyright © 1994 International Society of Ultrasound in Obstetrics and Gynecology Copyright © 1994 International Society of Ultrasound in Obstetrics and Gynecolog