Tidal volume (VT), minute ventilation (VE), the duration of inspiratats anaesthetized with 0.7%, 1% and 1.5% (inspired) trichloroethylene (TCE). The tracheal cannula was occluded at intervals at the start of inspiration and the tracheal pressure was measured to assess the force of contraction of the respiratory muscles. Anaesthesia with TCE 0.7% was associated with an increase in VE, a reductio...

Five children with features of Joubert's syndrome and Leber's amaurosis are described. The presenting symptoms were panting tachypnoea in the newborn, prolonged apnoeic attacks in the neonatal period (in both of identical twins), global developmental delay, and failure to develop vision. Three children had multiple hemifacial spasms, such as have been seen in Joubert's syndrome, and the same th...

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the respiratory rate as an indicator of hypoxia in infants < 2 months of age. SETTING Pediatric emergency unit of an urban teaching hospital. SUBJECTS 200 infants < 2 months, with symptom(s) of any acute illness. METHODS Respiratory rate (by observation method), and oxygen saturation (SaO(2)) by means of a pulse oximeter were recorded at admission. Infants were categ...

High output ileostomies are important complications of stoma formation following bowel surgery. Adequate management of such stomas might prevent severe morbidity and mortality when this potentially fatal complication develops. In this case report, we describe a female patient with a recent ileostomy formation following panproctocolectomy for ulcerative colitis who presented with progressively i...

A three-year-old weimaraner was presented with lethargy, anorexia, neck pain and a soft fluctuant swelling in the thoracic inlet. A cough had been noted previously. Clinical examination revealed tachycardia, tachypnoea, pallor and a large subcutaneous swelling, with bruising, suggestive of a haematoma in the thoracic inlet. Thoracic radiographs revealed a cranial mediastinal mass which had the ...

Myasthenia gravis is an acquired chronic autoimmune disorder caused by decrease in functioning of acetylcholine receptors at the neuromuscular junctions owing to their destruction or inactivation by circulating antibodies. Disease manifests in the form of easy fatigability, weakness, difficulty in swallowing and even paralysis of respiratory muscles necessitating assisted ventilation. The clini...

CASE REPORT A 25 year old woman presented to our accident and emergency department with a three hour history of retrosternal pleuritic chest pain and dyspnoea. She was previously completely well, was a non-smoker and her only medication was a levonorgestrel-based second generation oral contraceptive. Initial clinical examination revealed moderate obesity, tachypnoea (oxygen saturation of 94% on...

BACKGROUND Paraffin has characteristics that make it popular among fire breathers. AIMS To describe a case of paraffin-induced lipoid pneumonia in a fire breather. METHODS The patient was evaluated clinically in relation to his occupational history. RESULTS A 32-year-old man presented with dyspnoea, tachypnoea and non-productive cough of 2 h duration that started immediately following an ...

Poisoning with the plant Lasiospermum bipinnatum was studied in 9 lambs at various dose levels. Dyspnoea and tachypnoea, which were dose-related, were observed in 4 of the lambs. Gross and microscopic pulmonary lesions were found in all the lambs receiving plant material originating from one source but not in those given plant from another locality. The severity of the lesions appeared to be do...

The lecithin/sphingomyelin (L/S) ratio was measured in the hypopharyngeal aspirate of 41 newborn infants. In 20 without respiratory distress the ratio within 24 hours from birth ranged from 1.5 to 5.8 with a mean value of 3.3. In 6 with 'transient tachypnoea of the newborn' the ratio ranged from 2.0 to 6.7 with a mean value of 3.2. In 15 infants with idiopathic respiratory distress syndrome (RD...