Computer-assisted work station timing analysis of instrument labor efficiency.

Labor use ratings assigned to instruments by the Workload Recording Method (WRM) do not change with batch size or walk-away time use. The authors evaluated the effect of both on the labor use of the analyzers Paramax B6100 (Baxter Paramax, Irvine, CA) and Ektachem 700 (Eastman Kodak, Rochester, NY) by timing all worked and walk-away intervals on both instruments. Extrapolation of the data to a workload of slightly more than 1.1 million tests showed that reapportionment of tests to various batch sizes caused Paramax-Ektachem labor cost differences to fluctuate between $37,254 and $34,995. When the minimum usable walk-away interval length was varied from 1 to 20 minutes, Ektachem savings over Paramax increased from $8,700 to $61,400. The WRM predicted a constant $29,050 labor cost advantage for Ektachem over Paramax. If other instruments show similar labor use characteristics with respect to batch size and walk-away utility, laboratory managers who do not consider these factors may fail to select the most cost-effective instruments for their laboratories.

Petriellidium boydii pachymeningitis treated with miconazole and ketoconazole.

A very rare case of Petriellidium boydii pachymeningitis is described. Rarer still is the stabilization of this case for a prolonged period. Miconazole and ketaconazole both seemed useful in the treatment, and their role is discussed.

Sacral plexus nerve sheath tumor: case report.

A young woman with chronic sciatica was found to have an intrapelvic sacral plexus nerve sheath tumor. Computed tomography of the pelvis was used to delineate this unusual site of tumor development. The case report and a discussion of pelvic nerve sheath tumors are presented.

Electrical stimulation treatment of dog's denervated orbicularis oculi muscle.

In this investigation, the electrophysiology and pathology of denervated orbicularis oculi muscles have been studied in dogs during chronic electrical stimulation. The orbicularis oculi muscles were unilaterally denervated in 8 dogs, and 4 of these muscles were directly stimulated on a daily basis for 75 days. No difference in minimum stimulus intensities evoking orbicularis oculi muscle twitch contraction appeared between denervated treated and nontreated muscles. A significant reduction of minimum stimulus intensities evoking upper eyelid complete closure (blink), however, was found in the denervated treated muscles between 10 and 30 days (p less than 0.01). At 28 and 75 days, orbicularis oculi muscle biopsies showed no difference in muscle fiber diameter between denervated treated and nontreated muscles. At 75 days, type II muscle fiber distribution, however, was significantly increased in denervated treated muscles compared with denervated nontreated muscles (p less than 0.01). These findings of orbicularis oculi muscle electrophysiology were consistent with a transient reversal of denervation changes by electrical stimulation, partially supported by muscle biopsies.