ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION: In a "developing country" the need exists for an inexpensive, simplistic yet sensitive screening procedure which furthermore, allows for the immediate referral of patients. Research has indicated that the acetic acid test is a most viable option. Screening, however, often occurs in less than ideal conditions thus implying the exposure of the acetic acid to various fluctuating elements. OBJECTIVE: Determining the influence of temperature, time and humidity on the pH of a 5% acetic acid solution. METHOD: The effect of temperature, time and humidity on the pH of a 5% acetic acid solution was determined under controlled laboratory conditions utilizing the calculated molar conductance and dissociation constant. RESULTS: The pH of the 5% acetic acid solution remained a constant throughout exposure to the various elements. DISCUSSION: The results imply that the quality of acetic acid, on which many alternative screening methods and colposcopy are based, remains stable under varying conditions. This is important when screening is implemented in less than ideal conditions utilizing cervicography or the acetic acid test which are primarily dependent on acetic acid.
Subject(s)
Acetic Acid/chemistry , Mass Screening/methods , Uterine Cervical Neoplasms/diagnosis , Developing Countries , Drug Stability , Female , Humans , Hydrogen-Ion Concentration , Sensitivity and SpecificityABSTRACT
A common complication in patients with breast or prostate cancer is bone metastases causing pain. New radionuclide therapy methods have recently been proposed for palliation, including 186Re-hydroxyethylidene diphosphonate (186Re-HEDP). This paper reports on the local development of 186Re-HEDP and the biodistribution studied in animals for eventual use in patients. Adult dose was computed assuming a 70 kg standard man. The 186Re was labelled to HEDP using standard techniques. The biodistribution in five Chacma baboons (Papio ursinus) was studied. Doses ranging from 39.4 to 44.9 MBq kg(-1) (mean 43.6 +/- 2.8 MBq kg[-1]) were administered, corresponding to an adult human dose of 2960 MBq (80 mCi). Whole-body images of the animals were obtained with a dual-headed scintillation camera on an hourly basis for 6 h post-injection and then daily for 3 days. The bone, soft tissue, kidneys and urinary bladder were considered source organs and data from these organs were used in a compartmental model to obtain the mean residence times of the radionuclide in the different source organs. Radiation dose estimates for 186Re-HEDP were subsequently obtained with the MIRDOSE 3 program. The estimated absorbed radiation doses to some of the organs (expressed in mGy MBq[-l]) were as follows: bone surface 1.69; kidneys 0.09; liver 0.04; ovaries 0.04; red marrow 0.75; total body 0.12; urinary bladder wall 0.43. 186Re-HEDP yielded an effective dose of 0.17 mSv MBq(-1). The radiation dose delivered to the bone marrow in this study did not cause any detrimental effect to the baboons, indicating that locally produced 186Re-HEDP is suitable for clinical use.
Subject(s)
Bone Neoplasms/radiotherapy , Bone Neoplasms/secondary , Etidronic Acid , Organometallic Compounds/pharmacokinetics , Adult , Animals , Bone and Bones/metabolism , Breast Neoplasms/radiotherapy , Female , Humans , Kidney/metabolism , Male , Metabolic Clearance Rate , Palliative Care , Papio , Prostatic Neoplasms/radiotherapy , Radiopharmaceuticals/pharmacokinetics , Radiopharmaceuticals/therapeutic use , Rhenium/pharmacokinetics , Rhenium/therapeutic use , Tissue Distribution , Urinary Bladder/metabolismABSTRACT
UNLABELLED: Sucralfate binds with denuded protein to form a stable complex to protect the damaged mucosa. By utilising this property, technetium-99m-labelled sucralfate can be used to demonstrate ulceration in the upper gastro-intestinal tract. AIM: The aim of this study was to evaluate 99mTc-labelled sucralfate in the diagnosis of grade II-III reflux oesophagitis. METHODS: Ten patients with endoscopic proof of grade II-III reflux oesophagitis and 10 patients with normal findings on oesophagoscopy were evaluated after they had swallowed 5 ml 99mTc sucralfate. Radionuclide imaging was done until activity in the oesophagus had ceased. RESULTS: Retention of activity from 10 minutes up to 1 1/2 hours could be demonstrated in 9 patients with endoscopically proven oesophagitis. In the control group complete clearance of activity was seen in 7 patients. Gastro-oesophageal reflux could be demonstrated in 4 patients. CONCLUSION: In conclusion we found 99mTc sucralfate to be a sensitive and specific method for the non-invasive diagnosis of grade II or grade III oesophagitis when compared with endoscopy [corrected].