[An ergonomic analysis of 5 technics for moving patients]]. / Analisi ergonomica di cinque tecniche di spostamento del paziente.

Nursing personnel and physical therapists refer to the lifting and moving of patients as the most important determinant of occupationally related low-back pain. This study was conducted in 12 nurses and 12 patients, to compare three methods of transferring patients from bed to wheelchair; (I) manual lifting, (II) an assistive device-a walking belt (with both one- and two-person transfers) and (III) a mechanical hoist. After completion of a given transfer, nurses were asked to rate the physical stress and how secure they felt the method was. Patients were asked to rate how secure and comfortable they felt. We also recorded the time required to make each transfer. The walking belt two persons had the most favourable ratings (the least stressful and most secure and comfortable), however transfers with this method took longer than those with the manual methods (although less than transfers with the hoist). Both nurses and patients rated one-person manual lifting as most stressful and least secure. Two-person transfer methods were preferred to the corresponding one-person methods. The hoist was the least suitable transfer method in view of the corresponding one-person methods. The hoist was the least suitable transfer method in view of the considerable physical stresses to the nurses, perceived lack of safety, discomfort for the patients and time involved.

Quantitative lymphoscintigraphy.

A radioisotopic method was used to evaluate the state and dynamics of the lymphatic system in 92 patients affected by chronic oedema of the limbs and in 12 control subjects. After interstitial injections of 99mTc-sulphur microcolloid, scans were obtained using a LFOV camera linked to a data processor. The quantitative indices of clearance and lymph node uptake obtained showed good correlation with lymphoedema etiology, controls and ostensibly healthy limbs of patients affected by monolateral disease. In conclusion, quantitative lymphoscintigraphy appears to be a feasible indicator of early changes in the lymph pathophysiology and supports the hypothesis that lymphoedema generally arises from a predisposing congenital pathology.

[Lymphoscintigraphy in the study of lymphedema of the arms]. / La linfoscintigrafia nello studio dei linfedemi degli arti superiori.

The aim of this work has been the study of the mechanism of lymph formation and drainage in the upper limb in patients with monolateral lymphoedema (15 limbs, L) in comparison with the apparently healthy limb (S) as well as with a control group (8 limbs, C). After interstitial injection of 99mTc sulphur micro-colloid, scans were obtained employing a LFOV camera linked to a data processor. Results were expressed as percentage of the id removed from the injection site 1 and 6 hr pi, mean T6%/h it is (T6-T1)/5 and percentage lymph nodes uptake at the same times. Mean T6%/h is significantly different between C and L, but not between L and S, while lymph node uptake at 6 hr shows a significant difference even between C and S. Quantitative lymphoscintigraphy appears to be a feasible indicator of early changes in the lymph pathophysiology and supports the hypothesis that lymphoedema generally arises from a predisposing congenital pathology.

[Changes in spontaneous platelet aggregation induced by the ambient temperature]. / Modificazioni indotte dalla temperatura ambiente sulla aggregabilità piastrinica spontanea.

The diagnostic meaning of the functional platelets modifications (particularly those of spontaneous platelet aggregation = P.A.) in cardiovascular pathology has been recalled. It is emphasized that, in order to have significantly predictable data on eventual pathological alterations in case of deviations of values considered normal, one has to use methods that do not differ from the real haemorheological conditions. A research has therefore been made with the purpose to evaluate the influence that variations of temperature may have on the samples collected and left to sediment (for the separation of the PRP) and the subsequent modifications of P.A. The research has been made in double on plasma sedimented at 37 degrees C and at room-temperature on 731 subjects, 289 of which were the casuistic groups for the subsequent statistic elaboration. With similar modalities in other 8 patients the eventual variations in excretion of beta-TG were looked for. The results have shown that there are important variations of the spontaneous P.A. rates, that the difference is always statistically very significant and that lowering the temperature of the samples favors an increase in beta-TG excretion . The Authors think therefore that only the sedimentation at 37 degrees C issues a plasma usefull for the further performing of platelets tests, while in the plasma obtained with sedimentation at room-temperature the platelets are perhaps already stimulated to an activation (and subsequently an aggregation) higher than the real one. Data obtained from a homogeneous group of subjects, healthy from a clinical point of view, allowed to fix the new range of normal values within 3% of aggregability . The mechanisms that lead to such different results are discussed. Emphasis is put on the fact that the spontaneous P.A. determined by the means mentioned seems satisfactorily near to the real clinical conditions. That's why the hypothesis arises that also other tests concerning platelet functions could be negatively influenced if they have room-temperature as a condition for plasma separation.

[Calculation of the systolic time as an index of thyroid performance]. / Il calcolo dei tempi sistolici come indice di funzionalità tiroidea.

Two methods for determining some features of cardiovascular behaviour in dysthyroidism are compared: time of appearance of the femoral sphygmic wave (as an expression of the cardiovascular response to thyroid hormones); systolic times, particularly tension time (as an expression of the contractile function of the myocardium only). Results in 52 euthyroid, hyperthyroid and hypothyroid subjects showed that systolic times (especially tension time) are more accurate and more discriminating in the assessment of thyroid performance. Measurement of this interval is thus proposed as an index for the appraisal of myocardial contractility in dysthyroidism, and as an additional means of evaluating thyroid performance.