Radiocesium levels measured in breast milk one year after the reactor accident at Chernobyl.

One hundred-two samples of colostral milk, collected during spring of 1987, approximately one year after the reactor accident at Chernobyl, were measured for radiocesium contamination. The data showed a normal-type distribution with a mean contamination concentration of 16.4 Bq L-1. A weak correlation of the data to the mothers' diet was established by taking into account four of the main staples in the area. The corresponding transfer coefficient was deduced with a value of fm = 0.06 +/- 0.03 d L-1. The resultant effective dose received by breast-feeding infants was estimated, on the average, as 0.012 mrem d-1.

A randomized study of local or general anesthesia for laser conization of the cervix.

Laser Conization of the cervix was performed in both inpatient and outpatient settings with either local or general anesthesia. All of the patients included had abnormal cervical smears, abnormal colposcopic findings and were allocated to one of two groups, A and B. Patients in group A had general anesthesia while patients in group B had only local anesthesia. A standard operative technique, was used and all patients had estimation of blood loss, recording of operative time, surgical suite time, anesthesia induction time, and assessment of postoperative pain and morbidity. Statistical analysis was performed using the student t-test. We concluded that laser conization of the cervix can be performed more cheaply with local anesthesia than with general anesthesia and with little discomfort, less nausea, and vomitting.