Objective: To evaluate the effect of gabapentin on the incidence and severity of postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV) after open cholecystectomy. Subjects and Methods: A total of 90 patients scheduled for elective open cholecystectomy were randomly assigned to either a gabapentin group (600 mg, 2 h before surgery) or a placebo group. For the analysis, 1 patient was excluded from the gabapentin group and 2 patients from the placebo group. A standard technique was used for anesthesia. Pethidine and metoclopramide were used for postoperative management of pain and nausea/vomiting, respectively. The prevalence of PONV, its severity (measured on visual analogue scale, VAS), and total pethidine and metoclopramide use in the first 24 h after the operation were recorded. Results: There were no demographic differences between the two groups. Of the 44 patients given gabapentin, 16 (36.6%) and 28 of 43 (65.2%) placebo patients developed PONV; the difference was statistically significant (p = 0.02). However, there was no difference in the severity of PONV between the gabapentin and placebo groups (p = 0.12). Gabapentin patients used less pethidine (28.33 ± 129 mg) and metoclopramide (6.0 ±6.3 mg) than the placebo group (35.1 ± 15.1 and 9.33 ± 7.1 mg, respectively). The differences were statistically significant (pethidine: p = 0.002, metoclopramide: p = 0.033). However, gabapentin did not reduce postoperative pain significantly (p = 0.096). Conclusion: Our data show that gabapentin not only reduced PONV after open cholecystectomy, but also reduced the need for additional postoperative analgesics.

The prevalence and pattern of ankylosing spondylitis (AS) can vary from country to country, according to genetic and environmental factors. This study aims to analyze the patterns of disease in a population of Iranian patients with AS. We performed a prospective study (2002-2007) analyzing 98 patients with diagnosis of AS according to the modified New York criteria. Selected patients underwent complete clinical (initial symptom, axial and peripheral involvement, heel enthesitis, extra-articular manifestations) and radiological (sacroiliac, lumbar, thoracic, and cervical spine) investigations, and these data were compared with sex, age at onset, and HLA-B27. There was predominance of men (71.4%), adult onset (>16 years, 90.8%), and positive HLA-B27 (73.4%). Family history of AS was noted in 14.3% of the patients. The predominant initial symptoms were inflammatory low back pain (44.2%). Radiological findings included syndesmophytes in 34.7% and "bamboo spine" in 16.3% of patients. Acute anterior uveitis was noted in 44.9% of patients. Male sex was associated with involvement of shoulder (P = 0.001). Female sex and juvenile-onset AS were associated with extra-articular involvement. Positive HLA-B27 was associated with hip involvement (P = 0.042) and adult-onset AS (P = 0.035). Analysis of the patterns of disease in this population of 98 southern Iranian patients with AS revealed that female sex and juvenile-onset AS were associated with extensive extra-axial involvement; and HLA-B27 was associated with hip involvement.

Objective: To evaluate the efficacy of preoperative intravenous or peritonsillar infiltration of ketamine for postoperative pain control in children following adenotonsillectomy. Patients and Methods: 78 children between 5 and 18 years of age who were scheduled for elective adenotonsillectomy were randomly assigned to four groups: group 1 (n = 19) received intravenous ketamine (0.5 mg/kg), group 2 (n = 21) intravenous normal saline, group 3 (n = 19) ketamine (0.5 mg/kg) injected through the tonsillar capsule, and group 4 (n = 19) normal saline injected in the same location. The incidence of postoperative pain and vomiting as well as the severity of postoperative pain were compared between study groups during the 6-hour postoperative period using a visual analog scale (VAS) at rest, upon swallowing saliva, drinking liquids and eating ice cream. Results: There were no demographic differences between the four groups. The incidence of postoperative pain was significantly lower in groups 1 [7 (36.8%) vs. 10 (47.6%); p = 0.032] and 3 [5 (31.5%) vs. 12 (63.2%); p = 0.001] compared with their controls. The amount (in milligrams) of pethidine and metoclopramide used for pain and nausea control was significantly lower in groups 1 (12.5 ± 5.3 vs. 19.6 ± 9.6 mg, p = 0.038, and 2.9 ± 1.1 vs. 4.6 ± 2.6 mg, p = 0.042, respectively) and 3 (8.6 ± 3.1 vs. 21.6 ± 8.4 mg, p < 0.001, and 1.6 ± 0.9 vs. 5.3 ± 3.2 mg, p = 0.002, respectively) compared with their controls. These values were also higher in group 1 compared with group 3. The VAS scores on swallowing saliva (3.9 ± 2.7 vs. 2.7 ± 1.2; p = 0.018), on drinking liquids (3.7 ± 2.6 vs. 2.8 ± 1.6; p = 0.013) and on eating ice-cream (4.3 ± 2.4 vs. 2.8 ± 1.5; p = 0.001) were also significantly higher in group 1 compared with group 3. Conclusions: Our results show that peritonsillar infiltration of ketamine was more effective in reducing the postoperative pain severity, need for analgesics and need for antiemetics. Thus, peritonsillar infiltration of ketamine is suggested for postoperative pain control in those undergoing adenotonsillectomy.

The prevalence and pattern of ankylosing spondylitis (AS) can vary from country to country, according to genetic and environmental factors. This study aims to analyze the patterns of disease in a population of Iranian patients with AS. We performed a prospective study (2002-2007) analyzing 98 patients with diagnosis of AS according to the modified New York criteria. Selected patients underwent complete clinical (initial symptom, axial and peripheral involvement, heel enthesitis, extra-articular manifestations) and radiological (sacroiliac, lumbar, thoracic, and cervical spine) investigations, and these data were compared with sex, age at onset, and HLA-B27. There was predominance of men (71.4%), adult onset (>16 years, 90.8%), and positive HLA-B27 (73.4%). Family history of AS was noted in 14.3% of the patients. The predominant initial symptoms were inflammatory low back pain (44.2%). Radiological findings included syndesmophytes in 34.7% and "bamboo spine" in 16.3% of patients. Acute anterior uveitis was noted in 44.9% of patients. Male sex was associated with involvement of shoulder (P = 0.001). Female sex and juvenile-onset AS were associated with extra-articular involvement. Positive HLA-B27 was associated with hip involvement (P = 0.042) and adult-onset AS (P = 0.035). Analysis of the patterns of disease in this population of 98 southern Iranian patients with AS revealed that female sex and juvenile-onset AS were associated with extensive extra-axial involvement; and HLA-B27 was associated with hip involvement.

BackgroundPentavalent antimonials remain the choice of treatment for leishmaniasis, despite their toxicity, high cost, and difficult administration. As an alternative, morphine may induce the healing process of cutaneous leishmaniasis by its immunoregulatory characteristics.ObjectivesTo study the effect of morphine on the wound-healing process of cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) in a mouse model.Materials and MethodsThis was an experimental study in which 40 BALB/c mice (female, 6 - 8 weeks) were divided into four groups (each n = 10) who received either placebo alone (group 1), morphine ointment after parasite inoculation (group 2), morphine ointment after wound occurrence (group 3), or placebo after wound occurrence (group 4). Wound size was measured weekly for eight weeks.ResultsOn the first day of treatment, the lesions measured ~1.5 mm in diameter. After eight weeks of treatment, the wound size was significantly smaller in the mice who received morphine ointment (4.81 ± 3.22 mm) compared to those who received placebo after parasite inoculation (8.95 ± 5.71 mm; P = 0.0001) or placebo after wound occurrence (P = 0.028).ConclusionsThe above data suggest that topical application of morphine accelerates the healing process of CL wounds. We are cautiously optimistic that the results of this study can be used clinically for potentiating CL wound-healing.