Experiments were conducted to study the acute inhalation toxicity of T-2 mycotoxin in both young adult and mature mice. For a 10-min aerosol exposure, the 24-hr LC50 of T-2 mycotoxin in young adult mice was 0.08 +/-0.04 mg T-2/liter air and that for mature mice was 0.325 +/-0.1 mg T-2/liter air. Deaths among mice exposed to the higher aerosol concentrations used in this study (i.e., 1.5 to 2.4 mg T-2/liter air) occurred in less than 5 hr. General clinical symptoms in these animals immediately postexposure were tremors, lethargy, stilted gait, and, in some animals, prostration. In experiments separate from the concentration-response studies, total deposition of T-2 aerosol and selective retention of T-2 in the respiratory tract and nasal turbinates were determined analytically from 3H-labeled T-2. When total deposition of T-2 was quantitated, there was excellent agreement between that amount of T-2 deposited and that amount of T-2 predicted from calculations based on aerosol size and animal minute volume. Based on the aerosol deposition data, the LD50 values of T-2 mycotoxins was 0.24 mg/kg for young adult mice and 0.94 mg/kg for mature mice. For mice, inhalation of T-2 mycotoxin is at least 10 times more toxic than systemic administration (LD50 approximately 4.5 mg/kg) and at least 20 times more toxic than dermal administration (LD50 greater than 10 mg/kg).

No abstract

Although videolaryngoscopy plays a major role in the 2015 Difficult Airway Society guidelines, the impact on anaesthetic assistant working practices and training has not previously been reported. We surveyed anaesthetic assistants in our hospital to document their experience with using the C-MAC videolaryngoscope (48 practitioners, 100% response rate). Improvements in the following were reported: patient safety 100%; ability to see whether laryngoscopy is difficult 98%; ability to anticipate the 'next step' 98%; team-working and human factors 96%; ability to call a senior anaesthetist more quickly 94%; assessment or adjustment of cricoid force application 92%, understanding of laryngeal anatomy 92%; training in intubation 98%; training in cricoid force application 87%. Concerns were primarily about local issues such as decontamination and blade availability. Ninety percent reported that the clinical benefit outweighed any additional workload. In conclusion, the C-MAC videolaryngoscope is judged by anaesthetic assistants to confer numerous advantages for their working practice and training.

No abstract

L13 Aimy . T-2 mycotoxinIn a previous paper, ve reported that inhalation of an ethanol/T-2 aerosol was 20 to 40 times sore toxic to mice than systemic or dersal administration of T-2. There vat concern~, however, that the aerosolized ethanol vehicle might alter absorption of inhaled T-2 from the respiratory tract. In order to eliminate this question. we exposed mice to aerosols of T-2 in saline. We found that the LC 5 0 for mice after a 10-mmn aerosol exposure to T-2 In saline was 0.04 t 0.008 mg 1-2/liter of air. lower than the LC 5 0 (0.080 tO.02 ag 1-2/liter) for an aeroj Lsol of T-2 in ethanol. We also found that, for any comparable total body 04aaMY CLMU n1CA""~ of T*18 0i% 74=u barn ±-~-