Imminent Shock Research Articles

Desperately Seeking Support

Much is unknown about adult attachment style formation. We investigate whether negative reinforcement schedules promote hallmark features of secure and anxious attachment styles in a shock threat support-seeking paradigm. Participants ostensibly asked for help from another participant seated in another room. Each time a shock threat signal appeared they were to press a button to indicate their need for help. The supporter could then stop the imminent shock. The reliability of the supporters was varied such that some supporters were consistent (continuous reinforcement) whereas others were inconsistent (variable ratio reinforcement). Results indicated that inconsistently responsive others, reinforcing on a variable ratio schedule, led to heightened approach-related attentional biases toward the supporter, measured by event-related potentials, increased positive attachment associations with the supporter, implicitly measured via a lexical decision task, and more negative explicit evaluations of the supporter.

Hydrocortisone suppression of the fear-potentiated startle response and posttraumatic stress disorder

This study examined the effects of oral administration of 20mg hydrocortisone on baseline and fear-potentiated startle in 63 male veterans with or without PTSD. The procedure was based on a two-session, within-subject design in which acoustic startle eyeblink responses were recorded during intervals of threat or no threat of electric shock. Results showed that the magnitude of the difference between startle responses recorded during anticipation of imminent shock compared to "safe" periods was reduced after hydrocortisone administration relative to placebo. This effect did not vary as a function of PTSD group nor were there were any significant group differences in other indices startle amplitude. Findings suggest that the acute elevations in systemic cortisol produced by hydrocortisone administration may have fear-inhibiting effects. This finding may have implications for understanding the role of hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA)-axis function in vulnerability and resilience to traumatic stress.

Urethral Injury Following Genital Mutilation in Pregnancy: A Rate Cause of Postpartum Haemorrhage

OBJECTIVE: To reveal the danger in genital mutilation in pregnancy METHOD:The authors present the case of a 20-year old primigravida who was subjected to this ritual in the third trimester, sustained focal injuries to the urethra which initially healed, but during delivery 4 weeks later, and resulted in significant primary postpartum haemorrhage. RESULTS: Her pregnancy was unsupervised; she received 2 doses of tetanus toxoid 4 weeks apart in a local health center. The pregnancy was uneventful until she was subjected to the genital cutting 4 weeks earlier by an appointed lady in the community whom she recognized as a health assistant who gave her the tetanus toxoid injection. The aim was to enable her achieve “a safe vaginal delivery and be accepted as a woman in her Community”. The procedure involved slicing of the upper part of her urethral region along with the clitoris with a “sharp object”, a local herb was applied and there was no significant bleeding as her thighs were strapped together for about 2 hours when the ritual singing was completed Her cervix could barely admit two fingers; there was neither evidence of laceration nor active haemorrhage from the uterus. A diagnosis of primary post partum haemorrhage due to genital injuries secondary to female genital mutilation in pregnancy in imminent shock was made. Immediate resuscitation included rapid infusion of 1 liter of normal saline; she received two units of compatible whole blood at a pre transfusion packedcell volume of 18%. CONCLUSION: There is the need to establish National Policies and Programmes that will be effectively backed with legal instruments to abolish female genital mutilation. Health care providers and policy makers in the mean time should be aware and well trained in the management of FGM complications to decrease the risks of mortality and serious morbidity. The obvious danger of this barbaric ritual in pregnancy labour and pueperium is highlighted for increased sanctions and advocacy at all level of healthcare. Nig Jnl Orthopaedics & Trauma Vol.2(2) 2003: 130-133

Subcutaneous and intravenous infusions were similarly well accepted, safe, and feasible in older patients with dehydration

(2003) J Am Geriatr Soc 51, 155. Slesak G, Schnürle JW, Kinzel E, et al. . Comparison of subcutaneous and intravenous rehydration in geriatric patients: a randomized trial. . ;...

Skeletal muscle Po2 during imminent shock.

Skeletal muscle Po2 during imminent shock.

Effects of partial avoidance and punishment contingencies on shuttlebox-avoidance learning in Fischer 344 rats

An unsignaled, escapable shock was presented contingent on an avoidance response. Fischer 344 rats responded less to the warning signal in proportion to its temporal distance from the avoidance response. Partial contingency effects were further obtained by variation in the instrumental conditioning space for an aversive stimulus. However, the arbitrary omission of an imminent shock on half the trial in which the rats failed to avoid a shock, led to little avoidance acquisition, and shock-frequency reduction was thus not sufficient to produce the acquisition of the avoidance response. Because early avoidance responses were initiated by escape from shock, a stimulus contingency may be essential for response initiation, and an explicit response contingency is important in maintaining successful avoidance responses.