Knotting of intracardiac flow-directed balloon catheter: A non-surgical technique for removal

A knot occurred in a flow-directed balloon tipped (Swan-Ganz) catheter inserted through the right internal jugulary vein. Knot was undone using right Judkins catheter introduced via left jugulary vein approach. By passing through the loop of knot, right Judkins catheter was used to stabilize the knotted segment and knot was unknotted by gently pulling the Swan-Ganz Catheter.     

Lipophilic components of different therapeutic mud species

OBJECTIVE: Mud, which contains organic and mineral ingredients, is used for the treatment of several degenerative diseases. It has been proposed that beneficial effects of mud are not only related to its local thermal effects, but also to its chemical components. Unlike hydrophilic components, the lipophilic components of the mud extract have not been described precisely thus far. Thus, we aimed to determine the lipophilic components of the different mud species. METHODS: Three different mud species (e.g., krenogen, tone, and fango) were analyzed by using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). RESULTS: There were organic substances with fatty-acid structures found in the structure of mud. Torf mud species contain the most compounds. The compounds of three mud species differ from each other. CONCLUSIONS: The chemical structure of mud does not only contain hydrophilic organic substances, such as humic, fulmic, and ulmic acids, but also low-molecular-weighted organic substances composed of fatty acids in the majority. Moreover, it would not be appropriate to explain mud with a single term, since it has different chemical structures and a new classification of the mud species is required.     

Can Laws Be a Potential PET Image Texture Analysis Approach for Evaluation of Tumor Heterogeneity and Histopathological Characteristics in NSCLC?

Journal of Digital Imaging - We investigated the association between the textural features obtained from 18F-FDG images, metabolic parameters (SUVmax, SUVmean, MTV, TLG), and tumor...     

Malaria problem in Afghanistan: malaria scanning results of the Turkish medical aid group after the war.

Malaria is a parasitic infection caused by Plasmodium species and it is especially seen in tropical and subtropical areas. We aimed to evaluate the effects of the infection in Afghanistan, which is an endemic place for malaria and had severe socio-economical lost after the war. We also compared these data with the ones that were recorded before the war. Blood samples were taken from 376 malaria suspected patients who come to the health center, established by the medical group of Istanbul Medical Faculty in 2002, Afghanistan. Blood samples were screened using the OPTIMAL Rapid Malaria Test and Giemsa staining method. In 95 (25.3%) patients diagnosis was malaria. In 65 patients (17.3%) the agent of the infection was P. falciparum and in 30 patients (8%) agents were other Plasmodium species.     

Color Doppler tissue imaging to evaluate left atrial appendage function in mitral stenosis

Two-dimensional color Doppler tissue imaging (CDTI) has so far been used, in general, to evaluate ventricular function. This study examined if the left atrial appendage tissue velocity could reproducibly be measured with CDTI and if they have any predictive value for left atrial appendage (LAA) function and former thromboembolism. Thirty-six patients (24 women, 12 men; mean age 45 +/- 12 years; 18 AF; 11 former thromboembolic stroke) with mitral stenosis undergoing transesophageal echocardiography were examined with CDTI. Peak systolic tissue velocity (m/sec, peak systolic velocity [PSV]) was measured at the tip of the LAA in the basal short-axis view. LAA flow emptying (LAAEV) and filling (LAAFV) velocities (m/sec) were also recorded 1 cm immediately below the orifice of the appendage. Interobserver and intraobserver variabilities were determined for the PSV. LAA ejection fraction was measured by Simpson's method. Mitral regurgitation, AF, transmitral mean gradient, left ventricular ejection fraction, mitral valve area, and left atrial diameter were used as a covariant for adjustment. The intraobserver and interobserver correlation coefficients for the PSV using CDTI was 0.64 and 0.60, respectively (bothP = 0.01). LAAEV(0.29 +/- 0.09 vs 0.19 +/- 0.04, P = 0.001)and LAA ejection fraction(44 +/- 12 vs 29 +/- 14, P = 0.004)were found to be significantly decreased in the patients with decreased PSV (<0.05 m/sec), even after adjustment. The decreased PSV was positively correlated with the low LAAEV (<0.25 m/sec) and history of thromboembolism (r = 0.59, r = 0.38, respectively), and remained a significant determinant of the low LAAEV (OR 50.03, CI 1.46-1738.11,P = 0.02), but not of history of thromboembolism (OR 4.29, CI 0.52-35.01,P = 0.08) after adjustment. In conclusion, these results suggest that CDTI provides a reproducible method for quantification of contraction at the tip of the LAA. Decreased PSV may be predictive of poor LAA function.     

Seasonal Variation of Polychlorinated Biphenyls and Organochlorine Pesticide Levels of Sea and Cultured Farm Fish in the Samsun Region of Turkey

The concentrations of selected Organochlorine (OC) pesticides (α-HCH, β-HCH, γ-HCH, HCB, aldrin, 2,4′-DDE, 4,4′-DDE, 2,4′-DDT, 4,4′-DDT) and Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs) (28, 70, 74, 81, 99, 101, 105, 118, 128, 138, 153, 156, 170, 180, 183, 187) were measured in two species of cultured freshwater fish (rainbow trout, Oncornhychus mykiss and catfish, Silurus glanis) and two kinds of sea fish (mullet, Mugil cephalus and salmon, Salmo salar) between March 2008 and June 2009 in order to evaluate the status, seasonal changes and potential sources of pollution in the Samsun region of Turkey. Concentrations of total PCBs ranged from 17.6 to 335 ng/g in rainbow trout, 1,063 to 3,234 ng/g in mullet, 21 to 1,887 ng/g in salmon and 108 to 1,172 ng/g lipid in catfish and total OC pesticide concentrations ranged from 303 to 473, 319 to 6,158, 101 to 249 and 34 to 6,069 ng/g lipid in rainbow trout, mullet, salmon and catfish, respectively. It is concluded that the levels of persistent organic pollutants should be monitored regularly and rigorously by the appropriate government agency, with mandatory public reporting.     

Effect of serum uric acid on the positive predictive value of dobutamine stress echocardiography

There is controversial data regarding the relationship between uric acid (UA) and coronary artery disease and cardiovascular events. Despite the deleterious effects of hyperuricemia on endothelial function, the effect of UA on myocardial ischemia has not been previously studied. We aimed to investigate the relationship between UA and myocardial ischemia that was identified using dobutamine stress echocardiography (DSE). In this retrospective study, the laboratory and DSE reports of 548 patients were reviewed. The patients were divided into two groups based on the presence of ischemia and further subdivided into three groups according to the extent of ischemia (none, ischemia in 1–3 segments, ischemia in >3 segments). Serum UA levels were compared. Determinants of ischemia were assessed using a regression model. UA was increased in patients with ischemia and was correlated with the number of ischemic segments (p < 0.001). A cutoff value of UA > 5 mg/dl had 63.9 % sensitivity, 62.0 % specificity, 42.5 % positive predictive value (PPV), and 79.6 % negative predictive value for ischemia. When the positive DSE exams were further sorted according to the UA cutoff, the PPV of DSE increased from 80.2 to 94.0 %. Uric acid (odds ratio 1.51; 95 % CI 1.14–1.99), diabetes mellitus, HDL and glomerular filtration rate were found to be independent determinants of myocardial ischemia in DSE. Increased UA is associated with both the presence and extent of DSE-identified myocardial ischemia. A UA cutoff may be a good method to improve the PPV of DSE.