Manual compression device for fluoroscopy

A device for manual compression and palpation during supine fluoroscopy has been designed. It enables effective use of the physiologic grasping and lever force potentials of the hand and wrist. The device permits optimal fluoroscopic palpation and compression techniques and prevents direct exposure to the lead-gloved hand.     

Isolated headache as the presenting clinical manifestation of intracranial tumors: a prospective study

Isolated headache as the presenting clinical manifestation of intracranial tumors: a prospective study. Cephalalgia 1994;1'4:270-1. Oslo. ISSN 0333-1024We prospectively studied over two years the incidence of headache as the initial and isolated clinical manifestation of adult patients suffering from intracranial tumors ( n = 183). Fifteen patients (8%) exhibited headache as their first and isolated clinical manifestation. Age, sex, neoplasm localization, or pathological diagnosis did not correlate with the presence of headache. Posterior fossa location and hydrocephalus, though not reaching statistical significance, were more frequent in patients who presented with headache as the first symptom. At the moment of diagnosis, 59 (31%) of the patients admitted to headache, though only I out of the 15 patients starting as headache still had this symptom as the only manifestation. From our experience in adults, isolated headache for longer than 10 weeks will only exceptionally be secondary to an intracranial neoplasm.     

个性化颅骨成形术中植入材料类型与颅骨缺损面积的关系

目的：分析个性化颅骨成形术中,植入材料类型与颅骨缺损面积的关系。 方法：选择解放军总医院第二附属医院神经外科2002-03/2005-01和河北省三河市医院神经外科2003-09/2005-04收治的资料齐全的计算机辅助设计颅骨成形术患者75例,分为嵌入性材料（骨水泥、硅橡胶）组40例,根据颅骨缺损面积又分为大面积（≥36cm2）组17例和小面积（〈36cm2）组23例;覆盖性材料（钛网）组35例,大面积组14例和小面积组21例。采用头颅CT超薄扫描（层厚1.5mm）,三维重建,模拟缺损颅骨补片,应用激光快速成形技术,制作缺损颅骨及颅骨补片模型,患者认可后,根据患者的病情应用硅橡胶、骨水泥、钛网作为植入材料,进行手术植入。术后1周观察并发症：头痛、积液、松动。 结果：75例患者的补片与颅骨完整适配,塑形满意,术中无需修整,平均手术时间45min,83%（63/75）患者感到基本或完全恢复了原有容貌。手术并发症：嵌入性材料组头痛4例,积液10例,松动2例,共16例,其中大面积组13例,小面积组3例;覆盖性材料组头痛1例,积液2例,松动0例,共3例次,其中大面积组2例,小面积组1例。应用精确概率分析,两材料组之间手术并发症差异显著,两材料组颅骨缺损面积之间手术并发症差异显著,嵌入性材料大面积组与覆盖性材料大面积组之间手术并发症差异显著,嵌入性材料小面积组与覆盖性材料小面积组之间手术并发症无显著性差异。 结论：个性化设计的颅骨修补材料,能够最大限度的恢复患者外形,缩短手术时间,大面积的颅骨缺损应用钛网修补,小面积的应用钛网和嵌入性材料修补。根据患者颅骨缺损面积,选择不同植入材料,可以提高手术疗效,减少术后并发症。     

Lessons learned from the institution of the Surgical Care Improvement Project at a teaching medical center

Background

The Surgical Care Improvement Project (SCIP) was designed to reduce perioperative complications. We describe our institutional experience in 6 major areas: surgical site infection, venous thromboembolism prevention, use of perioperative β-blockade, serum glucose level greater than 200 mg/dL, normothermia, and the use of electric razors for hair removal.

Methods

This was a retrospective review of surgical cases. Evidence-based training and standardization of system and process were undertaken. Compliance with SCIP guidelines was determined.

Results

Overall SCIP compliance improved from 80% to 94% over a 2-year period. Standardized antibiotic dosing times improved compliance to more than 90%. Appropriate preoperative antibiotic choice improved to 100%. Cessation of antibiotics postoperatively within 24 hours remains a difficult task. Venous thromboembolism prophylaxis has been difficult to achieve because of postoperative bleeding concerns. Administration of β-blockers has remained one of the most difficult problems to correct because of the multiplicity of avenues by which a patient may arrive to the operating suite.

Conclusions

Achievement of the SCIP goals is a formidable, but achievable, process requiring individual, cultural, systems, and institutional changes to achieve success.     

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) dynamics during HCV treatment in HCV/HIV coinfection

We studied hepatitis C virus (HCV) and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) dynamics in 10 coinfected subjects in a trial of pegylated interferon-alpha2a (PEG-IFN) alone or combined with ribavirin (RBV), compared with IFN plus RBV for the treatment of HCV. Five subjects, 4 of whom were treated with PEG-IFN, achieved a sustained virological response, although it was delayed by >/=1 week in 3 subjects. The median treatment efficacy in blocking virion production was 99.7% in the PEG-IFN group and 60% with standard IFN. In 2 patients with detectable HIV loads before starting HCV study drugs, we observed a 1-log decrease in HIV RNA load. The estimated HCV virion half-life was longer in the HIV-coinfected subjects, which suggests that coinfection may contribute to a slower clearance of HCV. Although the early viral kinetics of coinfected subjects treated with PEG-IFN or IFN differ from those of singly infected subjects, the treatment response seems unaffected.