Injury to the upper extremity caused by extravasation of contrast medium: a true emergency.

This retrospective clinical study, over a period of four years, includes 16 patients who had extravasation of iopromidum 623 mg (Ultravist 300) in the upper extremity during computed tomography (CT). Although conservative management is sufficient in most cases, seven patients were operated on. The mean time between extravasation and operation was 155 minutes. The most complicated postoperative course occurred when the operation was delayed 300 minutes after extravasation. When patients were treated early, there was no permanent postoperative impairment. Extravasation of contrast is an increasing cause of potential complications in the forearm as a result of the use of power injectors in CT. Immediate assessment by an experienced plastic surgeon followed by either conservative treatment or quick intervention if necessary may avoid serious damage.     

Clozapine enhances prepulse inhibition in healthy humans with low but not with high prepulse inhibition levels.

BACKGROUND: Atypical antipsychotics have been assessed for normalization effects on deficient sensory gating as indexed by prepulse inhibition (PPI) in schizophrenics with generally positive, although somewhat conflicting, results. METHODS: We tested the acute effect of clozapine on startle, PPI, and attention, working memory, and executive functioning in 28 healthy male volunteers with low versus high PPI levels using a placebo-controlled within-subject design. RESULTS: Clozapine significantly increased PPI levels obtained at short lead intervals of 60 and 120 msec in subjects with low PPI performance but showed no effect in subjects with high PPI. Clozapine also caused a mild cognitive impairment on attention and pattern recognition memory tests. No correlations between cognitive measures and PPI performance were found. Moreover, low and high PPI performers were shown to exhibit stable levels of PPI across three separate nondrug testing days. CONCLUSIONS: Clozapine increases sensorimotor gating in healthy subjects with low but not high PPI levels in a manner comparable to that seen in clozapine-treated schizophrenia patients. Healthy subjects with low PPI level in combination with genetic studies may provide a translational model to elucidate the neuronal basis of PPI deficits and to test the efficacy of novel antipsychotic medication.     

Long-term results of cochlear implantation in children.

OBJECTIVES: Since the first implantation of a multichannel cochlear implant over 15 years ago there have been improvements in implant devices, surgical techniques, speech coding strategies and rehabilitation matters. There also have been concerns, whether the first implanted systems are stable and the benefit for the patients is constant over a long time. This study analyzes long-term results of prelingually deaf children who were implanted at Aachen University Hospital. STUDY DESIGN AND SETTING: We examined 16 prelingually deaf children, who underwent cochlear implantation at our department between 1990 and 1993 over a time period of 10 to 13 years. The indication, perioperative complications, technical parameters, speech test results as well as the psychosocial development of the children were analyzed. A questionnaire containing questions about the daily use, expectations and the personal evaluation of the procedure was sent to all patients. RESULTS: The mean age of all patients was 9 years at time of implantation. In two cases we saw postoperative complications which needed an intervention. The speech test results remained stable after reaching a plateau after 5 years. Eighty-eight percent of all patients would undergo the procedure again and 94% would recommend cochlear implantation to others. CONCLUSION: Cochlear implantation in cases of prelingual deafness is feasible without severe complications and leads to an increasing quality of life demonstrated by long-term observation.