Foot Protective System : A Boon to Demining Soldiers

Background

A significant number of soldiers suffer serious injuries or die in the process of demining and a protective device is necessary in such operations.

Methods

All the patients involved in demining operations using the foot protection devices in last one year were analysed.

Results

We received 35 patients, of which only five had limb injuries and 30 had eye injuries. Of the five, three had closed calcaneal fractures and two contusion of foot. No fatality, amputation or compound fracture occured.

Conclusion

Early results after the use of this device during demining operations are encouraging.Key Words: Mine blast injury, Demining, Spider boot     

Pneumothorax preceding pulmonary blastoma in a child

Serial plain radiographic, ultrasound and CT findings of an unusual case of pulmonary blastoma are described with a review of the literature.     

Anterior chamber volume measurements with Visante optical coherence tomography and Pentacam: repeatability and level of agreement

Background:  The purpose of this study is to examine the repeatability of Pentacam-derived anterior chamber volume measurements, and assess the level of agreement of anterior chamber volume measurements obtained with the Visante and the Pentacam imaging devices.
Methods:  Anterior chamber volume was calculated with the Pentacam device and the Visante using the Wang formula. Results were analysed by means of the Wilcoxon signed rank test, Bland-Altman analysis, Cronbach's alpha test and intraclass correlation coefficient. P -values <0.01 were considered statistically significant.
Results:  One randomly selected eye from each of 20 persons was analysed. Spherical equivalent ranged between −2.50 and +1.50 D, and their age ranged from 25 to 79 years (mean ± SD: 54.4 ± 19.2 years). Mean anterior chamber volume measured with Pentacam was 171.1 ± 39.6 µL (minimum: 103.0 µL, maximum: 236.0 µL), and mean anterior chamber volume measured by Visante was 171.4 ± 42.4 µL (minimum: 96.4 µL, maximum: 245.5 µL). There was no statistically significant difference between Pentacam and Visante measurements of the anterior chamber volume ( P  = 0.691, Wilcoxon signed rank test). Cronbach's alpha and intraclass correlation coefficient for Pentacam were 0.998 and 0.991, respectively.
Conclusions:  Anterior chamber volume measurements obtained with the Visante using the Wang formula were in good agreement with the corresponding ones obtained with Pentacam. This recently described method is easy to perform and might contribute to both clinical and research settings.     

Serologic test for syphilis as a surrogate marker for human immunodeficiency virus infection among United States blood donors

BACKGROUND: This study evaluated the usefulness of the serologic test for syphilis (STS) in preventing the transmission of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), hepatitis B and C viruses, and human T- lymphotropic virus via the transfusion of seronegative, infectious window-period blood. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: Demographic and laboratory information on blood donations made between January 1992 and June 1994 in 18 American Red Cross regions was analyzed. It was assumed that the same proportion of HIV-positive and HIV-infectious window- period donations reacted on STS and were negative on other screening tests (hepatitis B and C viruses and human T-lymphotropic virus). This proportion multiplied by the estimated number of HIV-infectious window- period donations is the number of post-screening HIV-infectious donations removed by STS. RESULTS: Of 4,468,570 donations, 12,145 (0.27%) were STS positive and 377 (0.008%) were HIV positive. Among donations that were negative on other screening tests, STS-reactive donations were 12 times more likely to be HIV positive (odds ratio = 11.9; 95% CI = 5,26). However, of an estimated 13 infectious window- period donations, 0.2 would have been removed because of a reactive STS, at a cost of over $16 million. CONCLUSION: STS is a poor marker and a costly strategy for preventing post-screening HIV infections and other blood-borne diseases.     

Conventional versus endoscopic powered adenoidectomy: A comparative study

Background: Adenoidectomy is a commonly performed ENT surgery. It is conventionally performed using the curettage method. This present article aims to evaluate endoscopic powered adenoidectomy as an alternative.     

Conventional Versus Endoscopic Powered Adenoidectomy: A Comparative Study

Background

Adenoidectomy is a commonly performed ENT surgery. It is conventionally performed using the curettage method. This present article aims to evaluate endoscopic powered adenoidectomy as an alternative.

Methods

Sixty consecutive cases requiring adenoidectomy were randomized into two groups of thirty each. Group A underwent conventional adenoidectomy using the curettage method and Group B underwent endoscopic assisted micro-debrider adenoidectomy. The parameters studied were intra-operative time, intra-operative bleeding and completeness of resection, collateral damage, post operative pain and recovery time.

Result

Sixty cases of adenoidectomy were done using conventional surgery and powered endoscopic adenoidectomy in the study period from Aug 04 to Dec 05. The time taken in Group A (conventional surgery) varied from 22–39 minutes (95% Confidence Interval (CI) −27.7 – 30.9)and in Group B (powered endoscopic surgery) from 27–55 minutes(95% CI 36.6 – 41.9) (p<0.05). The average blood loss in Group A was 21 ml (range 10–50) as compared to 31.67 ml (range 10-60) in Group B (p<0.05). The resection was invariably complete in Group B whereas seven(23%) cases had more than 50% residual adenoid tissue in Group A. Three cases in group A had collateral damage whereas in Group B, there were no added injuries. Post operative pain was studied only in cases undergoing adenoidectomy alone. Group A (n=8) demonstrated a pain score of 1.64–2.63–3.63 (95% CI) whereas Group B (n=11) demonstrated a pain score of 1.19–2.13–3.06 (95% CI). This difference was not statistically significant. In group A, the mean recovery period was 3.5 days and 2.93 days in Group B(p<0.05).

Conclusion

Endoscopic powered adenoidectomy was found to be a safe and effective tool for adenoidectomy. The study parameters where endoscopic powered adenoidectomy fared better were completeness of resection, accurate resection under vision, lesser collateral damage and faster recovery time. On the other hand, conventional adenoidectomy scored in matter of lesser operative time and intra-operative bleeding.Key Words: Adenoidectomy, Powered adenoidectomy, Endoscopic adenoidectomy     

Evaluation of the efficacy of the Allegretto Wave and the Wavefront-optimized ablation profile in non-anterior astigmatisms

Purpose: To assess the efficacy of the Allegretto Wave and the wavefront-optimized ablation profile (WFO) in non-anterior astigmatism correction, in both LASIK and photorefractive keratectomy (PRK) treatments. Methods: Seventy-four refractive surgery candidates were recruited prospectively in a non-randomized trial. Only one eye from each candidate was randomly enrolled in the study. Of them, 40 eyes underwent LASIK treatment (LG group), while 34 eyes underwent PRK treatment (PG group). Preoperatively, the ocular residual astigmatism (ORA) was calculated for each eye, according to which each astigmatism fault was characterized as primarily anterior or non-anterior. Twenty LG eyes and 16 PG eyes presented primarily anterior astigmatism (LG-A and PG-A subgroups, respectively), while 20 LG eyes and 18 PG eyes demonstrated primarily non-anterior astigmatism (LG-NA and PG-NA subgroups, respectively). Postoperatively, vector analysis of astigmatism correction was conducted. The following indexes were calculated: (i) correction index (CI), (ii) difference vector (DV) and (iii) index of success (IOS). Results: Preoperatively, mean differences between manifest and topographic astigmatisms for the LG and the PG subgroups were significant (p:0.006 and p?相似文献   

Hemorrhagic Descemet's membrane detachment as a complication of deep sclerectomy: a case report.

PURPOSE: To report a case that developed hemorrhagic Descemet's membrane detachment after deep sclerectomy. PATIENT AND METHODS: Case report. A 63-year-old diabetic patient suffering from uncontrolled chronic open-angle glaucoma with full medication, underwent an uneventful deep sclerectomy operation combined with intraoperative Mitomycin-C. RESULTS: On the second postoperative day, a hemorrhagic Descemet's membrane detachment (HDDM) was observed. The hemorrhage showed rapid absorption rate during the first two weeks along with reduction of the HDDM. After this period of time the rate of blood absorption was decreased. The Descemet's membrane reattached completely six months after surgery without any intervention but a paracentral corneal scar was present. The bleb was not functionally impaired during the whole postoperative period, and intraocular pressure remained stable at the level between 12 and 15 mmHg without medication. CONCLUSION: Hemorrhagic Descemet's membrane detachment should be considered as a potential complication of deep sclerectomy.