Neuropsychological changes following electrical injury.

The clinical presentation of electrical injury commonly involves physical, cognitive, and emotional complaints. Neuropsychological studies, including case reports, have indicated that electrical injury (EI) survivors may experience a broad range of impaired neuropsychological functions, although this has not been clarified through controlled investigation. In this study, we describe the neuropsychological test findings in a series of 29 EI patients carefully screened and matched to a group of 29 demographically similar healthy electricians. Participants were matched by their estimated premorbid intellectual ability. Multivariate analysis of variance was used to assess group differences in the following neuropsychological domains: attention and mental speed, working memory, verbal memory, visual memory, and motor skills. EI patients performed significantly worse on composite measures of attention/mental speed and motor skills, which could not be explained by demographic differences, injury parameters, litigation status, or mood disturbance. Results suggest that cognitive changes do occur in patients suffering from electrical injury.     

Contribution of autologous blood transfusion in cardiac surgery in the adult

The use of autologous blood transfusion in cardiac surgery is still controversial. This study was prospectively designed to evaluate the haemodynamic and haematological benefits of this method, with special attention to its impact on reducing bank blood requirements. Between November 1983 and October 1984, 160 patients underwent cardiac surgery with extracorporeal circulation and were randomly assigned to two groups: group I (81 patients) was the control group and group II (79 patients) received autologous transfusion following extracorporeal circulation. Blood was withdrawn immediately after the induction of anaesthesia via a jugular catheter and stored in CPD solution at room temperature. The volume of blood removed was replaced with gelatin solutions; after bypass, blood was returned to the patient. There was no difference in systolic, diastolic or mean blood pressures between the two groups. Right atrial pressure and heart rate were not statistically different in both groups. Myocardial perfusion and myocardial oxygen consumption remained unchanged in group II compared with group I. Complete haematological evaluation was carried out before and during bypass, and thereafter daily for the first twelve days of the postoperative period. There was no significative difference between the two groups in platelet counts, fibrinogen levels, prothrombin and partial thromboplastin times. During extracorporeal circulation, mean haematocrit was 22.9 +/- 0.4% in group II and 25.3 +/- 0.5% in group I (p less than 10(-3)). The mean haematocrit time course was similar in both groups during the postoperative period and returned to preoperative value at discharge.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Xanthogranulomatous orchitis: Review of the published work and report of one case

Xanthogranulomatous orchitis is an extremely rare inflammatory non-neoplastic destructive lesion of the testis. We report a 44-year-old man who presented with right scrotal swelling and two discharging sinuses. Testicular tumor markers were normal. Scrotal ultrasound showed heterogeneous testicular areas and irregular margin of the tunica. Surgical exploration revealed infected, unhealthy testicular tissue with necrosis and tumor-like lesion. Orchidectomy was done and histopathology showed xanthogranulomatous orchitis.     

Bicarbon valve - European multicenter clinical evaluation

Objective: Fifteen collaborating centers in eight countries present their pooled experience with the new Bicarbon™ bileaflet valve. Methods: Between 4/90 and 4/96, 1351 patients, 806 males and 545 females, aged 10 to 83, mean 58.4±12.4, underwent valve implantation. Operations: AVR, 726; MVR, 475; DVR, 150. Additional procedures: CABG, 211; TV repair, 64; other, 152. Results: Mortality: 67 early (seven valve related) and 56 late (40 valve related). Valve thrombosis: six obstructive, three non-obstructive; embolism: nine major cerebral, 37 other. Major bleeding: 29. Hemolysis: two clinically significant. Non-structural dysfunction: 24 paravalvular leaks, one leaflet interference. No structural failure! Endocarditis: 24. Reoperation 48: 22 non-structural dysfunctions, 14 endocarditis, seven thrombosis and embolism, five other. Estimated 5-year freedom from valve-related deaths is 97.2% for AVR and 92.4% for MVR; 4-year freedom from valve related deaths for DVR is 90.5%. Mean calculated NYHA improvement is 1.24. Conclusions: The Bicarbon mechanical prosthesis is well designed, durable, has good hemodynamic features and an acceptably low incidence of complications.     

Primary chemotherapy in the treatment of breast cancer]

Between 1980 and 1992, 457 consecutive patients with initial breast cancer entered two successive protocols combining neoadjuvant chemotherapy, hormonotherapy (tamoxifen) and locoregional radiotherapy (teleradiotherapy and boost by iridium) as exclusive locoregional treatment. Cytological diagnosis, hormone receptors, cytological grading were provided by fine needle aspiration. Both protocols included velbe, thiotepa, methotrexate, 5FU and adriamycin with some minor differences regarding the schedule of doses and their number during induction and during the consolidation phase. In both studies, over 50% patients had locally advanced breast cancer (IIb, IIIa or IIIb). Chemotherapy induced tumor regression over 50% in 91% patients of the first protocol (30% complete clinical remission CR) and in 94% patients of the 2nd protocol (40% CR): in this protocol 20 poor responders were given a rescue protocol (2 CR; 9 partial remissions). The 5 year actuarial rate of breast preservation is 94% and the 5 year actuarial rate of local relapses is 15%. The cosmetic results according to Danoff are excellent 20%, good 55%, mean 35%. Disease free survival and overall survival compare favorably to published data: they depend on TNM stages, tumor differentiation and chemotherapy induced early tumor regression.     

Impaired in-vitro proliferation of hemopoietic precursors in HIV-1-infected subjects

Patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) and persistent lymphadenopathy syndrome (LAS) display significant hematological abnormalities of one or more cell lineages. In order to understand the pathophysiologic mechanisms leading to these abnormalities we studied the proliferation capacity of pluripotent and committed hemopoietic precursors using in-vitro colony assays. Anemia, leukopenia and thrombopenia were relatively frequent findings in HIV-infected subjects irrespectively of the patients' clinical status. The colony growth capacity of AIDS patients' GM-CFU and BFU-E was significantly decreased whereas no GEMM-CFU colonies could be obtained. There was no correlation between the number of BFU-E and GM-CFU colony number and the hemoglobin or the absolute number of polynuclear cells, respectively. The plating efficiency of both committed and pluripotent hematopoietic precursors from HIV infected patients could not be enhanced when additional exogenous recombinant GM-CSF, human interleukin 3 or erythropoietin were added in contrast to normal patients' cells. In addition, the impaired colony growth of these precursors could not be restored after adherent or T-cell depletion or the addition of normal allogenic irradiated adherent or/and T cells. Since this colony growth abnormality was also detected in HIV seropositive asymptomatic subjects our findings strongly suggest that the in-vitro growth of hematopoietic precursors is affected early after HIV-1 infection.     

Brain abscess in Saudi Arabia

There are significant variations among countries in the incidence of brain abscess. We report here 26 cases of brain abscess treated at the Neurosurgery Department of King Faisal University and Dammam Central Hospital Saudi Arabia over a six year period (1982–1988). This is 2.3% of total admissions to the two neurosurgery departments serving a population of approximately 1.2 million in the same period.Young males were most often affected (M/F ratio 3.3:1; 31% were less than 15 years old, 46% aged between 15–39 years, and 23% older than 40 years). Streptococcus was found to be the most common microorganism (38.4%). Mixed infection was seen in 15.3%, and sterile abscesses were found in 11.5% of the patients after aerobic and anaerobic cultures of the pus. Chronic otitis media and paranasal sinusitis predisposed the patients to abscess formation in 57.6% of the cases. The temporo-parietal area was the commonest site. Epilepsy was a complication in 30.7% of our patients, and the mortality rate was 15.3%.     

Correlation of carotid artery stump pressure with a palpable carotid artery pulse.

The carotid artery stump pressure has been used as a criterion for selective placement of a shunt during carotid endarterectomy. The purpose of our study was to correlate the carotid stump pressure with the presence or absence of a palpable pulse in the carotid stump. One hundred twenty-two consecutive patients undergoing carotid endarterectomy under general anesthesia were checked for a palpable pulse in the internal carotid stump with subsequent measurements of the stump pressure. Of these patients, 88 had a palpable pulse and a pressure greater than or equal to 44 mmHg. The remaining 34 had a absent pulse and a stump pressure of 40 mmHg or less. Shunts were not used in those patients with a palpable pulse and no history of previous stroke or contralateral carotid occlusion. There were no serious neurological complications. We conclude that the presence of a palpable pulse in the carotid stump is a sufficient criterion for performing carotid endarterectomy without a shunt in those patients with no previous history of stroke or contralateral carotid occlusion.     

Percutaneous balloon dilatation of calcific aortic valve stenosis: anatomical and haemodynamic evaluation.

Two groups of elderly patients with calcified aortic stenosis were treated by balloon dilatation. In group 1, the valve was dilated just before surgical replacement of the valve. The valvar and annular changes occurring during dilatation were examined visually. In 20 of the 26 patients in this group there was no change. In the six remaining patients mobilisation of friable calcific deposits (1 case), slight tearing of the commissure (4 cases), or tearing of the aortic ring (1 case) were seen. Dilatation did not appear to alter valvar rigidity. In 14 patients (group 2) the haemodynamic gradient across the aortic valve was measured before and immediately after dilatation and one week after the procedure. Dilatation produced an immediate significant decrease of the aortic mean gradient and a significant increase of the aortic valve area. Eight days later the mean gradient had increased and the aortic valve area had decreased. Nevertheless there was a significant difference between the initial gradient and the gradient eight days after dilatation. The initial aortic valve area was also significantly larger than the area eight days after dilatation. The aortic valve gradient rose significantly in the eight days after dilatation and at follow up the gradients were those of severe aortic stenosis.