Pancreas Graft Salvage Using Pancreatico-Duodenectomy With Enteric Drainage

As demand for donor pancreases increases, attempts are being made to utilize even marginal grafts for transplantation. Injury during pancreas recovery can predispose to posttransplant complications and graft loss. Early recognition and correction can salvage these grafts. The authors report an instance of poor segmental perfusion of the pancreas graft that was salvaged by pancreas head resection and enteric drainage through a Roux-en-Y pancreatico-jejunostomy.     

Hepatic falciform artery

The hepatic falciform artery is an occasional terminal branch of the left or middle hepatic artery, and may provide an uncommon but important collateral route when the principal visceral arteries are occluded.     

Fulminant systemic necrotizing arteritis: CT findings

Fulminant necrotizing arteritis can be a rapidly fatal disease with protean manifestations often suggesting other diagnoses. We present two cases with angiographic and CT correlation and discuss CT findings that are suggestive of the diagnosis.     

CCopeY: A Mixed-Methods Coproduced Study on the Mental Health Status and Coping Strategies of Young People During COVID-19 UK Lockdown

PurposeExploring the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on young people’s mental health is an increasing priority. Studies to date are largely surveys and lack meaningful involvement from service users in their design, planning, and delivery. The study aimed to examine the mental health status and coping strategies of young people during the first UK COVID-19 lockdown using coproduction methodology.MethodsThe mental health status of young people (aged 16–24) in April 2020 was established utilizing a sequential explanatory coproduced mixed methods design. Factors associated with poor mental health status, including coping strategies, were also examined using an online survey and semi-structured interviews.ResultsSince the lockdown, 30.3% had poor mental health, and 10.8% had self-harmed. Young people identifying as Black/Black-British ethnicity had the highest increased odds of experiencing poor mental health (odds ratio [OR] 3.688, 95% CI .54–25.40). Behavioral disengagement (OR 1.462, 95% CI 1.22–1.76), self-blame (OR 1.307 95% CI 1.10–1.55), and substance use (OR 1.211 95% CI 1.02–1.44) coping strategies, negative affect (OR 1.109, 95% CI 1.07–1.15), sleep problems (OR .915 95% CI .88–.95) and conscientiousness personality trait (OR .819 95% CI .69–.98) were significantly associated with poor mental health. Three qualitative themes were identified: (1) pre-existing/developed helpful coping strategies employed, (2) mental health difficulties worsened, and (3) mental health and nonmental health support needed during and after lockdown.ConclusionPoor mental health is associated with dysfunctional coping strategies. Innovative coping strategies can help other young people cope during and after lockdowns, with digital and school promotion and application.     

Staging work-up and post-treatment surveillance of patients with melanoma

Strategies based on evidence are required to accurately stage and effectively follow patients with melanoma. The goal of staging is to define the extent of disease at the time of presentation to direct and assign prognosis. Patient surveillance is performed to assess treatment results and detect recurrences amenable to further treatment. Staging and surveillance require careful use of resources to be cost effective. This article addresses preoperative staging and post-treatment surveillance of patients with melanoma and outlines a method of follow-up based on available data.     

Thoracic electric bioimpedance measurement of cardiac output in the newborn infant

To evaluate thoracic electric bioimpedance as a noninvasive method for measuring cardiac output, we compared the bioimpedance measurements with those obtained by means of the thermodilution indicator cardiac output technique in seven preterm and term lambs; we also studied 17 term and preterm infants. Sixty-seven simultaneous bioimpedance and thermodilution cardiac output measurements were obtained in the animals after intravascular volume expansion (saline solution infusion) and contraction (phlebotomy). A significant correlation between the cardiac output measurements by the two methods (0.82; p less than 0.001) was observed. In neonates, the observed cardiac output was 198 +/- 46 ml/kg.min in the preterm infants and 178 +/- 46 ml/kg.min in the term infants. Extrapolating animal data to the neonates, we found the thoracic segment length recommended (the average of 29% of body length and electrode distance) to be accurate. These data indicate that bioimpedance cardiac output measurement (1) is comparable to measurement by the thermodilution indicator technique in the newborn animal and (2) may be suitable for use in infants and children.     

OSMOTIC PRESSURE STUDY OF PROTEIN FRACTIONS IN NORMAL AND IN NEPHROTIC SUBJECTS

In serum of patients with nephrosis both albumin and globulin showed by osmotic pressure nearly double the molecular weights of normal albumin and globulin. In the urines of such patients, on the other hand, both proteins showed molecular weights lower even than in normal serum. The colloidal osmotic pressures were measured by the author''s method at such dilutions that the van''t Hoff law relating pressures to molecular concentrations could be directly applied. For the albumin and globulin of normal serum the molecular weights found were 72,000 and 164,000 respectively, in agreement with the weights obtained by other methods.