Coronary Splinting in Cardiogenic Shock

An 84-year-old woman experienced an acute anterior wall myocardial infarction complicated by cardiogenic shock. Coronary angiography demonstrated a subtotal occlusion of the proximal left anterior descending artery. Conventional percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty, including a 15-minute perfusion balloon dilatation resulted in a persistent intraluminal filling defect with high grade stenosis and ongoing ischemia and hypotension. Coronary splinting was performed, using an autoperfusion balloon to achieve a 6-hour dilatation of the vessel in conjunction with balloon aortic counterpulsation. The patient remained hemodynamically stable during this lengthy dilatation without ECG evidence of ischemia. Angiography postdilatation demonstrated a minor residual stenosis with no evidence of intraluminal thrombus. The patient was discharged 8 days later without congestive heart failure. Follow-up at 3 months demonstrated normal left ventricular function with no evidence of anterior wall infarction or ischemia by thallium imaging . (J Interven Cardiol 1996;9:65–67)     

Retention of "safe" blood donors. The Retrovirus Epidemiology Donor Study

BACKGROUND: There are obvious advantages to increasing donor retention. However, for reasons of blood safety, certain donors may, in fact, be more desirable to retain than others. “Safe” donors are defined as those who provided a blood donation that was negative on all laboratory screening tests and who subsequently reported no behavioral risks in response to an anonymous survey. This study identifies the most important factors affecting the intention of “safe” donors to provide another donation. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: An anonymous survey asking about donation history, sexual history, injecting drug use, and recent donation experience was mailed to 50,162 randomly selected allogeneic donors (including directed donors) who gave blood from April through July or from October through December 1993 at one of the five United States blood centers participating in the Retrovirus Epidemiology Donor Study. Before mailing, questionnaires were coded to designate donors with nonreactive laboratory screening tests at their most recent donation. RESULTS: A total of 34,726 donors (69%) responded, with substantially higher response among repeat donors. According to reported intentions only, the vast majority of “safe” donors indicated a high likelihood of donating again within the next 12 months. Only 3.4 percent reported a low likelihood of donating again. A comparison of those likely to return and those unlikely to return reveals significant differences in demographics and in ratings of the donation experience. A higher proportion of those unlikely to return were first-time donors, minority-group donors, and donors with less education. The highest projected loss among “safe” donors was seen for those who gave a fair to poor assessment of their treatment by blood center staff or of their physical well-being during or after donating. CONCLUSION: These data suggest that efforts to improve donors' perceptions of their donation experience, as well as attention to the physical effects of blood donation, may aid in the retention of both repeat and first-time donors.     

Rupture of the posterior tibial tendon: CT and surgical findings

Computed tomography (CT) was performed in 42 patients with 49 clinically suspected tears of the posterior tibial tendon. Twenty-eight of the 49 suspected tears were subsequently surgically explored and repaired. Three patterns of tendon abnormalities were recognized on CT scans: type I-intact, hypertrophied, heterogeneous tendon; type II-attenuated tendon; and type III-absence of a portion of a tendon. Types I and II correlated with partial rupture seen during surgery, and type III correlated with complete rupture of the tendon. CT findings were accurate in 96% of the patients who underwent surgery. In four cases (14%), tendon rupture was seen on CT scans, but the extent of the injury was underestimated and the rupture was misclassified. Reactive periostitis of the distal tibia was seen in 71% of diseased tendons and may represent an important factor in the diagnosis of tendon rupture.     

THE IMPACT OF ALCOHOL ON THE ACUTE HOSPITAL SERVICE: PATIENT PRESENTATION, ADMISSION AND THE PERCEPTION OF ALCOHOL USE IN SUCH GROUPS

Patients presenting to an Emergency Department were assessedby a standard questionnaire and clinical examination as to thecontribution that alcohol made to their presentation and theperception of their alcohol use. Patients under the influenceof alcohol are more than twice as likely not to fill in simplequestionnaires and not to perceive their alcohol consumptionas different from non-drinking fellows. Emergency Departmentsare not the optimal site for the education and motivation ofdrinking patients to alter their future habits.