Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to A Mazzola.
Pulmonary valvotomy combined with a central shunt ("U shaped" Gore-tex graft) for palliative treatment of critical pulmonary stenosis is reported. The same graft was employed for right ventricular outflow reconstruction at the time of the definitive repair.
Anomalous origin of one pulmonary artery from the ascending aorta without associated intracardiac defects is a rare congenital malformation. About 60 anatomic and surgical descriptions have been reported in the literature. Up to 1974, 22 of the 50 reported cases underwent surgical correction with a 40% mortality rate. The natural history without surgery is poor with a very high mortality during the first year of life. Successful anatomic correction of anomalous origin of right pulmonary artery from the ascending aorta in a 6 months old female is reported.
The effects of protamine sulphate on several cardiorespiratory variables were studied under clinical situations in twenty patients following cardiopulmonary bypass. Because recent reports suggest that there may be advantages of intra-aortic versus intra-venous administration we prospectively evaluated cardiorespiratory features 1 and 10 minutes after rapid administering of protamine sulphate either into the aortic arch (through a catheter percutaneously inserted via the radial artery for monitoring purposes) or into the right atrium. Significant variations in some parameters were found in the patients receiving the drug via the aorta, such as a drop of systemic vascular resistances (p less than 0.05), of coronary perfusion pressure (p less than 0.05), of aortic systolic pressure (p less than 0.01), of diastolic (p less than 0.01) and mean blood pressure (p less than 0.05) and a rise in the respiratory quotient (p less than 0.05). It is concluded that the results do not confirm the superior safety of intra-aortic administration of protamine particularly when replenishment of intravascular volume is not provided.
BACKGROUND/AIMS: The Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is quite widespread in Sicily, and in the absence of a vaccine, prophylaxis is important. In order to determine the most effective means of prophylaxis, we must first understand the main vectors of transmission. METHODOLOGY: We performed a case control study on 274 consecutive anti-HCV virus positive subjects and compared them with 548 anti-HCV negative subjects, matched for sex and age and selected from voluntary blood donors. The modes of transmission were investigated by means of a detailed questionnaire focused on the common risk factors of HCV contagion. RESULTS: Univariate analysis showed associations between HCV infection and transfusions (OR 23.0), surgery (OR 2.2), family history of chronic liver disease (OR 4.54), and drug addiction (OR 5.74). Multiple logistic regression indicated that transfusions (p < 0.0001), surgery (p < 0.002), family history (p < 0.0001), drug addiction (p < 0.002) and alcohol consumption (p < 0.002) are related to the development of HCV infection. CONCLUSIONS: The modes of transmission of HCV in an endemic area of Sicily do not greatly differ from those in other Italian regions; the subjects at greatest risk were those who had received blood transfusions or underwent surgery, alcoholics, drug abusers and those with a family history of chronic liver disease, who are probably more exposed to contracting the infection by non-conventional ways of transmission.