PubMed HealthSearch

Biomedical subjects

D O Quest

Publications and source records attributed to D O Quest.

17 recordsLinked to original sources

A comparison of cerebral blood flow reactivity to CO2 during halothane versus isoflurane anesthesia for carotid endarterectomy.

The effects of isoflurane or halothane on cerebral blood flow (CBF) reactivity to changes in arterial carbon dioxide tension (PaCO2) during carotid endarterectomy were compared using the intravenous method of 133Xe-CBF determination. Patients, aged 65 +/- 3 yr (mean +/- SE), received O2 and N2O (1:1) and either 0.75% isoflurane (n = 7) or 0.5% halothane (n = 7). Patient demographic and clinical data were similar for both groups and followed the expected strata of patients with ischemic cerebrovascular disease. Measurements were made during the period of temporary bypass shunting. In the isoflurane group, increasing PaCO2 from 33.3 +/- 1.4 to 43.4 +/- 1.3 mm Hg resulted in a significant (P less than 0.05) increase in CBF from 21 +/- 1 to 35 +/- 4 mL.100 g-1.min-1. In the halothane group, increasing PaCO2 from 31.1 +/- 1 to 39.4 +/- 1.6 mm Hg resulted in a significant increase in CBF from 26 +/- 3 to 37 +/- 3 mL.100 g-1.min-1. Mean CBF reactivity to changes in PaCO2 (mL.100 g-1.min-1.mm Hg-1) was 1.74 +/- 0.39 for isoflurane and 1.78 +/- 0.4 for halothane (not significant), corresponding to a relative change of 4.8% +/- 0.8% and 5.2% +/- 1.3% per mm Hg, respectively. There is no significant difference between halothane and isoflurane in their effects on CO2 reactivity in the mildly hypocapnic to normocapnic range.

Aged

Cerebral revascularization: a review.

A review of the development and current methods of surgical revascularization of the cerebral circulation is presented. In addition to the conventional superficial temporal artery to middle cerebral artery (STA-MCA) bypass, the techniques of interposition vein grafting and vertebrobasilar revascularization are discussed. The results and implications of the International Cooperative Study are reviewed. Extracranial-intracranial (EC-IC) bypass grafting remains an essential procedure in the treatment of many cerebrovascular conditions, including Moya Moya disease and giant intracranial aneurysms. The efficacy of interposition vein grafts, as well as the EC-IC bypass in the treatment of vertebrobasilar insufficiency, acute cerebral ischemia, cerebral vasospasm, and multi-infarct dementia, remains to be determined. Several alternative revascularization procedures, including proximal MCA anastomosis and omental transposition, are in development.

Brain Diseases

Electroencephalographic monitoring for ischemia during carotid endarterectomy: visual versus computer analysis.

In a retrospective study, we compared the use of computer-generated spectral electroencephalographic descriptors with a neurologist's interpretation of raw EEG data. Data were collected from patients undergoing carotid endarterectomy and anesthetized with isoflurane in nitrous oxide and oxygen. The EEG was recorded on magnetic tape during the period immediately before and after occlusion. These tapes were then analyzed off-line using a computer to generate averaged changes in 18 spectral descriptors. A strip-chart of raw EEG before and after the carotid occlusion was interpreted by a neurologist, who assigned changes in the EEG following occlusion to one of four visual inspection groups, depending on the severity of change. A descriptive examination of the distribution of changes in spectral descriptors revealed that no single descriptor adequately reflected the neurologist's interpretation of the raw EEG. Using data from 20 patients, the percent change from preocclusion to postocclusion values for total power, spectral edge frequency, spectral variance, and log spectral variance was examined. Only for the visual inspection group judged by the electroencephalographer to have the most severe ischemic change was there a significant difference in total power and log spectral variance. Although computer-processed EEG devices are of value as trending devices for detecting visual patterns associated with inadequate cerebral perfusion, single descriptors in this study did not consistently reflect a neurologist's diagnosis of ischemia. Single descriptors of spectral EEG analysis may not be sufficient to use as alarm variables in the recognition of cerebral ischemia.

Brain Ischemia

Artificial vision for the blind by electrical stimulation of the visual cortex.

Artificial vision for the blind may be feasible by interfacing a television camera with electronics stimulating the visual cortex. The status of a major collaborative effort involving the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Columbia University, the University of Utah, and the University of Western Ontario is reviewed. Results have been very encouraging, although much work remains to be done.

Blindness

Period of risk for recurrence in medulloblastoma.

Ninety-nine patients with medulloblastoma who received surgery and radiotherapy, and had a statistically sufficient follow-up period were analyzed for factors influencing survival and the relevance of the "period of risk for recurrence" hypothesis. This postulate states that the period of risk for recurrence of a congenital tumor is equal to the age at presentation of illness plus 9 months' gestational time. The assumption is made that a tumor of embryonic origin will become manifest after a period of time determined by its inherent rate of growth and that tumor cells surviving treatment will multiply and present with recurrence in an equal period of time. Ten of 43 patients survived the period of risk, a presumed cure rate of 23%. None of these patients has subsequently developed evidence of tumor recurrence. Older patients at initial surgery had a somewhat greater survival rate for the first 5 years after treatment (10 of 26 older patients (38%) versus 15 of 54 younger patients (28%)), but by 10 years there was no appreciable difference in survival rates between those over 16 years of age and those younger. The beneficial effect of total neuraxis megavoltage radiotherapy is indicated by the improved 5-year survival rate from 9 of 41 patients (22%) to 16 of 39 patients (41%) with the newer techniques.

Adolescent

The value of brain scanning in the management of strokes.

The usefulness of brain scanning in the diagnosis and management of strokes was evaluated in 313 serial cases. Of 38 patients with transient ischemic attacks (TIAs), only one had a positive test. The optimal time for scanning completed strokes was between seven and 14 days after onset. The pattern of uptake was characteristic of a vascular lesion in 76.8%. When uptake was indistinguishable from tumor, follow-up scans were useful. Patients with negative scans in the second week have a significantly better prognosis than the ones with a positive study. Cerebral angiography and brain scan correlated well in 56 patients who had both tests performed. The postmortem findings in 12 cases again emphasize the importance of the correct timing of the study, and the fact that a brain scan does not usually demonstrate lesions smaller than 2 cm in diameter. It is concluded that the brain scan represents a useful tool in the diagnosis of strokes and helps in predicting the degree of recovery following a vascular insult.

Aged

Meningiomas: an update.

The author has reviewed the topic of meningiomas. He has discussed especially the clinical presentations of such tumors according to location and has summarized their pathological nature and biological behavior.

Adult