Biomedical subjects

Doron Halperin

Publications and source records attributed to Doron Halperin.

5 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2004

Neonatal iatrogenic nasal obstruction.

OBJECTIVE: To define the etiology, management and prevention of iatrogenic neonatal nasal obstruction caused by intra-nasal synechia (INS). DESIGN: Case series retrospectively reviewed, years 2001-2002. SETTING: Tertiary care children's hospital. PATIENTS: Four neonates, ages 2 weeks to 3 months, evaluated for nasal obstruction and consequent respiratory distress. Endoscopic findings were of intra-nasal synechia caused by previous intra-nasal invasive interventions. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The procedures inciting the formation of synechia, possible management problems leading to synechia formation, clinical presentation, treatment and results of treatment were documented. RESULTS: Initial incorrect diagnosis and management with an inappropriate intervention was found to be a possible cause of nasal obstruction due to synechia formation in three of these patients (two with associated craniofacial anomalies). In one patient complete nasal obstruction due to synechia was a result of continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) intra-nasal catheters. Treatment including endoscopic synechiolysis resulted in an improved airway but not a complete cure. All patients required multiple procedures to attain a satisfactory nasal airway. CONCLUSION: Careful initial diagnosis and management of neonatal nasal obstruction may prevent severe complications caused by synechia in the nasal cavity.

Dilatation↗

PubMed2003

Necrotizing (malignant) external otitis.

Necrotizing (malignant) external otitis, an infection involving the temporal and adjacent bones, is a relatively rare complication of external otitis. It occurs primarily in immunocompromised persons, especially older persons with diabetes mellitus, and is often initiated by self-inflicted or iatrogenic trauma to the external auditory canal. The most frequent pathogen is Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Patients with necrotizing external otitis complain of severe otalgia that worsens at night, and otorrhea. Clinical findings include granulation tissue in the external auditory canal, especially at the bone-cartilage junction. Facial and other cranial nerve palsies indicate a poor prognosis; intracranial complications are the most frequent cause of death. Diagnosis requires culture of ear secretions and pathologic examination of granulation tissue from the infection site. Imaging studies may include computed tomographic scanning, technetium Tc 99m medronate bone scanning, and gallium citrate Ga 67 scintigraphy. Treatment includes correction of immunosuppression (when possible), local treatment of the auditory canal, long-term systemic antibiotic therapy and, in selected patients, surgery. Family physicians and others who provide medical care for immunocompromised patients should be alert to the possibility of necrotizing external otitis in patients who complain of otalgia, particularly if they have diabetes mellitus and external otitis that has been refractory to standard therapy. Susceptible patients should be educated to avoid manipulation of the ear canal (i.e., they should not use cotton swabs to clean their ears) and to minimize exposure of the ear canal to water with a high chloride concentration. Appropriate patients should be referred to an otolaryngologist.

Anti-Bacterial Agents↗

PubMed2003

Enteroviruses and sudden deafness.

A young, healthy man presented with sudden severe sensorineural hearing loss and tinnitus. The results of the workup and neuroimaging were normal, as were the auditory brain stem responses. Methylprednisolone pulse therapy was associated with significant hearing improvement within 10 days. A history of a short self-limited febrile illness preceding admission (with headache, photophobia, myalgia and fatigue), a raised serum C-reactive protein level and transient leukopenia suggested an infectious cause. Lumbar puncture revealed a mononuclear pleocytosis of the cerebrospinal fluid, with negative cultures but positive polymerase chain reaction test results for enterovirus, which was later cultured from the patient's stool. The patient's wife and baby had had a similar febrile illness without hearing loss 10 days earlier, and an outbreak of enterovirus meningitis was identified in the area, which was associated with familial clustering and echovirus serotype 4 infection. The varied causes of sudden sensorineural hearing loss, which should include enterovirus, are reviewed here.

Adult↗

PubMed2003

Anesthetic management of juvenile nasopharyngeal angiofibroma resection.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the anesthetic implications of the surgical resection of juvenile nasopharyngeal angiofibroma (JNA). DESIGN: Retrospective study. SETTING: University-affiliated community hospital. PARTICIPANTS: Ten patients undergoing resection of JNA. INTERVENTIONS: None. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Data from the records of 10 patients undergoing resection of JNA were reviewed and analyzed with regard to demographics, history of the disease, characteristics of the tumor, surgical resection techniques, and anesthetic management. Patients were age 11 to 29 years. All had nasal obstruction as presenting symptom. There was no intracranial invasion. Eight tumors were resected via a lateral rhinotomy and 2 endoscopically (after embolization of the tumor's feeding vessels). Duration of surgery was 6 +/- 1 hours for rhinotomy and 6 and 6.5 hours for the 2 endoscopic resections. Anesthesia was induced in a rapid-sequence manner. Arterial and central venous catheters were placed in all patients. Mean arterial pressure was targeted to 55 to 65 mmHg by using increasing concentrations of isoflurane. The estimated blood loss was 4,800 +/- 1,600 mL and blood replacement was 3,200 +/- 1,400 mL in the first group. The 2 other patients lost 600 mL and 1,500 mL. Blood replacement in this group was 0 and 700 mL respectively. No mortality or major morbidity occurred. CONCLUSION: Resection of JNA should be considered a major procedure with many anesthetic challenges. Isoflurane may be employed to provide deliberate hypotension.

Adjuvants, Anesthesia↗

PubMed2003

Liposomal amphotericin B treatment for rhinocerebral mucormycosis: how much is enough?

Rhinocerebral Mucormycosis is a potentially life-threatening disease, which affects mainly immunocompromised patients. Treatment options include reversing immunosuppression, surgery and systemic and local administration of anti-fungal medication. Amphotericin B is the primary agent employed, but its use is often limited by frequent side effects. Complexing Amphotericin B with lipid structures avoids most of the negative side effects, most importantly the dose-limiting nephrotoxicity. No consensus has been reached regarding the appropriate duration, rate of administration or total dose of treatment. We present a case of a patient suffering from Rhinocerebral Mucormycosis treated by extensive surgery and Liposomal Amphotericin B. He was treated for 29 days at a rate of 3 mg/kg/d and a total dose of 5.6 gram. The dose of Liposomal Aphotericin B used in previously published articles ranged from 1.5 mg/kg/d to 5 mg/kg/d. The response to treatment may be evaluated by physical examination, microbiological cultures, radiological and pathological studies. Taking into account the considerable cost of liposomal Amphotericin B and other lipid complexed formulations, it is imperative to find out what is the appropriate treatment regime for Rhinocerebral and other mucormycosis infections.

Aged↗