PubMed Health⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

F S Cross

Publications and source records attributed to F S Cross.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1989

Cardiac surgery in septuagenarians: is there a difference in mortality and morbidity?

Open heart surgery is being performed with increased frequency in elderly patients. Results vary considerably probably as the profile of the surgical population changes. A comparison was established by means of univariate analysis between two consecutive series of 100 patients undergoing bypass grafting or valvular replacement. Group A patients were 70 years of age or older; group B patients were less than 65 years of age. Various clinical, operative, and postoperative parameters were monitored. A significant difference was found between the two groups. Elderly patients tended to be white, female, with poor left ventricular and renal function, had carotid or peripheral vascular disease, and new onset of symptoms. Fewer patients had single-vessel disease and received internal mammary artery grafts. Operative mortality rate was higher in group A subjects and postoperative neurologic complications were also more frequent in this group. Factors influencing operative mortality were the association between vascular disease, presence of left main coronary artery disease, and urgency of the procedure. The mortality rate was 17.2% in 29 patients with associated vascular disease and 4.8% (3/63) in those without vascular disease (p = 0.048). Operative mortality was 4.1% without left main coronary artery disease, 15% with left main coronary artery disease (p = 0.083), and 4% in 84 patients having elective operations versus 31.2% in patients having 16 emergency procedures (p = 0.001). Short-term follow-up revealed a higher late mortality rate in elderly subjects and suggested an increased incidence of early pulmonary embolus. Nevertheless, elective cardiac surgery may be safely performed in septuagenarians with an expected operative mortality rate under 5%.

Age Factors↗
PubMed1989

Coronary artery bypass grafting with saphenous vein.

Occlusion rate of the saphenous vein is around 12-20% during the 1st year and 2-4% annually for the next 4 or 5 years. Subsequently, this rate doubles, so that at 10 years, approximately 50% of grafts become occluded due to the occurrence of graft atherosclerosis. A similar percentage of patent grafts show atherosclerotic changes at the end of the 1st decade. Sequential vein grafts probably suffer the same fate although late follow-up is lacking. Reoperation is estimated to be 30% at 10 years, as judged by angiographic criteria. The operative risk of reoperation is at least double that of primary operation; symptomatic relief appears to be of shorter duration. Recent technical changes to better preserve medial and endothelial function and to pharmacologically inhibit platelet function may lead to longer duration of the venous conduit.

Coronary Artery Bypass↗
PubMed1984

Six-months isoniazid-rifampin therapy for pulmonary tuberculosis. Report of a United States Public Health Service Cooperative Trial.

In a multicenter trial of 2 regimens for treatment of pulmonary tuberculosis, all patients received 300 mg of isoniazid (INH) and 600 mg of rifampin (RIF) daily for 6 months (the Initial Phase). During the next 9 months (the Maintenance Phase) patients received either daily INH (300 mg) and ethambutol (EMB) (15 mg per kg body weight) or matching placebos. Of the 672 patients who met the admission criteria, only 309 (46%) completed the Initial and Maintenance Phases. Approximately 20% of the patients failed to keep their appointments. Adverse drug reaction, most commonly hepatotoxicity, accounted for the withdrawal of 37 patients (5.5%). No visual toxicity caused by EMB was observed. During the Maintenance Phase, 3 patients who were taking INH and EMB, and 16 who were taking placebos, developed relapses, i.e., 2 or more positive cultures. The significant difference in relapse rate between regimens (Fisher's exact test, p less than 0.001) demonstrates the inadequacy of INH-RIF given alone for only 6 months.

Adult↗
PubMed1983

Hepatotoxicity from isoniazid and rifampin among children treated for tuberculosis.

To estimate rates of hepatotoxicity in the United States among children treated for tuberculosis, we conducted a retrospective survey of health departments and individual practitioners. We received 874 reports suitable for analysis of children treated during 1977 to 1979. A total of 16 hepatotoxic reactions were reported; 14/430 (3.3%) children receiving isoniazid and rifampin had a hepatotoxic reaction, which approximates the rate seen in adults taking these drugs. Half of the reactions occurred during the first month of therapy, and all of the well-documented reactions were noted during the first 10 weeks. Because the likelihood of hepatotoxicity may be increased with higher drug doses, limiting the dose of isoniazid to 10 mg/kg and that of rifampin to 15 mg/kg may help minimize hepatotoxic reactions. Because more serious disease, especially disseminated tuberculosis, may further increase the risk of hepatotoxicity, close monitoring of such children receiving isoniazid and rifampin should help minimize serious hepatotoxicity. Routine biochemical monitoring may not be necessary for all children, eg, those with mild forms of disease and those with normal pretreatment liver function who are treated with lower drug doses.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1980

Rifampin-isoniazid therapy of alcoholic and nonalcoholic tuberculous patients in a U.S. Public Health Service Cooperative Therapy Trial.

A history of alcoholism is often regarded as a relative contraindication to the use of isoniazid and rifampin in patients with tuberculosis. To test the validity of this assumption the outcome of 6 months of rifampin-isoniazid therapy was analyzed for the first 531 eligible patients enrolled in a U.S. Public Health Service Cooperative Trial of Short-Course Chemotherapy of Pulmonary Tuberculosis. In this study, data were available to classify a patient as an alcoholic in the following 2 ways: (1) patient's statement that he was a moderate, heavy, or excessive user of alcohol, or (2) patient's score of 6 or more on a Brief Michigan Alcoholism Screening Test (MAST). Based on their statements, 58% of the patients were classified as alcoholic, whereas only 17.9% were thus classified by their MAST scores. Although alcoholics had more abnormal concentrations of aspartate aminotransferase (AST) before and during therapy, there was no significant difference between the alcoholics and non-alcoholics in the incidence of adverse reactions, including hepatotoxic reactions, including hepatotoxic reactions, attributed to the drugs. We concluded that in the absence of clinically significant and persistent pretreatment abnormalities of hepatic function tests, rifampin and isoniazid are not contraindicated in patients categorized as alcoholic by our 2 commonly used methods.

Alcoholism↗