PubMed Health⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

I C Currie

Publications and source records attributed to I C Currie.

25 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

Femoropopliteal angioplasty for severe limb ischaemia.

Fifty patients undergoing 51 percutaneous transluminal angioplasties of the femoropopliteal segment for severe limb ischaemia were reviewed regularly. They comprised 30 men and 20 women of median age 70 (range 56-85) years. There were two deaths within 30 days. At 2 years the cumulative patient survival rate was 60 per cent. Eleven angioplasties were technical failures, 25 failed in the first 6 months and 14 were successful at 6 months' follow-up; in addition one patient died from myocardial infarction within 30 days of technically successful angioplasty. Subsequent vascular procedures were successful in 11 limbs following failed angioplasty. The primary limb survival rate was 42 per cent at 2 years. There were eight major complications after angioplasty, requiring amputation in five instances. Of the 23 long occlusions (greater than 5 cm) that were recanalized and dilated, 22 procedures failed within 6 months. The run-off score and diabetic status did not predict outcome. In this group of patients angioplasty had a low durability. Dilatation of long occlusions is associated with high rates of reocclusion and, on the basis of these results, should not be performed.

Aged↗

Pulse-generated run-off versus dependent Doppler ultrasonography for assessment of calf vessel patency.

Pulse-generated run-off (PGR) is an established technique in the assessment of calf vessel patency. Dependent Doppler ultrasonography is proposed as a fast and simple alternative. Twenty-six limbs with severe ischaemia were evaluated by PGR, dependent Doppler examination and intra-arterial digital subtraction angiography (DSA). PGR was performed and scored as previously described. Dependent Doppler ultrasonography was performed after 5 min of foot dependency and scored as for PGR. Angiograms were scored by an independent radiologist, who awarded 2 for a vessel widely patent to the ankle, 1 for a diseased vessel crossing the ankle and 0 if no vessel was visualized. Of 78 calf vessels evaluated, 59 (76 per cent) appeared patent on PGR and dependent Doppler examination but only 33 (42 per cent) appeared patent to the ankle with intra-arterial DSA. There was very good agreement between PGR and dependent Doppler for detection of patent calf vessels (kappa = 0.93). Doppler signals were biphasic in six calf vessels on dependency and in 22 vessels with PGR. PGR and dependent Doppler ultrasonography detected 26 vessels communicating with the pedal arch compared with seven detected angiographically. There was good agreement between PGR and dependent Doppler examination for diagnosis of the most suitable vessel for distal anastomosis (kappa = 0.80). The wide availability and simplicity of dependent Doppler ultrasonography mean that no patient with a critically ischaemic limb should be denied reconstructive surgery on the basis of angiographic findings alone.

Angiography, Digital Subtraction↗

Magnetic resonance angiography or IADSA for diagnosis of carotid pseudo occlusion?

Accurate diagnosis of internal carotid artery (ICA) occlusion is essential in the investigation of carotid disease yet may be difficult using Duplex. Traditionally contrast arteriography has been used to confirm the diagnosis despite its cost and potential dangers. Twenty-one patients with 23 ICA occlusions were evaluated by a 3-dimensional time of flight magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) technique. The cervical carotids and circle of Willis were imaged during the MRA examination which lasted 30 minutes. Confirmatory conventional angiography was performed in all patients. Using angiography as the gold standard, all occlusions were correctly diagnosed by MRA and 22 of 23 occlusions correctly diagnosed by Duplex. There was good agreement between MRA and angiography for all 42 ICAs imaged (Kappa statistic 0.83). Diagnosis of internal carotid artery occlusion is critical as it determines the need for operation. In this situation MRA provides a useful non-invasive complement to Duplex. A combination of non-invasive studies may enable arteriography to be rejected with greater confidence in this high risk group.

Angiography, Digital Subtraction↗

Quality of life of octogenarians after aneurysm surgery.

Abdominal aneurysm repair in octogenarians is controversial. To justify surgery, survival with a reasonable quality of life is required. Between 1980 and 1988, 34 octogenarians underwent aortic aneurysm surgery (14 elective, 20 emergency). Of the 21 survivors, 20 were interviewed to determine their quality of life. At the time of interview the patients had a median survival of 19 months (range 4-67 months). Twenty age/sex matched normal patients, from the same GP population, were interviewed for comparison. A structured questionnaire was used to assess: physical mobility, activities of daily living, sleep and emotional problems. A symptom survey was also performed. The survival trend of elective patients was similar to that of a demographically similar 'normal' population. The survival trend of emergency patients returned to 'normal' after the first postoperative month. Quality of life of the 20 patients was comparable to the lifestyle enjoyed by normal subjects. Of the 20 patients interviewed, 18 had returned home after surgery. Elective and emergency aortic aneurysm surgery can be performed with reasonable survival and a good quality of life, and therefore cannot be denied to octogenarians on the basis of age alone.

Aged↗

Postoperative collection and reinfusion of autologous blood in total knee arthroplasty.

A series of 40 patients undergoing primary unilateral total knee arthroplasty were entered into a randomised controlled trial to assess the safety and efficacy of postoperative autologous blood salvage and reinfusion. The mean volume of autologous blood reinfused was 520 ml per patient (51% of the mean total drainage). Homologous blood transfusion was required in only 35% of patients in the study group compared with 95% of patients in the control group (P less than 0.001). The mean volume of homologous blood transfused was 0.9 units per patient in the study group compared with 2.5 units in the control group (P less than 0.001), a saving of 64%.

Aged↗

Abdominal aortic aneurysm repair in the over eighties.

Between January 1980 and September 1988, 34 octogenarians underwent aortic aneurysm repair. There were 26 men and eight women with a median age of 83 years (range 80-88 years). Twenty underwent 'emergency' repair after presenting with pain and/or collapse: 11 with a retroperitoneal rupture, three with an intraperitoneal rupture and six with an expanding aneurysm. The mortality rate for this group was 35 per cent. During the same period 14 patients had an elective repair and there were no deaths within 30 days. The mean hospital stay for the elective group was 14.2 days compared with 17.0 days for survivors in the emergency group. There was no significant difference in terms of risk factors between those who developed postoperative complications and those who did not. These mortality rates compare favourably with our overall mortality results for elective (4.6 per cent) and emergency (31 per cent) surgery. Those patients over 80 years of age with infrarenal abdominal aortic aneurysms should not be refused surgery on the basis of age alone; each patient should be judged individually.

Aged↗