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Biomedical subjects

T Mayer

Publications and source records attributed to T Mayer.

At least 109 records · Page 6Linked to original sources

Emergency intracranial pressure monitoring in pediatrics: management of the acute coma of brain insult.

Over an 18-month period, 56 pediatric patients who sustained severe neurologic insults underwent intracranial pressure (ICP) monitoring. Indications for monitoring ICP were (1) a Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) score of 7 or less or (2) loss of consciousness with inability to utter recognizable words or follow commands. Diagnoses were head trauma (n = 40), Reye's syndrome (n = 10), and hypoxic encephalopathy due to near-drowning (n = 6). Eighty per cent of patients had ICP elevations requiring treatment. The complication rate was 5.3 per cent, with no serious complications or infections noted. Overall mortality was 14 per cent, but patients with hypoxic encephalopathy had significantly higher mortality (33%) when compared to patients with head trauma (12.5%) or Reye's syndrome (10%). Other factors associated with a poor outcome included presence of an intracranial mass lesion, GCS score, ICP elevations, hypoxemia, hypotension, hypercarbia, and the presence of multiple injuries (p less than 0.01). Early diagnosis and aggressive treatment in these patients, including the use of ICP monitoring, has resulted in acceptable recovery in over 85 per cent of these patients.

Acute Disease↗

Causes of morbidity and mortality in severe pediatric trauma.

In a two-year period, we studied 160 patients with multiple trauma (injury to at least two body areas) and graded severity of neurologic injury according to the Glasgow Coma Scale. Injuries to other body areas were categorized by the Modified Injury Severity Scale. Neurologic injury was present in nearly 80% and constituted the most severe injury in 60%. Chest (40%) and extremity (30%) injuries were next most frequently encountered. Overall mortality was 13.8%, with 11.3% disability and 74.3% of patients achieving good recovery. There was some degree of neurologic injury in all patients who died or were disabled. Among all patients with head injuries (126), mortality was 16%, vs 6% in those without head injury (34). Other deaths were caused by chest (9%) or abdominal (14.5%) injuries.

Accidents, Home↗

Protean manifestations of neonatal hyperinsulinism.

Endogenous hyperinsulinism is the leading cause of persistent hypoglycemia in children under one year of age. Classically, the symptoms of neonatal hypoglycemia have been referable to central nervous system dysfunction, with seizures described in nearly all patients. Our experience with eight neonates emphasizes the protean manifestations of this disease. One patient presented with a maternal history of diuretic use, and developed asymptomatic hyperinsulinism documented by provocative testing. The hyperinsulinism cleared after two weeks of medical therapy. This transient hyperinsulinism may have been secondary to use of a thiazide-type diuretic. A second patient presented, as a neonate, with a large abdominal mass but no seizure activity. Exploratory laparotomy revealed an 11 x 5 x 3 cm pancreatic tumor, which required splenectomy, 60% gastrectomy and duodenectomy for removal. Histologic examination demonstrated an insulin-secreting hamartoma. A third patient died suddenly without prior symptoms, and was found to have striking nesidioblastosis on pathologic examination. One infant presented with absence of the abdominal musculature (prune belly syndrome) and features of the Beck-with-Wiedeman syndrome, as well as profound hypoglycemia. Only three patients had seizures, and an additional patient had jitteriness. Pathologic diagnoses were: nesidioblastosis (n = 2); islet cell hyperplasia (n = 1); adenoma (n = 1); hamartoma (n = 1); transient hyperinsulinism (n = 1). One patient's pancreas showed areas of nesidioblastosis, islet cell hyperplasia, and a discrete adenoma in the region of the common bile duct. Careful diagnostic testing is essential in these patients, inasmuch as hypoglycemia is poorly tolerated by neonates and infants. Using the diagnostic algorithm presented here, all patients' endogenous hyperinsulinism was documented quickly and efficiently. Recognition of the broad spectrum of symptoms with which these patients may present is essential if serious neurologic sequelae are to be avoided.

Chlorthalidone↗

Effect of multiple trauma on outcome of pediatric patients with neurologic injuries.

In a 3-year period, 95 patients with severe head injury (unconsciousness greater than 6h duration) were treated at our institution. Of these, 46 patients (48%) had isolated head injury and 49 (52%) had head injury plus severe multiple trauma. Multiple trauma was scored using the Modified Injury Severity Scale. All patients in the multiple trauma group had at least one additional area of severe injury. Severity of head injury, judged by Glasgow Coma Score, presence of mass lesions, abnormal posturing or flaccidity, impaired or absent oculocephalic reflexes, and fixed, dilated pupils, was much greater in the isolated head injury group. In spite of this, poor outcome (death or vegetative/severe disability) was 2 1/2 times as frequent in the multiple trauma group. Shock, refractory hypoxemia and sepsis were contributing factors in this increased morbidity and mortality. Increasing Modified Injury Severity Scale scores were associated with increased morbidity and mortality.

Adolescent↗

Experimental subglottic stenosis: histopathologic and bronchoscopic comparison of electrosurgical, cryosurgical, and laser resection.

Controversy continues over the optimal method of resecting subglottic stenosis. Electrosurgery, cryosurgery and laser resection have all had some clinical success. We sought to compare these treatment methods in experimentally-created subglottic stenosis. Subglottic strictures were created transbronchoscopically in newborn lambs by electrocoagulating a rim of mucosa. Four weeks later, all had 20 to 90% occlusion documented bronchoscopically. Control animals were found to have dense submucosal fibrosis in the cricoid area. Remaining experimental animals were treated with: (1) electrosurgical resection; (2) cryosurgical treatment; (3) Neodymium-yag (Nd:Yag) laser at 20 watts; (4) Nd:Yag laser with 40 watts; or (5) carbon dioxide laser at 10 watts. Animals from each group were sacrificed at 5 and 30 days postresection and the tracheas were examined grossly and microscopically. Animals sacrificed at 30 days postresection were bronchoscoped at weekly intervals. Cryosurgical and electrosurgical resection resulted in 1-3 mm of thermal damage adjacent to the margin of resection at 5 days post-treatment. Mucosal ingrowth and healing were rapid and there was no development of stenosis or damage to underlying structures. Use of the Nd:Yag laser resulted in 10-20 mm of surrounding damage in animals sacrificed at 5 days. At 30 days posttreatment, there was mucosal healing but extreme underlying damage and redevelopment of stenosis at the level of treatment. The carbon dioxide laser-treated animals showed thermal damage present up to 2 mm in depth from resected areas at 5 days post-treatment. Mucosal regeneration proceeded rapidly. This study indicates that electrosurgical and cryosurgical resection for experimental subglottic stenosis create minimal thermal damage and are associated with comparably acceptable rates of mucosal ingrowth and healing. The carbon dioxide laser created comparable to slightly decreased thermal damage but suffers at present from lack of optimal visualization of the subglottic lesion.

Animals↗

Gastroschisis and omphalocele. An eight-year review.

Until recently confusion has existed concerning the clinical features and surgical treatment of gastroschisis and omphalocele. Since 1971 75 infants with these abdominal wall defects have been treated at our institution. Significant differences (p equal to 0.001 in all instances) were noted between the two diseases. Gastroschisis occurred twice as often as omphalocele and is increasing in frequency. Prematurity was commonly seen with gastroschisis (65%). While the overall incidence of malformations associated with gastroschisis was low (23%), the vast majority of the additional malformations were jejunoileal or colonic atresias. The mortality rate was 12.7% among gastroschisis patients, with only one death attributable to prematurity. All other deaths were preventable, indicating that even lower mortality rates are feasible. Omphalocele was associated with a 23% incidence of premature birth but associated anomalies were present in 66% of the patients. Major cardiac (52%) and chromosomal defects (40%) predominated. In addition, 17% of omphalocele patients had either Cantrell's pentalogy or cloacal/bladder exstrophy. The mortality rate in omphalocele (34%) was nearly three times that of gastroschisis. Nine of ten patients who died from omphalocele died either from major cardiac or chromosomal disease. However, in patients without cardiac or chromosomal defects the survival rate was 94%.

Abdominal Muscles↗

Differentiation of posterior myocardial infarction from right ventricular hypertrophy and normal anterior loop by echocardiography.

The differentiation of posterobasal myocardial infarction (PMI) from either right ventricular hypertrophy (RVH) or normal subjects displaying an anterior loop (AL) by electrocardiography (ECG) or vectorcardiography (VCG) is difficult. M-mode echocardiography (echo) via the anterior and subxiphoid methods has been helpful in defining cardiac chamber size and wall motion abnormalities. We tested whether this relatively more direct method would better separate these entities compared with the other two techniques. ECG and VCG using established criteria failed to distinguish the three conditions effectively. By echo, distinguishing characteristics were observed in each of the groups. Thus, right ventricular diastolic dimension and wall thickness were significantly increased only in the RVH group, echo dimensions and wall motion were normal in the AL group and the posterior left ventricular systolic thickening response and ejection phase indices were significantly reduced only by the subxiphoid method in the PMI group. To test the specificity of the latter finding, posterior wall motion in three infarction groups (posterior, combined posteroinferior and inferior) were examined and suggested that the target of the subxiphoid beam focuses on a more superior posterobasal left ventricular segment than the anteriorly placed transducer. Echocardiography can differentiate PMI from either RVH or AL more directly than ECG or VCG, and may be of practical clinical importance.

Adult↗

[Illness behaviour: the influence of age, sex and socio-economic status (author's transl)].

Some results of a study done in 1975/76 in Basle are presented (N=422 people working in administrative and industrial firms). Generally medicine takers are to be found in a high percentage already in the group with little symptoms. On the other side many of those reporting a high number of symptoms do not consult a physician. The number of symptoms reported is higher with progressive age, women and lower socio-economic status. Nevertheless we do not find an increase of consultations with a physician in the same direction.

Adult↗

Bacterial proliferation in platelet concentrates.

Growth curves of bacteria in platelet concentrates were studied to determine whether increasing the shelf-life of platelets from 3 to 7 days might have contributed to the increased number of deaths caused by contaminated platelets that have been reported to the FDA since 1980. Platelets inoculated with 10(3) organisms or more showed logarithmic bacterial growth throughout the 7 days of storage or until the platelets became visibly abnormal. With an inoculum of 10(2) organisms or less, proliferation patterns were variable: 20 percent (%) showed uninhibited logarithmic growth and 50 percent (%) remained sterile throughout the 7 days. In another 30 percent (%), bacterial growth was temporarily suppressed for 5 to 6 days before bacteria actively proliferated. These data support the hypothesis that bacterial contamination of platelets not clinically significant at 3 days of storage might become so during the current 7 day shelf life.

Blood Platelets↗