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PubMed1988

Integration of surgery and other techniques in the management of trophoblastic malignancy.

The role of surgery in the management of gestational trophoblastic neoplasms has changed over the years and warrants continuous re-evaluation. Surgical removal of the bulk of the disease in an attempt to shorten the hospital course and decrease the amount of chemotherapy required appears to be of value. This approach to therapy should therefore be considered in most patients with nonmetastatic disease without regard to the histologic diagnosis if they have completed their families. "Debulking" of primary uterine disease in the presence of metastases may decrease the chemotherapy necessary for cure and removes a potential source of resistant disease. Pulmonary surgery improves survival rates for patients with a solitary, resistant lung tumor and is advisable under the circumstances outlined herein. Craniotomy is rarely of value in the management of tumor in the brain but may be necessary in emergency situations caused by intracerebral hemorrhage. Surgery to control complications of the disease has been proved to be safe with acceptable morbidity even if performed during chemotherapy. Thus, although chemotherapy has replaced surgery as the primary management of patients with gestational trophoblastic disease, there remain a significant number of patients in whom surgery plays a significant role.

Combined Modality Therapy↗

PubMed2005

Contamination of patients' files in intensive care units: an indication of strict handwashing after entering case notes.

BACKGROUND: The extent to which bedside patients' files become contaminated and the range of bacterial flora attributable to contamination in high-risk areas of the hospital are not known with certainty. The aim of the present study was to determine the degree of contamination of the patient's files and also to analyze and compare the spectrum of contaminant bacterial flora between the intensive care unit (ICU) and surgical wards, the 2 most high-risk areas for nosocomial transmission of infection. METHODS: Microbiologic samples were collected from the exposed outer surface of the patients' files kept bedside in the ICU and surgical wards with sterile swabs moistened with sterile normal saline. Swabs were cultured within an hour of collection on blood agar and MacConkey's agar plates, which were incubated at 37 degrees C for 48 hours. Gram-negative bacilli were identified by Gram's stain, catalase, oxidase tests, and API 20E and API 20NE. Staphylococcus species were identified by Gram's stain, catalase test, and tube coagulase test. Antibiotic susceptibility of the isolated bacteria was determined by the disk diffusion technique according to the criteria of National Committee for Clinical Laboratory Standards (NCCLS). RESULTS: In ICU, 85.2% (87/102) and, in surgical wards, 24.7% (22/89) of patient's files were found to be contaminated with pathogenic and potentially pathogenic bacteria (OR, 17.664; 95% CI: 8.050-39.423; P < .0001). Pseudomonas aeruginosa was the most commonly isolated bacteria (32.3%, 33/102) in ICUs, whereas Staphylococcus aureus was the peak contaminant (11.2%, 10/89) of the files in surgical wards. Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) was isolated from 6.8% (7/102) of ICU patient's files, whereas only 1.1% (1/89) of patient's files in surgical wards were contaminated with MRSA (OR, 6.484; 95% CI: 3.215-13.463; P < .0001). The multidrug-resistant P aeruginosa, Acinetobacter baumannii, Klebsiella pneumoniae, and Serretia marcesens isolated from the patient's files had the same antibiotic resistance pattern as of these bacteria isolated from the patients. CONCLUSION: The majority of the patient's files in ICUs were contaminated often with multidrug-resistant bacteria and even MRSA. Contaminated files could be a source of transmission of infection. To prevent this, handwashing practice should be strictly followed after attending the patient and before entering the case notes in the patient's file. The maintenance of good hand hygiene by the health care workers (HCWs) after handling contaminated files should perhaps be the most prudent approach to prevent patient-patient transmission of infection in high-risk areas including ICU and surgical wards.

Cross Infection↗

PubMed1975

The problem of infection in total prosthetic arthroplasty of the hip.

In summary, deep wound infection carries a special and disastrous significance for the patient with a total joint prosthesis. Such patients seem to be at greater than usual risk of infection, and special precautionary measures to prevent it are not only justified but imperative. These include careful preoperative preparation; special attention to rigid and exacting operative techniques for control of potential exogenous contaminants; sensible preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative antibiotic prophylaxis for control of potential endogenous cantaminants; and continued supervision of the patient throughout the postoperative years so as to prevent potential metastatic infection from other primary sources. Pre-existing and active infections of the hip constitute contraindications to total prosthetic arthroplasty, but these rules may be suspended in certain special situations provided that the patient is willing to cooperate with the arduous and prolonged program of treatment, and fully understands the special risks involved.

Arthroplasty↗

PubMed2006

Long-term neurocognitive function after mechanical aortic valve replacement.

BACKGROUND: Mechanical aortic valves are a possible source of microemboli potentially causing cerebral injury. Therefore, the long-term impact of mechanical aortic valve replacement on neurocognitive function is uncertain. METHODS: In this prospective, contemporary study, we followed 32 consecutive patients (aged 51 +/- 8 years; range, 38 to 70; EuroSCORE [European System for Cardiac Operative Risk Evaluation] 4.4 +/- 1.7) undergoing isolated aortic valve replacement with a mechanical prosthesis. A cohort of age- and sex-matched patients (n = 28, aged 50 +/- 7 years) served as nonsurgical controls. After aortic valve replacement, neurocognitive function was serially reevaluated at 7-day (n = 32), 4-month (n = 31), and 3-year (n = 29) follow-up. Neurocognitive function was measured by means of P300 auditory evoked potentials. RESULTS: Before the operation, P300 peak latencies were comparable between surgical patients (361 +/- 32 ms) and nonsurgical controls (365 +/- 33 ms, p = 0.783). In patients undergoing aortic valve replacement, P300 peak latencies were prolonged 7 days after surgery (380 +/- 32 ms) as compared with before the operation (361 +/- 32 ms, p < 0.0001) and as compared with nonsurgical controls (364 +/- 34 ms, p = 0.002). At 4-month (369 +/- 30 ms, p = 0.752) and 3-year (370 +/- 31 ms, p = 0.825) follow-up, P300 peak latencies normalized as compared with before operation and as compared with nonsurgical controls (4-month follow-up 363 +/- 31 ms, p = 0.832; 3-year follow-up 366 +/- 32 ms, p = 0.432). We found no difference in patients with different valve types. CONCLUSIONS: Despite previous assumptions based on the potential occurrence of microemboli in patients with mechanical valves, mechanical aortic valve replacement has no adverse long-term impact on neurocognitive function. This finding is only valid for patients with a comparable age range undergoing isolated aortic valve replacement.

Adult↗

PubMed1997

Clinical outcomes and treatment of hip fractures.

The worldwide prevalence of hip fracture is increasing as the mean age of the population increases. Despite advances in anesthesia, nursing care, and surgical techniques, however, the outcome of treatment is often poor, and hip fractures remain a significant source of morbidity and mortality for the elderly population. For these patients, operative treatment is considered to be optimal and most cost-effective for displaced intracapsular fractures and all extracapsular fractures. Undisplaced intracapsular fractures can be treated with bed rest and 6-8 weeks' delay of weight bearing in the "younger" elderly (< or = 70 years). The timing of surgery remains controversial, and evidence that a delay in operating leads to increased morbidity is inconclusive. In general, early surgery is indicated in premorbidly fit patients, whereas surgery should be delayed if correctable comorbidities are present. Methods of intracapsular fracture repair very geographically and according to surgeon preference. Prospective, randomized, case-controlled studies are needed to compare repair methods, including internal fixation versus hemiarthroplasty for intracapsular fractures and use of uncemented versus cemented hemiarthroplasty protheses. Extracapsular fractures are usually repaired using a dynamic hip screw or other variant of sliding nail fixation. The mortality rate after hip fracture appears to vary in association with poorly controlled systemic disease (particularly if multiple comorbidities are present); cognitive disorders; operative intervention before stabilization if > or = 3 comorbidities are present; and, in the absence of prophylaxis, deep vein thrombosis; the associations between mortality and male sex, advanced age, and anesthetic type are less clear. The factors associated with the recovery of walking ability include young age, male sex, absence of dementia, absence of postoperative confusional state, and use of a walking aid before the fracture. Many determinants of outcome are independent of the level of care given and are dependent on prefracture status. To maximize rehabilitation potential, a multidisciplinary approach using skilled medical, nursing, and paramedical care appears to be optimal. Prospective case-controlled studies are required to demonstrate the long-term effectiveness of specialist rehabilitation units. In today's cost-cutting environment, caution must be taken to prevent short-term cost-saving measures from compromising long-term outcome for elderly hip fracture patients.

Female↗

PubMed1982

Ten years' experience with pediatric gunshot wounds.

Gunshot wounds in children have become a significant source of morbidity and mortality in our community in the last 10 yr. One hundred eight children, 16 yr of age and younger, were admitted to the Pediatric Surgical Service for gunshot wounds during this period; only 1 child was admitted for a gunshot wound in the 10 yr preceding this review. Rapid resuscitation and triage of major injuries directly to the operating room achieved a 94% survival. Review of the circumstances of injury revealed that 42% of the gunshot wounds were inflicted by children and 40% were known to have been intentional. Only 20% of the patients had known drug involvement; in general this was involvement in drug selling, not in drug abuse. Social service intervention can offer significant benefit to these children, but ultimately gun control laws with strict enforcement are needed to stop this type of violence toward children.

Accidents↗

PubMed2000

Effect of formalin tissue fixation and processing on immunohistochemistry.

Although immunohistochemistry is routinely performed by many pathology laboratories, its standardization still lags behind. A major cause of variation in the reproducibility of immunohistochemical staining is induced by tissue fixation and, to a lesser degree, tissue processing. This report, stemming from the first meeting of the International Consensus Group on Standardization and Quality Control (ICGSQC) in Nice, France, summarizes the problem and suggests solutions to begin to achieve standardization of fixation and processing. Most laboratories use neutral-buffered formalin (10%) for tissue fixation which introduces cross-links, whereas coagulative fixatives are less popular. Problems with formalin fixation comprise delay of fixation and variations in the duration of the fixation mainly. Solutions to these problems could be to start fixation soon (<30 min) after surgical removal of the tissue and to avoid overfixation (>24-48 hrs). For tissue processing, the most important problem is inadequate tissue dehydration prior to paraffin embedding. This can be prevented by preparing all solutions freshly every week, depending on the volume of tissue processed. If consistently applied, these procedures could eliminate some of the sources of variation in immunohistochemical stains.

Artifacts↗

PubMed2003

Effect of maxillary sinus augmentation on the survival of endosseous dental implants. A systematic review.

BACKGROUND: Grafting the floor of the maxillary sinus has become the most common surgical intervention for increasing alveolar bone height prior to the placement of endosseous dental implants in the posterior maxilla. Outcomes of this procedure may be affected by specific surgical techniques, simultaneous versus delayed implant placement, use of barrier membranes over the lateral window, selection of graft material, and the surface characteristics and the length and width of the implants. RATIONALE: The primary objective of this systematic review was to determine the efficacy of the sinus augmentation procedure and compare the results achieved with various surgical techniques, grafting materials, and implants. FOCUSED QUESTION: In patients requiring dental implant placement, what is the effect on implant survival of maxillary sinus augmentation versus implant placement in the non-grafted posterior maxilla? SEARCH PROTOCOL: MEDLINE, the Cochrane Oral Health Group Specialized Trials Register, and the Database of Abstracts and Reviews of Effectiveness were searched for articles published through April 2003. Hand searches were performed on Clinical Oral Implants Research, International Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Implants, and the International Journal of Periodontics & Restorative Dentistry and the bibliographies of all relevant papers and review articles. In addition, researchers, journal editors, and industry sources were contacted to see if pertinent unpublished data that had been accepted for publication were available. SELECTION CRITERIA INCLUSION CRITERIA: Human studies with a minimum of 20 interventions, a minimum follow-up period of 1-year loading, an outcome measurement of implant survival, and published in English, regardless of the evidence level, were considered. EXCLUSION CRITERIA: Studies involving multiple simultaneous interventions (e.g., simultaneous ridge augmentation) and studies with missing data that could not be supplied by the study authors were excluded. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS: Where adequate data were available, subgroups of dissimilar interventions (e.g., surgical techniques, graft materials, implant surfaces, membranes) were isolated and subjected to meta-regression, a form of meta-analysis. MAIN RESULTS: 1. Forty-three studies, 3 randomized controlled clinical trials (RCTs), 5 controlled trials (CTs), 12 case series (CS), and 23 retrospective analyses (RA) were identified. Thirty-four were lateral window interventions, 5 were osteotome interventions, 2 were localized management of the sinus floor, and 2 involved the crestal core technique. 2. Meta-regression was performed to determine the effect of the variables of block versus particulate grafting techniques, implant surface, graft material, and the use of a membrane over the lateral window. 3. The survival rate of implants placed in sinuses augmented with the lateral window technique varied between 61.7% and 100%, with an average survival rate of 91.8%. For lateral window technique: 4. Implant survival rates reported in this systematic review compare favorably to reported survival rates for implants placed in the non-grafted posterior maxilla. 5. Rough-surfaced implants have a higher survival rate than machine-surfaced implants when placed in grafted sinuses. 6. Implants placed in sinuses augmented with particulate grafts show a higher survival rate than those placed in sinuses augmented with block grafts. 7. Implant survival rates were higher when a membrane was placed over the lateral window. 8. The utilization of grafts consisting of 100% autogenous bone or the inclusion of autogenous bone as a component of a composite graft did not affect implant survival. 9. There was no statistical difference between the covariates of simultaneous versus delayed implant placement, types of rough-surfaced implants, length of follow-up, year of publication, and the evidence level of the study. REVIEWERS' CONCLUSIONS: Insufficient data were present to statistically evaluate the effects of smoking, residual crestal bone height, screw versus press-fit implant design, or the effect of implant surface micromorphology other than machined versus rough surfaces. There are insufficient data to recommend the use of platelet-rich plasma in sinus graft surgery.

Bone Transplantation↗

PubMed2003

Evidence-based guidelines for fixing broken hips: an update.

OBJECTIVE: To update evidence-based guidelines for the treatment of proximal femoral fractures published in the Journal in 1999. DATA SOURCES: Systematic literature search of MEDLINE, CINAHL and EMBASE from January 1996 to September 2001 and the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews (most recent issue searched - Issue 2, 2002). STUDY SELECTION: Randomised controlled trials and meta-analyses of all aspects of acute-care hospital treatment and rehabilitation of proximal femoral fractures among subjects aged 50 years and over with proximal femoral fractures not associated with metastatic disease or multiple trauma. DATA EXTRACTION: All studies were read independently by two reviewers. Reviewers recorded individual study results, and an assessment of study quality and treatment conclusions according to Cochrane Collaboration protocols. If necessary, a third review was performed to reach consensus. RESULTS: 93 new studies were identified and 82 met our inclusion criteria. Recommendations for thromboprophylaxis, anaesthesia, surgical fixation of fractures and nutritional status have been altered to incorporate new evidence. Recommendations have been added regarding postoperative blood transfusion, the management of subtrochanteric fractures, and the type of surgical swabs which should be used. CONCLUSIONS: Although there have been few significant changes to the previous recommendations, updating the guidelines has required substantial effort. The common clinical problem of hip fracture should be treated according to the most up-to-date evidence to achieve the best possible outcomes and optimal utilisation of limited resources. Guideline updates also require resourcing.

Anticoagulants↗

PubMed1994

New insights into the epidemiology and natural history of benign prostatic hyperplasia.

Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH) has undoubtedly been an important cause of the urinary difficulties observed in elderly men for many centuries although the condition was only recognised as such during the last century. Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia is a very common condition (88 per cent of autopsy specimens in men aged over 80 have histological BPH) and the cause of the commonest surgical procedure in elderly men (three men in ten ultimately may require surgery for this condition). A common cause of death in elderly men just 20-30 years ago, improved medical care has seen dramatic declines in this aspect of BPH and today treatment choices in BPH are largely determined by considerations of quality-of-life. Despite such a common occurrence, little is known with any certainty about the epidemiology of BPH. The incidence, even the population prevalence, is difficult to determine for a variety of reasons associated with difficulties surrounding the diagnosis of BPH and the identification of a source population to provide a denominator to calculate rates. Knowledge of risk factors is sparse: analytical epidemiologic studies of BPH are difficult to conduct. Case-control studies, the most commonly employed design in epidemiology, are problematic in that a control group may be difficult to define in view of the likelihood that a large proportion of these may have undiagnosed BPH. Against this background, knowledge of the prostate in the general population was sought in an international survey and found to be poor: although most men are aware of its existence, very few could correctly identify the function of the gland. Men tended to discuss urination problems with their doctors not when a symptom develops but when that symptom becomes bothersome. A 10-fold variation in frequency of rectal examination was identified between men in Germany and Italy which could not be explained by potential confounding variables. Given the large increases in the number of males reaching older ages, it is clear that BPH will continue to have substantial and increasing influence in terms of morbidity, mortality and health costs. Before the end of the present century, the life expectancy of a male at birth will exceed 80 years in many of the developed countries. Put put another way, one man in every two born can expect to reach an at which he has an 88 per cent chance of having a prostate with morphological BPH. Clearly, the need for high quality epidemiological information and consequent increased prospects for prevention is obvious.

Age Factors↗

PubMedDate not supplied

[Computer-assisted surgery: assessment and perspectives].

The hospital in the future will be faced with the major problem of managing and optimizing the use of images provided from numerous sources examining both anatomy (MRI, CT-scan...) and function (gamma-camera, PET-scan...). One of the first to benefit from such rationalization will be the surgeon. After studying the results of the physical examination, the laboratory reports and the medical imaging, the surgeon will decide on the best curative measured and the best surgical route before operating. He thus needs a computer to assist him in integrating the multi-modal information available for his patient, in particular the imaging with automatic integration and visualisation in synoptic mode (perception step), showing the trajectory of possible access routes to the target organ, memorization of the chosen route (decision step) and real operation either using laser or a manuel tool, or with robot assistance under human control (action step). This close cooperation between surgery and computers is called computer-assisted surgery. A few examples of current uses an future perspectives of this new field of surgery are presented.

Diagnosis, Computer-Assisted↗

PubMed2000

Recurrent laryngeal nerve transposition in guinea pigs.

Improved control of prosthetic voice aids for laryngectomees might be possible to obtain with residual laryngeal motor nerve signals. We were able to recover motor signals from the recurrent laryngeal nerve (RLN) by transposing it into the ipsilateral denervated sternohyoid muscle (SH) in 8 guinea pigs. Reinnervation was monitored by electromyographic recordings from surface and intramuscular needle electrodes in awake animals. Within 4 to 14 weeks after surgery, all animals demonstrated laryngeal-like motor activity in the reinnervated SH, including activity during respiration, sniffing, swallowing, and/or vocalizing. After 3 to 6 months, the animals were reanesthetized, and nerve stimulation and section experiments confirmed the RLN as the source of reinnervation in all cases. In several animals, activity of the RLN-innervated SH was demonstrated to be correlated with that of contralateral laryngeal muscles. Histochemical analysis of the SH indicated a unilateral transformation from mostly fatigable to mostly fatigue-resistant fiber types ipsilateral to the RLN transposition, a phenotype more typical of laryngeal muscles. Thus, RLN transposition at the time of laryngectomy may be a method for salvaging laryngeal control signals that could be used to control prosthetic voice devices.

Anastomosis, Surgical↗

PubMed1991

Hydrogen clearance: assessment of technique for measurement of skin-flap blood flow in pigs.

The hydrogen clearance technique has been used for many years by investigators to determine brain blood flow and has been partially validated in this setting using other methods of blood flow measurement. The method has been modified to allow blood flow measurements in skin, but the accuracy of H2 clearance for measuring skin blood flow has not been determined. Multiple blood flow measurements were performed using H2 clearance and radioactive microspheres on skin flaps and control skin in pigs. On 12 pigs, a total of 117 flap and 42 control skin measurements were available for analysis. There was no significant difference between the two techniques in measuring mean control skin blood flow. In skin flaps, H2 clearance was significantly correlated to microsphere-measured blood flow, but it consistently gave an overestimate. Sources of error may include injury to the tissues by insertion of electrodes, consumption of H2 by the electrodes, or diffusion of H2 from the relatively ischemic flap to its well-vascularized bed. Further studies are necessary to determine the cause of this error and to measure the technique's accuracy in skeletal muscle and other flaps.

Animals↗

PubMed1997

[Sclerotherapy section of incompetent short saphenous veins: indications, technique, results].

UNLABELLED: Sclerotherapy section of the long consists of a combination of ligations, with section and injection of the proximal and distal segment of the long saphenous vein. This technique is performed under local anesthesia 10 centimeters from the saphenofemoral junction and can be performed as an outpatient procedure. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Inclusion criteria are incompetent long saphenous vein diameter over 9 millimeters in older patients whose Duplex-scan examination eliminated other leaking points such as anterior or posterior tributaries or the junction, reflux coming from superficial iliac circonflex veins or from vulvo-pudendal varicose veins. Our study concerned 75 patients. 78 limbs were operated, 72 were reviewed after 1 year and 65 after 3 years. RESULTS: 66 of the 72 limbs (91.6%) had an incompressibility without flux or reflux at the sapheno-femoral junction level after 1 year and 59 of the 65 limbs (90.8%) after 3 years. Sclerosis with incompressibility without flux or reflux was observed in the lower third of the thigh in 51 of the 72 limbs (70.8%) after 1 year and in 40 of the 65 limbs (61.5%) after 3 years, without any clinically detectable underlying varicose recurrence. DISCUSSION: This technique is ambulatory and economic and ensures control of sapheno-femoral junction reflux. In the majority of reflux cases, the reflux observed in the lower third of the thigh is related to a Hunter perforanting vein that can feed an underlying varicose network. They were treated by ultrasound-guided ossifying injection. CONCLUSION: The indications for this technique are incompetence of the sapheno-femoral junction in older patients with trophic disorders, allowing effective treatment of the source of the reflux with rapid healing of underlying trophic disorders.

Adult↗

PubMed1994

Prevention of delayed ischaemic deficits after aneurysmal subarachnoid haemorrhage by intrathecal bolus injection of tissue plasminogen activator (rTPA). A prospective study.

Among a series of 224 patients with aneurysmal subarachnoid haemorrhage (SAH) admitted over a period of three years, 52 patients were prospectively treated with intrathecal tissue plasminogen activator (rTPA). All of these patients were admitted and operated on within 72 h after SAH. SAH was confirmed by CT scan and the volume of blood accumulated in the basal cisterns was graded according to Fisher's scale. All patients had a SAH according to Fisher's grade III, as a prerequisite for inclusion into the study. In 21 patients additional intraventricular bleeding was detectable on CT scan. The diagnosis of a single intracerebral aneurysm as the bleeding source was established by pan-angiography, which also excluded additional cerebro-vascular malformations. The control group consisted of 68 patients, which were also treated within 72 h after SAH. Age and sex distribution as well as the clinical patterns were comparable to the rTPA group. In all patients the aneurysm was clipped using standard microsurgical techniques. After the aneurysm had been excluded from the parent vessel, 10 mg of rTPA, dissolved in 10 ml of its solution fluid, were slowly instilled into the basal cisterns in the treatment group. In patients with additional severe intraventricular bleeding, 5-10 mg of rTPA were injected into the ventricles via an intraventricular catheter at the end of the operation. Apart from the intrathecal application of the thrombolytic substance, the surgical protocol was identical in the patients of the control group. During the postoperative period, the patients in both groups were examined neurologically and by transcranial Doppler on a daily basis.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adult↗

PubMed1995

Nasal messenger RNA expression of interleukins 2, 4, and 5 in patients with allergic rhinitis.

In nasal biopsies from 17 adult patients with seasonal allergic rhinitis and from 10 healthy controls, cytokines were analyzed by reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). The time-course study during winter included repeated local allergen provocation with subsequent nasal biopsies as well as biopsies taken during pollen season. The RT-PCR for CD44 yielded positive bands in 65 of 71 cases, in which cases mRNA for interleukins 2, 4, and 5 (IL-2, IL-4, and IL-5) were thus investigated by means of seminested PCR. IL-4 mRNA was found almost exclusively in the allergic patients. During provocation a significant increase in IL-4 was noticed compared with controls (p = 0.043). Equally, during the natural pollen season, IL-4 mRNA expression was significantly higher in patients not using nasal corticosteroids compared with those who did (p = 0.011). No differences in IL-2 or IL-5 were observed between the groups. These findings also indicate, together with earlier observations of T-cell activation, a phenotype switch toward T-helper 2 (Th2) cells, and the accumulation (homing) of these T cells in the nasal mucosa, that T cells constitute the main source for IL-4 in the nasal mucosa. Therefore, allergic patients have an increased synthesis of IL-4 when provoked with the allergen, and during natural pollen season this synthesis can be downregulated by corticosteroids. Furthermore, this study exemplifies the versatility of molecular biology in surgical pathology and that even low-copy-number cytokine mRNA can be examined in routinely snap-frozen surgical specimens.

Adult↗

PubMed1988

Fibrin glue: a review of its preparation, efficacy, and adverse effects as a topical hemostat.

Fibrin glue is composed of two separate solutions of fibrinogen and thrombin. When mixed together, these agents mimic the last stages of the clotting cascade to form a fibrin clot. Fibrin glue is available in Europe but is not commercially available in the U.S.; therefore, investigators have extemporaneously compounded their own fibrin glue. Fibrinogen can be obtained from pooled, single-donor, and autologous blood donors and is usually isolated by the process of cryoprecipitation. The thrombin component is generally derived from commercial bovine sources. Some investigators have added calcium chloride and/or antifibrinolytics (i.e., aminocaproic acid, aprotinin) to their preparations. Fibrin glue can be applied using a double-barrel syringe or by spray application. Although fibrin glue has been used in a variety of surgical procedures, it has been especially useful in heparinized patients undergoing cardiovascular procedures requiring extracorporeal circulation, as it does not require an intact hemostatic system to be effective. Fibrin glue also has been evaluated in presealing woven or knitted Dacron vascular grafts. The major drawback to its use is the risk of transmitted serological disease from pooled and single-donor blood donors. The safest preparations use the patient's own blood to prepare fibrin glue. Overall, fibrin glue is a useful adjunct to other methods to control bleeding in selected surgical patients.

Administration, Topical↗

PubMed2005

Guidelines for the performance of fusion procedures for degenerative disease of the lumbar spine. Part 12: pedicle screw fixation as an adjunct to posterolateral fusion for low-back pain.

This review focused on an examination of the literature on the surgical treatment of low-back pain in patients with DDD or low-grade degenerative spondylolisthesis treated with PLF, with or without the use of pedicle screw fixation. All Class I and the majority of Class II and Class III medical evidence on this topic indicates that the addition of pedicle screw fixation to PLF increases fusion success rates when assessed based on plain x-ray films with dynamic imaging. Although there does appear to be a positive relationship between radiographic fusion and clinical outcome, no convincing correlation has been demonstrated. Although several reports suggest that clinical outcomes are improved with the addition of pedicle screw fixation, there are conflicting findings from similarly classified evidence sources (primarily Class II and III). Furthermore, the largest contemporary randomized controlled study on this topic failed to demonstrate a significant beneficial effect for the use of pedicle screw fixation in patients treated with PLF for chronic low-back pain. This absence of proof should not, however, be interpreted as a proof of absence. For example, in this same study, patient satisfaction scores improved from approximately 60% to approximately 70% with the addition of pedicle screw fixation. This difference in outcome may be clinically relevant. Similarly, the improvement in ODI scores was 40% greater in the group of patients treated with pedicle screw fixation compared with those treated with PLF alone. If an analysis to determine the sample size necessary to ensure a power of 0.8 (or an 80% chance of detecting a significant effect) in a study in which the good outcome rate is 60% in the control group and 70% in the treatment group is performed, approximately 355 patients would be needed in each treatment group (http://department.obg.cuhk.edu.hk). Alternatively, if a similar analysis is performed using the differential scores obtained in the ODI measurements reported in the paper by Fritzell, et al., approximately 225 patients would be needed per treatment group (http://calculators.stat.ucla.edu/powercalc). Although Fritzell, et al., did not detect a significant benefit associated with the use of pedicle screw fixation as an adjunct to PLF, their sample size severely limited the power of their study to detect such a benefit. All studies reviewed suffer from similar lack of power. Therefore, no definitive statement regarding the efficacy of pedicle screw fixation as a means to improve functional outcomes in patients undergoing PLF for chronic low-back pain can be made. There appears to be consistent evidence suggesting that pedicle screw fixation increases the costs and complication rate of PLF. It is recommended, therefore, that the use of pedicle screw fixation as a supplement to PLF be reserved for those patients in whom there is an increased risk of nonunion when treated with PLF. High-risk patients include, but are not limited to patients who smoke, who are undergoing revision surgery, or who suffer systemic diseases known to be associated with poor bone healing.

Bone Screws↗