The Annals of thoracic surgery
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Removal of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) has been proposed as a means of protecting the spinal cord against ischemic injury during thoracoabdominal aneurysm operations. We investigated the effect of altering CSF pressure (CSFP) on lumbar spinal cord blood flow (SCBF) in an experiment using dogs. The SCBF was measured before and after withdrawal of CSF in settings with and without thoracic aortic clamping. ⋯ Elevation of CSFP significantly reduced SCBF. Elevation of CSFP reduces SCBF, but lowering CSFP per se does not increase SCBF whether the thoracic aorta is occluded or not. This supports the notion that removal of CSF offers spinal cord protection only when CSFP is abnormally elevated.
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Obliterative bronchiolitis is a major cause of long-term morbidity after lung transplantation. It is characterized by small-airway inflammation and occlusion by fibrous tissue. The pathogenesis is uncertain. ⋯ None of these changes were seen in group 1. Our findings suggest obliterative bronchiolitis is an immunologically mediated phenomenon related to chronic graft rejection after lung transplantation. This model will allow systematic study of the pathogenesis of obliterative bronchiolitis and possible therapeutic intervention.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study Clinical Trial
Effect of pulsatile flow during cardiopulmonary bypass on thyroid hormone metabolism.
Changes in thyroid hormone levels during and after cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) are well documented. However, little is known about the effects of pulsatile flow during CPB on thyroid hormone metabolism. To examine the effect of flow pattern, a prospective study was carried out using 30 patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting. ⋯ However, levels of T3 and free T3 during and after CPB showed a significant difference between the two groups, with a smaller decrease in patients in whom pulsatile flow was used during bypass (p < 0.05). Thyroxine, and thyroid-stimulating hormone free T4 values showed no difference between the two groups at any sampling time. These data provide support for the use of pulsatile flow during CPB to establish a more physiologic state and maintain better thyroid hormone metabolism.
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Median sternotomy has been the accepted approach for dealing with mediastinal tumors or bilateral pulmonary disease, but exposure to the lower lobes and to mediastinal tumors extensively involving a hemithorax is often limited. Based on the reported experience from double-lung transplantation, we explored the use of clamshell incisions for these difficult problems. From March 1991 to December 1993, we prospectively studied the utility of clamshell incisions in 90 patients for the following indications: bilateral pulmonary metastases (62 patients), primary lung carcinoma with mediastinal involvement (13 patients), primary tumors of the mediastinum (14 patients), and mesothelioma (1 patient). ⋯ There was one wound infection. There was no late sternal override and the cosmetic results were found to be excellent during a follow-up of 2 to 33 months. We conclude that clamshell incisions constitute an improved surgical approach for the management of bilateral pulmonary or combined pulmonary and mediastinal disease.
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Comparative Study
Pediatric and adult thoracic trauma: age-related impact on presentation and outcome.
To assess the impact of age on presentation and outcome, 2,415 cases involving blunt and penetrating thoracic trauma over an 8-year period were reviewed retrospectively from a single level I trauma center. Of the 2,073 patients alive on arrival, 79 were 12 years of age or less (children), 137 were 13 to 17 years of age (adolescent), 1,742 were 18 to 59 years of age (adults), and 115 were 60 years of age or more (elderly). Chi-square analysis was performed relative to presentation (blunt versus penetrating), need for thoracotomy, and hospital mortality. Although blunt thoracic trauma comprised 64/79 of children (81%) and 90/115 of the elderly (78%), penetrating thoracic trauma was more common for adolescents 79/137 (58%) and adults 1013/1742 (58%) (p < 0.05). There was no significant difference in need for thoracotomy among the four age groups after blunt thoracic trauma. For penetrating trauma, however, there was a significantly higher incidence of thoracotomy in children as compared with the other three age groups (p < 0.05). ⋯ (1) Blunt injuries comprised a greater proportion of thoracic trauma in children and the elderly. (2) In this series, children with penetrating thoracic trauma underwent thoracotomy more frequently. (3) Hospital mortality appeared to be increased for the elderly. (4) Analyses of pediatric thoracic trauma must separate children from adolescent age groups.