Intensive care medicine
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Intensive care medicine · Aug 1995
Case ReportsMagnetic resonance imaging of cerebral fat embolism: a case report.
Fat embolism syndrome (FES) is one of the most important causes of morbidity and mortality following multiple fractures. Neurological involvement (cerebral fat embolism) has been reported frequently. ⋯ MRI follow-up (1 and 3 months post-trauma) showed nearly complete resolution of the abnormal signal. MRI seems to be a useful diagnostic tool for detecting and quantifying lesions in fat embolism syndrome.
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The study was undertaken to determine if sepsis alters the pattern of vasomotion and reactive hyperaemia in the skin. ⋯ The laser Doppler flowmeter allows local rather than global haemodynamics to be studied. Abnormalities of skin blood flow control are found in sepsis, and this technique may prove useful to monitor the effects of treatment, especially if the use of laser Doppler flowmetry can be extended to other organs at risk of damage during sepsis such as gastro-intestinal mucosa.
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Changes of endothelial-related coagulation was studied in intensive care patients. ⋯ Besides plasmatic and platelet-related coagulation, endothelium-associated coagulation appears to be also important for maintenance of hemostasis. TM plasma concentrations were elevated in all our critically ill patients, particularly when sepsis was evident. This appears to be most likely due to endothelial membrane damage with increased release of membrane-bound TM into the circulating blood in these patients. The importance of the elevated plasma levels of circulating soluble TM on hemostasis in these patients is an ongoing debate and warrants further studies.