The Journal of thoracic and cardiovascular surgery
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J. Thorac. Cardiovasc. Surg. · Oct 1984
Late results after Starr-Edwards valve replacement in children.
Selection of types of prosthetic heart valves for children remains controversial. The case histories of 50 children surviving valve replacement with Starr-Edwards prostheses between 1963 and 1978 were reviewed to evaluate the long-term performance of mechanical valves. The 31 boys and 19 girls ranged from 6 months to 18 years in age (mean 10.4 years); 19 patients had had aortic valve replacement, 24 patients had had mitral valve replacement, and one patient had had both. ⋯ At 10 years postoperatively, 66% +/- 15% of patients who had had aortic valve replacement and 91% +/- 6% of those who had had systemic atrioventricular valve replacement were free of thromboembolism. The excellent long-term survival, absence of mechanical failure, and relatively low rate of thromboembolism with this prosthesis contrast with our experience with biological valves, in which 41% of children required reoperation in 5 years. Currently, mechanical valves, such as the Starr-Edwards prostheses, are our preferred valves for pediatric patients.
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J. Thorac. Cardiovasc. Surg. · Oct 1984
T-lymphocyte analysis in the early diagnosis of adult respiratory distress syndrome.
Adult respiratory distress syndrome occurs concomitantly with a number of clinical conditions but has no known cause. At present, there is no generally acceptable method for establishing the early diagnosis. In the course of studying immune aberrations by means of monoclonal antibody staining and fluorescence-activated cell sorting in injured patients, we noted an apparent specific T-lymphocyte response to this syndrome in one patient. ⋯ When the patient recovered, the helper/suppressor ratio rose to above 3.0. T-lymphocyte analysis offers a promising means of evaluating patients considered highly susceptible to adult respiratory distress syndrome, i.e., victims of massive trauma. Further studies will be required to fully elucidate this possibility.