The Journal of thoracic and cardiovascular surgery
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J. Thorac. Cardiovasc. Surg. · Jun 2013
Extracorporeal life support in patients with severe trauma: an advanced treatment strategy for refractory clinical settings.
Major trauma is a leading cause of death, particularly among young patients. New strategies in management are needed to improve poor outcomes in cases of severe trauma. Extracorporeal life support (ECLS) has proven to be effective in acute cardiopulmonary failure of different causes, even when conventional therapies fail. We report our initial experience with ECLS as a rescue therapy in severely polytraumatized patients in a refractory clinical setting. This study identifies the pre-ECLS characteristics of patients to predict the appropriateness of ECLS treatment. ⋯ From our data, ECLS seems to be a valuable option to resuscitate patients with severe trauma when conventional therapies are insufficient. ECLS is safe, feasible, and effective in providing hemodynamic support and blood gas exchange.
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J. Thorac. Cardiovasc. Surg. · Jun 2013
Patterns of recurrent and persistent intestinal metaplasia after successful radiofrequency ablation of Barrett's esophagus.
Radiofrequency ablation can eradicate Barrett's esophagus successfully in the majority of cases. We sought to determine (1) how often intestinal metaplasia is detected during follow-up endoscopy after successful ablation and (2) patterns of persistent/recurrent intestinal metaplasia. ⋯ Recurrent/persistent intestinal metaplasia after successful radiofrequency ablation of Barrett's esophagus is relatively common. This finding has implications for the continued surveillance of patients who are ablated successfully.