Bratisl Med J
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Review Historical Article
Children in the focus of the attention of pediatricians and pediatric surgeons.
Children represent the future of humankind. They are the bridge to our immortality. They get the attention of everybody who wants to help and do something for them. ⋯ In the context of historic development of medicine, the author focuses her attention on the development of pediatric and surgical care of children with the emphasis given to the care of critically ill children suffering from inborn heart defects. The author uses the example of co-operation of pediatric cardiologists and cardiosurgeons as the base for her reflections of ethical principles, norms and attitudes to the implementation of modern surgical techniques in the treatment of newborn babies suffering from the syndrome of left-heart hypoplasia. The history of child-care in general and especially that dedicated to newborn babies suffering from inborn heart defects in Slovakia is associated with the personality of Professor Siman, a significant Slovak cardiosurgeon.
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In a prospective study we used acute normovolemic haemodilution (ANH) together with low CVP anaesthesia in order to avoid allogeneic blood transfusion during major liver surgery. ⋯ We have shown that the routine use of new surgical techniques and low CVP anaesthesia in combination with ANH enabled avoidance of allogeneic blood transfusion in all patients during surgery. (Tab. 3, Ref. 22).
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The authors analyse group of 77 patients with several injuries of the intraabdominal organs by polytrauma and intraabdominal continuing bleeding. The injuries were classified in compliance with the classification of the American Association for the Surgery of Trauma (AAST), 1994. At hemodynamically stable patients, the authors accept selective non-operative forms of treatment, however are aware of the risk of delaying the therapy of severe polytrauma. (Tab. 4, Fig. 2, Ref. 3.).
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We conducted a retrospective review of children undergoing surgery for coarctation of the aorta in our institution over the last ten years with the aim of evaluating overall patient survival as well as detecting factors affecting it. We tried to identify the risk factors for mortality. ⋯ A considerable improvement on patient survival following surgery for coarctation of the aorta was recorded over the last five years. This could be attributed to new measures in preoperative, operative and postoperative care for patients with aortic coarctation. (Tab. 4, Fig. 5, Ref. 8.).
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Pulmonary hypertension is a rare, treacherous disease affecting the lungs and heart. Elevated pulmonary artery pressure (above 2.67 kPa) and pathologically high pulmonary vascular resistance are characteristic for this disease. This disease is insidiously progressive and often leads to sudden death mainly in middle and younger middle ages. ⋯ Nowadays more and more reports about the successful application of intravenous prostacyclin for treatment of this disease appear in specialized literature. Epoprostenol (prostacyclin PGI2) represents a new, potent drug for the treatment of pulmonary hypertension. The objective of this paper is to introduce prostacyclin PGI2 to experts and demonstrate new possibilities, procedures, trends in treatment of pulmonary hypertension. (Tab. 1, Ref. 30.).