Incidence of associated events during the performance of invasive procedures in healthy human volunteers.
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Metabolic investigations often utilize arteriovenous sampling and muscle biopsy. These investigations represent some risk to the subject. We examined 369 studies performed in the General Clinical Research Center between January 1994 and May 2003 for events related to femoral catheterization and muscle biopsies. Incidents were further examined by age (younger: 18-59 yr, n=133; and older: 60-76 yr, n=28). There were no clinically defined major complications associated with either procedure. The incidence of femoral catheter repositioning or reinsertion was higher in the older group (25.5 vs. 9.7%). There was no difference in the incidence of premature removal of catheters, ecchymosis or hematoma, or the persistence of pain after discharge. The occurrence of all incidents did not increase with multiple catheterizations. Muscle biopsy was associated with infrequent ecchymosis or hematoma in both groups (1.1 and 3.6% in younger and older groups, respectively). Both procedures entail a small likelihood of a vagallike response (3.3% overall), resulting in nausea, dizziness, and rarely a loss of consciousness. These results indicate that, in skilled hands and a defined clinical setting, the incidents associated with femoral catheterization and muscle biopsy in healthy volunteers are reasonable and largely controllable. (+info)
Giant cell arteritis presenting as peri-orbital ecchymosis.
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Neuro-ophthalmic manifestations are common in giant cell arteritis (GCA) and sometimes may be the only presenting feature. Clinicians should be aware of typical and atypical features of GCA in order to intervene in time before permanent damage occurs. (+info)
Seat-belt injuries in children involved in motor vehicle crashes.
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BACKGROUND: The efficacy of seat belts in reducing deaths from motor vehicle crashes is well documented. A unique association of injuries has emerged in adults and children with the use of seat belts. The "seat-belt syndrome" refers to the spectrum of injuries associated with lap-belt restraints, particularly flexion-distraction injuries to the spine (Chance fractures). METHODS: We describe the injuries sustained by 8 children, including 2 sets of twins, in 3 different motor vehicle crashes. RESULTS: All children were rear seat passengers wearing lap or 3-point restraints. All had abdominal lap-belt ecchymosis and multiple abdominal injuries due to the common mechanism of seat-belt compression with hyperflexion and distraction during deceleration. Five of the children had lumbar spine fractures and 4 remained permanently paraplegic. CONCLUSIONS: These incidents illustrate the need for acute awareness of the complete spectrum of intra-abdominal and spinal injuries in restrained pediatric passengers in motor vehicle crashes and for rear seat restraints that include shoulder belts with the ability to adjust them to fit smaller passengers, including older children. (+info)
Cullen's sign and massive ovarian enlargement secondary to primary hypothyroidism in a patient with a normal FSH receptor.
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Ovarian hyperstimulation is a recognised complication of longstanding hypothyroidism. A 12 year old girl with atrophic thyroiditis who presented with abdominal pain and distension is reported. She was noted to have bruising in the vicinity of the umbilicus (Cullen's sign). She had pronounced ovarian enlargement on ultrasonography and it was hypothesised that this profound phenotype might reflect an abnormal FSH receptor. However sequencing of the FSH receptor was normal. The ovarian enlargement resolved with thyroxine replacement. Physicians and surgeons should consider longstanding hypothyroidism in patients presenting with Cullen's sign. (+info)
Clinical and histopathological examination of experimental bite marks in-vivo.
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Under rigorously controlled laboratory conditions, mechanically induced simulated human bite marks were made on pig skin to enable the clinical and histopatholgical study of experimental bite marks in-vivo. A series of bite marks were created on the abdomen and thorax of live anaesthetized juvenile pigs at specific times just prior to and after death. Following the release of the biting force clinical observations of antemortem wounds revealed slow diminishment of the bite indentations presumably due to dermal elastic recovery. Minutes after euthanasia of the animals, the indentations of the teeth from the postmortem bite marks faded rapidly. After the biting process the animals were placed on either the right or left side and this side was maintained until necropsy to examine for dependant and non-dependent side differences. All bite mark injuries located on the non-dependent side revealed specific pattern characteristics. However, on the dependent side whether the bite mark was antemortem or postmortem in areas of livor mortis, no clear pattern was visible. Histologically, the observations for each bite mark specimen were categorised by the presence or absence of extravasated red blood cells in the fatty or muscle layers. The histopathological findings correlate with the clinical observations of antemortem and postmortem bite marks located on the non-dependent side in regard to muscular erythema and extravasated red blood cells. It is clinically difficult to comment on temporal relationship of a bite mark in relation to time of death in areas affected by blood-pooling seen on the dependent side. In these situations, histopathological studies could be a reliable alternative to provide information regarding antemortem or postmortem injuries. (+info)
Clinics in diagnostic imaging (114). Rupture of the right testis.
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A 22-year-old man, who was kicked in the scrotum during Thai kickboxing, presented with a painful swelling of the right hemiscrotum. Scrotal ultrasonography (US) showed an enlarged right testis with heterogeneous echogenicity and irregular contours. Colour Doppler US showed vascularity in the upper pole of the right testis and avascularity in the lower pole. Emergency exploration of the right hemiscrotum revealed laceration of the lower pole of the right testis. Debridement and repair of the right testis were performed. The clinical manifestations, role of US and US findings of scrotal trauma are discussed. (+info)
Endovenous 980-nm laser treatment of saphenous veins in a series of 500 patients.
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BACKGROUND: In recent years, endovenous laser treatment (ELT) has been proposed to treat incompetent great saphenous veins (GSV). This study reports the long-term outcome of ELT in a series of 500 patients. METHODS: Incompetent GSV segments in 500 patients (436 women, 64 men) with a mean age of 52.6 years (range, 19 to 83 years) were treated with intraluminal ELT using a 980-nm diode laser (Pharaon, Osyris, France). The GSV diameter was measured by Duplex examination in an upright position in different GSV segments (1.5 cm below the saphenofemoral junction, crural segment, condylar segment, and sural segment). These measurements were used to determine the optimal linear endovenous energy density (LEED) for each segment. During treatment, patients were maintained in the Trendelenburg position. Patients were evaluated clinically and by duplex scanning at 1 and 8 days, 1 and 6 months, and at 1, 2, 3, and 4 years to assess treatment efficacy and adverse reactions. RESULTS: A total of 511 GSVs were treated. The mean diameter was 7.5 mm (range, 2.4 to 15.0). The LEED was tuned as a function of the initial GSV diameter measured in the orthostatic position, from 50 J/cm (3 mm) up to 120 J/cm (15 mm). At the 1-week follow-up, 9.3% of the patients reported moderate pain. In the immediate postoperative period, the closure rate was 98.0% and remained constant during the 4-year follow-up to reach 97.1%. After 1 year, a complete disappearance of the GSV or minimal residual fibrous cord was noted. Major complications have not been detected; in particular, no deep venous thrombosis. Ecchymoses were seen in 60%, transitory paresthesia was observed in 7%. There was no dyschromia, superficial burns, thrombophlebitis, or palpable indurations. Complementary phlebectomy was done in 98% of patients. Failures occurred only in large veins (saphenofemoral junction diameter >1.1 cm or for GSV truncular diameter >0.8 cm) CONCLUSION: ELT of the incompetent GSV with a 980-nm diode laser appears to be an extremely safe technique, particularly when the energy applied is calculated as a function of the GSV diameter. It is associated with only minor effects. Currently, ELT has become the method of choice for treating superficial veins and has almost replaced the treatment of traditional ligation and stripping. (+info)
Risk factors for severe hyperbilirubinemia among infants with borderline bilirubin levels: a nested case-control study.
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