Simplified method for candidate selection for radial artery harvesting.

With the renewed interest in the use of autogenous radial arteries in coronary artery bypass grafting, concerns regarding vascular compromise and selection of patients have arisen. In this report, we describe a modification of Allen's test.

Portal film enhancement: technique and clinical utility.

We report on the results a 3-year project which had as its goal the development of methods to enhance radiation portal films to improve their readability. We had previously reported on a portal film enhancement technique, contrast limited adaptive histogram equalization, which could enhance low contrast detail, but degraded sharply contrasted edges. A new method, unsharp masking followed by contrast limited adaptive histogram equalization, now appears to overcome this problem.

Pollution of Florida's rivers.

Pollution of Florida's waterways is a serious problem. Sources of pollution include sewage, storm water runoff, faulty septic tanks, improperly constructed landfills, and obstruction by causeway bridges. Some of the major causes and solutions are discussed.

Surgery for angina pectoris--historical aspects.

The history of surgery for ischemic heart disease is presented beginning with procedures to ablate nerves to the heart in the early part of this century. The evolution of surgical techniques to primary coronary artery bypass grafting is illustrated. Included are subtotal thyroidectomy, pedicle grafting of muscle, omentum, lung, stomach, and jejunum to the pericardium and heart, cardiopericardiopexy, ligation of the great cardiac vein, grafting from aorta to coronary sinus, implantation of arteries into the myocardium, coronary artery bypass grafting, and percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty.

Effect of homo poly(L-amino acids) on fibrin assembly: role of charge and molecular weight.

Positively charged molecules such as protamine, leukocyte cationic protein, and the carboxyl terminus of platelet factor 4 have been shown to increase fibrin fiber thickness. Synthetic homo poly(L-amino acids) were used to explore the role of charge and molecular weight of cationic molecules on fibrin assembly. The effects of poly(L-lysine) (PLL), poly(L-glutamic acid) (PLG), poly(L-aspartic acid) (PLA), poly(L-histidine) (PLH), and poly(L-arginine) (PLArg) on the assembly and structure of fibrin gels were studied by using light-scattering techniques.

Overview of inhibitors to factor VIII and IX.

The studies related to inhibitors of factor VIII and IX have clearly shown that these inhibitors are antibodies whether they arise in hemophiliacs lacking one of the factors or in patients with diseases associated with altered immune functions. Some of the most interesting data relates to the etiology of these inhibitors. If inhibitors are more likely to arise in CRM- hemophilia patients and if inhibitor development is familial, is it possible to define beforehand which patients are likely to develop inhibitors? If a subpopulation of patients at risk for inhibitor development could be identified, how would one prevent the event from occurring? Should these patients receive immunosuppressive agents prior to infusion of the missing factor? What is the relationship between the actual gene defect and inhibitor development? Is the prevalence of inhibitors in hemophilia B less common and if so are severely affected hemophilia A patients more likely to exhibit gross gene defects? Are there relationships between gene defect and immune response genes? Other major questions involve therapy.

Prosthetic replacement for the thoracic vena cava: an experimental study.

The superior vena cava (SVC) and thoracic inferior vena cava (IVC) were replaced in 46 dogs with autologous vein, knitted Dacron, glutaraldehyde-fixed porcine pericardium, unsupported polytetrafluorethylene (PTFE), and externally stented PTFE. After 30 days, patency rates were determined by contrast venography and were 100%, 9%, 50%, 75%, and 100%, respectively. The patency rates of Dacron and glutaraldehyde-fixed pericardium are considered unacceptable when compared to autologous vein (p less than 0.

Carcinoma of the lung: a clinical review.

Records of 702 patients with carcinoma of the lung seen from 1960 through 1970 were reviewed. The efficacy of various diagnostic and therapeutic procedures was assessed. Salient findings were as follows: Biopsy of nonpalpable ipsilateral supraclavicular lymph nodes was positive for carcinoma in 63 of 286 patients (22%).

Transpleural resection of the first rib for repair of subclavian artery injury.

A technique is described for obtaining exposure of all three parts of the injured subclavian artery through a standard posterolateral thoracotomy and transpleural subperiosteal excision of the first rib. This technique should be considered for repairing injuries of the subclavian artery, especially when the injury is discovered at emergency thoracotomy done because of bleeding.

Tuberculous peritonitis.

The records of 40 patients with tuberculous peritonitis treated at Charity Hospitals in Louisiana were reviewed. Thirty-nine patients were Negroes and 24, males. The average age was 36.

Rapid anesthesia induction in combat casualties with full stomachs.

A series of 50 combat-injured patients given crash intubation for rapid induction of anesthesia is presented. The technic consisted of injection of 3 mg of d-tubocurarine and 0.4 mg of atropine IV, preoxygenation by face mask for 3 minutes, and then injection of sodium thiopental or ketamine, followed immediately by 60 to 80 mg of succinylcholine IV.