Augmented balloon-assisted maturation (aBAM) for nonmaturing dialysis arteriovenous fistula.

Purpose: The surgically placed dialysis arteriovenous fistula (AVF) is considered by the Kidney Disease Outcomes Quality Initiative (KDOQI)and the Fistula First Breakthrough Initiative to be the ideal choice for hemodialysis access. A significant number of newly placed AVFs either slowly or never adequately mature sufficiently to provide for adequate dialysis. The balloon-assisted maturation (BAM) procedure utilizes serial angioplasty to promote and accelerate AVF maturation.

Clinical assessment and arteriography for patients with penetrating extremity injuries: a review of 500 cases with the Veterans Affairs West Side Medical Center.

For patients suspected of having arterial injuries form penetrating trauma to the extremities, the decision to perform arteriography should be based on clinical criteria rather than "proximity" alone. In order to demonstrate the increased yield of arteriography resulting from appropriate patient selection, we reviewed the results of 500 arteriograms performed at the West Side Veterans Affairs Medical Center to exclude arterial injuries in symptomatic patients following penetrating trauma to their extremities. According to their clinical presentation, the patients were grouped into three different screening categories A, B, and C, which correspond respectively to "mild," "soft," and "hard" clinical signs and symptoms suggestive of arterial injury.

Head and neck: high field magnetic resonance imaging versus computed tomography.

A comparative review of head and neck lesions examined with both CT and MRI showed that the location and extent of lesions can be more precisely evaluated with MRI. MRI allows better differentiation of neurogenic tumors from other lesions. Vascular structures are easily visualized on MRI without intravenous contrast and can easily be differentiated from lymph nodes.