Correlations between preprocedure mood and clinical outcome in patients undergoing coronary angioplasty.

We studied the relationship between mood and mood shift immediately before percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) and 3 end points: total ischemic burden during PCI, adverse cardiac end points (ACE) after PCI, and death by 6-month follow up. Patients (n = 119) with unstable angina or myocardial infarction completed a visual analog scale (VAS) twice before PCI; before and after a session of stress relaxation, imagery, or touch; or approximately 30 minutes apart for patients assigned to prayer or to standard care. VAS included happiness, satisfaction, calm, hope, worry, shortness of breath, fear, and sadness.

Outcome after elective infrarenal aortic aneurysm surgery.

We conducted a prospective case series study to investigate the causes of and factors influencing morbidity and mortality in 102 consecutive patients after elective infrarenal abdominal aneurysm (AAA) surgery between 1992 and 1995. Preoperative factors (demographics, risk factor indexes, electrocardiographic findings, ejection fraction, and stress imaging scans were indicated) and intraoperative factors (duration of surgery, size of aneurysm, complications, units of blood transfused, and additional procedures performed) were recorded. Patients were admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) for at least 24 hours and followed for 30 days postoperatively.

Acute beriberi following liver transplantation.

Patients scheduled for orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT) undergo extensive routine preoperative cardiac assessment. We describe a 32-year-old male who underwent uneventful OLT for endstage liver failure on the basis of chronic hepatitis C and alcoholism. Despite a normal preoperative cardiac workup, the patient developed acute pulmonary edema on the second postoperative day.

Facilitation of mechanical ventilation in status asthmaticus with continuous intravenous thiopental.

Mechanical ventilation in status asthmaticus is associated with a significant mortality and morbidity. To facilitate intermittent positive pressure ventilation (IPPV), we have used continuous IV thiopental (thiopentone) together with traditional ventilatory techniques. With this policy, we were able to achieve rapid correction of arterial blood gas tensions in a group of 20 severe asthmatics requiring IPPV.

[Sudeck's bone atrophy after leg phlebography - a case study of an unusual complication (author's transl)].

In a 39-year old man, a painful oedema had formed at the back of the foot perimalleolary one day after paravasal contrast medium injection following ascending phlebography. 8 weeks later, the x-ray film showed a maculate Sudeck's bone atrophy in the region of the toes, ankles and the heel. Sudeck's bone atrophy had obviously developed on account of a specific vegetative reactivity, subsequent to the local inflammation.

[The surgically treated aortic valve defect in the pre- and postoperative x-ray].

Within a postoperative control study of 81 patients with aortic valvular disease 14 patients showed cardiomegaly. This might be caused by several reasons as insufficiency of valvular prosthesis, coronary disease, adipositas or wrong digitalis application. All patients with pulmonary congestion, except one, showed a complete removal of congestion, because the wide position of the vessels was not yet fixed.

[The value of xerotomography of the lung and mediastinum in routine diagnosis (author's transl)].

Using controlled case material (n = 55), the weighted value of xerotomography is compared with that of conventional film tomography for the examination of mediastinum and lung. The validity of information of both methods for the final diagnosis is compared. In the visualisation of bronchial units and vascular structures, xerotomography is slightly superior to tomography with silver halogenide films, due to high degree of sharpness of detail, great object range and amplification of the marginal areas.

[The radiographic appearances following correction of left-to-right shunts (author's transl)].

Amongst 22 patients with corrected left-to-right shunts, a diminution in heart size and reduction in central pulmonary arteries and pulmonary plethora was found in about half the patients. A good operative result can be expected, particularly in younger patients with less severe lesions, where the vessels had not been subjected to a high pressure for a long period. The failure of vessels to return to normal is assurmed to be due to changes in the vessel walls.

[Magnification technique in peripheral angiography (author's transl)].

Fourteen exactly similar conventional and magnified serial angiograms were compared and the advantages and disadvantages of magnification angiography are discussed. Particular attention was paid to exact comparability of the series in order to make the analysis valid. In three patients small end-vessels and collaterals were visible on the magnification angiogram which could not be seen on the ordinary series even in retrospect.

[Calcified fibroadenoma of the breast (author's transl)].

Demonstration of calciefied fibroadenomas of the breast of a seldom size. Short differential diagnosis between the mostly benign macrocalcifications and the typical microcalcifications in breast cancer.

[Fibrinolytic therapy in deep venous thrombosis of the upper and lower extremity].

Fibrinolytic therapy was carried out in 59 patients suffering from a total of 60 deep venous thromboses of the iliac segment (n = 24), the femoropopliteal segment (n = 18), the deep calf veins (n = 2), or the subclavian vein (n = 16). 46 patients received streptokinase (SK), 4 were given urokinase (UK), and 10 were treated with streptokinase followed by urokinase (SK + UK). The duration of fibrinolytic therapy was between 19 and 596 hours (x = 166 +/- 111 hrs).

[The value of xero-radiography of the breast following mammoplasty with silicone prostheses (author's transl)].

The well known advantages of xero-radiography make this particularly suitable for the evaluation of silicone prostheses which were implanted either after a subcutaneous mastectomy or during plastic surgery. Xero-radiography is valuable for demonstrating the soft tissues behind NaCl and Makrodex prostheses and is therefore particularly suitable when searching for tumours in these patients. In addition, it allows one to judge the cosmetic results, such as thickness and shape of the soft tissues, contours and wrinkling of the prostheses.

[Combined carotid and femoral angiography in arterial occlusive disease (author's transl)].

"Asymptomatic" carotid stenosis with a murmur is an indication for carotid angiography, particularly in patients with peripheral arterial occlusive disease. Carotid angiography in the neck, carried out in two planes, makes it possible to differentiate different types of stenosis. Plaques and ulcerating strictures are a source of micro-emboli.

[Experience with percutaneous embolization of renal tumours (author's transl)].

We have repeated first observations of various authors of blocking angiography in 8 patients with renal tumours. Comparing angiographic findings and the surgical specimens, the success of embolization could be assessed. Control angiography 2 months following an inoperable renal tumor showed shrinking of the tumour by about one half and improvement of the general condition of the patient.

[Late diagnosis of thrombosis of the pelvic, femoral or calf veins (author's transl)].

The time interval which elapses from the occurrence to the diagnosis of thrombosis of the pelvic, femoral or calf veins was investigated in a retrospective study. As could be shown from the histories of 66 patients with phlebographically documented localization and extent of the thrombosis, in 85% of the cases the correct diagnosis was only made past the 7th day following the presumptive beginning of the thrombotic process, i.e.

[Contra-lateral selective hip angiography (author's transl)].

A new method for the selective demonstration of the larger and smaller vessels which supply the hip is described. A curved catheter is introduced into the opposite femoral artery, it is advanced into the common iliac artery and a guide wire is then introduced into the femoral artery on the side to be examined. The catheter is withdrawn and a second, soft, catheter is introduced over the remaining guide into the femoral artery.