Seven-and-a-half years clinical experience with the CarboMedics prosthetic heart valve.

Seven and a half year clinical experience with the CarboMedics prosthetic heart valve is presented. A total of 287 valves were inserted in 277 patients. The first 132 patients were followed in a prospective, and the remaining 145 patients in a partly prospective and partly retrospective manner.

The role of N-acetylcystein administration on the oxidative response of neutrophils during cardiopulmonary bypass.

The role of N-acetylcystein (NAC) administration on the oxidative response of neutrophils during cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) was evaluated in a double-blind study. Twenty-four adult patients undergoing coronary artery bypass were included in the study. Twelve patients received NAC as a bolus of 100 mg/kg followed by a continuous infusion of 20 mg/kg/h in the bypass circuit from the beginning to the end of bypass.

A simple method of preparation of autologous fibrin glue by means of ethanol.

We describe herein a new system for the preparation of autologous fibrin glue by means of ethanol. The system produces a good yield of fibrin glue with a high concentration of fibrinogen in a short period of time, making the glue an efficient hemostatic agent and surgical sealant, and autologous fibrin glue has the obvious advantages of safety from transmission of viral agents and from immunologic reactions.

[Autologous fibrin glue--preparation and clinical use].

Fibrin tissue adhesive is a tissue adhesive in which the two components are fibrinogen concentrate and a thrombin solution, respectively. In autologous fibrin tissue adhesive, the fibrinogen is prepared from the patient's own blood in contrast to the fibrin adhesive available commercially where the fibrinogen is prepared from pooled donor plasma. In 42 heart and lung operations, autologous fibrin tissue adhesive prepared by a new method was employed in which the fibrinogen is separated from the patient's own plasma by precipitation with ethanol.