Craniosynostosis Treatment Using Distraction Devices.

Background: The authors report on surgical treatment for 20 patients with craniosynostosis in Japan in collaboration with neurosurgery department since 2007. They could safely expand the skull using distraction devices.

Methods: Total number of patients with craniosynostosis joint surgery was 20 (23 surgeries) at the time of this report.

The estimation of tissue loss during tangential hydrosurgical debridement.

The preservation of healthy tissue during surgical debridement is desirable as this may improve clinical outcomes. This study has estimated for the first time the amount of tissue lost during debridement using the VERSAJET system of tangential hydrosurgery. A multicenter, prospective case series was carried out on 47 patients with mixed wound types: 21 (45%) burns, 13 (28%) chronic wounds, and 13 (28%) acute wounds.

Effects of a dual endothelin-1 receptor antagonist on airway obstruction and acute lung injury in sheep following smoke inhalation and burn injury.

Studies have suggested that ET-1 (endothelin-1) is associated with lung injury, airway inflammation and increased vascular permeability. In the present study we have tested the hypothesis that treatment with a dual ET-1 receptor antagonist will decrease airway obstruction and improve pulmonary function in sheep with combined S+B (smoke inhalation and burn) injury. Twelve sheep received S+B injury using the following protocol: six sheep were treated with tezosentan, an ETA and ETB receptor antagonist, and six sheep received an equivalent volume of vehicle.

Airway obstruction in sheep with burn and smoke inhalation injuries.

The goals of this study were (i) to compare the degree and (ii) temporal changes in airway obstruction in sheep with pulmonary injury induced by smoke inhalation and/or burn; (iii) to qualitatively assess the cellular and mucous content of obstructive material; and (iv) to statistically assess a possible relationship between the degree of airway obstruction and pulmonary dysfunction. Using masked histologic slides, we estimated the degree of luminal obstruction in all cross-sectioned airways. The mean degree of bronchial, bronchiolar, and terminal bronchiolar obstruction was significantly greater in animals with smoke injury alone or combined smoke inhalation and burn (S+B) injury, compared with animals with burn injury alone or uninjured animals (P < 0.

P-selectin blockade fails to improve acute lung injury in sheep.

Accumulation of neutrophils in the lung contributes to the endothelial damage in the tissue associated with acute respiratory distress syndrome. This initial recruitment of neutrophils within the pulmonary microvasculature may involve P-selectin. Thus we hypothesized that an antibody against P-selectin would reduce pulmonary damage.

Role of anti-L-selectin antibody in burn and smoke inhalation injury in sheep.

We hypothesized that the antibody neutralization of L-selectin would decrease the pulmonary abnormalities characteristic of burn and smoke inhalation injury. Three groups of sheep (n = 18) were prepared and randomized: the LAM-(1-3) group (n = 6) was injected intravenously with 1 mg/kg of leukocyte adhesion molecule (LAM)-(1-3) (mouse monoclonal antibody against L-selectin) 1 h after the injury, the control group (n = 6) was not injured or treated, and the nontreatment group (n = 6) was injured but not treated. All animals were mechanically ventilated during the 48-h experimental period.

Heparin nebulization attenuates acute lung injury in sepsis following smoke inhalation in sheep.

Pseudomonas pneumonia is a common complication of smoke inhalation injury. Airway casts formed from clotted mucous occur frequently in this condition. A recent report shows that intravenous heparin improves oxygenation and reduces lung damage in a sheep model of smoke inhalation.