Full-thickness skin grafts and perichondrial cutaneous grafts following surgical removal of cutaneous neoplasms of the head and neck.

The objective of the study is to determine efficacy in terms of survival rate and cosmesis of "normal" full-thickness skin grafts (FTSGs) as compared to perichondrial cutaneous grafts (PCCGs) in facial reconstruction. A chart review of all facial reconstructions using FTSGs and PCCGs between 1995 and 2005 was undertaken. All patients were treated by the same surgeon.

The influence of a heat and moisture exchanger on tracheal climate in a cold environment.

Objective: The incidence of pulmonary complaints, severe tracheitis and lung function deterioration is increased during wintertime in laryngectomized individuals. We analyzed how a heat and moisture exchanger (HME) performs in cold and dry ambient circumstances, and how its efficiency in this environmental climate might be improved.

Study Design: Randomized crossover.

Assessment of tracheal temperature and humidity in laryngectomized individuals and the influence of a heat and moisture exchanger on tracheal climate.

Background: The beneficial function of heat and moisture exchangers (HMEs) is undisputed, but knowledge of their effects on intra-airway temperature and humidity is scarce. The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical applicability of a new airway climate explorer (ACE) and to assess the HME's influence on tracheal climate.

Methods: Intratracheal temperature and humidity were measured with and without HME in 10 laryngectomized patients.

Influence of heat and moisture exchanger respiratory load on transcutaneous oxygenation in laryngectomized individuals: a randomized crossover study.

Background: High-resistance heat and moisture exchangers (HMEs) have been reported to increase transcutaneous oxygenation (tcpO(2)) values in laryngectomized individuals and to negatively influence patient compliance. The goal of the present study was to validate earlier published results on short-term transcutaneous oxygenation changes by high-resistance HMEs.

Methods: We conducted a randomized crossover study, monitoring the influence of an HME on tcpO(2) over a 2-hour time interval in 20 subjects.

Role of magnesium in the reduction of ischemic depolarization and lesion volume after experimental subarachnoid hemorrhage.

Object: Ischemia-induced tissue depolarizations probably play an important role in the pathophysiology of cerebral ischemia caused by parent vessel occlusion. Their role in ischemia caused by subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) remains to be investigated. The authors determined whether ischemic depolarizations (IDs) or cortical spreading depressions (CSDs) occur after SAH, and how these relate to the extent of tissue injury measured on magnetic resonance (MR) images.