Open lung biopsy provides a higher and more specific diagnostic yield compared to broncho-alveolar lavage in immunocompromised patients. Fungal Study Group.

In order to examine the feasibility and safety of undertaking a larger prospective study to compare the diagnostic yield from concurrent open lung biopsy (OLB) and bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) in febrile neutropenic patients with pulmonary infiltrates and the impact of such knowledge on clinical outcome, a pilot exploratory study was performed. 13 immunocompromised patients (mainly with haematological malignancy or bone marrow transplantation recipients) were investigated. At least one diagnostic finding in 12 of 13 patients was provided by OLB compared to 4 of 13 patients by BAL.

Increased radiosensitivity and radioresistant DNA synthesis in cultured fibroblasts from patients with coronary atherosclerosis.

Cultured skin fibroblasts from five patients with atherosclerosis who underwent coronary artery bypass graft surgery were compared with those from one ataxia telangiectasia (AT) homozygote, three AT heterozygotes, and five healthy subjects to determine their sensitivity to gamma radiation as determined by a colony survival assay. Fibroblasts from four of these patients were also compared with those from two AT homozygotes, two AT heterozygotes, and three healthy subjects to determine postirradiation [3H]thymidine incorporation, indicating the levels of radioresistant DNA synthesis (RDS). On the basis of colony survival assay, after long-term irradiation (at low dose rate, ie, 0.

Peri-operative complications following surgical closure of atrial septal defect type II in 232 patients--a baseline study.

This study intends to provide a detailed overview of the types and rates of peri-operative complications after surgical correction of an isolated ASD II. The transvenous approach to the occlusion of atrial septal defects has yielded promising results during its first 5 years of clinical trials, but before it can be established as a routine measure, definite proof is needed to demonstrate that its rate of serious complications does at least not exceed that of the surgical closure. Between 1985 and 1992, 232 consecutive patients underwent surgical closure of a secundum atrial septal defect.