An intraoperative case of spontaneous restoration of circulation from asystole: a case of lazarus phenomenon.

This case report refers to a victim of intraoperative cardiac arrest, who restored spontaneous circulation despite of cessation of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). The victim, a 53-year-old man, was undergoing a surgical investigation and rehabilitation of a thigh hematoma. Two minutes after discontinuation of a 46 min CPR, a normotensive sinus node rhythm appeared at monitor.

Cardiopulmonary resuscitation: a historical perspective leading up to the end of the 19th century.

Social laws and religious beliefs throughout history underscore the leaps and bounds that the science of resuscitation has achieved from ancient times until today. The effort to resuscitate victims goes back to ancient history, where death was considered a special form of sleep or an act of God. Biblical accounts of resuscitation attempts are numerous.

Anatomic variations of the cardiac valves and papillary muscles of the right heart.

This article reviews the right atrioventricular and pulmonary valves, along with their anatomic variations as well as the papillary muscles and chordae tendineae of the right ventricle of the human heart. A brief anatomical background is given for every structure, as well as a gross review of their embryological basis. Although the normal morphology of the right atrioventricular valve is tricuspid, this is not always the case; its anatomic variations involve, firstly, the number of cusps and accessory leaflets.

The continuation of bevacizumab following disease progression in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer offers a survival benefit.

Background/aims: There is little information in the literature on the use of bevacizumab (BV) combination chemotherapy in multiple lines with regimens including irinotecan and oxaliplatin, in metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) patients with disease progression. The aim of this small retrospective institutional study is to compare the efficacy and safety of the continuation of BV in combination with various chemotherapeutic agents, within the framework of multiple line therapy in progressed mCRC patients.

Methodology: Our retrospective study included 21 patients with mCRC that had received at least one course of irinotecan-based or oxaliplatin-based chemotherapy with BV before disease progression.

Nursing role in monitoring during cardiopulmonary resuscitation and in the peri-arrest period: a review.

Objective: The study objective was to present a comprehensive literature review on the monitoring of patients with cardiac arrest (CA) and the nursing contribution in this crucial situation. Monitoring techniques during cardiopulmonary resuscitation and in the peri-arrest period (just before or after CA) are included.

Methods: Approaches used to access the research studies included a comprehensive search in relevant electronic databases (Medline, CINAHL, EMBASE, Cochrane Review, British Nursing Index) using relevant keywords (eg, cardiac arrest, resuscitation, monitoring, nurse, survival, outcome).

Pancreatitis of the gastroduodenal groove: a case report.

Groove pancreatitis, a form of chronic pancreatitis affecting the head of the pancreas, is localized within the groove between the pancreas head, duodenum, and common bile duct. We report a case of a male patient with groove pancreatitis who initially underwent a duodenal preserving gastrenteranastomosis. Unfortunately, the patient's symptoms were only partially controlled, necessitating a pancreaticoduodenectomy in due course as the definite surgical restoration procedure.

Breast cancer: from the earliest times through to the end of the 20th century.

Breast cancer is a daunting disease and constitutes a continuing medical health problem through the ages for millions of women worldwide. Physicians, from the early periods of recorded history have tried to heal breast cancer patients, with results that were fairly promising at times and disappointing at others. The science of medicine evolved through the ages under the careful scrutiny and critical thought of the many prominent scholars and researchers of their times who constantly added to the therapeutic armamentarium.

A formula for the stratified selection of patients with paroxysmal atrial fibrillation in the emergency setting: a retrospective pilot study.

Background: Amiodarone is a commonly used medication in the treatment of atrial fibrillation (AF) of recent onset.

Study Objectives: The aim of the study was to identify a possible formula for selecting Emergency Department (ED) patients with paroxysmal AF who will spontaneously restore sinus rhythm (SR), successfully restore SR with the use of loading intravenous (i.v.

Nurses are more efficient than doctors in teaching basic life support and automated external defibrillator in nurses.

Background: Cardiac arrest (CA) is a leading cause of death worldwide. The European Resuscitation Council (ERC) has developed basic life support/automated external defibrillation (BLS/AED) courses for uniform training in out-of-hospital CA.

Objective: The present study compares the resuscitation skills of two groups of nursing staff, one taught by newly trained ERC nurse-instructors and the other by newly trained doctor-instructors.

Small-cell lung cancer: an unusual therapeutic approach with more than 10-year overall survival. Case report and review of the literature.

Small-cell lung cancer is the most aggressive lung cancer, with a dismal prognosis. The authors present a case report of a patient with limited-stage small-cell lung cancer who underwent a thoracotomy for diagnostic purposes, with the diagnosis being made after surgical excision. Combination chemotherapy remains the cornerstone of treatment for both limited and extensive disease.

Heart and tumors: location, metastasis, clinical manifestations, diagnostic approaches and therapeutic considerations.

Cardiac neoplasms, whether primary or secondary, are more and more easily diagnosed in the present era. For the primary heart tumors, myxomas and sarcomas constitute the most common neoplasms, whereas for the secondary ones, lung cancer constitutes the most common primary location. Cardiac neoplasms may involve the endocardium, the myocardium, the epicardium, the valves or any combination of these.

A prognostic index for the successful use of adenosine in patients with paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia in emergency settings: a retrospective study.

Study Objectives: The use of adenosine on failure of vagal maneuvers in patients with paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia (PSVT) is recommended. The aim of the present study was to identify a possible prognostic index for the efficacy of adenosine in PSVT.

Methods: This retrospective study included 321 patients with PSVT, in whom vagal maneuvers failed to restore normal sinus rhythm and who received 6 mg adenosine, followed by 12 mg adenosine (repeated if necessary).

Reviewing myocardial silent ischemia: specific patient subgroups.

Silent myocardial ischemia (SMI) is a relatively common, yet poorly understood, clinical entity. The most accurate means of detecting SMI and the precise treatment endpoints remain unclear. However, the presence of SMI correlates with the likelihood of future adverse cardiac events.

Biochemical markers (NSE, S-100, IL-8) as predictors of neurological outcome in patients after cardiac arrest and return of spontaneous circulation.

Predicting the neurological outcome after resuscitation and a return of spontaneous circulation of resuscitated patients still remains a difficult issue. Over the past decade numerous studies have been elaborated to provide the physician with tools to assess as early as possible the neurological outcome of patients with cardiac arrest and return of spontaneous circulation and to decide about further therapeutic management. We summarise the most important ones, giving special focus to three biochemical markers (neuron specific enolase, a protein soluble in 100% ammonium sulfate and interleukin-8), which, when combined with standard neuro-functional and imaging techniques, can serve as potent predictors of neurological outcome in these patients.

Resuscitation outcomes comparing year 2000 with year 2005 ALS guidelines in a pig model of cardiac arrest.

Background: Ventricular fibrillation remains the leading cause of death in western societies. International organizations publish guidelines to follow in case of cardiac arrest. The aim of the present study is to assess whether the newly published guidelines record similar resuscitation success with the 2000 Advanced Life Support Guidelines on Resuscitation in a swine model of cardiac arrest.

Mechanical behavior of colonic anastomosis in experimental settings as a measure of wound repair and tissue integrity.

Aim: To determine the mechanical properties of anastomotic colonic tissue in experimental settings and therefore give a measure of wound healing.

Methods: Thirty-six male Wistar rats were used as experimental models of anastomotic tissue integrity. On the 5th post-operative day, the tensile strength was measured by application of an axial force, providing a quantitative measure of anastomotic dehiscence and leakage.

A concomitant review of the effects of diabetes mellitus and hypothyroidism in wound healing.

This paper reviews the negative impact of diabetes mellitus or hypothyroidism on wound healing, both in experimental and clinical settings. Since both are metabolic disorders of great clinical importance, special attention is given, not only to their pathophysiology, but also to their biochemical and histological effects on tissue integrity and regeneration. Also, special focus is awarded on wound healing of the gastrointestinal tract, i.