Publications by authors named "L Stecken"
Objective: The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the survival and freedom from reinfection for patients with infected native aortic aneurysms (INAAs) treated with in situ revascularization (ISR), using either open surgical repair (OSR) or endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR), and to identify the predictors of outcome.
Methods: Patients with INAAs who had undergone ISR from January 2005 to December 2020 were included in the present retrospective single-center study. The diagnosis of INAAs required a combination of two or more of the following criteria: (1) clinical presentation, (2) laboratory results, (3) imaging findings, and (4) intraoperative findings.
Article Synopsis
- The study compares the effectiveness of white blood cell (WBC) scans and F-FDG PET/CT in diagnosing prosthetic vascular graft infections (PVGIs), highlighting that early diagnosis is crucial for improving treatment outcomes.
- A retrospective analysis of 39 patients, conducted at Bordeaux University Hospital, showed that 15 had PVGI, with the WBC scan demonstrating significantly greater accuracy than F-FDG PET/CT based on ROC curve analysis.
- The findings suggest that WBC scans are more reliable for PVGI diagnosis, as indicated by higher diagnostic value and better interobserver agreement, making it a preferred choice in clinical settings.
Objectives: The aim was to compare the antimicrobial efficacy of four different grafts: a standard graft (Intergard, IG), an IG graft soaked in rifampicin (IGrif), a silver impregnated graft (Intergard Silver, IGS), and a silver + triclosan impregnated graft (Intergard Synergy, IGSy).
Methods: This was a seven day in vitro study. The IG, IGrif, IGS, and IGSy grafts were each contaminated separately with the following microorganisms: Staphylococcus epidermidis, Methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), Escherichia coli, and Candida albicans from both clinical and American Type Culture Collection (ATCC) origins.
Article Synopsis
- The study evaluated diagnostic methods for vascular graft infections (VGIs), finding that conventional cultures can miss a significant number of infections.
- Researchers compared graft culture, sonicate fluid culture, and PCR methods on samples from grafts at a hospital in Bordeaux.
- They concluded that while none of the individual methods were superior, using both sonicate fluid culture and PCR together provided the most comprehensive diagnosis for VGIs.
Article Synopsis
- The study evaluated the effectiveness of a multidisciplinary clinical pathway for managing blunt chest trauma patients admitted to the emergency department.
- Patients with more than three rib fractures were compared before and after implementing this care protocol, focusing on pain management as the primary outcome.
- Results showed improved pain control and increased ICU admissions post-implementation, but no reduction in respiratory complications or hospital stay length.