Oat cell carcinoma presenting as a pseudoaneurysm.

A man thought to have a dissecting aortic aneurysm was found to have an oat cell carcinoma encasing the thoracic aorta and great vessels. This is the first reported association of pseudoaneurysm with an oat cell carcinoma and is only the third case of a tumor presenting as a pseudoaneurysm. False-positive or false-negative results of aortography, echocardiography, and thoracic CT scanning point out the shortcomings of modern, sophisticated laboratory and radiographic procedures.

A micromethod for clotting tests and coagulation factor assays.

A simple microtechnique for carrying out partial thromboplastin time with kaolin tests with 2 microliter or less of test plasma is described. For single stage factor assays, less than 1 microliter of test solution may be used. Reagents and test plasma are loaded in sequence into a 10 microliter, long needle syringe and introduced into a micro test-tube immobilized in a water bath.

Optoacoustic detection using Stark modulation.

Stark modulation of the absorbed laser radiation in an optoacoustic detector (or spectrophone) is reported. Measurements were made over a range of total pressure between 760 Torr and 50 Torr. Greatly enhanced molecular discrimination is suggested due to the tuning ability of the Stark-shifted absorption.

Red cell stroma, a stable standard for assessment of platelet procoagulant release.

Platelet function in vitro may be investigated in various ways. One of the accepted methods involves examination of platelet procoagulant release. Optimal conditions relating to maximal release have not been defined.

An improved procedure for accurate assays of factor VIII.

An improved one-stage method for accurate assays of factor VIII combines highly reproducible end points with elimination of temporal drift and of subjective factors involved in graphic analysis. Activated deficient plasma substrate (ADPS) is used as a single reagent for parallel tests. The assays can be performed manually or, with much greater precision, on an 8-channel coagulation meter of new design in which end points are recorded automatically and depend on an abrupt clearing of agitated cloudy suspensions.

omega-Oxidation of fatty acids and the acetylation p-aminobenzoic acid.

p-Aminobenzoic acid was fed to normal and alloxan-induced diabetic rats injected with [omega-14C]labeled and [2-14C]labeled fatty acids. The p-acetamidobenzoic acid that was excreted was hydrolyzed to yield acetate which was degraded. The distribution of 14C in the acetates formed when an [omega-14C]labeled fatty acid was injected was similar to that when a [2-14C]labeled fatty acid was injected.

Hypothermia, a grave prognostic sign in hepatic coma.

Hypothermia is a grave prognostic finding in hepatic coma. Occasionally, it is found in patients whose conditions are stabilized clinically or are improving. When hypothermia occurs, the patients usually die within 24 to 48 hours.

Preparation of stable intermediate-purity factor VIII concentrate with a note on high-purity factor VIII.

Cryoprecipitate prepared by a rapid thawing technique was pooled in batches of 600--720 donor units and washed with ice-cold Tris-citrate-NaCl solution. After dissolving at 37 degrees C, it was adsorbed with Al(OH)3 and kaolin, and cleared by centrifugation. The supernatant, diluted with 5% dextrose was passed repeatedly through a bed of Celite, filtered through a 293 mm X 0.

Relationships among ventricular arrhythmias, coronary artery disease, and angiographic and electrocardiographic indicators of myocardial fibrosis.

This study was performed to determine the relationships among angiographic, hemodynamic, clinical, and electrocardiographic data and premature ventricular contractions (PVCs). Arrhythmias were analyzed by 24 hour Holter monitor in 244 patients evaluated for chest pain by coronary angiography and left ventriculography. Using a categorical linear model, the presence of myocardial fibrosis as indicated by both abnormal left ventricular contraction (LVC) and abnormal initial QRS on electrocardiogram was found to be the only independent predictor of both frequent and complex ventricular arrhythmias (P less than .

The role of the exercise test in the evaluation of patients for ischemic heart disease.

A cohort of 1472 patients who underwent both exercise stress testing and coronary angiography within six weeks was examined. The data indicated that a combination of exercise parameters is both diagnostically and prognostically important. Almost all patients (greater than 97%) who had positive exercise tests at Stage I or Stage II had significant coronary artery disease.

The role of the child psychiatrist in peer review.

The author describes his role as the only child psychiatrist member of a psychiatric peer review committee in a medical care foundation. In addition to working with hist colleagues on general review and health-policy matters, he also handled issues related to the special needs of children and helped to get third-party benefit packages altered to better suit the treatment needs of children. He offers recommendations to those interested in joining a peer review committee and emphasizes the need for child psychiatrists to work together not only with general psychiatrists but also with pediatricians, psychologists, and social workers to see that high-quality care is available and provided.

Palindromic rheumatism: an allergic manifestation?

A case of palindromic rheumatism is presented in which the arthritic attacks usually were accompanied by an allergic vasculitis and dermatitis. Although this is not proof of the etiology, the constant association is suggestive of an allergic cause. A brief review of palindromic rheumatism in included.

[Group psychotherapy. Operative groups at the Instituto del servico de seguridad Social de los Trabajadores del Estado (ISSSTE)].

An operational group is defined; how operational groups theory was applied at an ISSSTE clinic is described. It is underlined how operational groups promote change around the corerstone of a "task". The vicissitudes of an operational group with four psychiatrists who worked in community psychiatry at the ISSSTE, are described.

Does coronary surgery prolong life in comparison with medical management?

This analysis attempts to utilize natural history controls to answer the question as to whether coronary surgery prolongs life in comparison to medical management. Selected natural history studies are compared and contrasted in an effort to obtain an average survival curve for patients with coronary artery disease comparable to those presently being operated. The Duke University Medical Center series of concurrent operated and non-operated patients is reviewed to demonstrate the difference of prognosis of patients with coronary artery disease and the complexities involved in answering the question.

Water vapor absorption of carbon dioxide laser radiation.

An optoacoustic detector or spectrophone has been used to perform detailed measurements of the absorptivity of mixtures of water vapor in air. A C(12) O(2)(16) laser was used as the source, and measurements were made. at forty-nine different wavelengths from 9.