A randomized controlled trial of selective planned delivery.

A prospective randomized controlled trial designed to investigate selective planned delivery is reported: 264 obstetrically normal women in the 38th week of pregnancy were admitted to this trial and 184 completed it. The infants of mothers in the planned delivery group had higher serum bilirubin levels on the fifth day post partum than control infants but no baby required treatment for hyperbilirubinaemia. Mothers in the planned delivery group required significantly greater amounts of pethidine while control mothers had a significantly higher incidence of meconium staining of the amniotic fluid.

Traumatic aneurysm of the intrathoracic left carotid artery with cerebral embolization.

The presentation and management of a young male patient with a traumatic aneurysm of the intrathoracic portion of the left common carotid artery from a football injury, complicated by cerebral embolization, is detailed. At operation 6 weeks afterward the aneurysm was isolated and ligated and the patient was discharged 19 days postoperation with plans for physical and speech rehabilitation. At 14 months a chronic subdural hematoma which caused some seizures was removed, and the patient's neurologic status is continuing to improve.

Fibrodysplasia with dissecting aneurysm of the hepatic artery.

The presentation and management of a patient with a symptomatic hepatic artery aneurysm is detailed. The aneurysm occurred secondary to fibromuscular hyperplasia of the hepatic artery and was associated with a limited area of dissection. This patient represents the second reported case of this type of aneurysm of the hepatic artery,

The use of monofilament suture in vascular surgery.

The blood lost through the suture line holes of vessels closed with braided polyester sutures is compared with that lost when a monofilament polypropylene suture is employed. In a retrospective analysis of blood replacement during saphenous vein aortorenal bypasses, twice as much blood replacement was required when the braided polyester suture was used. Further, ten dogs had one femoral artery reanastomosed with braided polyester suture and the other with monofilament polypropylene.

Operative arteriography. A new variation.

A technique of intraoperative arteriography for evaluating the technical construction of femoral popliteal bypass involves dierect injection of contrast material into the vein graft after construction of the distal anastomosis. This allows full assessment of the anastomosis and of graft position prior to transection of the graft or proximal femoral arteriotomy.

Hepatic resection and gastric secretion.

These experiments serve to deny the theory that abnormal liver function in the remaining liver tissue after 60-70 per cent hepatic resection might result in gastric acid hypersecretion as a result of a "physiologic shunting" of histamine or other gastric secretagogues.

Selective planned induction in conditions of civil strife.

Selective planned induction may be defined as the initiation of labour by artificial means for reasons not strictly medical. Where the indications are merely social or for conveniencewhether patient's, hospital's, or doctor'sīt is doubtful that the procedure is acceptable until we have more detailed knowledge of its effects on the mother and fetus. However, the civil strife that occurred in Belfast in 1972 provided conditions in which the present study of the technique seemed justified.