Optimization of cerebral oxygenation based on regional cerebral oxygen saturation monitoring during carotid endarterectomy: a Phase III multicenter, double-blind randomized controlled trial.

Background: Whether the optimization of cerebral oxygenation based on regional cerebral oxygen saturation (rSO) monitoring reduces the occurrence of cerebral ischemic lesions is unknown.

Methods: This multicenter, randomized, controlled trial recruited adults admitted for scheduled carotid endarterectomy. Patients were randomized between the standard of care or optimization of cerebral oxygenation based on rSO monitoring using near-infrared spectroscopy.

Anti-thymocyte globulin for conditioning in matched unrelated donor hematopoietic cell transplantation provides comparable outcomes to matched related donor recipients.

Rabbit anti-thymocyte globulin (ATG) is used as prophylaxis against GVHD following allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT). At our institution, ATG is exclusively used in the conditioning of matched unrelated donor (URD) transplant recipients. A total of 50 URD HCT recipients who received ATG (ATG group) were retrospectively compared with 48 matched related donor (MRD) HCT recipients who did not receive ATG (no ATG group).

Volatile flavor constituents of fruits from Southern Africa: Mobola plum (Parinari curatellifolia).

The volatile flavor components of Mobola plum (Parinari curatellifolia), a native fruit of Southern Africa, have been isolated by a vacuum headspace concentration method. The concentrate was analyzed by hyphenated gas chromatographic techniques, including gas chromatography (GC)/mass spectrometry (MS) and GC/Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), together with other GC-coupled detection devices for the specific and selective detection of nitrogen- and sulfur-containing compounds. A total of 88 components were identified.

[Heart-lung transplantation and cystic fibrosis. Indications and results].

Background: Heart lung transplantation for++ cystic fibrosis is now performed in patients with severe lung disease but the experience is still scarce with the exception of some specialized centers.

Patients And Methods: Twenty-one patients underwent heart-lung transplantation between September 1989 and November 1994 in our institution, with a high standard of reliability in tracheal anastomosis and with a low incidence of hospital mortality (5%).

Results: The actuarial patient survival is 90.

[Post-transplantation of Hodgkin's disease. Clinico-pathologic study of 3 cases].

As a frequent complication of immunosuppression, lymphoproliferative disorders affect approximately 2 % of allorgan transplant recipients. Most of them are EBV-associated-B-cell-lymphoproliferations. Other types of non Hodgkin's lymphomas and Hodgkin's disease, as observed in general population, have only rarely been reported in this group of patients.

[Pulmonary and cardiopulmonary transplantation in mucoviscidosis].

As early as 1987, several teams in France began lung transplantation for patients with cystic fibrosis. Most of these teams propose transplantation when the life expectancy is under 2 years. The major functional criteria are VEMS < 30%, PaC02 > 50 mmHg and PaO2 < 55 mmHg.

Right ventricular function early after total or standard orthotopic heart transplantation.

Right ventricular failure after orthotopic heart transplantation (OHT) is classically related to preoperative pulmonary hypertension. However, the role of the enlarged atria in right ventricular dysfunction after OHT remains unclear. For that purpose, the right ventricular function in the first 2 days after OHT was compared in two groups of transplant recipients: 11 patients who underwent standard OHT (group I) and 9 patients who underwent total OHT, which consisted of total excision of both the left and right atria and OHT of an intact donor heart with its atria as well as its ventricle (group II).

[Anesthesia and hepatic porphyria].

Three of the acute hepatic porphyrias, acute intermittent porphyria, variegata porphyria and hereditary coproporphyria, are characterized by an idiosyncratic reaction to many common drugs; the resulting excessive excretion of porphyrin precursors is responsible for episodes of acute neurological dysfunction. This review aimed to focus the attention of the anaesthesiologist on the porphyrinogenic properties of all the drugs used in anaesthesia and intensive care. An outline of the chemistry of porphyrins and the enzymatic pathways were recalled, so as to place the acute porphyrias in their proper perspective.

[Cardiac transplantation at the University Hospital Center of Nantes. 2 years' experience].

Between March, 1985 and April, 1987, 25 orthotopic heart transplantations were performed in 20 men and 5 women aged from 17 to 58 years (mean 42 years) on account of cardiomyopathy (n = 15), ischaemic heart disease (n = 6) or miscellaneous lesions (n = 4). The immunosuppressive treatment consisted of antilymphocyte serum and corticosteroids during 10 days; cyclosporine was introduced on the 7th day and continued thereafter in association with low-dose corticosteroid therapy. Endomyocardial biopsies were performed.