Internal standard application to dried blood spots by spraying: investigation of the internal standard distribution.

Background: The scientifically and logistically best way of application of the internal standard (IS) in the analysis of dried blood spots (DBS) analysis is still a matter of debate and investigation. Most commonly the IS is added in the solvent used for extraction of the discs punched from DBS. In this case, the recovery of the non-extracted IS is complete while the recovery of the analyte extracted from DBS is different from the IS.

Chemotherapy-Induced Ischemic Colitis in a Patient with Jejunal Lymphoma.

The occurrence of acute ischemic colitis may be associated with the intake of various drugs. However, colitis during antineoplastic chemotherapy usually is due to toxic effects or neutropenia and not caused by ischemia. We describe a 51-year-old man with jejunal B-cell lymphoma who developed recurrent episodes of ischemic colitis following chemotherapy with cyclophosphamide, vincristine, doxorubicine and prednisolone plus rituximab (R-CHOP).

Thermal esophageal lesions after radiofrequency catheter ablation of left atrial arrhythmias.

Objectives: Radiofrequency catheter ablation in patients with left atrial arrhythmias may cause esophageal damage because of the close proximity between the posterior wall of the left atrium and the esophagus. The aim of this prospective study was to determine the incidence, endoscopic characterization, and endoluminal temperature dependency of esophageal thermal lesions after catheter ablation.

Methods: In all, 185 consecutive patients with symptomatic atrial fibrillation or left atrial macro-re-entrant tachycardia who underwent left atrial radiofrequency catheter ablation were scheduled for upper gastrointestinal endoscopy.

Emergency re-revascularization with percutaneous coronary intervention, reoperation, or conservative treatment in patients with acute perioperative graft failure following coronary artery bypass surgery.

Objective: Perioperative graft failure following coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) results in acute myocardial ischemia/infarction (PMI), which may necessitate an acute secondary revascularization procedure to salvage myocardium, in order to preserve ventricular function and improve patient outcome. Whether acute percutaneous coronary (re)intervention (PCI), emergency reoperation, or conservative intensive care treatment should be applied, is currently unknown.

Methods: In order to identify the source of PMI and to pursue the appropriate re-revascularization strategy, coronary repeat angiography was emergently performed in 118 among 5427 consecutive isolated CABG patients with evidence of PMI.