Infectious complications of implantable venous access devices in patients with sickle cell disease.

Purpose: To evaluate the incidence of implantable venous access device infection in patients with sickle cell disease.

Materials And Methods: The authors performed a retrospective search of their hospital's information system from January 1, 1996 to December 31, 2001 to identify hospital admissions with ICD-9 codes related to sickle cell anemia. This search yielded 2703 admissions in 293 patients.

Complications of a percutaneous suture-mediated closure device versus manual compression for arteriotomy closure: a case-controlled study.

Purpose: To evaluate the incidence and types of complications encountered with use of a percutaneous suture-mediated closure device versus manual compression for arteriotomy closure in a retrospective case-controlled study.

Materials And Methods: The authors identified 100 consecutive patients, 15 men and 85 women 21-85 years of age (mean, 50 years), between December 2000 and July 2001 in whom the Closer percutaneous suture-mediated closure device was used during 65 uterine artery embolization (UAE) procedures, 11 hepatic chemoembolization procedures, nine diagnostic angiography procedures, seven peripheral vascular interventions, six visceral arterial interventions, and two thrombolysis procedures. An age-, sex-, and procedure-matched control population was identified in which manual compression was performed.

Picture archiving and communication system: effect on reporting of incidental findings.

Purpose: To determine the effect of a picture archiving and communication system (PACS) on reporting of incidental findings outside the area of interest, with a focus on lumbar spinal magnetic resonance (MR) imaging.

Materials And Methods: Results of 2,500 lumbar spinal 1.5-T MR examinations were reviewed.

Shoulder instability: accuracy of MR imaging performed after surgery in depicting recurrent injury--initial findings.

Purpose: To analyze a series of postoperative magnetic resonance (MR) images obtained in patients with recurrent signs or symptoms of instability in whom subsequent surgical correlation was performed to determine the accuracy in diagnosing recurrent injury.

Materials And Methods: The authors identified 24 patients who underwent MR imaging after shoulder instability surgery and had recurrent instability requiring repeat surgery. Twelve nonenhanced MR images and six indirect and six direct MR arthrograms were retrospectively reviewed with consensus to determine the presence or absence of recurrent labral or rotator cuff tear.