Fifteen patients received amoxycillin/clavulanic acid combination intravenously at anaesthetic induction as part of a three-dose schedule of antibiotic prophylaxis for vascular surgery. After 30 min, the mean serum concentration of amoxycillin was 39.9 mg/l and clavulanic acid was 9.3 mg/l. Mean amoxycillin tissue concentrations in fat, 5.1 mg/l; vein, 7.5 mg/l; and artery, 4.8 mg/l, were lower than serum values. Mean clavulanic acid concentrations were: fat, 0.7 mg/l; vein, 1.2 mg/l; and artery, 1.6 mg/l. At the end of surgery, the serum amoxycillin level was always greater than 6 mg/l and clavulanic acid greater than 2 mg/l, which were both still within the therapeutic range. Concentrations in fat had declined by the end of the surgery ranging from 0.76 to 5.2 mg/l for amoxycillin and from 0.03 to 0.6 mg/l for clavulanic acid, there being almost none detected in four cases. Serum and tissue concentrations of both compounds 30 min after injection were sufficient to inhibit the growth of 97% of pathogenic organisms recovered from the skin of 135 vascular surgical patients. In a few cases tissue levels of the compounds were below inhibitory concentrations for coliforms and anaerobes at the time of skin closure, although they were still effective against most Gram-positive organisms. Amoxycillin/clavulanic acid combination is suitable antibiotic prophylaxis for vascular surgery.

Adipose Tissue↗

PubMedDate not supplied

A new device producing ambulatory intermittent pneumatic compression suitable for the treatment of lower limb oedema: a preliminary report.

The ideal conservative treatment for lower limb oedema would be one that provided intermittent compression whilst allowing the patient to remain mobile. In this article we describe the development of a pneumatic ambulatory compression device that utilizes the patient's weight applied, during walking, to air cells under the foot to provide compression to the ankle and calf. In volunteer studies this device typically produced a cycle of interface pressure changes from 20 to 45-50 mmHg on the lower calf and 20 to 35-40 mmHg on the upper calf.

Bandages↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Resting plasma fibrinolytic activity and fibrinolytic potential in peripheral vascular disease.

Reduced plasma fibrinolytic activity may be a risk factor in venous and arterial thrombotic disease. Resting plasma fibrinolytic activity and fibrinolytic potential after ten minutes of venous occlusion were compared in 100 patients with peripheral vascular disease of varying severity and 20 age-sex matched controls. The fibrinolytic assay used was the euglobulin lysis time. Resting plasma fibrinolytic activity was significantly reduced in patients with a recent arterial thrombosis (p = 0.02) and ischaemic rest pain (p = 0.008) compared with controls. Fibrinolytic potential after venous occlusion was significantly reduced also in patients with a recent arterial thrombosis (p = 0.02) and ischaemic rest pain (p = 0.05) compared with controls. There were no significant differences between patients with claudication and controls. A reduced plasma fibrinolytic activity has been confirmed in patients with peripheral vascular disease and fibrinolytic potential may be a superior method of assessment as the euglobulin lysis time after venous occlusion is independent of the fibrinogen concentration. It remains uncertain whether the finding of reduced plasma fibrinolytic activity in patients with peripheral vascular disease is cause or effect and whether the finding has prognostic significance.

Aged↗