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Biomedical subjects

E Crosby

Publications and source records attributed to E Crosby.

26 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

Cyclosporine-pancuronium interaction in a patient with a renal allograft.

A case is described of a 54-year-old 55 kg patient who presented for clipping of a middle cerebral aneurysm two years after a successful renal allograft. Immunosuppression was maintained with azathioprine 100 mg daily, cyclosporine 300 mg daily and prednisone 10 mg daily. The patient had chronic hypertension controlled with nifedipine 40 mg daily and furosemide 20 mg daily. The cyclosporine level taken on the morning of surgery was 166 micrograms.L-1. Induction of anaesthesia consisted of fentanyl 350 micrograms, thiopentone 125 mg and pancuronium 5.5 mg. Anaesthesia was maintained with nitrous oxide 70 per cent in oxygen and isoflurane 0.5-1.5 per cent. No additional doses of pancuronium were given during the four hour surgical procedure. At the end of surgery, four twitches were present with train-of-four stimulation, but evidence of residual muscle paralysis was present. Residual neuromuscular blockade was reversed with atropine 1.2 mg and neostigmine 2.5 mg. Residual paralysis was present in the Recovery Room and edrophonium 10 mg was given prior to extubation. Clinical testing demonstrated adequate reversal of neuromuscular blockade. Twenty minutes following extubation, increasing respiratory distress was noted. There was clinical evidence of muscle paralysis. The patient was re-intubated. It is proposed that cyclosporine potentiated the pancuronium blockade producing prolonged neuromuscular relaxation resulting in residual paralysis following surgery. The potential interactions of cyclosporine and muscle relaxants deserve further study.

Anesthetics↗

Hematologic changes in brucellosis.

Hematologic abnormalities were studied prospectively in 38 patients with brucellosis. Anemia was found in 74% of patients, leukopenia in 45%, neutropenia in 21%, lymphopenia in 63%, and thrombocytopenia in 39.5%. Eight patients (21%) were pancytopenic; seven of these individuals also had splenomegaly. Bone marrow hypoplasia was not found. Bleeding complications developed in 26% of patients and were significantly associated with clotting abnormalities (low platelet count, low fibrinogen level, and/or prolongation of thrombin clotting time); i.e., bleeding occurred in approximately 50% of patients with marked clotting abnormalities but in no patients with normal clotting. Determination of fibrinogen levels at different stages of brucellosis led to a redefinition of the normal level for patients with this infection. Patients without clotting abnormalities had fibrinogen levels of 233-711 mg/100 ml (mean, 384 mg/100 ml), whereas patients with thrombocytopenia and prolonged thrombin clotting time had levels of 122-360 mg/100 ml (mean, 216 mg/100 ml; P less than .001) that increased to 233-519 mg/100 (mean, 360 mg/100 ml) when clotting values returned to normal. Lymphopenia was significantly correlated with the severity of clinical manifestations (bleeding and hepatic involvement).

Adolescent↗

Ipsilateral symptoms caused by an arteriovenous malformation of the second or supplementary sensory area of the island of Reil.

A report of a patient with an arteriovenous anomaly stresses the correlation of clinical findings with a neuroanatomical basis for ipsilateral sensory symptoms. The significance of the second or supplementary motor and sensory patterns existing in the island of Reil, as demonstrated by the experimental work of Crosby and Augustine, is presented. At present, the evidence is that the discharges from the island of Reil are through the extrapyramidal system, a part of the ansa lenticularis system. The actual anatomical basis for such ipsilateral symptoms should be sought in more patients who are perhaps often designated as "hysterical" because they do not fit the much more commonly known pattern of contralateral symptoms.

Adult↗

Hemostasis in typhoid fever.

Abnormalities of hemostasis in vivo and in vitro were defined in a prospective study of patients with typhoid fever. In a group of 56 patients with a proven diagnosis of typhoid fever, hemostatic abnormalities were frequently found. In patients with normal clotting tests the fibrinogen level was found to be higher than in normal controls. This finding established a new normal level for patients with typhoid fever. Using this redefined normal level it was found that low fibrinogen was associated with other hemostatic abnormalities. Low fibrinogen levels in patients with typhoid fever are possibly the result of disseminated intravascular coagulation. This process affected 20% of our patients and was often of mild to moderate intensity. Clinically significant bleeding occurred in 18 patients and, in contrast to the results of previously published studies, was found to correlate with clotting abnormalities.

Adolescent↗

An assessment of paramedic performance during invasive airway management.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the performance of paramedics, in a newly-initiated prehospital program, during invasive airway management. METHODS: An audit of paramedic call reports for a 12-month period from January to December 1997 was performed. Call reports that documented invasive airway management were retrieved and relevant data were extracted using a preformulated data-entry form. RESULTS: Paramedics attempted tracheal intubation in 453 patients and were successful in 408 (90.1%); 331 of the patients were in cardiopulmonary arrest with vital signs absent (VSA), 101 had medical emergencies, and 21 had trauma-related problems. In the VSA cohort, the tracheas of 96% of the patients were intubated successfully; 80.1% on the first attempt, 10.6% on the second, 4.5% on the third, and 0.9% after more than three attempts. In the medical cohort, the tracheas of 74.3% of the patients were intubated; 60.4% on the first attempt, 11.9% on the second, and 2.9% on the third. In the trauma cohort, 71.4% of the intubations were successful; 66.6% on the first attempt, 26.6% on the second, and 6.6% on the third. There was a difference (p < 0.001) in the incidence of successful intubations comparing the VSA cohort with the medical/trauma cohorts. There was also a difference (p < 0.001) between the success rate for nasal intubations (43 of 68, 63% of patients successfully intubated) and that for oral intubation (365 of 385, 94% of patients). CONCLUSION: This study demonstrated a difference in the paramedics' success rates for tracheal intubation in VSA patients compared with those with preserved airway reflexes and a lower success rate for nasal vs oral tracheal intubation. These differences may be due to inadequate training, technical difficulties experienced in the field, or lack of sufficient exposure to medical/trauma scenarios to gain management experience. Future training to address these issues, both in the initial training phase and in the continuing education program, may be beneficial in improving performance.

Emergency Medical Services↗