Search PubMed⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

E V Lang

Publications and source records attributed to E V Lang.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

Self-hypnotic relaxation during interventional radiological procedures: effects on pain perception and intravenous drug use.

The authors evaluated whether self-hypnotic relaxation can reduce the need for intravenous conscious sedation during interventional radiological procedures. Sixteen patients were randomized to a test group, and 14 patients were randomized to a control group. All had patient-controlled analgesia. Test patients additionally had self-hypnotic relaxation and underwent a Hypnotic Induction Profile test. Compared to controls, test patients used less drugs (0.28 vs. 2.01 drug units; p < .01) and reported less pain (median pain rating 2 vs. 5 on a 0-10 scale; p < .01). Significantly more control patients exhibited oxygen desaturation and/or needed interruptions of their procedures for hemodynamic instability. Benefit did not correlate with hypnotizability. Self-hypnotic relaxation can reduce drug use and improve procedural safety.

Aged↗

In vitro evaluation of white blood cell labelling with 99Tcm radiopharmaceuticals.

Several commercially available 99Tcm radiopharmaceuticals were tested as possible white blood cell labelling agents. Labelling efficiency, labelling stability and white blood cell adherence were measured in vitro. White blood cells were not successfully labelled with mebrofenin, disofenin, gluceptate or dimercaptosuccinic acid but were successfully labelled with exametazime, albumin colloid, sulphur colloid, sestamibi and teboroxime. Exametazime had the highest mean labelling efficiency of 79%. Labelling efficiency was 5-14% with albumin colloid, sulphur colloid, sestamibi and teboroxime. Labelling stability was high (> 95% at 4 h and > 80% at 24 h) for all agents except sestamibi (52% at 4 h and 5% at 24h). Exametazime did not alter white blood cell adherence. Albumin colloid, sestamibi and teboroxime decreased adherence and sulphur colloid increased adherence. Exametazime appears to be the best agent for labelling white blood cells. Teboroxime, however, is a new agent for labelling white blood cells which deserves further investigation.

Cell Adhesion↗

Anodyne imagery: an alternative to i.v. sedation in interventional radiology.

OBJECTIVE: Pain and anxiety are to be expected in patients undergoing interventional procedures, and they are usually treated by IV conscious sedation. Insufficient treatment of pain and anxiety can cause cardiovascular strain and restlessness, which may jeopardize the success of the procedure. On the other hand, pharmacologic oversedation can provoke respiratory and cardiovascular depression, thereby increasing the procedural risks and delaying the patient's recovery. We therefore evaluated a nonpharmacologic method, which we call anodyne imagery (anodyne: able to soothe or relieve pain; soothing the feelings; relaxing), as an alternative to the use of drugs in interventional radiology. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Anodyne imagery technique consists of conditioned relaxation, induction of a trance state, and guided processing of the patient's internal imagery. An intrapatient comparison of drug use was made in five patients who had equivalent procedures with and without anodyne imagery and an intergroup comparison was made between a group of 16 other patients undergoing anodyne imagery and a group of 16 control patients matched for factors affecting use of drugs and recruited from 100 interventional cases analyzed for patterns of drug use. For statistical analysis, drug unit scores (weighting: 1 mg of midazolam = 1 unit and 50 micrograms of fentanyl = 1 unit) were compared within patients by paired t-test and between groups of patients by analysis of variance in two-sided tests, with p less than .05 considered to be significant. RESULTS: The 100 patients who did not have anodyne imagery received 0-6 mg of midazolam (median, 1.4 mg), 0-500 micrograms of fentanyl (median, 80 micrograms), and 0.5-9 drug units (median, 2.5). Drug administration was insignificantly affected by the physician conducting the procedure, the type of procedure, or the patient's age, but significantly increased with longer table times. Ten of the 21 patients undergoing anodyne imagery associated fear-provoking images with their interventional procedure that were generally intense, vivid, and dramatic. Intrapatient comparison showed significantly lower median drug use with anodyne imagery than without (0.1 vs 5.3 drug units, p = .01). Intergroup comparison also yielded significantly lower median drug use during procedures with anodyne imagery than without (0.2 vs 2.6 drug units, p = .0001). CONCLUSION: Patients having interventional radiologic procedures frequently experience intense and frightening imagery related to the procedure. Our initial experience with anodyne imagery suggests that this alternative method of analgesia can mitigate patients' anxiety and fears and reduce the amount of drugs used during interventional radiologic procedures, and thereby has the potential to improve procedural safety and increase the speed of recovery.

Aged↗

Viability and biodistribution of 68Ga MPO-labelled human platelets.

The viability and biodistribution of 68Ga-mercaptopyridine-N-oxide (MPO)-labelled autologous platelets was studied in 10 patients. The average platelet labelling yield was 36 +/- 12% and injected activity was 2.0 +/- 0.9 mCi 68Ga. The % activity in platelets per ml whole blood was 64 +/- 20% at 15 min-1.0 h postinjection and 76 +/- 14% at 2-4h. The average recovery of platelets (% injected platelets circulating in peripheral blood) was 31 +/- 21% at 15 min-1 h and 39 +/- 20% at 2-4 h. The positron emission tomographic (PET) images showed high circulating vascular background. Two patients had technically inadequate scans, and six were false negative due to high blood background. One patient with a massive pulmonary embolus occurring 24 h prior to scanning had marked uptake of 68Ga platelets in a large clot in the superior branch of the right main pulmonary artery. A second patient, with 68Ga platelets circulating during angioplasty of a left posterior tibial artery stenosis, had intense uptake in the lesion shown on the PET scan obtained 4 h following the procedure. These results indicate good viability of 68Ga-MPO-labelled autologous human platelets, but poor visualization of clots by PET imaging, due to the high blood background at early times.

Blood Platelets↗

Quality assurance of white blood cell labeling with a test based on adherence.

A new quality control assay was developed based on the premise that proper radioactive labeling should not affect the adherence characteristics of white blood cells to nylon fibers. Heparinized whole blood with trace amounts of radioactively labeled white blood cells was passed over nylon fiber columns and eluted in eight fractions. Percent radioactive adherence (%RA) and percent white blood cell adherence (%WBCA) were determined for each fraction. Regression lines (%RA versus %WBCA) were calculated for 9 samples labeled properly with 111In-oxine and for 17 samples intentionally subjected to improper labeling. Properly labeled preparations had a median slope = 1.05 and an intercept = 1%. Improperly labeled preparations had significantly lower slopes and/or higher intercepts. By the use of +/- 2 s.d. ranges as indicators of proper labeling (slope of 0.71-1.74; intercept of -35%-37%), the test had 100% sensitivity and 94% specificity. We conclude that proper labeling with 111In-oxine preserves the adherence characteristics of white blood cells, that improper labeling may affect the binding strength of white blood cells (decrease in slope) and/or lead to formation of sticky cell subgroups (increased intercept) and that the quality control assay can objectively assess the impact of labeling on adherence.

Cell Adhesion↗

Effect of flow rate on adherence of unlabeled and indium-111 oxine-labeled leukocytes.

Uptake of radioactively labeled leukocytes has been observed in ischemic noninfected regions. Since this may be a flow-related phenomenon, the authors investigated the effect of flow rate on adherence of indium-111 oxine-labeled leukocytes with a model based on the elution patterns of radioactivity and granulocytes from nylon fiber columns. Relative radioactivity adherence (%RA) and relative granulocyte adherence (%GA) agreed closely, indicating that radioactivity retained by the columns is predominantly in the form of viable labeled granulocytes, and that labeled and unlabeled granulocytes have the same adherence characteristics. When other conditions were held constant, but passage speed was varied, %GA and %RA were related to the flow rate in an inverse linear fashion. Decrease in flow rate can lead to increased accumulation of leukocytes.

Cell Adhesion↗

Massive upper gastrointestinal hemorrhage with normal findings on arteriography: value of prophylactic embolization of the left gastric artery.

During a 5-year period, 13 patients who presented with massive upper gastrointestinal hemorrhage had normal findings on arteriography. Seven had prophylactic embolization of the left gastric artery, and six had conservative therapy. Normal angiographic findings were associated with clinical cessation of bleeding in 12 of 13 patients. Lesions not treated by embolization or other invasive therapy had a high rate of massive recurrent hemorrhage (four of six). Of lesions subsequently found to be supplied by the left gastric artery, two of four cases not treated by embolization or surgery had clinically significant recurrent hemorrhage, whereas none of six cases treated by embolization had recurrent hemorrhage. Prophylactic embolization of the left gastric artery appears warranted when (1) there is definite prior identification of a lesion in the left gastric artery territory or (2) there is no prior localization of a lesion but the patient is at risk for multiorgan failure if bleeding recurs.

Adult↗

Functional imaging of peripheral vascular disease: a comparison between exercise whole-body thallium perfusion imaging and contrast arteriography.

Whole-body thallium scintigraphy was used to study leg muscle perfusion in 12 healthy individuals and 31 patients with peripheral vascular disease. Subjects were scanned immediately after exercise and 4 hr later. Buttock, thigh and calf perfusion were measured in terms of fractional uptake relative to whole-body activity, percent change in fractional uptake over 4 hr and interextremity symmetry ratios. The results were compared to contrast arteriography on a region by region basis. The overall sensitivity and specificity of thallium scintigraphy were 80% and 73%, respectively. The results suggest that thallium scintigraphy may provide useful information about the hemodynamic significance of noncritical anatomic lesions.

Angiography↗

Delayed rupture of a pseudoaneurysm of the costocervical trunk: treatment with therapeutic embolization.

Fourteen days after removal of an internal jugular catheter inserted prior to renal transplantation, a patient presented with brisk arterial hemorrhage from the insertion site. The hemorrhage, caused by a ruptured pseudoaneurysm of the costocervical trunk, was controlled by transcatheter embolization with gelatin particles. One year later the patient reported no problems related to the pseudoaneurysm or its management.

Aneurysm↗

Massive arterial hemorrhage from the stomach and lower esophagus: impact of embolotherapy on survival.

The authors retrospectively reviewed the clinical courses in 36 patients referred for angiographic evaluation of massive arterial hemorrhage from the stomach, gastroesophageal junction, and lower esophagus. Twenty-four patients underwent embolotherapy, and 12 were treated with nontranscatheter therapy such as surgery, Sengstaken-Blakemore tube placement, endoscopic submucosal injection of epinephrine, or supportive medical therapy. Bleeding was controlled completely in 15 (62%) and partially in three (13%) of the patients who underwent embolotherapy. In nine of the patients treated with nontranscatheter therapy (75%), bleeding control was complete. Sixteen patients died, including seven of 28 in whom bleeding was controlled. There was no significant difference in the mortality rates of patients treated with nontranscatheter therapy (46% and 42%, respectively). Survival correlated with the clinical condition at the time of intervention. All patients with multiorgan failure died, while 87% of the other patients, even those with serious cardiovascular compromise, survived. The results imply that massive gastric hemorrhage should be treated aggressively, before it results in multiorgan failure.

Acute Disease↗

The anterior wall stripe of the left lower lobe bronchus on the lateral chest radiograph: CT correlative study.

We designed a study to determine whether thickening or effacement of the anterior wall stripe of the left lower lobe bronchus on the lateral chest radiograph implies adjacent disease, as it does for the posterior wall stripe of the right bronchus intermedius. The anterior wall stripe of the left lower lobe bronchus originates from the inferior anterior aspect of the end-on left bronchus and descends in a gentle posteriorly convex curve. The left lower lobe bronchus was identified on routine lateral chest films in 86 of 90 consecutive patients who also had chest CT. In those cases the anterior wall stripe was measured and categorized on chest films. On the CT scans, the length of the left lower lobe bronchus and its relationship to the left lower lobe artery and left upper lobe, lingular, and lower lobe veins were assessed. The presence of adjacent disease was noted. A complete anterior wall stripe was seen in 59 of 86 cases. It was effaced by anterior soft tissue in 15 of 86 cases; in 12 of 86 cases only the superior 0.5-1.5 cm was effaced. A normal anterior wall stripe was as thick as 12 mm in one case, but was 6 mm or less in 90%. Shapes other than linear were common. Anatomic variation accounted for nearly all of these findings. There was no focal abnormality in the 12 cases with partial effacement or in nine of the 15 cases with complete effacement; disease was significant in only two of these six. We concluded that thickening or effacement of the anterior wall stripe is an unreliable sign of disease.

Adenocarcinoma↗

Fluoroscopically guided percutaneous gastrostomy and gastroenterostomy: analysis of 158 consecutive cases.

We reviewed our experience with 158 consecutive patients who underwent either percutaneous gastrostomy or percutaneous gastroenterostomy during a 2-year period. The catheters used included Foley catheters (36), Cope-type gastric catheters (86), or Carey-Alzate-Coons gastrojejunostomy catheters (36). Gastrojejunostomy tubes were placed in patients with gastroesophageal reflux or aspiration, gastric atony, or partial gastric obstruction. Ninety percent of the tubes were placed for feeding purposes. The technical success rate was 100%. Thirty-day follow-up was obtained in 89%. Thirty-day mortality was 26%, reflecting the substantial number of debilitated patients. No deaths were directly related to tube placement. Major morbidity was 6% and included hemorrhage, peritonitis, tube migration, and sepsis. Minor morbidity was 12%. There was no difference in 30-day mortality or feeding tolerance between the tube types (p less than .05). Patients with Foley catheters had more complications necessitating surgical intervention and an increased incidence of tube changes required within 30 days. These were the only statistically significant differences between the tubes (p less than .05). Our results show that percutaneous gastrostomy is a safe and effective means of gastroenteric feeding or decompression. Because of the fewer complications and ease of insertion, the Cope type of gastrostomy tube has become our preferred catheter for percutaneous feeding or decompression.

Aged↗

Percutaneous cholecystolithotomy: preliminary experience and technical considerations.

Surgical cholecystectomy is associated with a high morbidity and mortality in elderly patients with acute calculous cholecystitis and underlying cardiac or pulmonary disease. Currently there are few alternatives for treating these patients. The authors have used percutaneous cholecystolithotomy in 11 such high-risk patients for definitive treatment of gallbladder calculi. In all 11 patients all stones were successfully removed from the gallbladder and cystic duct. The entire procedure--from initial tube placement to final tube removal--lasted 17-40 days (mean, 21 days). There were two complications: one minor--local wound infection--and one major--bile peritonitis with eventual death. Percutaneous cholecystolithotomy is an effective alternative therapy for acute calculous cholecystitis in elderly, debilitated patients.

Aged↗