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Biomedical subjects

H Puhakka

Publications and source records attributed to H Puhakka.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

Mediastinoscopy: not needed preoperatively in CT-negative lung carcinoma?

The objective was to investigate the necessity of mediastinoscopy in preoperative staging of lung carcinoma in 57 operable patients. Noninvasive radiology was compared to mediastinoscopy and thoracotomy. Computed tomography (CT-scan) and mediastinoscopy were in agreement in 40 cases (70%). CT-scan was negative in 26 patients, of which 4 were false negatives. Mediastinoscopy is therefore of no benefit preoperatively for 85% (22 out of 26) of patients. Consequently, we have changed our staging policy and only patients with positive CT-scan are now subjected to mediastinoscopy.

Adult↗

Pediatric bronchoscopy. A report of methodology and results.

Data for this article were obtained from a retrospective analysis of 386 pediatric bronchoscopies from 1979 through 1986. Endoscopic procedures were carried out under general anesthesia using a rigid open bronchoscope. There were 235 boys (61%) and 151 girls (39%). The mean age was 2 years, 3 months. Eight percent of the girls were under 1 month of age, compared with only 4 percent of the boys. The lightest patient weighed 650 g. In children under 1 year of age, the most common indications were dyspnea (32%) and anomaly or suspicion of anomaly (20%). In children over 1 year of age suspected foreign body (32%) and recurrent respiratory infections (30%) were the most common indications. In 15 percent of patients, laryngomalacia and/or an abnormal epiglottis was confirmed. Subglottic stenosis, congenital or acquired, was confirmed in 9 percent and tracheal compression in 12 percent of cases. Seventeen percent of the children showed totally normal findings. There were only eight complications in the whole series and no death or cardiac arrest. The authors confirm the safety of bronchoscopy when careful attention is paid to preoperative investigations, selection of the instruments used, and postoperative care.

Adolescent↗

Tracheobronchial foreign bodies. A persistent problem in pediatric patients.

Extraction of a foreign body from the tracheobronchial tree was accomplished for 83 children. The mean age was 1 year 9 months for the 27 girls and 3 years 1 month for the 56 boys; 46 children (55%) were younger than 2 years of age. Sixteen (19%) of the foreign bodies were radiopaque, and 35 (42%) were either verified or suspected radiologically before endoscopy. Forty-one foreign bodies (49%) were situated in the right bronchial tree. Extraction was successful in 81 children (98%) and was performed on 50 children (60%) during the first 24 hours. Twenty-five (30%) of the foreign bodies were peanuts. Three children experienced a residual foreign body, without serious complications. We believe that an open tube bronchoscopy should be performed whenever abnormal stridor or cough is observed in a healthy child and when appropriate antibiotic therapy is unsuccessful.

Bronchi↗

Pediatric bronchoscopy during a 17-year period.

From 1969 through 1985, 1032 pediatric bronchoscopies were performed on a total of 748 children under 16 years of age. Of the children 27.4% were under 6 months of age and the smallest patient weighed 600 g. Rigid bronchoscopes with a diameter ranging from 2.5 to 6 mm were used. A flexible fiberoptic bronchoscope with a diameter of 3.5 mm was used only occasionally, mostly for the diagnosis of laryngeal dynamics. All the endoscopies were performed under general anesthesia, except for some laryngoscopies performed with a flexible bronchoscope. The most common indications for bronchoscopy were suspected foreign body (16.7%), stridor (14.5%), recurrent respiratory infections (12.3%) and dyspnoe (9.6%). Laryngomalacia was observed in 13.8% of the children investigated and in patients with inspiratory stridor laryngomalacia was diagnosed in 39.8% of the cases. Subglottic stenosis was confirmed in 7.0% of the children. Tracheal compression was found in 10.8% and tracheal stenosis in 2.5% of the cases. Bronchiectasis was observed in 2.5% and tuberculosis in only 0.5% of the cases. Bronchoscopy was completely normal in only 10.6% of the patients investigated. The complications of pediatric bronchoscopy in this series were infrequent.

Adolescent↗

Cefadroxil in the treatment of susceptible infections in infants and children.

The efficacy and safety of cefadroxil in the treatment of paediatric patients with a wide variety of infections were evaluated in a multicentre clinical trial. This study included 395 infants and children with Group A streptococcal pharyngitis, sinusitis, otitis media, bronchitis, pneumonia or bronchopneumonia, urinary tract infections and acute gastroenteritis. Cefadroxil was given as a suspension in a daily dose of 30 to 50 mg/kg in 2 divided doses every 12 hours to all but 76 patients; 50 patients with acute otitis media were given 100 mg/kg/day in 2 doses and 26 patients with urinary tract infections received 25 mg/day once daily. Of 317 patients with respiratory tract infections and 78 with urinary or gastrointestinal infections, 95 and 100%, respectively, were clinically cured following treatment with cefadroxil.

Adolescent↗

Effect of occlusal adjustment on globus symptom.

Twenty-two patients seeking treatment for the globus symptom were examined for the presence of symptoms and signs of TMJ dysfunction. They were randomly divided into a treatment group (N = 13) and a placebo group (N = 9) and underwent either simple occlusal adjustment or mock adjustment, respectively. The result of occlusal adjustment was assessed immediately after completion of treatment. The effect of treatment on the globus symptom was assessed 2 to 3 months later in a double-blind study design. Binomial tests showed that there was a significant association between the success of occlusal adjustment and disappearance of the globus symptom. Three patients in the placebo group subsequently received occlusal adjustment and splint therapy. When all patients were interviewed 20 to 44 months later, only two of them reported no improvement. Both had unstable occlusion when the treatment was terminated.

Adult↗

Identification of respiratory virus antigens in middle ear fluids of children with acute otitis media.

Antigens of respiratory viruses were tested by immunoassay of the middle ear fluids and nasopharyngeal secretions of 137 children with acute otitis media. The following were found: (1) an epidemic of infection with respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) caused a significant increase in the occurrence of acute otitis media. (2) Fifteen percent of the children had RSV antigens in middle ear fluid, and in 7% RSV was the sole pathogen found. Adenovirus antigens were found in the middle ear fluid of 3% of the children. (3) Bacteriologic findings in otitis media related and unrelated to viral (RSV) infection were similar. These findings indicate that some episodes of otitis media are associated with viral infection and that the disease may be solely due to viral infection. Thus, at least during an epidemic of respiratory virus infections, treatment failures--e.g., fever and earache unresponsive to antimicrobial therapy--may be due to a viral etiology of acute otitis media.

Adenoviridae Infections↗

Saccular cyst of the larynx in infants.

A saccular or congenital cyst of the larynx is a mucus-filled dilatation of the laryngeal saccule and can distort the aryepiglottic fold, the false cord or the laryngeal ventricle. The most common symptom of the laryngeal cyst is respiratory distress with inspiratory stridor and the diagnosis can usually be made by laryngoscopy. Treatment includes incision and drainage together with extirpation of the cranial wall of the cyst through a laryngoscope. Sometimes tracheostomy is also needed. Usually there are no complications afterwards and the development of these infants is perfectly normal. Our 3 cases and clinical features of this very unusual disorder are presented.

Cysts↗

Foreign body in the airways of children.

During the years 1969-1981 57 children with inhaled foreign bodies in the tracheobronchial tree were treated at Turku University Hospital. Of the patients 91% had a history of foreign body inhalation and 25% had a radiopaque foreign body which was seen in the X-ray of the chest. In 9% of 57 patients a foreign body was found unexpectedly at bronchoscopy. The foreign body was removed by bronchoscopy from all the patients but one, who required a segmentectomy due to a fragment of a spike in the lung parenchyma. The patients presented no major complications, and they were all discharged from the hospital in good condition.

Adolescent↗