Undeflatable Foley catheter balloons: a simple solution.
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Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to I G Conn.
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Invasion of a bladder tumour involves the degradation and penetration of the subepithelial basement membrane. A retrospective study of 69 superficial and 15 invasive transitional cell carcinomas of bladder and a prospective study of 43 mucosal biopsies were performed in order to assess the usefulness of immunohistochemical staining of the basement membrane components, type IV collagen and laminin as prognostic indicators in superficial bladder cancer. There was a significant association between pT category and basement membrane staining. The incidence of progression of superficial tumours with patchy or absent basement membranes was significantly greater than those with complete basement membranes but there was no association with superficial recurrence. Biopsies of dysplastic epithelium had thickened and reduplicated basement membranes, possibly as a result of increased cell turnover. The results suggest that a balance exists between basement membrane production and degradation in early malignancy. This technique may be of value in the early identification of microinvasion and in the prediction of subsequent progression.
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A controlled trial was undertaken to compare the efficacy of transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) with standard intramuscular opiate analgesia in the management of postoperative pain following appendicectomy. Consecutive patients undergoing emergency appendicectomy were randomised into control, sham TENS and active TENS groups. There was a significant decrease in pain severity and analgesic intake in both active and sham TENS groups when compared with the control group (P less than 0.01). No difference was demonstrated in pain severity between active and sham TENS groups but the active TENS group required slightly less analgesia. These results suggest that the major benefit of TENS in the postappendicectomy patient is due to its 'placebo effect' and its use in this situation cannot be recommended.
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The technique of computed tomography with simultaneous parotid sialography allows for accurate localisation of tumours within the parotid gland. The relationship of these tumours to the facial nerve, which divides within the gland, is of surgical significance. A study of the course of the facial nerve through the parotid gland in the cadaver was therefore undertaken in order to identify relevant landmarks for the CT prediction of its relationship to those tumours. The heads of five cadavers were sectioned in the Frankfurt plane into 1 cm slices which were then X-rayed. Individual slices were examined and the course of the facial nerve was plotted on the X-ray plate of the same slice. It was found that the nerve could be represented on a CT scan by an arc of radius 8.5 mm, the centre of which is the most posterior point of the ramus of the mandible. The arc extends from directly lateral to directly posterior to that point. Pre-operative visualisation of parotid tumours by simultaneous CT scan and sialography in conjunction with an appreciation of the course of the facial nerve through the parotid gland may allow for more precise presurgical planning.