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Biomedical subjects

J Bormanis

Publications and source records attributed to J Bormanis.

32 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1995

INR reporting in Canadian medical laboratories. Thrombosis Interest Group of Canada.

A written survey of all licensed medical laboratories in Canada performing coagulation testing was performed to investigate the level of knowledge and overall usage of the INR system for reporting prothrombin time results in medical laboratories. There was an overall response rate of 857 of 1,228 laboratories surveyed. Fifty-seven percent of responding laboratories utilized some format of INR reporting. The ISI of the individual thromboplastin utilized was known by 89% of laboratories. The ISI of the thromboplastin utilized was known to be specific for the particular reagent/instrument combination in 44% of cases. Fifty-five percent of client physicians preferred PT results to be reported in seconds while 42% desired an INR format. The situation in Canada is similar to the United States in that further education regarding the INR system for PT reporting is required by both medical laboratories and physicians.

Administration, Oral↗
PubMed1995

Ancrod as prophylaxis or treatment for thromboembolism in patients with multiple trauma.

OBJECTIVE: To report the initial clinical experience with fibrinogen depletion using ancrod as prophylaxis and treatment for deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism (DVT/PE) in patients with multiple trauma. DESIGN: A series of cases, selected because of their extreme risk of DVT/PE or because of the appearance of thromboembolic complications despite prophylaxis using conventional methods. SETTING: University teaching hospital. PATIENTS: A referred sample comprising 30 patients with multiple blunt trauma. The mean injury severity score was 30. Most cases involved a combination of lower extremity, pelvic and chest injuries. INTERVENTIONS: Fibrinogen was slowly depleted over 24 to 36 hours and the concentration maintained at 0.2 to 0.5 g/L thereafter. Ancrod was continued prophylactically (22 patients) or for established DVT/PE (8 patients) until the patients were mobilized or until there was no longer a contraindication to heparin, or until treatment with warfarin became practical. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: Monitoring for DVT by duplex ultrasonography or iodine-125-labelled-fibrinogen scanning, whichever could be applied. RESULTS: Twenty patients were treated with ancrod for prophylaxis from the outset because it offered theoretic and practical benefits over other methods. No patient treated with ancrod for prophylaxis suffered a clinically significant DVT/PE. Patients in whom heparin prophylaxis failed and who experienced thromboembolic complications were effectively managed with ancrod. There were no deaths and no bleeding complications specifically due to the therapy. CONCLUSIONS: Slow depletion of fibrinogen with ancrod may provide a safe and effective means to prevent DVT/PE in multiple trauma patients or to treat DVT/PE when the risk of bleeding from heparin is great. This initial experience should be evaluated by a randomized controlled trial.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1993

Ancrod versus heparin for anticoagulation during vascular surgical procedures.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to compare the conduct and early results of infrainguinal vascular reconstructions with use of ancrod or heparin for anticoagulation. METHODS: To test the hypothesis that ancrod was an effective alternative to heparin, 28 patients requiring infrainguinal bypass surgery were randomized to receive heparin during operation or ancrod before operation over a period of 12 hours to deplete circulating fibrinogen (0.2 to 0.5 gm/L). RESULTS: No clotting of blood within the grafts or native vessels was noted during the conduct of the surgical procedures in either group. No excessive bleeding was detected during operation in either group. The operative procedure, complication rate, and hospital course were also indistinguishable; patency at 1 month was also equal. CONCLUSION: Fibrinogen depletion with ancrod provides anticoagulation for the conduct of infrainguinal vascular reconstructions that is as effective as heparin. When heparin is contraindicated ancrod is an effective and safe alternative.

Aged↗
PubMed1992

A multipurpose teaching workstation using expert systems, CD ROM and interactive laserdisc.

This demonstration shows a multipurpose workstation used in a clinical teaching application which combines currently available software suitable for clinical diagnosis and teaching. The medical software includes QMR, Scientific American Medicine, the Slice of Life and generic video laserdisc authoring software developed at the University of Ottawa. The system allows a clinical instructor either in an individual or in a small group teaching setting on a ward or in a classroom, to access high quality differential diagnosis information via QMR, which is then supplemented by the text components of Scientific American Medicine on CD ROM, with video laserdisc of the appropriate anatomy, imagery and pathology provided by one of the various laserdiscs. The generic authoring software allows the instructor or students to construct subject related tutorial or testing modules either with or without video laserdisc support. The workstation uses DESQview as the multitasking environment to control the various resources. This program allows easy transfer from one application to another and allows for marking and pasting of text material into a study document. DESQview can also be used to script a specific learning sequence. The demonstration will show the interaction required to study a specific clinical problem and how this can be made into a meaningful multimedia experience with hardcopy for study purposes.

CD-ROM↗
PubMed1990

Heparin-associated thrombocytopenia and thrombosis: optimal therapy with ancrod.

Heparin-associated thrombocytopenia and thrombosis (HATT) is an infrequent occurrence but may have disastrous consequences. Continued therapy with heparin must be avoided and anticoagulation achieved by alternative means. Among the few alternatives to heparin in critically ill patients, the best is ancrod. Depletion of fibrinogen with ancrod results in anticoagulation comparable to therapy with heparin within 12 hours. In a small series, nine patients with HATT were treated with ancrod; one underwent angiographic assessment, angioplasty and subsequent vascular reconstruction. Ancrod therapy was not associated with bleeding complications. It appears to provide optimal therapy for patients suspected of having HATT.

Ancrod↗
PubMed1988

Ancrod: a practical alternative to heparin.

To rapidly start systemic anticoagulation there are few alternatives to heparin; those that may be used are often less effective and are impractical substitutes for various reasons. We report the cases of seven patients in whom anticoagulant therapy was begun with ancrod instead of heparin for one or more of the following reasons: (1) failure to achieve systemic anticoagulation in response to heparin (e.g., antithrombin III deficiency), (2) heparin-associated complications (e.g., thrombocytopenia, thrombosis, or both), and (3) combined anticoagulation and improved blood rheology considered to be potentially more beneficial than anticoagulation alone (e.g., massive thrombosis). In the cases reported, ancrod permitted systemic anticoagulation equal to that of heparin; this was achieved without bleeding complications. In contrast to streptokinase or urokinase, ancrod does not degrade preformed, fully cross-linked thrombin fibrin; consequently hemorrhagic complications are uncommon. Ancrod appears to be an appropriate alternative to heparin and may be preferable to it in certain circumstances.

Adult↗
PubMed1988

Acute Pancoast's syndrome caused by fungal infection.

Nonmalignant causes of Pancoast's syndrome are extremely rare. The authors report the case of a 32-year-old man, receiving treatment for acute lymphoblastic leukemia, who had a clinical picture resembling that of Pancoast's syndrome. Invasive mucormycosis was diagnosed as the cause of the syndrome at emergency thoracotomy undertaken to control massive hemoptysis. In spite of adequate treatment, the patient died 5 weeks postoperatively of overwhelming sepsis. A review of the literature disclosed only two other similar cases. The authors conclude that the development of Pancoast's syndrome in the immunosuppressed patient should raise suspicion of an invasive fungal infection. A precise early diagnosis may allow successful, specific antifungal therapy to be instituted.

Adult↗
PubMed1978

Leukemic reticuloendotheliosis: polyclonal surface immunoglobulin on "hairy" cells.

The cytochemistry, surface markers and functional properties of purified mononuclear cells obtained from the peripheral blood and spleen of a patient with leukemic reticuloendotheliosis were studied. Nonspecific esterase activity, a monocyte marker, was demonstrable in 83% of the peripheral blood mononuclear cells and 84% of the splenic mononuclear cells. Rosetting techniques failed to detect T or B lymphocyte surface markers on the majority of the cells. Direct immunofluorescence revealed capped, noncytophilic surface immunoglobulin on the cells with all immunoglobulin classes being detectable. Since noncapping conditions ahd been used during immunofluorescence staining, the observed caps were attributed to in vivo binding of autoantibodies to the "hairy" cells. This conclusion was supported by the demonstration of susceptibility of the "hairy" cells to lysis mediated by normal allogeneic lymphocytes. It is postulated that the "hairy" cells in this patient are leukemic monocytes which bear autoantibodies directed against leukemia associated antigens.

Antibodies, Neoplasm↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Value of assessment of pretest probability of deep-vein thrombosis in clinical management.

BACKGROUND: When ultrasonography is used to investigate deep-vein thrombosis, serial testing is recommended for those who test negative initially. Serial testing is inconvenient for patients and costly. We aimed to assess whether the calculation of pretest probability of deep-vein thrombosis, with a simple clinical model, could be used to improve the management of patients who present with suspected deep-vein thrombosis. METHODS: Consecutive outpatients with suspected deep-vein thrombosis had their pretest probability calculated with a clinical model. They then underwent compression ultrasound imaging of proximal veins of the legs. Patients at low pretest probability underwent a single ultrasound test. A negative ultrasound excluded the diagnosis of deep-vein thrombosis whereas a positive ultrasound was confirmed by venography. Patients at moderate pretest probability with a positive ultrasound were treated for deep-vein thrombosis whereas patients with an initial negative ultrasound underwent a single follow-up ultrasound 1 week later. Patients at high pretest probability with a positive ultrasound were treated whereas those with negative ultrasound underwent venography. All patients were followed up for 3 months for thromboembolic complications. FINDINGS: 95 (16.0%) of all 593 patients had deep-vein thrombosis; 3%, 17%, and 75% of the patients with low, moderate, and high pretest probability, respectively, had deep-vein thrombosis. Ten of 329 patients with low pretest probability had the diagnosis confirmed, nine at initial testing and one at follow-up. 32 of 193 patients with moderate pretest probability had deep-vein thrombosis, three diagnosed by the serial (1 week) test, and two during follow-up. 53 of 71 patients with high pretest probability had deep-vein thrombosis (49 by the initial ultrasound and four by venography). Only three (0.6%) of all 501 (95% CI 0.1-1.8) patients diagnosed as not having deep-vein thrombosis had events during the 3-month follow-up. Overall only 33 (5.6%) of 593 patients required venography and serial testing was limited to 166 (28%) of 593 patients. INTERPRETATION: Management of patients with suspected deep-vein thrombosis based on clinical probability and ultrasound of the proximal deep veins is safe and feasible. Our strategy reduced the need for serial ultrasound testing and reduced the rate of false-negative or false-positive ultrasound studies.

Algorithms↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Preliminary clinical experience with the Gunther temporary inferior vena cava filter.

PURPOSE: The authors describe their preliminary clinical experience with the Gunther temporary inferior vena cava (IVC) filter. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Seven women and 10 men, mean age 52 years (range, 19-85 years), were treated with the temporary IVC filter. Indications for filter placement were pulmonary embolism (PE) in four patients and iliofemoral deep venous thrombosis in six. In these patients anticoagulation was contraindicated because of planned major surgery. Filters were placed in four patients following massive PE and in three for prophylaxis following cranial trauma. Four patients had underlying malignant disease. Filters were introduced through the right common femoral vein in 14 patients, the left common femoral vein in two, and the left internal jugular vein in one. RESULTS: No patient developed recurrent PE with the filter in place. All filters were removed without complication 3-14 days (mean, 7 days) after placement. Two of the patients with underlying malignant disease required placement of a permanent filter. Two patients developed IVC thrombosis with the filter in place, and both developed recurrent PE after filter removal. Two patients developed insertion vein thrombosis. One patient developed a bleeding disorder that caused a massive hematoma at the insertion vein site, which may have contributed to her death. CONCLUSION: The Gunther temporary filter can be used in selected patients; however, patients with underlying malignant disease may be more appropriately treated with a permanent filter. The temporary filter does not appear to reduce the rate of insertion vein and IVC thrombosis.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Multiple transient ischemic attacks, lupus anticoagulant and verrucous endocarditis.

A young adult with lupus anticoagulant and systemic lupus erythematosus had onset of multiple transient ischemic attacks four years after a major left hemispheric infarct. The symptoms were stereotyped, recurred several times daily over three years and ceased when aspirin was added to steroid therapy. It is speculated that her symptoms were due to recurrent embolism from the heart in the presence of a thrombotic state.

Adult↗