Search PubMedSearch

Biomedical subjects

J S Durham

Publications and source records attributed to J S Durham.

5 recordsLinked to original sources

Epistaxis: efficacy of arterial ligation and long-term outcome.

Epistaxis is the most common otolaryngologic emergency requiring hospital admission. Patients with this disorder are usually managed conservatively beginning with the simplest mode of treatment with surgical arterial ligation being reserved for cases of failed nasal packing. The purpose of this retrospective review was to evaluate the efficacy of arterial ligation and document all of the complications secondary to these procedures, especially the minor complications secondary to transantral internal maxillary artery (IMAX) ligation. A total of 402 patients admitted to the Vancouver General Hospital between 1980-1990 with a primary diagnosis of epistaxis were the basis for this review. The hospital charts of those patients who underwent arterial ligation were reviewed. A phone questionnaire was directed to this group. External carotid artery (ECA) ligation was associated with a high rate of rebleeding (9/20-45%) during the 10 year follow-up period. IMAX ligation was an effective procedure for controlling epistaxis with a small number of rebleeds (3/29-10%). Although few major complications were noted in the IMAX ligation group, frequent minor complications were noted on prolonged follow-up. Despite this, patient satisfaction was very good in the IMAX ligation group.

British Columbia

Design and evaluation of a subclassification system for supraglottic laryngeal cancer.

The management of supraglottic laryngeal cancer is predicted upon tumor staging as determined by the American Joint Committee Classification (AJCC). Because of changes in both radiotherapy and surgical treatment, the current AJCC may lack the detail and specificity required for accurate selection of treatment. An expanded classification system should provide predictive information that would aid in clinical decision making. Using the AJCC as a foundation, a subclassification system based upon existing knowledge of laryngeal anatomy, embryology and pattern of tumor spread was developed. This system identifies those cancers that involve subsites deemed to represent regions of increased risk for spread. The validity of this subclassification system and its clinical application was assessed by reviewing 139 cases of supraglottic laryngeal cancer and performing a statistical analysis with respect to treatment outcome. The results of this study support the conclusion that two subpopulations of laryngeal tumors, those with a subsite designation of infrahyoid epiglottis, and those demonstrating fixation of the vocal cord, may benefit from a more aggressive treatment protocol.

British Columbia

Anaplastic carcinoma presenting with cervical lymphadenopathy.

We describe 50 patients with anaplastic carcinoma presenting with a mass in the neck. The diagnosis of anaplastic carcinoma was confirmed by immunocytochemistry to exclude very poorly differentiated squamous carcinomas, amelanotic melanoma, and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. The primary site was established immediately in 26 patients (25 in the head and neck; 1 in the lung); a further 4 had radiological evidence of a primary tumour in the lung. The primary site was established later in 1 patient, in the ethmoid sinuses. In 20 patients the primary site was never established. The commonest primary site was the nasopharynx. The basic treatment policy was radiotherapy, although 20% of patients with a known primary tumour, and 50% of those without, were untreated. The 2-year survival was about 30% in both groups, and did not differ significantly. Prognostic factors for survival were age, performance status, and T status of the primary tumour. Sex, node status, node level, and laterality of nodes, were not.

Carcinoma

An intracaval cannulation for obtaining pure, mixed hepatic venous blood samples.

A method for obtaining pure, mixed hepatic venous blood is described and evaluated in anesthetized cats. Hepatic vascular congestion does not occur with this "intracaval cannulation", however small elevations in central venous blood pressure were noted. Although these changes persisted they did not result in systemic vascular congestion, judging from the normal arterial and portal pressures and from the lack of progressive decrease in arterial blood pressure. Blood samples obtained using the intracaval cannulation were shown to contain identical levels of oxygen as those obtained using a more complex surgical preparation. Reflux of blood from the vena cava does not occur during sampling. The responsiveness of this sampling method to rapid changes in venous content was evaluated by following the changes in glucose balance caused by direct stimulation of the hepatic nerves. The responses measured were similar to those measured in a separate set of experiments obtained using blood samples from a surgically isolated hepatic venous supply.

Animals

Obtaining S values for rectangular-solid tumors inside rectangular-solid host organs.

A method is described for obtaining S values between a tumor and its host organ for use with the MIRD formalism. It applies the point-source specific absorbed fractions for an infinite water medium, tabulated by Berger, to a rectangular solid of arbitrary dimensions which contains a rectangular tumor of arbitrary dimensions. Contributions from pairs of source and target volume elements are summed for the S values between the tumor and itself, between the remaining healthy host organ and itself, and between the tumor and the remaining healthy host organ, with the reciprocity theorem assumed for the last. This method labeled MTUMOR, is interfaced with the widely used MIRDOSE program which incorporates the MIRD formalism. An example is calculated.

Humans