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Biomedical subjects

K Cavanaugh

Publications and source records attributed to K Cavanaugh.

5 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2000

Recurrent laryngeal nerve monitoring during cricotracheal resection.

Cricotracheal resection has been advocated in the management of severe subglottic stenosis. One of the possible complications of this procedure is injury to the recurrent laryngeal nerve (RLN). We describe a new technique in which electrodes are placed directly through the thyroid cartilage to monitor the RLN intraoperatively. Nine cats' left vocal cords were monitored, and 3 cats had unilateral vocal cord injury postoperatively: 1 right cord and 2 left cords. Even though this technique was efficacious, our ability to monitor the RLNs was difficult secondary to difficulty interpreting the nerve monitor's wave morphologies. The future use of RLN nerve monitoring during cricotracheal resection will depend upon the ability to distinguish true stimulation from artifact. Monitoring of the RLN could be beneficial in patients with previous operations for subglottic stenosis.

Animals↗
PubMed1999

Postparotidectomy fistula: a different treatment for an old problem.

There is little consensus on the optimal management of postparotidectomy salivary fistulas. Timely treatment is important since fistulas may result in wound dehiscence and infection. Management options include pressure dressings, total parotidectomy, tympanic neurectomy, graft interpositioning, surgical closure of the tract, radiation therapy, and pharmacotherapy. Unfortunately, many therapies require weeks to months for resolution and possess additional risks. The affected patient often suffers social embarrassment from the drainage. Through our work with neurologically impaired children with sialorrhea, we have had success with using glycopyrrolate, an anticholinergic frequently used to decrease salivary secretions. We present a case of a patient with a postparotidectomy fistula which was successfully treated with glycopyrrolate and pressure dressings. The rationale and potential use of glycopyrrolate for the treatment of a salivary fistula are the focus of this presentation.

Adenoma, Pleomorphic↗
PubMed1995

Time-related neuronal changes following middle cerebral artery occlusion: implications for therapeutic intervention and the role of calpain.

Changes in neocortex and striatum were characterized over time following focal ischemia to the brain. Rats were subjected to permanent middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCA-O) and sacrificed 1, 3, 6, 12, or 24 h later. The affected tissue was processed for tetrazolium chloride (TTC) and cresyl violet staining, as well as for Western blots to detect calpain-induced spectrin proteolysis. Significant changes in cell size and spectrin breakdown occurred within the first hour of occlusion, with further, dramatic changes in these two early markers continuing over time. Initial evidence of cell loss was noted at 1 h postocclusion in the striatum and at 3 h in the neocortex. However, even in the center of the most affected portion of the neocortex, the majority of cells appeared to be intact through 6 h. By this time, a significant TTC-defined infarct also emerged. These quantitative data indicate that calpain-induced proteolysis occurs very soon after the ischemic insult, is correlated with earliest changes in cell hypotrophy, and precedes or occurs in tandem with evidence of significant cell loss. They also demonstrate that, while some cell loss occurs earlier than previously believed, the majority of cells remains morphologically intact well beyond what is typically thought to be the window of opportunity for intervention. The results thus raise the question of how long after the ischemic event pharmaceutic intervention might be employed to salvage substantial numbers of neurons.

Animals↗