Search PubMed⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

L Martin

Publications and source records attributed to L Martin.

733 records · Page 41Linked to original sources
PubMedDate not supplied

[Gastroesophageal reflux after the surgical treatment of esophageal atresia].

The experience of the authors concerns 100 neonates treated for esophageal atresia between 1968 and 1980. A retrospective study of the sequelae observed in 73 survivors (age 3 to 15 years) found 26 cases of gastroesophageal reflux. This study demonstrates a high incidence of reflux in children who initially presented with a fistula and long gap esophageal atresia. It also shows that chronic respiratory disorders are more frequent in these patients and that esophagitis is the principal factor leading to stricture of the anastomosis stubborn to dilatation. In 14 patients, the severity of the clinical and endoscopic symptoms justified a surgical antireflux procedure, the only guarantee of clinical and radiologic recovery, with long term confirmation in 9 patients.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[On preclotting of woven Dacron vascular prostheses (author's transl)].

The role and the clinical value of common protocols of preclotting for a woven Dacron vascular prosthesis have been investigated. A comparative study of blood loss was carried out for Standard Woven De Bakey protheses inserted in a specially constructed extracorporeal blood circuit with canine models. The system detected transport of blood across the wall of the prostheses. These measurements were supplemented by gravimetric assessment of blood clot density and scanning electronmicroscopy examination of the internal surfaces of the prostheses. The pre-operative protocols investigated included : absence of pre-treatment, precoagulation with anticoagulant-free blood and various techniques using heparinized blood subsequent to an initial blood contact (modified method of Sauvage). The effect of using heparinized animals was also investigated. Leakages in unclotted prostheses could be reduced almost five fold by any precoagulation technique. Heparinization did not cause a significant increase in leakage and considerably improved the quality of the newly deposited blood product lining on the prostheses which consisted almost entirely of fibrin and eliminated any embolization.

Animals↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Glutaraldehyde - fixed human umbilical cord vein as a small diameter arterial substitute. Experimentation on the monkey].

Autologous saphenous veins, the preferred substitute material for aorto-coronary, femoro-popliteal and femoro-tibial by-pass, are usable in only 70% of individuals in need of such procedures. The development of small diameter substitute arteries is therefore essential to broaden the pool of patients who could benefit from this class of cardiovascular surgery. Existing substitutes, however, present major difficulties and have had limited success. In this laboratory, an attempt has been made to develop a vessel of 3 millimetres or less in diameter derived from human umbilical cord processed in glutaraldehyde. This substitute can be stored in 45% ethanol or dessicated by critical point drying. This device had been implanted as a segment of abdominal aorta in eight primates (Macaca fascicularis). Preliminary results are disappointing. The indicate that retention of a patency for more than a year post-implantation is difficultly achievable and that connective tissue hyperplasia leading to occlusion at the anastomoses is a major problem. Similar but larger diameter by-passes in the order of 6-8 millimetres should be investigated in greater detail, in order to better establish the "in-vivo" behavior of this class of tissue prosthesis. This would address the more fundamental issues pertaining to the clinical usefulness of fixed biological tissue by-pass devices.

Animals↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Making the most of nursing student projects: a collaborative pain management project.

A simple quality assurance project involving one facility and two nursing students provided an opportunity to meet the needs of the students, institution, nursing staff, and patients. Patients received more information on pain and pain management. Students met the objectives of their programs and also gained invaluable experience in research methods, education of staff members, and development of new policies. The facility capitalized on the findings of the original quality assurance study and used that information to make changes in the way pain was managed at the institution. This collaborative effort is just one example of the benefits that accrue when educational and clinical facilities work together. The challenge to education and practice is to work together to identify mutual goals and achieve objectives that meet educational and clinical needs. Not only can collaboration facilitate exceptional learning experiences for the student, it also can stimulate staff nurses' interest in research and lay the groundwork for education of staff to make changes in the way care is delivered.

Education, Nursing, Baccalaureate↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Why make monofilament sutures out of polyvinylidene fluoride?

In recent years some clinical reports have associated suture failures with polypropylene monofilaments. Therefore there is interest in developing an alternative suture material that is less thrombogenic than polyester and similar in handling characteristics but less prone to mechanical failure than polypropylene. To this end, Peters Laboratoire Pharmaceutique has developed a new monofilament suture material from polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF), which has been subjected to a special treatment to modify its crystalline form and level of crystallinity. The purpose of this study was to evaluate its mechanical, chemical, and biologic properties and to compare its performance, in a peripheral vascular application, to that of a polypropylene control. A series of in vitro tests were performed to study the morphology, tensile properties, creep, surface chemistry, thermal characteristics, and resistance to iatrogenic trauma. In addition, an in vivo trial was undertaken in which vascular prostheses anastomosed with either PVDF or polypropylene sutures were implanted as a thoracoabdominal bypass for 6 months in the dog. Histologic and degradation analyses were performed on the explants. The results from the mechanical tests on 4-0, 5-0, and 6-0 PVDF and polypropylene sutures demonstrated that although both materials have similar breaking strengths, the PVDF has a higher extension at break, has less delayed extension when under tensile creep testing, and suffers less trauma than the polypropylene when compressed by a standard needle holder. While chemical analyses found evidence of surface oxidation on both types of sutures, thermal analysis confirmed that the level of crystallinity of the PVDF polymer is higher than that of the polypropylene control. During the pilot study in animals, PVDF sutures were found to have good handling and frictional characteristics that facilitated the tying of knots. Histologic analysis of the explants found no inflammatory cells in the tissue surrounding either the PVDF or polypropylene sutures, and scanning electron microscopic examination of the cleaned suture surfaces found no evidence of degradation during 6 months in vivo. Though preliminary in nature, these findings indicate that monofilament sutures made from PVDF provide an attractive alternative to those made from polypropylene for use in cardiovascular surgery. In addition to providing acceptable in vivo behavior and being easy to manipulate and more resistant to iatrogenic injury, PVDF materials can be sterilized by beta or gamma radiation and so can reduce dependence upon ethylene oxide and chlorofluorohydrocarbons.

Animals↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Computer-assisted management of primary open-angle glaucoma. Knowledge acquisition and prototype testing.

Primary open-angle glaucoma is a common disease afflicting 1% to 2% of people older than 50 years of age. The care of patients with glaucoma is a subject of debate because the disease is incompletely understood. The diagnosis relies on a number of examinations, many of them performed by ophthalmic nurses, and the care of patients with glaucoma has become one of the main tasks for ophthalmic nurses in Sweden. This study describes a knowledge-based system for decision support in glaucoma management, which uses seven data elements about the patient to arrive at one of 25 different recommendations for appropriate action. In 267 patient visits to five different eye clinics, the program recommendations were compared with the actual decisions made by the responsible physician. The concordance was 92% to 100% when policy differences among the clinics were taken into account. The program appears to provide substantial decision support in the management of primary open-angle glaucoma. The program's ability to support the ophthalmic nurses in the care of patients with open-angle glaucoma is being evaluated.

Aged↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Thoracoscopy in the evaluation and management of thoracic trauma.

Video-thoracoscopy was used to evaluate and manage patients after thoracic trauma. It was used in 29 patients. Indications included retained hemothorax in 16 patients, empyema in 11, evaluation for the source of thoracic bleeding in 1, and an airleak in 1. The mechanism of injury was blunt trauma in 8 cases, 10 with stab wounds, and 11 with gunshot wounds. In blunt trauma, thoracoscopy was carried out an average of 11.7 days post injury, chest tubes were removed after an average of 7 days post thoracoscopy, and discharge averaged 10.7 days after thoracoscopy. The failure rate was 12.5% with no mortality. In stab wounds, it was carried out an average of 8.8 days post injury, chest tube removal occurred after 6.1 days, and discharge averaged 7.8 days after thoracoscopy. The failure rate was 20% with no mortality. In gunshot wounds, it was carried out an average of 7.5 days after injury, chest tubes were removed after 9.9 days, and discharge averaged 16 days post thoracoscopy. The failure rate was 9% with a mortality of 9%. Overall, the failure rate for thoracoscopy was 13.8% (4/29). The mortality rate was 3.5% (1/29). It was successfully performed up to 30 days post injury. It proved to be effective in the management of empyema, evacuation of clotted hemothorax, and diagnosis of ongoing thoracic bleeding.

Humans↗