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S Albu

Publications and source records attributed to S Albu.

11 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2001

Intracranial complications of sinusitis.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to discuss the presenting signs and symptoms important for the early diagnosis and to review the medical and surgical management of patients presenting with intracranial complications of sinusitis. METHODS: Retrospective review of the medical records of all patients admitted with intracranial infections between 1990 and 1999 at the Department of Otolaryngology, Department of Neurosurgery and Department of Infectious Diseases, University of Cluj, Romania. RESULTS: Sixteen patients had 23 intracranial complications of sinusitis. These were meningitis (6 cases), frontal lobe abscess (6 cases), epidural abscess (5 cases), subdural abscess (4 cases), and cavernous sinus thrombophlebitis (2 cases). In almost all patients, early symptoms included headache and fever. Clinical diagnosis was confirmed by imaging. Management of these infections included intravenous broad-spectrum antibiotics, appropriate neurosurgical and sinus drainage. Among these patients, there was one death and 4 patients developed significant neurologic sequelae. Poor prognosis was associated with the presence of subdural abscess and a prolonged time interval between the onset of symptoms and the beginning of treatment. CONCLUSION: Early diagnosis of intracranial complication of sinusitis can reduce morbidity and mortality associated with these complications.

Adult↗
PubMed2000

Surgical treatment of tympanosclerosis.

OBJECTIVE: To report the hearing results of the surgical treatment of tympanosclerosis. STUDY DESIGN: A retrospective review of surgically treated cases of tympanosclerosis. SETTING: A tertiary referral center. PATIENTS: One hundred fifteen patients with middle ear tympanosclerosis operated on between 1987 and 1996, with an average age of 36 years (range 18-59 years). Cases were classified into four groups according to Wielinga and Kerr. Those with an associated cholesteatoma were excluded. INTERVENTION: Depending on the ossicular status, either mobilization of the major ossicles or epitympanic bypass procedure, mobilization of the stapes or stapedectomy. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The postoperative pure-tone average was compared with the preoperative levels by use of conventional audiometry. The air-bone gap was measured. RESULTS: The average postoperative air-bone gap was 18.0+/-10.21 dB in the type II group (attic fixation of the malleus-incus complex with a mobile stapes). 21.8+/-9.5 dB in the type III group (mobile malleus-incus complex, if present, with stapes footplate fixation), and 22.92+/-10.03 dB in the type IV group (fixation of both the stapes footplate and the malleus-incus complex). Patients with a fixed malleus and mobile stapes had significantly better hearing results than those with stapes fixation (p = 0.042, Mann-Whitney U test). CONCLUSION: In ossicular attic fixation, atticotomy and mobilization of ossicles yielded better results than did the epitympanic bypass procedure. The difference, however, did not reach statistical significance. Patients with fixed stapes treated with stapedectomy displayed good hearing results immediately after surgery, but the air-bone gap deteriorated after some time.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1998

Prognostic factors in tympanoplasty.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the prognostic value of pathologic and technical variables influencing the functional outcome of tympanoplasty. PATIENTS AND STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective review of the records of 544 patients affected by chronic otitis with or without cholesteatoma, operated on by the senior author in a city hospital ENT department. Follow-up was provided systematically by the same institution. INTERVENTIONS: These included tympanoplasty without mastoidectomy in 339 cases, canal wall up technique in 134 cases, and canal wall down in 71 cases. Three hundred twenty-six (60%) were primary, and 218 (40%) were revision procedures. Myringoplasty was performed with autologous temporalis fascia, ossiculoplasty with incus interposition, or partial or total ossicular prostheses. Mean follow-up was 14 months (range, 12-50 months). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Hearing results were defined according to the Committee on Hearing and Equilibrium Guidelines. A one-way analysis of variance was used to determine group differences. Multiple logistic regression analysis was subsequently carried out on the different pathology groups via the hierarchical log linear model. A probability value of p < 0.05 was the level of significance. RESULTS: The status of the mucosal lining, the mastoidectomy, the availability of the malleus handle, and the tympanic membrane perforation were all significantly predictive of the hearing outcome but with differing weight according to the pathologic condition. CONCLUSIONS: Anatomic and technical factors diversely affect the functional outcome of tympanoplasty. A better knowledge of their predictive roles and weights may be useful in both the surgeon's judgment and in the information given to the patient.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1998

Nd:YAG laser-assisted uvulopalatoplasty for snoring.

Uvulopalatopharyngoplasty (UPPP) has been acknowledged as the surgical treatment of choice for snoring. More recently, laser-assisted uvulopalatoplasty (LAUP) has emerged as a reliable, safe, less invasive technique in the surgical treatment of snoring. Our experience includes 90 patients treated by means of Nd:YAG laser-assisted uvulopalatoplasty and the results are presented. The value of different factors (age, sex, snoring loudness, pharynx appearance, Müller manoeuver, presence of apnoeic episodes, overweight) in predicting success or failure of laser surgery has been evaluated. Good results were obtained in 80% of our patients. We found excessive snoring loudness and apnoeic episodes to be statistically associated with failure of LAUP to correct snoring. The other mentioned factors cannot be used in predicting the outcome of Nd:YAG laser-assisted uvulopalatoplasty.

Adult↗
PubMed1997

Predictive factors in cochlear implants.

Predictive factors in cochlear implants. The clinical records of 32 patients who received a multichannel cochlear implant between 1991 and 1994, were retrospectively reviewed. A Nucleus Mini 22 device was used in 27 cases, a Clarion device in 5 cases. The aim of this study was to identify the predictive role, and hence the influence on the final result of such factors as: the age of patients at implantation and at the onset of deafness, the duration of profound deafness, the aetiology of deafness, sudden or progressive hearing loss, the number of recordable sound frequencies, the promontory test outcome, the length of electrode insertion, the number of active electrodes, the map. A statistically significant negative correlation (p = 0.02) was found between the duration of deafness and patients' performance. The relationship between map and performance, due to the small number of patients, did not reach statistical significance although it was very close to the limit (p = 0.055). The other mentioned factors did not achieve any statistical significance.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[The efficiency of an original selective medium in isolating and identifying gram-negative bacteria in urinary tract infections].

The authors examined 449 samples of urine, bacteriologically important for the minor infection, collected from the patients with clinical forms of urinary infection. Using a selective medium--CMV, enteric agar (Romanian patent--9345/1989), 567 strains of gram-negative germs, chemically belonging to group I (Enterobacteria)-475/83.77%, or to groups II-VI, 66/11.64% were isolated. Other 20 strains, 4.69% could not be identified. Of the total of samples, 333/74.16% were with monobacterial flora versus 116/25.83% samples with pluribacterial flora referring to Enterobacteria associated among them--64/55.17% or to Enterobacteria associated to other gram-negative germs--33/30.17%. Likewise, double or multiple associations among the germs outside the Enterobacteriaceae family were found. The results showed the etiologic participation of 22 bacterial species to which other nonidentified gram-negative microorganisms were added. Our data, more comprehensive than the mentions of the other authors show the efficiency of the culture medium experimented. It has the following advantages: the isolated colonies have a wide chromatic and structural range, showing, in fact, the reactions between the bacterial enzymes and the substances belonging to the medium;--it identifies directly, in the isolation slides, some frequently met species;--it guides sensibly the pricking out; it permits the establishment of the proportion among the types of colonies.

Bacteriuria↗