OBJECTIVEThe etiology of altered sensorium in diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) remains unclear. Therefore, we sought to determine the origin of depressed consciousness in DKA.RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODSWe analyzed retrospectively clinical and biochemical data of DKA patients admitted in a community teaching hospital.RESULTSWe recorded 216 cases, 21% of which occurred in subjects with type 2 diabetes. Mean serum osmolality and pH were 304 ± 31.6 mOsm/kg and 7.14 ± 0.15, respectively. Acidosis emerged as the prime determinant of altered sensorium, but hyperosmolarity played a synergistic role in patients with severe acidosis to precipitate depressed sensorium (odds ratio 2.87). Combination of severe acidosis and hyperosmolarity predicted altered consciousness with 61% sensitivity and 87% specificity. Mortality occurred in 0.9% of the cases.CONCLUSIONSAcidosis was independently associated with altered sensorium, but hyperosmolarity and serum “ketone” levels were not. Combination of hyperosmolarity and acidosis predicted altered sensorium with good sensitivity and specificity.
Background
A surgical pulmonary artery band (PAB) is used to control excessive pulmonary blood flow for certain congenital heart diseases. Previous attempts have been made to develop a transcatheter, implantable pulmonary flow restrictor (PFR) without great success. We modified a microvascular plug (MVP) to be used as a PFR. The objectives of this study were to demonstrate feasibility of transcatheter implantation and retrieval of the modified MVP as a PFR, and compare PA growth while using the PFR versus PAB.
Methods and results
The PFR was implanted in eight newborn piglets in bilateral branch pulmonary arteries (PAs). Immediately post‐PFR implantation, the right ventricular systolic pressure increased from a median of 20–51 mmHg. Transcatheter retrieval of PFR was 100% successful at 3, 6, and 9 weeks and 50% at 12‐weeks post‐implant. A left PAB was placed via thoracotomy in four other newborn piglets. Debanding was performed 6‐weeks later via balloon angioplasty. On follow‐up, the proximal left PA diameters in the PFR and the PAB groups were similar (median 8 vs. 7.1 mm; p = 0.11); albeit the surgical band sites required repeat balloon angioplasty secondary to recurrent stenosis. By histopathology, there was grade II vessel injury in two pigs immediately post‐retrieval of PFR that healed by 12 weeks.
Conclusions
Transcatheter implantation and retrieval of the MVP as a PFR is feasible. PA growth is comparable to surgical PAB, which is likely to require reinterventions. The use of the MVP as a PFR in humans has to be trialed before recommending its routine use.
Background Initial studies on the use of ultrasound in the detection and sampling of supraclavicular lymph nodes in patients with suspected lung cancer show this to be a promising technique, giving both a cytological diagnosis and pathological N3 (pN3) stage. Leicester published its initial experience in 2005 and the aim of this study was to establish if this had been embedded into the diagnostic pathway, and further to examine the use of ultrasound in diagnosing and staging lung cancer by imaging other areas including pleural effusions, chest wall, bone and liver lesions. Methods All patients diagnosed with lung cancer, registered on the Leicester lung cancer database over a two year period between January 2007 and December 2008, had their imaging and pathology retrospectively reviewed; 996 primary lung cancer patients were identified (n¼996). Of these, 318 patients underwent an ultrasound examination (n¼318), consisting of ultrasound of the neck, pleural cavity, and metastatic lesions potentially amenable to ultrasound guided aspiration/biopsy. Results The overall malignant yield was 45% of patients scanned (95% CI 39.5% to 50.4%) and 81.3% of patients sampled (95% CI 75.5% to 87%). Of the 996 patients, 14.4% (n¼143) had a positive ultrasound guided cytological diagnosis (95% CI 12.2% to 16.5%). Of all the pathological diagnoses (n¼765), 18.7% were ultrasound guided (95% CI 15.9% to 21.5%). In particular, 32.2% of patients with CT detected neck or mediastinal nodes had a diagnosis and stage achieved by neck ultrasound. Conclusion The use of ultrasound gives a rapid and less invasive method of diagnosing and staging lung cancer and has become embedded into the diagnostic pathway. We advocate its increased use and availability in patients with lung cancer.
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