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Metallic stents are currently an established component of the endoluminal treatment of stenoses within the blood vessels, bile ducts, esophagus, trachea, and bronchi. With the development of newer stent designs and delivery systems and the general momentum toward minimally invasive therapies, metallic stent placement has expanded into the nonsurgical therapy for gastroduodenal and colorectal obstructions. The use of metallic stents within the stomach, duodenum, or colon is intended not to be curative but to provide nonsurgical palliation for the symptoms of gastric or colonic obstruction. This palliation may be intended for the life of the patient in the case of unresectable disease or as a temporizing procedure prior to a definitive surgical procedure. In the latter clinical scenario, the benefits of a minimally invasive intestinal decompression procedure include (a) quick and noninvasive relief of the intestinal obstruction in an acutely ill patient that obviates a more extensive procedure; (b) allowance of time to improve a patient's overall medical condition and thus to allow a patient to better tolerate the definitive surgical procedure; and (c) reduction of the complexity of the definitive procedure by eliminating the need for staged procedures and allowing the definitive procedure to be performed at one setting.

Hemoptysis is common in patients with cystic fibrosis (CF). Bleeding may vary in severity, ranging from minor blood-streaking of sputum to expectoration of significant quantities of blood. Major hemoptysis, defined as bleeding greater than 240 ml/24 h, represents a medical emergency. Bronchial artery embolization (BAE) is one of the treatment options for hemoptysis. We reviewed the 10-yr experience at the University of North Carolina Hospitals in the treatment of hemoptysis by BAE. Eighteen patients with CF were hospitalized on 29 occasions and underwent 36 BAE procedures for the control of hemoptysis. Most patients (n = 11) had very severe lung disease (FEV1 < 35%) with a high incidence (n = 9, 50%) of multi-drug-resistant bacteria. Fifteen patients (n = 33 procedures) were followed for a mean of approximately 22 mo after BAE. The overall efficacy of BAE for initial control of hemoptysis was 75% (n = 22) after one session, 89% (n = 26) after two sessions, and 93% (n = 27) after three sessions. The overall recurrence rate per episode was 46% (12/26 presentations in four patients) with a mean time for recurrence of approximately 12 mo. There was a high incidence (75%) of bleeding from nonbronchial systemic collateral vessels among patients (n = 7) who had undergone a previous BAE. There were two deaths associated with massive hemoptysis despite BAE. Three patients had transient neurologic deficits during BAE. We concluded that BAE is a relatively safe and effective means of treating significant hemoptysis in patients with CF.

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Neither surgical nor endovascular management resulted in long-term function for the majority of shunts after thrombosis. However, surgical management resulted in significantly longer primary patency in this patient population, supporting its use as the primary method of management in most patients in whom shunt thrombosis develops.

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These initial results suggest that are similar to infrarenal AAA endovascular repair. This combined approach to repair of pararenal and type IV TAAAs reduces the morbidity and mortality of open repair, and represents an attractive option in high-risk patients while endoluminal technology continues to evolve.

This document is a consensus statement by the major American societies of physicians who work in the interventional laboratory environment. It reviews available data on the prevalence of occupational health risks and summarizes ongoing epidemiologic studies designed to further elucidate these risks. Its purpose is to affirm that the interventional laboratory poses workplace hazards that must be acknowledged, better understood, and mitigated to the greatest extent possible. Vigorous efforts are advocated to reduce these hazards. Interventional physicians and their professional societies, working together with industry, should strive toward minimizing operator radiation exposure, eliminating the need for personal protective apparel, and ending the orthopedic and ergonomic consequences of the interventional laboratory work environment. (J Radiol Nurs 2010;29:75-82.)