ABSTRACT
While penetrating wounds of the abdomen may selectively be managed conservatively in the absence of clinical signs or symptoms, we believe that in similar injuries of the pelvic area, exploration is mandatory. Regardless of their clinical presentation, 38 consecutive patients with penetrating injury to the pelvis had exploration, which yielded positive findings in 37 (97%). Furthermore, the incidence of vascular injuries, especially in the presence of shock, was 82% (nine patients), with an associated mortality of 63% (seven patients). These data indicate that, in some cases, undue delay may be life-threatening.
Subject(s)
Pelvis/injuries , Wounds, Gunshot/surgery , Adolescent , Adult , Aged , Arteries/injuries , Female , Humans , Intestines/injuries , Male , Middle Aged , Ovary/injuries , Postoperative Complications/mortality , Prognosis , Urinary Bladder/injuries , Uterus/injuries , Veins/injuries , Wounds, Gunshot/diagnosis , Wounds, Gunshot/mortalityABSTRACT
A good method of assisting the right ventricle of the heart has, up to the present, not been available. This paper presents a new approach to assisting the right ventricle of the heart which can be utilised independently or during cardiac surgery. Through implementation of this approach, and timed inflation and deflation of several types of balloon catheters in the pulmonary artery, distal pulmonary arterial flow is augmented with subsequent unloading of the right side of the heart. This approach, hopefully, will be of benefit in the treatment of atherosclerotic and congenital heart disease as well as in many cases of pulmonary hypertension.
