ABSTRACT
Obesity has been shown to increase lumbar CSF pressure in healthy subjects. The authors studied lumbar CSF opening pressure in 18 obese, 33 overweight, and 49 nonoverweight subjects with normal MRI and MR venography (MRV) of the brain. No subject had a CSF pressure above 200 mm H2O. Obesity does not cause abnormal CSF pressure in subjects with normal MRV. Individuals with a CSF pressure higher than 200 mm H2O should undergo MRV to exclude cerebral venous thrombosis.
Subject(s)
Cerebrospinal Fluid Pressure/physiology , Cerebrovascular Circulation/physiology , Obesity/physiopathology , Adolescent , Adult , Aged , Body Mass Index , Female , Functional Laterality/physiology , Humans , Intracranial Embolism and Thrombosis/pathology , Magnetic Resonance Imaging , Male , Middle Aged , PhlebographyABSTRACT
The Cathetron (Minntech Corporation, Minneapolis, MN) peracetic acid-based reprocessing method for percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA) catheters was evaluated for ability to sterilize and maintain catheter integrity. The balloons and lumens of 42 catheters (140 reprocessing cycles) were inoculated with suspensions of Staphylococcus epidermidis, S. aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Bacillus circulans. Five catheters failed the initial evaluation of mechanical integrity and were discarded. Cultures from 37 catheter lumens, balloons, and hubs (n = 349) were negative following reprocessing. The Cathetron system reliably sterilized PTCA catheter, however, further studies using different brands of catheters and evaluating catheter sterility over time under storage conditions are required.
