Pre-hospital fibrinolysis followed by angioplasty or primary angioplasty in acute myocardial infarction: the long-term clinical outcome.

BACKGROUND: Randomized trials comparing primary angioplasty and in-hospital fibrinolysis in acute myocardial infarction (AMI) have shown an advantage for primary angioplasty. The long-term follow-up of pre-hospital fibrinolysis followed by elective or rescue coronary angioplasty versus primary angioplasty is not well established after acute myocardial infarction. This study sought to assess the long-term clinical outcome of patients with AMI having either received pre-hospital fibrinolysis optimized by coronary angioplasty or primary angioplasty. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective analysis involving 318 patients who either underwent primary angioplasty ( n = 157) or received pre-hospital fibrinolysis followed by an angioplasty (rescue or elective) ( n = 161) within 6 hours of the onset of chest pain. RESULTS: The groups were similar regarding their baseline characteristics except for the ages. No difference was noted for in-hospital mortality (primary PTCA group: 2.48%, combined group: 2.54%; p = ns) with no increased risk of hemorrhage. The 3-year mortality was not significantly different in the two groups (9.7% vs. 4.9%; p = 0.15). Regarding major adverse cardiac events (29.5% vs. 37.5%; p = 0.23), reintervention (22.5% vs. 23.2%; p = 0.99) or target lesion revascularization (16.1% vs. 14.7%; p = 0.68), the groups were statistically similar. CONCLUSION: These data from real-life practice emphasize the safety and similar benefits on the long-term clinical outcome of AMI patients having undergone either pre-hospital fibrinolysis followed by angioplasty or primary angioplasty.

Aspiration cytology of breast.

Most primary malignant epithelial neoplasms and many benign lesions of the breast possess such characteristic cytologic features that they can be diagnosed with certainty by needle aspiration. Because inadequate sampling may result in a false-negative cytology diagnosis, the time-tested rule is that a negative cytologic diagnosis is not definitive unless it is fully supported by negative clinical and mammographic findings.

Role of aspiration cytology in the diagnosis and management of mammary lesions in office practice.

Sixteen hundred and eighty breast aspiration specimens obtained from 1410 patients seen in office practice were reviewed. The cytologic diagnosis was unsatisfactory in 230 cases, benign in 1019 cases, atypical in 198 cases, suspicious for malignancy in 102 cases, and malignant in 131 cases. All cases diagnosed as cytologically malignant had a subsequent tissue diagnosis of malignant neoplasm. Four percent of the cytologically benign cases and 17% of the cytologically atypical cases had malignant neoplasms. Clinical and cytologic examination detected more cancers (87%) than did clinical and mammographic examination (79%). Ninety-three percent of malignant neoplasms were detected by the combination of clinical, cytologic, and mammographic examination. Aspiration cytology significantly contributes to the clinical evaluation of mammary lesions in office practice, but it does not replace tissue biopsy or careful follow-up of mammary lesions of clinical concern. Proof of the presence of breast cancer by aspiration in the office may obviate the need for a two-stage procedure in the surgical management of breast cancer. Aspiration of minimally suspicious lesions often is helpful in initiating excisional biopsy in some occult, clinically unrecognized breast cancers.

Case report: implantation of breast cancer in a transplanted nipple: a plea for preoperative screening.

A 45-year-old, white woman, following mastectomy for a large inflammatory carcinoma of the left breast with multiple involved nodes, had her nipple body-banked in her left groin. She subsequently developed locally recurrent breast carcinoma in the areola of the transplanted nipple with metastases to the groin nodes, for which she received a radical groin dissection. Clinical and pathologic criteria for screening the nipples to be preserved are reviewed, and a plea is made for employing similarly stringent screens to eliminate future cases such as this.

[Massive blood transfusion in 50 seriously injured patients. Occurrence of pulmonary oedema (author's transl)]. / Les transfusions massives chez les polytraumatisés. Oedèmes pulmonaires dans leur décours. Cinquante cas.

This retrospective study shows correlations between the occurrence of pulmonary and massive blood transfusion in 50 seriously injured patients. They received massive transfusions on an average of 13 titers (minimum 51, maximum 30 l) including from 0 to 7,51 of macromolecular solutions (average 2,43 1). These seriously injured patients were divided into 4 groups: --20 thoracic injured patients with associated abdominal lesions, --15 thoracic injured patients without any abdominal lesions, --4 peripheral traumatism with abdominal lesions, --11 polytraumatic patients (considering only lesions of the limbs). There is a significant difference between seriously injured patients with associated abdominal lesions who were transfused and the other groups studied. Sixteen patients experienced pulmonary edema the diagnosis of which was reinforced on grounds of clinical, biological and radiological evidences. Significant difference (p:minor 0,05) were noted as regard the incidence of pulmonary edema when comparing the volume of fluids administrated to the different groups. New out of 16 patients died, mainly because of refractory hypoxia. When more than 25 liters of fluids are transfused, the prognosis is poor. Though pulmonary edema may be brought about by transfusion, other etiologic possibilities are to be investigated.

Heparin pharmacokinetics: increased requirements in pulmonary embolism.

Heparin disappearance after injection and plasma levels during continuous infusion were studied in normal subjects and patients with thrombophlebitis, pulmonary embolism, renal failure, and liver failure. Heparin removal in normal subjects after 75 u/kg was nearly linear with a clearance of 0.64 ml/min/kg, SD +/- 0.11. Clearance varied inversely with dose. Heparin clearance in pulmonary embolism (0.80 ml/min/kg +/- 0.23) was significantly accelerated compared both to normals (P less than 0.005) and to thrombophlebitis patients (0.55 ml/min/kg +/- 0.19, P less than 0.01); the disappearance was more curvilinear in thrombophlebitis and pulmonary embolism than in normal subjects (P less than 0.025). Continuous infusion heparin requirements were greater in pulmonary embolism than in thrombophlebitis, in accordance with pharmacokinetic predictions. The pattern and rate of disappearance in renal disease was similar to normal subjects; in liver disease clearance was accelerated (0.86 ml/min/kg +/- 0.28) and disappearance curvilinear. Because of accelerated clearance, the initial dose of heparin in pulmonary embolism should be greater (25 u/kg/h) than in thrombophlebitis (10-15 u/kg/h). Variability within patient groups necessitates some laboratory control of dosage.

[PLACEMENT OF AN INTRACAVITARY PROBE WITH RESPECT TO THE TRANSPORT OF CARDIAC PATIENTS UNDERGOING ELECTROSTIMULATION. Apropos of 11 cases at the Toulouse Emergency Medical Assistance Service]. / Mise en place d'une sonde endocavitaire en vue du transport de cardiaques sous électrostimulation. A propos de 11 observations du SAMU de Toulouse

In connection with the secondary transportation of cardiac patients, the medicine doctors at the SAMU in Toulouse placed endocavitary probes in 11 patients for purposes of electrosystolic releasing. The subjects exhibited auriculo-ventricular blocks resistant to isoprenaline and accompanied by syncopes. The evacuations were carried out in this fashion without any accident and with no negative effects in 10 out of the 11 cases. In light of this result, the indications and techniques of the process are discussed.