ABSTRACT
Gastric antral vascular ectasia (GAVE) is an important cause of gastro-intestinal bleeding. An 81-year-old male twice experienced severe anaemia as a result of GAVE. On the second occasion he was treated with endoscopic banding, and since he kept a stable haemoglobin level. GAVE has previously been treated which several different methods. Recently, endoscopic band ligation has, however, emerged as a new treatment of GAVE. Endoscopic band ligation has proven to be a safe and efficient treatment of GAVE.
Subject(s)
Gastric Antral Vascular Ectasia/surgery , Gastroscopy/methods , Aged, 80 and over , Humans , Ligation , MaleABSTRACT
OBJECTIVES: The aim of the study was to investigate if pleurocentesis in patients with pleural effusion would lead to changes in systolic and diastolic function of the left ventricle. DESIGN: The study was descriptive, and patients were their own controls. SETTING: The setting was a single-center university hospital. PARTICIPANTS: Patients with pleural effusion requiring pleurocentesis were eligible for inclusion. INTERVENTIONS: The participants who had pleurocentesis performed were available for analysis. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Prior to pleurocentesis and approximately 1 hour after, patients were examined primarily with transthoracic echocardiography. The examination included measurements of left ventricular volumes and measures of diastolic function assessed by Doppler echocardiography. Thirty-five patients were included, and 11 later were excluded, yielding a study population of 24. Preload, expressed as left ventricular end-diastolic volume, increased significantly from before to after pleurocentesis (p=0.014). None of the diastolic parameters showed significant results. Significant changes were observed for heart rate, supplementary O2, respiratory frequency, and saturation. CONCLUSIONS: Pleurocentesis increased left ventricular preload and improved respiratory function.
