ABSTRACT
Reconstruction of blood vessels after war injuries is mandatory for life and limb salvage. In an effort to prevent prolonged major bleeding and make reconstruction quicker and technically more comfortable, thigh pneumatic tourniquet occlusion was performed pre- and intraoperatively in eleven of 53 wounded with injuries of the arteries of the lower extremities during 1991/92 war against Croatia at the Department of Surgery, Osijek Clinical Hospital. This method benefits life and limb salvage under war conditions.
Subject(s)
Arteries/injuries , Leg Injuries/surgery , Tourniquets , Wounds, Penetrating/surgery , Adult , Croatia , Humans , Leg/blood supply , Leg Injuries/mortality , Shock, Hemorrhagic/mortality , Warfare , Wounds, Penetrating/mortalityABSTRACT
During 18 months' period of war in northeastern Croatia 38 wounded with injuries of lower extremity arteries were operated on in Osijek Department of Surgery demanding the use of substitute conduit for vascular reconstruction; 26 synthetic prosthesis and 12 vein grafts were applied. Ankle-brachial index and life-table method were used for the construction of the initial and cumulative limb salvage rate at 40 months. Cumulative graft patency and limb salvage rates for synthetic grafts was 87.67% +/- 6.9 and for vein grafts 91.67% +/- 8.0 respectively and did not differ significantly for both synthetic prosthesis and autologous vein grafts.
Subject(s)
Arteries/injuries , Blood Vessel Prosthesis , Leg Injuries/surgery , Wounds, Gunshot/surgery , Adult , Croatia , Female , Follow-Up Studies , Humans , Leg/blood supply , Leg Injuries/epidemiology , Life Tables , Male , Time Factors , Vascular Patency , Veins/transplantation , Warfare , Wounds, Gunshot/epidemiology , Wounds, Penetrating/epidemiology , Wounds, Penetrating/surgeryABSTRACT
Investigations included blood donors for extracorporeal circulation, as well as patients (12) before and after cardiopulmonary by-pass. CMV infection is a frequent consequence of multiple fresh blood transfusions in persons with aortocoronary "by-pass" in 25% operated patients. If a patient receives more than 10 transfusions of fresh blood, frequency of serologically positive reactions to CMV is found in approximately 40-60% operated patients. Investigations included 168 healthy individuals, voluntary blood donors, 18-30 years old, both male and female, from various backgrounds and with various occupations. It was found out that amount of antibodies against CMV for men was 42,1% in spring and 66,7% in winter, while the amount of antibodies against CMV for women was 70% in spring and 81% in winter. Complement fixation reaction method was applied.
