Conjunctivodacryocystorhinostomy with Jones tube: a history and update.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Current opinions and trends in the management of upper lacrimal obstruction include design variations on the original Lester Jones tube and updated awareness and management of the problems associated with the tubes. This article includes a brief review of the fascinating history of the development of the Jones tube, which sets the perspective for the current scientific dialog. RECENT FINDINGS: First, many design modifications have been proposed to reduce the risk of tube migration and extrusion, with no consensus on the best tube. Second, the issue of retrograde airflow through the Jones tube with the use of continuous positive airway pressure is an increasingly common and challenging problem. Third, bacterial biofilms on the surface of the Jones tube can play a role in recalcitrant infections. Jones tubes can be cleaned or replaced in the office setting with topical anesthesia. SUMMARY: Conjunctivodacryocystorhinostomy (CDCR) with placement of a Jones tube remains the gold standard for management of upper lacrimal obstruction. This article provides an updated perspective on issues with extrusion or migration of the tube, bothersome retrograde airflow with the use of a continuous positive airway pressure device, and management of crusting and possible infectious biofilms on the tube.

Intubation in routine dacryocystorhinostomy: why we do what we do.

The role of intubation in routine dacryocystorhinostomy (DCR) surgery is unclear, with there being little evidence in favour of this practice, which appears to have largely come about as a result of history, anecdote and the evolution of DCR surgery. In this paper, a brief history of intubation in DCR surgery is presented and the evidence base is analysed.

19th century pioneers of intensive therapy in North America. Part 2: Joseph O'Dwyer.

Dr Joseph O'Dwyer's principal distinction lies in his dedication and achievements in battling laryngeal diphtheria among children at the New York Foundling Asylum, where he was a physician from 1872. He was also active at the Presbyterian Hospital of New York and in private practice. Some of his pioneering work anticipated methods of intensive care medicine. His achievements included: * Introduction of a practical system of intralaryngeal intubation, including designs of tubes and a technique for inserting them, after many years of careful study and experimentation - always "without borrowed inspiration". * Use of his tubes in children with diphtheritic pseudomembranes in the larynx, to substantially increase their survival chances at a time when tracheotomy for this problem still had a high failure rate. The first intubated patient recovered, November 1882, only after change to prolonged wearing of a tracheotomy tube, so O'Dwyer did not date his first intubation success until 21 May 1884. * Introduction of his tubes into the Fell method of forced respiration, with the resultant Fell-O'Dwyer apparatus supplying practical instrumentation for intermittent positive pressure ventilation. * Demonstration that this apparatus, primarily used for saving lives after acute opiate poisoning, was also useful with some intracranial disasters, 1894. * Provision of a system, which others then applied, enabling surgeons to overcome the great "pneumothorax problem" of intrathoracic operations, and thereby conduct safe surgery inside the chest, 1898. * Development of an intubating method using successive short-term dilatations for treating chronic laryngeal stenosis, usually syphilitic, in adults, 1885. Throughout his medical lifetime, O'Dwyer was held in the highest regard as an altruistic, compassionate person of "sincere simplicity and frank goodness of character".

[Franz Kuhn (1866-1929) on the 125th anniversary of his birthday]. / Franz Kuhn (1866-1929) zum 125. Geburtstag.

At the beginning of the 20th century, the German surgeon Franz Kuhn (1866-1929) was the leading protagonist of various endotracheal intubation technics. In the period between 1900 and 1912, he wrote several papers on this topic including a remarkable monograph on intubation, which was not widely appreciated for decades. In this, he discussed--among others--the advantages and possible risks of the endotracheal intubation, for patients during surgical procedures as well as in situations of cardiopulmonary resuscitation. Kuhn recommended the use of flexible metal tubes which were generally introduced into the trachea under digital control. Kuhn suggested the advantageous use of Kirstein's autoscope, too, a forerunner of modern laryngoscopes. To overcome the "pneumothorax problem" in thoracic surgery, he emphasized the positive pressure ventilation via endotracheal tubes. As an alternative, he suggested the insufflation technique for this purpose. He was the first to incorporate a carbon-dioxide absorption system within the anaesthesia apparatus. Later, he developed technical devices for the perioperative intravenous administration of fluids or the injection of local anaesthetic drugs under high pressure. In honour of Kuhn's 125th birthday, the various contributions to anaesthesia and emergency medicine are outlined.

The development of the Laryngeal Mask--a brief history of the invention, early clinical studies and experimental work from which the Laryngeal Mask evolved.

The history of the invention and development of the Laryngeal Mask in the East End of London during the years 1981-88 is briefly described. The concept evolved from home-made prototypes built from the Goldman Dental Mask through a complex series of one-off latex models culminating in a primitive factory-made silicone cuff in 1986. This work defined the design parameters necessary to reconcile the needs for safety, reliability and ease of insertion while at the same time exploring the limits to possible use. In early 1988 the final version was tested by the inventor who had by this time used the device in more than 7500 patients undergoing routine surgery. From this experience a number of important lessons were learned relating to safe and effective use, which are summarized in the inventor's Instruction Manual. The importance of referring to this volume before use is stressed.

Croup syndrome: historical perspective.

The management of acute croup syndrome has undergone very interesting changes in the past century. Initially a number of conditions were thought to be synonymous with croup, but with identification of the bacterial and viral etiology these have been separated into different clinical entities: viral croup which is very common and frequently self-limited; bacterial tracheitis, a condition which is infrequently encountered and which may be a complication of viral croup; and epiglottitis or supraglottitis, a disease that has been identified as most frequently due to a specific organism, H. influenzae. The management of the child with airway obstruction has also changed. Before the past decade virtually all children with epiglottitis were treated with tracheotomy and currently very few children are thus treated. Intubation has been showed to be a safe procedure in these cases. There still exists some controversy regarding the treatment of the child with laryngotracheobronchitis. In the vast majority of cases medical management has been successful and in the remainder there is controversy regarding the use of intubation or tracheotomy.