[Branemark-type osteo-integrated implants for the adaptation of endosseous hearing aids]. / Implantes osteointegrados tipo Branemark para la adaptación de audífonos de vía ósea.

This study presents four cases of bone-anchored implants for hearing aid amplification and reviews indications and results. The study concludes that bone implanted hearing aids are superior to the classic hearing aids. They are also indicated in a larger number of cases of mixed hearing loss and with an average bone conduction as high as 45 dB.

[Effects of urologic surgery on lymphocyte blastogenic response to phytohemagglutinin]. / Efectos de la cirugía urológica sobre la respuesta blastogénica linfocitaria a la PHA.

In order to study the effect of urological surgery on the defence system, we have evaluated the postoperative evolution of the lymphocyte blastogenic response to phytohemagglutinin (PHA) in 45 patients. 25 of them were subjected to a transurethral resection (TUR) of a vesical tumour, 10 to a transvesical prostatectomy, 6 to a pyelolithotomy and 4 to a nephrectomy due to renal atrophy secondary to lithiasis. We verified a significant drop in the lymphocyte blastogenic response to PHA at 2-4 hours of transvesical prostatectomy (p less than 0.001) and of pyelolithotomy and nephrectomy (p less than 0.001) which was sustained until the fourth and second day after operation respectively, with subsequent return to normal. However, lymphocyte blastogenic response to PHA did not vary significantly during the postoperative of patients subjected to a TUR of vesical tumours. On the whole, the degree and duration of postoperative immunodepression was dependent on the intensity of the surgical traumatism.

[Effects of urologic surgery on lymphocyte subpopulations]. / Efectos de la cirugía urológica sobre las subpoblaciones linfocitarias.

We studied the postoperative development of lymphocytes, T cells and lymphocyte subpopulations, in peripheral blood in 45 patients. Twenty-five of them were subjected to a TUR of a bladder tumor, 10 to a transvesical prostatectomy, 6 to a pyelolithotomy and 4 to a nephrectomy for renal atrophy secondary to lithiasis. We confirm a significant postoperative drop in the lymphocyte count and in the percentages of OKT 3+ (total T cells), OKT 4+ (helper T cells) and OKT 8+ cells (cytotoxic/suppressor T cells) 2-4 hours after the operation. Its duration varies according to the type of operation carried out. Despite the slight differences observed in the postoperative development of the lymphocyte subpopulations, at no time in the study did we report significant postoperative variations in the OKT 4+/OKT 8+ quotient.

[Legionellosis at intensive care units: study of 30 cases]. / Legionelosis en cuidados intensivos: estudio de 30 casos.

A prospective study during 44 months has been carried out in order to establish the incidence of pneumonia due to Legionella sp. in our hospital's intensive care unit (ICU). Thirty cases of legionellosis were diagnosed (22.2% of the studied pneumonias) two of them were acquired in the ICU and 76.6% were caused by L. pneumophila serotype. The most evident symptomatology was intense dyspnea, neurological disorders, acute respiratory and renal failure. The biochemical alterations, most commonly encountered were increased liver enzymes, hypoxemia, hypoalbuminemia, increased urea, creatinine and hematuria. As a consequence of this severe disease, the mortality rate was high (13 out of 30 cases).