Totally implanted device for long-term intravenous chemotherapy: experience in 123 adult patients with solid neoplasms.

Vascular access in patients receiving prolonged chemotherapy is a difficult problem. This led to the introduction of a totally implanted device. We intend to assess the efficacy of this device in a subset of oncologic patients. Between May 1989 and November 1992, 129 devices were placed in 123 adult patients with solid neoplasms. Most of the catheters were inserted by cut-down of the external jugular vein. Follow-up period ranged from 28 to 70 months. Early complications occurred in 4 of 129 implants, all in percutaneously inserted catheters. Infection was the most frequent late complication. By March 1995, 113 devices had been removed, 15 (13.3%) because of complications. Mean life of the explanted systems was 512 days. Totally implanted devices provide safe and efficient long-term venous access. Implantation should be performed by experienced surgeons, by cut-down whenever possible. Infection is the most serious complication and may be prevented by careful management.

[The efficacy of injectable flurbiprofen in the symptomatic treatment of biliary colic]. / Eficacia del flurbiprofeno inyectable en el tratamiento sintomático del cólico biliar.

BACKGROUND: To evaluate the efficacy of flurbiprofen (nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug) in the treatment of biliary colic pain as compared with the drugs commonly used (analgesics and/or spasmolytics). METHODS: Eighty-four patients aged between 21 and 86 affected by intense pain of simple hepatic colic participated in the study. Following a single intramuscular dose of 150 mg of flurbiprofen (FRI, n = 30), 20 mg of N-hyoscine butylbromide (HBB, n = 25) or 30 mg of pentazocine (PTZ, n = 29) the patients were observed during the 6 hours after administration. RESULTS: The evolution of the pain was significantly better in the patients treated with FRI with differences being detected between the three drugs after 30 minutes of administration. A greater number of adverse reactions were seen among the patients who received PTZ with the differences being statistically significant with the other 2 treatments (p less than 0.02). CONCLUSIONS: Intramuscular flurbiprofen was more effective and generally better tolerated than pentozocine and hyoscine butylbromide.