H. Patients (h + patient)

Distribution by Scientific Domains


Selected Abstracts


The relationship of intracanal medicaments to postoperative pain in endodontics

INTERNATIONAL ENDODONTIC JOURNAL, Issue 12 2003
E. H. Ehrmann
Abstract Aim, To investigate the relationship of postoperative pain to three different medicaments placed in the root canal after a complete biomechanical debridement of the root canal system in patients presenting for emergency relief of pain. Methodology, Two hundred and twenty-three teeth belonging to 221 patients presenting as emergencies to the Royal Dental Hospital of Melbourne were included in the study. Inclusion was limited to patients with a diagnosis of pulp necrosis and acute apical periodontitis. All teeth underwent conventional root canal treatment, which involved the instrumentation to the apices of each canal at the first visit. Canals were instrumented using a stepback technique and hand-files along with irrigants using Milton's (1% sodium hypochlorite) solution followed by 15% EDTAC. The canals were dried and one of the following three medicaments was inserted into the canal in random sequence: Group 1: Ledermix paste (Lederle Pharmaceuticals, Division of Cyanamid, Wolfratshausen, Germany); Group 2: calcium hydroxide paste (Calcipulpe, Septodont, France); and Group 3: no dressing. Before dismissal, the preoperative pain experienced on the previous night was recorded using a visual analogue pain scale. Patients were then instructed to record the degree of pain experienced 4 h after treatment and daily for a further 4 days. Results, The mean score pain for all three groups was between 42 and 48 prior to treatment being commenced. After 4 days, the pain score for Group 2 was 10, for Group 3 was 7 and for Group 1 was 4. Mean preoperative pain level was 44.4 (of a maximum 100) for all groups, and declined by 50% (to 22.1) after 24 h. Patients in Group 1 (Ledermix) experienced significantly less (P = 0.04) postoperative pain than those in the other two groups. There was no significant difference between Group 2 (calcium hydroxide) and Group 3 (no dressing). Conclusion, Under the conditions of this study, painful teeth with acute apical periodontitis that had been dressed with Ledermix paste gave rise to less pain than that experienced by patients who had a dressing of calcium hydroxide or no dressing at all. Ledermix is an effective intracanal medicament for the control of postoperative pain associated with acute apical periodontitis, with a rapid onset of pain reduction. [source]


Clinical trial: intravenous pantoprazole vs. ranitidine for the prevention of peptic ulcer rebleeding: a multicentre, multinational, randomized trial

ALIMENTARY PHARMACOLOGY & THERAPEUTICS, Issue 5 2009
C. VAN RENSBURG
Summary Background, Controlled pantoprazole data in peptic ulcer bleeding are few. Aim, To compare intravenous (IV) pantoprazole with IV ranitidine for bleeding ulcers. Methods, After endoscopic haemostasis, 1256 patients were randomized to pantoprazole 80 mg+8 mg/h or ranitidine 50 mg+13mg/h, both for 72 h. Patients underwent second-look endoscopy on day 3 or earlier, if clinically indicated. The primary endpoint was an overall outcome ordinal score: no rebleeding, rebleeding without/with subsequent haemostasis, surgery and mortality. The latter three events were also assessed separately and together. Results, There were no between-group differences in overall outcome scores (pantoprazole vs. ranitidine: S0: 91.2 vs. 89.3%, S1: 1.5 vs. 2.5%, S2: 5.4 vs. 5.7%, S3: 1.7 vs. 2.1%, S4: 0.19 vs. 0.38%, P = 0.083), 72-h clinically detected rebleeding (2.9% [95% CI 1.7, 4.6] vs. 3.2% [95% CI 2.0, 4.9]), surgery (1.9% [95% CI 1.0, 3.4] vs. 2.1% [95% CI 1.1, 3.5]) or day-3 mortality (0.2% [95% CI 0, 0.09] vs. 0.3% [95% CI 0, 1.1]). Pantoprazole significantly decreased cumulative frequencies of events comprising the ordinal score in spurting lesions (13.9% [95% CI 6.6, 24.7] vs. 33.9% [95% CI 22.1, 47.4]; P = 0.01) and gastric ulcers (6.7% [95% CI 4, 10.4] vs. 14.3% [95% CI 10.3, 19.2], P = 0.006). Conclusions, Outcomes amongst pantoprazole and ranitidine-treated patients were similar; pantoprazole provided benefits in patients with arterial spurting and gastric ulcers. [source]


A prospective study of the time to evacuate acute subdural and extradural haematomas,

ANAESTHESIA, Issue 3 2009
D. Bulters
Summary We performed a prospective, single-centre study of times to treatment of patients with life-threatening, traumatic, extra- and subdural haematomas requiring surgical evacuation between May 2006 and May 2007. The mean time to surgical decompression was 5.0 h and 32% were performed within 4 h. Patients who initially presented to a district hospital and required transfer for neurosurgery were decompressed in 5.4 h vs 3.7 h for those admitted directly. The current standard of surgical evacuation of all haematomas within 4 h is not being met. Delays were identified in every stage in the management of these patients and no single step was identified as the major cause. Initial treatment in district hospitals led to delays greater than the added driving time. There may be time savings from carrying out treatment steps in parallel instead of in series. [source]


Colonic ischaemia and intra-abdominal hypertension following open repair of ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm

BRITISH JOURNAL OF SURGERY (NOW INCLUDES EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF SURGERY), Issue 6 2009
K. Djavani
Background: The aim was to investigate the association between colonic ischaemia and intra-abdominal pressure (IAP) after surgery for ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm (rAAA). Methods: Sigmoid colon perfusion was monitored with an intramucosal pH (pHi) tonometer. Patients with a pHi of 7·1 or less were treated for suspected hypovolaemia with intravenous colloids and colonoscopy. IAP was measured every 4 h. Patients with an IAP of 20 mmHg or more had neuromuscular blockade, relaparotomy or both. Results: A total of 52 consecutive patients had open rAAA repair; 30-day mortality was 27 per cent. Eight patients died shortly after surgery. Fifteen were not monitored for practical reasons; mortality in this group was 33 per cent. IAP and pHi were measured throughout the stay in intensive care in the remaining 29 patients. Monitoring led to volume resuscitation in 25 patients, neuromuscular blockade in 16, colonoscopy in 19 and relaparotomy in two. One patient died in this group. Twenty-three of 29 patients had a pHi of 7·1 or less, of whom 15 had a pHi of 6·9 or less. Sixteen had an IAP of 20 mmHg or more, of whom ten also had a pHi below 6·90. Peak IAP values correlated with the simultaneously measured pHi (r = ,0·39, P = 0·003). Conclusion: Raised IAP is an important mechanism behind colonic hypoperfusion after rAAA repair. Monitoring IAP and timely intervention may improve outcome. Copyright © 2009 British Journal of Surgery Society Ltd. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source]


Postoperative troponin I values: Insult or injury?

CLINICAL CARDIOLOGY, Issue 10 2000
Keith A. Horvath M.D.
Abstract Background: Troponin I (TnI) is increasingly employed as a highly specific marker of acute myocardial ischemia. The value of this marker after cardiac surgery is unclear. Hypothesis: The purpose of this study was to measure serum TnI levels prospectively at 1, 6, and 72 h after elective cardiac operations. In addition, TnI levels were measured from the shed mediastinal blood at 1 and 6 h postoperatively. Serum values were correlated with cross clamp time, type of operation, incidence of perioperative myocardial infarction, as assessed by postoperative electrocardiograms (ECG) and regional wall motion, as documented by intraoperative transesophageal echocardiography (TEE). Methods: Sixty patients underwent the following types of surgery: coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) (n = 45), valve repair/replacement (n = 10), and combination valve and coronary surgery (n = 5). Myocardial protection consisted of moderate systemic hypothermia (30,32°C), cold blood cardioplegia, and topical cooling for all patients. Results: Of 60 patients, 57 (95%) had elevated TnI levels, consistent with myocardial injury, 1 h postoperatively. This incidence increased to 98% (59/60) at 6 h postoperatively. There was a positive correlation between the length of cross clamp time and initial postoperative serum TnI (r = 0.70). There was no difference in the serum TnI values whether or not surgery was for ischemic heart disease (CABG or CABG + valve versus valve). There were no postoperative myocardial infarctions as assessed by serial ECGs. There was no evidence of diminished regional wall motion by TEE. Levels of TnI in the mediastinal shed blood were greater than assay in 58% (35/60) of the patients at 1 h and in 88% (53/60) at 6 h postoperatively. Patients who received an auto-transfusion of mediastinal shed blood (n = 22) had on average a 10-fold postoperative increase in serum TnI levels between 1 and 6 h. Patients who did not receive autotransfusion average less than doubled their TnI levels over the same interval. At 72 h, TnI levels were below the initial postoperative levels but still indicative of myocardial injury. Conclusion: Postoperative TnI levels are elevated after all types of cardiac surgery. There is a strong correlation between intraoperative ischemic time and postoperative TnI level. Further elevation of TnI is significantly enhanced by reinfusion of mediastinal shed blood. Despite these postoperative increases in TnI, there was no evidence of myocardial infarction by ECG or TEE. The postoperative TnI value is even less meaningful after autotransfusion of shed mediastinal blood. [source]