תוצאת חיפוש

Blunt Trauma causing Emboli from Friable Atherosclerotic Plaques

Selma Moses, Michael Motro, Yehuda Shoenfeld

Medical Dept. B and Cardiac Rehabilitation Institute, Chaim Sheba Medical Center and Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University

We present a 55-year-old woman who developed a shower of emboli following a car accident. Such events may have medicolegal implications as well as preventive considerations.

Gastrointestinal Angiodysplasia

D. Zamir, C. Zinger, J. Jarchovski, Z. Fireman, R. Magadle, L. Zelikovski, G. Bartal, P. Weiner

Depts. of Medicine A and B, and Gastroenterology and Nuclear Institutes, Hillel Yaffe Medical Center, Hadera

Gastrointestinal angiodysplasia is a cause of gastrointestinal bleeding in the elderly, for which surgery has been the only treatment. Estrogen has been reported beneficial in some cases in the past decade. Recurrent bleeding due to angiodysplasia occurred from the small intestine in a 75-year-old woman, and from the right colon in a 91-year-old man. The diagnoses were made by angiography in the first case and colonoscopy and erythrocyte- scanning in the second. There was aortic stenosis in both, a combination which has been reported in other cases. Both patients improved with estrogen therapy. However, after temporary stabilization, gastrointestinal bleeding recurred in the second patient and he was successfully operated on.

Embolic Splenic Infarction: A Rare Complication of Atrial Fibrillation

Doron Merims, Doron Zilberman, Liliana Lupu, Emanuel Sikuler

Depts. of Medicine B and Radiology, Soroka Medical Center and Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer Sheba

Splenic infarction is a rare disorder. The typical clinical presentation is sudden pain in the left upper quadrant of the abdomen, and awareness to this possibility is the major clue for diagnosis. We describe a 49-year-old man with chronic atrial fibrillation and splenomegaly who was treated with anticoagulants. Because of hematuria, the regular dose of anticoagulant therapy was reduced. The hematuria stopped but he complained of sudden onset of pain in the left upper quadrant. Computerized tomography and isotope scan of the spleen confirmed the clinical suspicion of splenic infarction. Treatment with anticoagulants and analgesics was followed by clinical improvement.

International Quality Assurance Standards (ISO 9002) in an Israeli Hospital

Shaul M. Shasha, Noam Goldstein, Abraham Ofek

Western Galilee Hospital, Nahariya and Ofek Institute, Ramat Hasharon

This hospital has been certified by the Israel Standards Institute as having a quality assurance system fulfilling the requirements of the international standard, ISO 9002. This is the first hospital in this part of the world to be certified as fulfilling this standard. Its adoption is one of several accepted approaches to quality assurance in medicine. World-wide, very few health organizations, including hospitals, have implemented this system successfully. Opinions regarding its importance are divided, mostly because of lack of experience in its application. We describe its features, goals and structure, and its implementation in various sectors, including health organizations. The process of its adoption, application and implementation is described, and the problems which arose are discussed.

Pulmonary Alveolar Micro-Lithiasis Presenting With Prolonged Cough

I. Barshack, M. Krupsky, M. Perelman, J. Kopolovic

Institute of Pathology and Dept. of Pulmonary Diseases, Chaim Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer and Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University

A 40-year-old man had been followed in the pulmonary clinic for prolonged cough. Chest X-ray showed bilateral diffuse interstitial infiltrates with accentuation toward the bases. CT-scan demonstrated a fine diffuse reticulonodular pattern. Transbronchial lung biopsy showed pulmonary alveolar microlithiasis, a rare disease characterized by the presence of concentric calcifications within the pulmonary alveoli. This is the second case of the disease reported in Israel.

ATLS Course in Emergency Medicine for Physicians?

Ron Ben-Abraham, Michael Stein, Yoram Kluger, Amir Blumenfeld, Avraham Rivkind, Joshua Shemer

Medical Corps, Israel Defense Forces; and Trauma Units of Sourasky Medical Center and Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, and of Hadassah Hospital, Jerusalem

Implementation of Advanced Trauma Life Support (ATLS) skills among practicing physicians and its perceived utility in their civilian practices, as well as in their potential army combat assignments, was evaluated. 177 physicians in various subspecialties, who were graduates of ATLS training courses, answered a specially designed telephone questionnaire. An unexpectedly high percentage of physicians (47%) had used their ATLS training when called to treat trauma victims. 67% of physicians stressed the contribution of the ATLS course to enhancing their skills. We believe that a properly designed ATLS course for general practitioners would be very beneficial for trauma victims.

Angina Pectoris and the Severity of Coronary Artery Stenosis

Reuben Ilia, Sara Carmel, Carlos Cafri, Moshe Gueron

Dept. of Cardiology, Soroka Medical Center, and Dept. of the Sociology of Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer Sheba

The relationship between angina pectoris and the severity of coronary artery disease was evaluated in 146 patients with normal segmental and global, left ventricular, systolic performance. None had unstable angina or a previous myocardial infarction. A strong relationship was found between angina and the severity of coronary artery disease (p<0.005). Significant, stable, angina pectoris as a clinical symptom indicated advanced coronary artery disease in this selected group of patients.

Liver Allografts from Donors older than 60: Benefits and Risks

Eytan Mor, Dan Shmueli, Ziv Ben-Ari, Nathan Bar-Nathan, Ezra Sharabani, Alexander Yussim, Boris Dorfman, Ran Tur-Kaspa, Zaki Shapira

Transplantation Dept. and Institute of Liver Diseases, Rabin Medical Center, Beilinson Campus; and Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University

With limited organ resources and an increasing number of candidates for liver transplantation, the world-wide trend is towards using liver allografts from donors older than 60 years. This strategy, however, may be hazardous because of the known correlation between advanced donor age and graft dysfunction. Since January 1996, each of 5 patients received a liver allograft from a donor older than 60 years. Preservation time in these cases was shortened as much as possible and liver allografts were used only if there were no other potential risk factors for primary nonfunction. Mean cold ischemic time was significantly shorter in this donor group (7.8 hrs) than for livers from 28 younger donors (10.2 hour; p<0.01). 3 of the 5 grafts from older donors had normal function immediately. The other 2 initially had biochemical features of preservation injury, but graft function returned to normal within the first week after transplantation. All 5 patients currently have normal graft function, with follow-up ranging from 3-8 months. There was no difference between the 5 recipients of grafts from older donors and 28 adult recipients of grafts from younger donors in extent of preservation injury and in immediate graft function. We conclude that in countries with limited organ resources, such as Israel, liver allografts from older donors can be used within defined limits and minimal preservation time.

Gastric Duplication Cyst in an Adult

D. Estlein, Y. Wolloch

Dept. of Surgery B, Rabin Medical Center (Golda Campus), Petah Tikva, and Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University

Gastric duplication cysts are rare in adults and usually asymptomatic. In most cases they are discovered incidentally by abdominal ultrasound, CT, or upper gastrointestinal x-rays. Most of the duplications (82%) are cystic and do not communicate with the stomach. Approximately half of the cases are associated with other congenital anomalies. We report a 59-year-old woman operated on for a pancreatic mass that proved to be a gastric duplication cyst. The cyst was resected and the postoperative course was uneventful.

Gastrografin for Mechanical Partial, Small Bowel Obstruction due to Adhesions

A. Assalia, D. Kopelman, H. Bahous, Y. Klein, M. Hashmonai

Dept. of Surgery B, Rambam Medical Center and Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Faculty of Medicine, Haifa

The therapeutic effect of astrografin is occasionally mentioned in the literature. However, this effect has not been objectively evaluated. We studied prospectively the effect of Gastrografin in cases of adhesive, simple, partial, small bowel obstruction (SBO) compared to conventional management. During 3 years, a total of 137 episodes of simple, partial SBO in 127 patients (10 recurrent episodes) were treated. The episodes were randomized into a control group(80 episodes) treated conventionally, and a trial group (77 episodes), which received in addition 100 ml of Gastrografin administered through the nasogastric tube. The two groups were well-matched with regard to age, gender, weight, medical and surgical background and duration of complaints before admission. Time to first stool and resolution of obstruction, complications, need for surgery, and hospital stay were noted. Mean time to first stool was significantly shorter in the trial group: 6.2±3.9 hours vs 23.5±12.7 (p<.0001). Mean hospital stay for unoperated patients was also shorter in the trial group: 2.7±2 days vs 5.5±2 days, (p<.0001). In addition, significantly fewer episodes in the trial group required operation, 10.4 vs 26.7% (p<0.013). 1 patient in each group died following operation. There were no Gastrografin-related complications and it was effective and safe for adhesive, partial, simple SBO. It significantly speeds resolution of obstruction, reduces the need for operation, and shortens convalescence.

Angioedema Caused by Splenectomy with Malignant Lymphoma Foll-Owed by Multiple Myeloma 7 Years Later

A. Shahar, R. Sharon, M. Lorber, S. Pollack

Institute of Allergy, Clinical Immunology and AIDS and Institute of Hematology, Rambam Medical Center and B. Rappaport Technion- Faculty of Medicine, Haifa

Acquired C1-inhibitor (C1-INH) deficiency has been reported in patients with immunoglobulin abnormalities and lymphoproliferative disorders, and angioedema has appeared simultaneously with the lymphoproliferative disease. We present a 50-year-old woman with acquired C1-INH deficiency and angioedema which preceded by 7 years the diagnosis of malignant mantle cell lymphoma. During the interval she was treated with Danazole and there were no attacks of angioedema. When routine follow-up bone marrow aspiration revealed infiltration of nonspecified lymphoma cells, exploratory laparotomy and splenectomy were performed. A month later Danazol was stopped, C1-INH levels returned to normal and there were no attacks of angioedema. Mantle cell lymphoma consisting of lymphocytes with cytoplasmic IgM-lambda was diagnosed in the excised spleen but chemotherapy was not initiated. 6 months later, a second lymphoproliferative disorder, multiple myeloma IgA kappa, was diagnosed.

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Facilitating Alcohol and Drug Abuse in an Adult

R. Durst, P. Rebaudengo-Rosca

Talbieh Mental Health Center, Jerusalem (Affiliated with the Hebrew University-Hadassah Medical School)

Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) has been considered a mental and behavioral disorder of childhood and adolescence. It is being increasingly recognized in adults, who may have psychiatric co-morbidity with secondary depression, or a tendency to drug and alcohol abuse. We describe a 32-year-old woman known for years as suffering from borderline personality disorder and drug dependence (including hasshish, marijuana, LSD and "exstasy'") and alcohol abuse that did not respond to treatment. Only when correctly diagnosed as ADHD and appropriately treated with the psychotropic stimulant, methylphenidate (Ritalin), was there significant improvement. She succeeded academically, which had not been possible previously, the craving for drugs diminished and a drug-free state was reached. Although administration of psychostimulants to drug abusers is controversial, as they are addictive, in cases of ADHD they have promoted drug abstinence.

Characteristics of Hospitalized Alcoholics

Sergio Marchevsky, Shoshana Weiss

Residential Center for Alcoholics and Israel Society for the Prevention of Alcoholism, Ramat Gan

The background characteristics of 1,173 alcoholics hospitalized for 3 months in this center during December 1982 to December 1994 were reviewed. Socio-demographic variables and termination-of-treatment data, are described. The profile of the typical hospitalized alcoholic was that of a Jewish, urban, married, unemployed man, born in Asia-Africa (or in Israel) who had been living for many years in Israel and had many children and a low educational level. They usually start drinking in adolescence and come to the center after more than 15 years of drinking, mainly at home and alone, and also have family relatives who drink. Implications of the data for treatment and for family physicians are presented.

Knowledge of Adolescents about the Fetal Alcohol Syndrome

Shoshana Weiss

Prevention Department, Israel Society for the Prevention of Alcoholism, Ramat Gan

The level of knowledge of the risks of drinking during pregnancy in 175, 17-18 year olds from kibbutzim in the eastern Upper Galilee was studied in January 1996. This population had the highest rate of involvement with alcohol in Israel and had been involved in alcohol education activities in previous years. About 53.71% of the sample believed that heavy drinking increases the risk of birth defects, but only 20.57% could correctly describe the fetal alcohol syndrome.

Patterns of Injuries and Preventive Measures for Motorcycle Accidents

D. Soffer, Y. Galili, N. Nasralla, D. Aladgem, O. Ablai, Y. Kluger

Depts. of Surgery B and C, Trauma Services, Tel Aviv Medical Center and Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University

Retrospective analysis of a series of 32 motorcyclists admitted after road accidents was performed. 62% were injured on scooters with 50 cc engine capacity and most of the combined injuries occurred in this group. Most crashes occurred at road junctions.Riders of scooters with larger engine capacities tended to wear protective garments as opposed to riders with smaller engines. There was no correlation between engine capacity and severity of injury. We conclude that motorcyclists should receive special education, especially as to behavior on entering road junctions. We recommend that taxes on protective garments should be lowered in order to encourage motorcyclists to use them.