OBJECTIVES The aim of the present study was to evaluate the usefulness of the Thoracic Morbidity and Mortality (TMM) scoring system in auditing the quality of care of our unit. METHODS We analysed the performance of our unit comparing the incidence of complications and mortality occurring after anatomic lung resections during two different periods: early period (January 2000 to December 2009:...

OBJECTIVE To determine whether the introduction of the Medical Emergency Team (MET) system designed to provide immediate help for seriously ill patients: (i) changed the pattern of ICU patient transfers from the wards; and (ii) improved hospital survival rates. METHODS Prospective information on MET calls and unanticipated ICU transfers was collected for 3 years in a suburban metropolitan hos...

In 1988, Malinauskas and coworkers lamented that despite three decades of improvement to cardiopulmonary bypass components, the cardiotomy suction system remained essentially unchanged (1). Now, nearly two and a half decades after this classic article was published, the cardiotomy suction system still essentially remains unchanged. We are hardpressed to find publications or inventions improving...

There is mounting evidence that pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) share important pathological features, including inflammation, smooth muscle contraction and remodeling. No existing drug provides the combined potential advantages of reducing vascular- and bronchial-constriction, and anti-inflammation. Vasoactive intestinal peptide (V...

severe inflammation after cardiopulmonary bypass with the vasculitis of the acral extremity and vertebro-basilar arterial system leads to the locked-in syndrome and blue toe syndrome. in broad terms, systemic, idiopathic, and environmental factors provoke syndromes that present with digital discoloration or the blue toe syndrome. painful digital discoloration, accompanied by ulceration, suggest...

objective(s): the aim of this study wasto investigate the effects of mild hypothermia therapy on oxidative stress injury of rabbit brain tissue after cardiopulmonary resuscitation (cpr). materials and methods: rabbit models of cardiac arrest were established. after the restoration of spontaneous circulation, 50 rabbits were randomly divided into normothermia and hypothermia groups. the followin...