In this randomized, cross-over cadaver study, we determined whether a new airway device, the ProSeal laryngeal mask airway (PLMA; Laryngeal Mask Company, Henley-on-Thames, UK), prevents aspiration of regurgitated fluid. We studied five male and five female cadavers (6-24 h postmortem). The infusion set of a pressure-controlled, continuous flow pump was inserted into the upper esophagus and liga...

BACKGROUND Little is known about the influence of rotator cuff pathology on sleep. The purpose of this study was to determine which patient-reported factors correlate with sleep disturbance in patients with rotator cuff disease. METHODS A nonrandomized, cross-sectional cohort study was performed to evaluate the effects of rotator cuff disease on sleep quality. Data collected at time zero (bef...

Continuous control of tracheal tube cuff inflation using a pneumatic device resulted in severe tracheal wall damage in ventilated piglets. This damage was similar in piglets managed with manual control of cuff inflation. The periodic hyperinflation of the tube cuff used in both groups of this study may explain these results. This manoeuvre should be avoided in clinical practice.

The feasibility of whole nerve recordings from the hypoglossal (HG) nerve is demonstrated in acute cats using the spiral nerve cuff electrode. A good contact between the nerve and the electrodes, provided by the spiral nerve cuff due to its self-coiling property, should improve the signal-tonoise ratio. An instrumentation amplifier with very low input noise characteristics is also utilized. The...

Massive rotator cuff tears are not necessarily synonymous with irreparable tears. Technical and biological challenges to a successful repair include inelastic poorquality tendon tissue, scarring, muscle atrophy, and fatty infiltration. Fatty infiltration of the involved rotator cuff muscles has been identified as an important negative prognostic factor for the outcome after repair of massive ro...

Catheter-related infections in peritoneal dialysis (PD) remain a significant complication, and some patients with recurrent exit-site (ESI) and/or tunnel infections may experience external cuff extrusion. In these cases, cuff-shaving has been described as a possible course of treatment. During a 4-year period, there were 44 patients with PD at our department; all received double-cuffed Tenckhof...

BACKGROUND Arthroscopic rotator cuff repair generally has a good clinical outcome but shoulder stiffness after surgery due to subacromial adhesion is one of the most common and clinically important complications. Sodium hyaluronate (HA) has been reported to be an anti-adhesive agent in a range of surgical procedures. However, there are few reports of the outcomes of arthroscopic rotator cuff re...

BACKGROUND Restoration of shoulder function is a primary goal when treating patients with traumatic brachial plexus injury. A concomitant rotator cuff tear may alter the treatment approach and prognosis for these individuals. The purpose of this study was to define the prevalence of rotator cuff tears in patients with traumatic brachial plexus injuries. METHODS This is a retrospective review ...

BACKGROUND It is unknown which combination of patient information and clinical tests might be optimal for the diagnosis of rotator cuff tears. This study aimed to determine the diagnostic value of nine individual clinical tests for evaluating rotator cuff tear and to develop a prediction model for diagnosing rotator cuff tear. METHODS This prospective cohort study included 169 patients with s...

BACKGROUND Inappropriately cuffed tracheal tubes can lead to inadequate ventilation or silent aspiration, or to serious tracheal damage. Cuff pressures are of particular importance during aeromedical transport as they increase due to decreased atmospheric pressure at flight level. We hypothesised, that cuff pressures are frequently too high in emergency and critically ill patients but are depen...