Occupational infections in the Edinburgh abattoir.

Our success rate has been at least as good as the average reported with the use of other diverse techniques. However, this would not be sufficient recommendation for widespread adoption of the method, were it not for the additional important advantage of greatly increased comfort, particularly for acutely ill patients. The use of a sandbag, which is necessary with the patient prone, has been avoided, with its accompaniments of discomfort, nausea in susceptible patients, and occasional syncope from obstruction of the venous return. Patients cooperate well, and the tendency to transfix the kidney with the production of a painful anterior haematoma is minimized. Haemorrhage sufficient to require blood transfusion was not encountered, and surgical intervention has never been called for. The operator's comfort is ensured, since he too is sitting. Possible disadvantages of the method stem from the fact that the kidney is not held against the diaphragm. Respiration therefore produces little swing in the exploring needle, so that the operator may be less confident of the depth of the kidney. Further, a sclerotic kidney may escape anteriorly at the moment of biopsy. However, these difficulties are in some degree common to all percutaneous techniques.