BACKGROUND Thoracoscopic surgery can be associated with considerable postoperative pain. While the benefits of paravertebral block on pain after thoracotomy have been demonstrated, no investigations on the effects of paravertebral block on pain after thoracoscopy have been conducted. We tested the hypothesis that a single-injection thoracic paravertebral block, performed preoperatively, reduces...

Studies of the correlation of aortic valve gradient determined by continuous-wave Doppler echocardiography and that determined at catheterization have, to date, involved young patients and nonsimultaneous measurements. We therefore obtained simultaneous Doppler echocardiographic and catheter measurements of pressure gradient in 100 consecutive adults (mean age 69, range 50 to 89 years). In 63 p...

OBJECTIVES To search for imaging characteristics distinguishing patients with successful from those with futile microbiological pathogen detection by CT-guided biopsy in suspected spondylodiscitis. METHODS 34 consecutive patients with suspected spondylodiscitis underwent CT-guided biopsy for pathogen detection. MR-images were assessed for inflammatory infiltration of disks, adjacent vertebrae...

BACKGROUND Acute compartment syndrome (CS) of the paravertebral muscles without external trauma is rarely reported in literature. Not all of clinical symptoms for CS are applicable to the paravertebral region. CASE PRESENTATION A 30-year-old amateur rugby player was suffering from increasing back pain following exertional training specially targeting back muscles. He presented with hardly tre...

BACKGROUND Most applications of pressure-volume conductance catheter measurements assess cardiovascular function at a single point in time after genetic, pharmacologic, infectious, nutritional, or toxicologic manipulation. Use of these catheters as a continuous monitor, however, is fraught with complexities and limitations. METHODS Examples of the limitations and optimal use of conductance ca...

Review scope Included studies compared US (landmarking before or real time during the procedure) with a standard, nonimaging technique, such as palpation or loss of resistance (change in pressure on the piston of the syringe when the epidural space is entered). Exclusion criteria were procedures involving peripheral nerves or caudal, paravertebral, radicular, or plexus regions. Outcomes include...

BACKGROUND VDR may be considered as a candidate gene potentially related to idiopathic scoliosis susceptibility and natural history. Transcriptional profile of VDR mRNA isoforms might be changed in the structural tissues of the scoliotic spine and potentially influence the expression of VDR responsive genes. The purpose of the study was to determine differences in mRNA abundance of VDR isoforms...

Introduction Respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) is a current cause of morbidity in premature infants resulted from surfactant deficiency. The primary aim of this randomized study was to describe the feasibility of early administration of surfactant via a thin catheter during spontaneous breathing (TEC) and compare its outcomes with the InSurE (Intubate, Surfactant, Extubate) procedure Material...