A (2.4 Kg) female full-term baby admitted with respiratory distress and frothing from the mouth since birth. The infantogram with the nasogastric tube in situ revealed the position of the tube was at T7-T8 vertebral level and there was no gas in the abdomen (Fig. 1). There was no other associated anomaly. At operation, the upper and lower pouches were almost in continuity but there was a 1cm lo...

The sampling tube, an open-ended polyethylene feeding catheter sterilised by the manufacturer, is filled with sterile distilled water. A 2.0% suspension of agar in distilled water is prepared and enough cochineal to colour the solution is added. This is autoclaved at 44N/10 min to dissolve and sterilise the agar. When the solution has cooled to 60°C an 8 cm length of the coloured agar solution ...

OBJECTIVE To determine the incidence, reasons and prognosis about Horner's syndrome in thoracic surgical patients. METHODS In this prospective clinical study, 933 adult patients were assessed between the years of 1998 and 2002. All patients who underwent chest tube insertion (n: 662 patients) or thoracotomy (n: 342 patients), or who had thoracic trauma (n: 268 patients) were routinely examine...

A 76-year-old, 148-cm woman was scheduled for right upper lobectomy. A 32 Fr left-sided double lumen tube was placed using a conventional technique. Despite several attempts under fiberoptic bronchoscope-guidance, we could not locate the double lumen tube properly. We thus decided to proceed with the bronchial tube in the right mainstem bronchus. During surgery, 8-cm-long laceration was noted o...

Video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS) for a superior posterior mediastinal lesion is routinely done in the lateral decubitus position similar to a standard thoracotomy using a double-lumen endotracheal tube for one-lung ventilation. This is an area above the level of the pericardium, with the superior thoracic opening as its superior limit and its inferior limit at the plane from the sternal a...

PURPOSE An initial description of a sonographic finding predictive of intrathoracic chest tube placement. METHODS This was a prospective observational study using unembalmed cadaveric models. Chest tubes were randomly placed intra- and extrathoracically and evaluated using ultrasound. Chest tube location was confirmed using blunt dissection followed by tactile and visual confirmation. Sonogra...

A piezoelectric tube of the type typically used for actuation in Scanning Tunneling Microscopes (STMs) and Atomic Force Microscopes (AFMs) is considered. Actuation of this piezoelectric tube is hampered by the presence of a lightly damped low frequency resonant mode. This resonant mode is first identified and then damped using a Positive Velocity and Position Feedback (PVPF) controller, a contr...

PURPOSE We aimed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of fluoroscopically placed jejunal extension tubes (J-arm) in patients with existing gastrostomy tubes. METHODS We conducted a retrospective review of 391 J-arm placements performed in 174 patients. Indications for jejunal nutrition were aspiration risk (35%), pancreatitis (17%), gastroparesis (13%), gastric outlet obstruction (12%), and ot...

Iran is recognized as an endemic area for lung hydatidosis. Surgical removal of some hydatid cysts may have setious morbid consequences. To determine the characteristics of these special cysts, a retrospective survey was carried out on patients admitted to Modarres Hospital in Tehran between 1989 and 1998. We have found that ruptured, bilateral, lung located, and giant cysts (> ] 0 cm) caus...

PURPOSE To verify if correct ProSeal laryngeal mask airway (PLMA) placement may condition blind insertion of a gastric tube via the PLMA. METHODS The PLMA was studied in 150 anesthetized patients using a size #4 in (females) and #5 in (males). Its position was determined by inserting a fibrescope in the airway tube. A lubricated gastric tube was inserted through the PLMA drainage tube, record...