OBJECTIVES/HYPOTHESIS Surgical intervention of the Eustachian tube (ET) has become increasingly common in the past decade, and balloon dilation has shown promising results in recent studies. It is unclear how balloon dilation enhances ET function. Our aim was to evaluate histological changes in the ET's mucosal lumen comparing before balloon dilation, immediately after, and postoperatively. S...

This report describes the successful treatment of a traumatic splenic abscess by transabdominal drainage under ultrasonographic guidance. The gelding presented for investigation recurrent pyrexia, mild abdominal pain and weight loss after penetrating trauma to caudolateral abdomen 5 weeks previously. At this stage, wall had healed was diagnosed. Before treatment, mature adhesions between spleen...

background: accelerated partial breast irradiation via interstitial balloon brachytherapy is a fast and effective treatment method for certain early stage breast cancers however skin, chest wall and lung doses are correlated with toxicity in patients treated with breast brachytherapy. objective: to investigate the percentage of the dose received by critical organ (skin), thermoluminescence dete...

OBJECTIVE Systemic emboli related to atrial thrombi are a well known complication of percutaneous balloon dilatation of the mitral valve. The presence of left atrial thrombi therefore, is believed to be a contraindication to balloon dilatation. The purpose of this study was to determine the frequency of left atrial thrombi in patients referred for balloon dilatation of the mitral valve, the add...

In the previous issue of Critical Care, Yu and colleagues report increased morbidity and mortality in patients after myocardial infarction undergoing prophylactic intra-aortic balloon pump support before coronary artery bypass graft surgery. The impact of prophylactic intra-aortic balloon pump implantation before coronary artery bypass graft therapy still is controversially debated. However, Yu...

BACKGROUND Controversy exists regarding the ability of intra-aortic balloon pumping to increase coronary blood flow in patients with obstructive coronary artery disease. To assess the effects of intra-aortic balloon pumping on coronary hemodynamics, we measured coronary blood flow velocity with a 0.018-in. Doppler-tipped angioplasty guide wire in 15 patients who received an intra-aortic balloon...

Background. Controversy exists regarding the ability of intra-aortic balloon pumping to increase coronary blood flow in patients with obstructive coronary artery disease. To assess the effects of intra-aortic balloon pumping on coronary hemodynamics, we measured coronary blood flow velocity with a 0.018-in. Doppler-tipped angioplasty guide wire in 15 patients who received an intra-aortic balloo...

Producers in the Western Cape province of South Africa are looking towards a push-pull strategy to reduce oviposition damage plums by western flower thrips (WFT). White clover, Trifolium repens L., favoured host plant WFT, was investigated as possible trap crop provide “pull” element. The attractiveness collected volatiles white clover flowers and unopened (balloon stage) open plum (Prunus sali...