Search results for "Feasibility"
showing 10 items of 306 documents
Palliative Sedation in Patients With Advanced Cancer Followed at Home: A Prospective Study
2014
Abstract Context Home care programs in Italy. Objectives The aim of this study was to assess a protocol for palliative sedation (PS) performed at home. Methods A total of 219 patients were prospectively assessed to evaluate a PS protocol in patients with advanced cancer followed at home by two home care programs with different territorial facilities. The protocol was based on stepwise administration of midazolam. Results A total of 176 of the patients died at home, and PS was performed in 24 of these patients (13.6%). Younger patients received the procedure more frequently than older patients (P = 0.012). The principal reasons to start PS were agitated delirium (n = 20) and dyspnea (n = 4).…
The Candy Smell Test in Clinical Routine
2011
Background The “Candy Smell Test” (CST) has been introduced as a new testing method for the evaluation of the human sense of smell. In contrast to other established orthonasal smell tests, the CST addresses the retronasal application of odors, typical for food aroma effects during mastication and swallowing. The aim of this study was to evaluate the CST in a clinical setting in patients with olfactory dysfunction and normal controls against the Sniffin’ Sticks test. Furthermore, cutoff points for normal and pathological results in the CST should be determined. Methods The olfactory performance of 96 patients presenting with olfactory disorders and 71 healthy controls was evaluated with the …
The posterior talocalcaneal ligament: an MRI evaluation
2020
Purpose Awideinter-individualvariabilityintermsofsize,orientationandinsertionisobservedregardingankleligaments. The aim of this study is to identify and describe the anatomical features of the posterior talocalcaneal ligament (PTCL) observed through the use of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the ankle. Methods The study was retrospectively carried out on 893 ankle MRI’s exams. The exams have all been performed using a 1.5-T (T) MRI. The same scanning protocols and scan planes were carried out in all the exams. The first evaluated param- eter was the recognition of the PTCL. Subsequently, in all those cases where the ligament was present, its features such as insertion sites, length, and…
An endoscopic approach to the management of surgical bile duct injuries: nine years’ experience
2003
Abstract Background. The evaluation of the endoscopic treatment of surgical bile duct injuries, especially in the management of post-operative strictures, remains controversial. Aim. The aim of this study was to evaluate the feasibility of using endoscopic management from a study of the clinical reports of two of the main endoscopy units in Sicily. Patients and methods. A total of 137 consecutive patients were selected. There were 85 simple biliary fistulas: 64 from the cystic duct stump; 19 from the gall bladder bed; and two from intra-hepatic bile ducts. There were 52 biliary lesions: 15 complete transections; 12 incomplete lesions of the common bile duct with six associated strictures; f…
Patients requiring interruption of long-term oral anticoagulant therapy: the use of fixed sub-therapeutic doses of low-molecular weight heparin.
2009
Introduction: We tested the efficacy and safety of fixed doses of Low-Molecular Weight Heparin (LMWH) in patients requiring interruption of Vitamin-k Antagonist (VKA) because of invasive procedures Methodology: Pre-operatively, patients discontinued VKA 5 +/- 1days; in those at low-risk for thrombosis, LMWH was given at a prophylactic dosage of 3.800 U.I. (nadroparin) or 4.000 U.I. (enoxaparin) anti-FXa once daily the night before the procedure. In patients at high-risk for thrombosis, LMWH was started early after VKA cessation and given at fixed sub-therapeutic doses (3.800 or 4.000 UI anti-FXa twice daily) until surgery. Post-operatively, LMWH was reinitiated 12 hours after procedure whil…
Safety and Feasibility of a New Minimally Invasive Diagnostic Laparoscopy Technique
1998
Background and Study Aims: Laparoscopy combined with guided liver biopsy offers many advantages in the diagnosis and staging of chronic liver diseases and is superior to other diagnostic procedures. We developed a new minilaparoscopic technique and evaluated the utility of this minimally invasive laparoscopic system in the first 320 patients who underwent diagnostic assessment for liver disease or peritoneal carcinosis. Patients and Methods: Between July 1996 and February 1998, minilaparoscopy, with analgesia and sedation was carried out in 320 patients. It was done using a 1.9-mm optical instrument, which was inserted through the same 2.75-mm trocar as the Veress needle used for inflating …
Freehand three-dimensional assessment of left ventricular volumes and ejection fraction with ultrasound contrast agent LK565
2005
Accurate assessment of left ventricular function by determining left ventricular volumes and ejection fraction is important in evaluating the prognoses of patients with heart failure. Two-dimensional (2D) echocardiography suffers from low correlation with reference methods like ventriculography. Three-dimensionally (3D) assessed data have been proved to have better conformity. Endocardial border delineation remains a problem, however, especially in patients with suboptimal recordings. Few data exist on 3D-echocardiographic volumetry with ultrasound contrast agents (UCAs). We evaluated the second-generation UCA LK565 for its boundary-tracing capacities in freehand 3D echocardiography in a ph…
Measurement of Cortical Microcirculation During Intracranial Aneurysm Surgery by Combined Laser-Doppler Flowmetry and Photospectrometry
2011
Accidental vessel occlusion is one major risk of intracranial aneurysm surgery potentially causing cerebral ischemia. The intraoperative assessment of cerebral ischemia remains a technological challenge.As a novel approach, cortical tissue integrity was monitored using simultaneous measurements of regional capillary-venous cerebral blood flow (rvCBF), oxygen saturation (Srvo2), and hemoglobin amount (rvHb) during aneurysm surgery.Fifteen patients scheduled for aneurysm surgery of the anterior and posterior circulation were included. A fiber optic probe was placed on the cortex associated with the distal branch of the aneurysmatic vessel. Blinded measurements by combined laser-Doppler flowme…
Hypo-fractionated stereotactic radiation therapy for lung malignancies by means of helical tomotherapy: report of feasibility by a single-center expe…
2018
Background: Several experiences in the literature report SBRT as an effective treatment option for medically inoperable early stage non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and oligometastatic disease. The optimal fractionation schedules and total dose remain controversial. In this study, we evaluated the safety in terms of toxicity and efficacy of using of 8â10 fractions schedules with Helical Tomotherapy (HT) for primary and metastatic lung lesions. Methods: Between March 2014 and May 2016, a total of 39 patients (median age 72 years, range 26â91) were treated with HT-SBRT for malignant lung lesions: 22 patients with early stage NSCLC, 17 with oligometastases. Patients received 8â10 fract…
Blurring the boundaries between frame-based and frameless stereotaxy: feasibility study for brain biopsies performed with the use of a head-mounted r…
2015
OBJECT Frame-based stereotactic interventions are considered the gold standard for brain biopsies, but they have limitations with regard to flexibility and patient comfort because of the bulky head ring attached to the patient. Frameless image guidance systems that use scalp fiducial markers offer more flexibility and patient comfort but provide less stability and accuracy during drilling and biopsy needle positioning. Head-mounted robot-guided biopsies could provide the advantages of these 2 techniques without the downsides. The goal of this study was to evaluate the feasibility and safety of a robotic guidance device, affixed to the patient’s skull through a small mounting platform, for …