The wick catheter technique for measurement of intramuscular pressure. A new research and clinical tool

The wick catheter technique was developed in 1968 for measurement of subcutaneous pressure and has been modified for easy intramuscular insertion and continuous recording of interstitial fluid pressure in animals and humans. Studies in dogs of the anterolateral compartment of the leg in simulation of the compartment syndrome showed the technique to be accurate and reproducible. The wick catheter technique is capable of important clinical applications in the diagnosis and treatment of acute and chronic compartment syndromes.     

Oral endotoxin in healthy adults

A case is presented which is thought to be the first described example of rib fracture occurring as a result of airbag inflation. It would appear that the propellant cartridge came loose during deployment to form a missile, striking the patient on his chest and fracturing a rib.     

Frequency of nucleated red blood cells in maternal blood during the different gestational ages

PURPOSE: To study the course and visual outcome of Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada (VKH) syndrome in children. METHODS: The medical records of 97 consecutive patients with VKH syndrome were reviewed. Patients had been seen at King Khaled Eye Specialist Hospital in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The records were divided into two groups: those in whom the onset of the disease occurred at the age of 14 years or younger (pediatric group) and those in whom the disease manifested after the age of 14 years (adult group). RESULTS: Eight (61%) of the 13 children required cataract surgery compared to 14(17%) of 84 adult patients. Despite medical and surgical therapy, eight (61%) of the pediatric group had a final visual acuity of 20/200 or worse compared with 22 (26%) of the 84 adult patients (p=0.0103). CONCLUSION: The course of early-onset VKH (before the age of 14 years) appears to be aggressive. The ocular complications are more severe in children than in adults, leading to rapid deterioration in vision. Despite therapy, the final visual outcome of VKH in children is poor.     

AIDS-associated renal tuberculosis

In order to study the prevalence and the clinical features of renal tuberculosis associated with AIDS, we studied the renal tissue of the necropsies made in 46 AIDS patients under light microscopy. We found renal tuberculous granuloma in 11 (23%) patients (in 3 without previous diagnosis of renal or extrarenal tuberculosis) and only 4 of them presented moderate hematuria or pyuria sterile. As subclinical renal tuberculosis was frequent in this group of AIDS patients, the urine culture for Mycobacterium tuberculosis may be useful for diagnosing tuberculosis in AIDS patients.