Assessment of Gas Heating and Humidification This was done by prospectively reviewing the hospital record of each patient. Instillations and tracheal suctions were recorded, as well as the number of days with dried, thick, tenacious secretions. Occlusion of TT or ETT was defined as the inability to pass a suction catheter (10 gauges of external [...]

Continue reading " Heat and Moisture Exchangers and Vaporizing Humidifiers in the Intensive Care Unit: METHODS part 2 "

This study was approved by the Committee on Human Research of our institution. From January to August 1987, we included in the study all patients admitted to the ICU, in whom a controlled MV (CMV) of more than 24 hours was planned. This was done to avoid including patients admitted for a short-term (overnight) postopera­tive [...]

Continue reading " Heat and Moisture Exchangers and Vaporizing Humidifiers in the Intensive Care Unit: METHODS "

Mechanical ventilation with endotracheal intuba­tion or tracheostomy bypasses the upper airway and the normal heat and moisture exchanging process of inspired gas. A continuous loss of moisture and heat occurs during prolonged M V and predisposes patients to serious airway damage. The severity of these damages is related to the degree of humidification and heating [...]

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Congenital smooth muscle hamartomas are benign proliferations of smooth muscle bundles within the dermis. They can be congenital or acquired, but most cases are congenital lesions. CSMHs develop from the excessive production of pilar smooth muscle (arrectores pilorum) at the time of maturation of the mesoderm during fetal development, and acquired smooth muscle hamartomas have [...]

Continue reading " Three Cases of Congenital Smooth Muscle Hamartomas: DISCUSSION "

Case 1 A 2-month-old boy presented with a folded skin lesion on the right infraorbital area which had been present since birth. Physical examination revealed a circumscribed, hairy, flesh-colored, 6×5 cm sized plaque with skin folds (Fig. 1). The initial diagnosis was congenital melanocytic nevus. But a pseudo- Darier’s sign was elicited upon rubbing the [...]

Continue reading " Three Cases of Congenital Smooth Muscle Hamartomas: CASE REPORT "

INTRODUCTION Congenital smooth muscle hamartoma (CSMH) is a rare cutaneous abnormality which is characterized by a benign proliferation of intersecting dermal smooth muscle bundles that may or may not be associated with hair follicles. It presents clinically as a congenital hairy patch or plaque, with or without hyperpigmentation, and it is usually seen as a [...]

Continue reading " Three Cases of Congenital Smooth Muscle Hamartomas "

M. fortuitum is a rapidly growing mycobacterium that belongs to group IV within the Runyon clas­sification5. The organism is responsible for a number of infections which tend to be chronic, recurrent and resistant to treatment. The majority of patients have a history of trauma at the infection site. In our case, the patient received 2 [...]

Continue reading " Mycobacterium fortuitum Infection Caused by a Nerve Block: DISCUSSION "