A multitude of evidence suggests that iodinated contrast material causes nephrotoxicity; however, there have been no previous studies which use arterial spin labeling (ASL) blood flow magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to investigate the alterations in effective renal plasma flow between normointensive and hypertensive rats following injection of contrast media. This ...

Neutrophil elastase has been reported to play an important role in acute lung injury, which is a major cause of postoperative mortality after pulmonary resection. Neutrophil elastase released in the lungs reaches the peripheral circulation via the pulmonary veins. This study was performed to compare neutrophil elastase activity in pulmonary ...

PURPOSE: Reanalyses are frequently requested in forensic toxicology, and knowledge of the stability of drugs in biological samples is of major importance for the interpretation of the toxicological findings. Currently, the literature on stability of gammahydroxybutyrate (GHB) in blood samples from living subjects and in post-mortem blood is limited. The ...

Background: Blood availability is an issue of concern in countries of sub-Saharan Africa where both the demand and discard rates of blood are high. Although some degree of attention is paid when transfusion reactions occur in recipients, no information is available on donor reactions in this setting. Objectives: This study ...

Bloodstain pattern analysis (BPA) is the investigation and interpretation of blood deposited at crime scenes. However, the interaction of blood and apparel fabrics has not been widely studied. In this work, the development of bloodstains (passive, absorbed and transferred) dropped from three different heights (500, 1,000, 1,500 mm) on two cotton ...

Objectives: Haemodilution resulting from crystalloid priming of the cardiopulmonary bypass circuit represents a major risk factor for blood transfusions in high-risk cardiac surgery patients. We designed this study to evaluate the effects of antegrade autologous priming (AAP) on reducing perioperative blood transfusion and markers of the inflammatory response in older ...

Hypotension and shock are risk factors for death, renal insufficiency and stroke in pre-term neonates. Goal-directed neonatal hemodynamic management lacks end-organ monitoring strategies to assess the adequacy of perfusion. Our aim is to develop a clinically viable, continuous metric of renovascular reactivity to gauge renal perfusion during shock. We present ...

Quantitative blood oxygenation level dependent technique provides an MRI-based method to measure tissue hemodynamic parameters such as oxygen extraction fraction and deoxyhemoglobin-containing (veins and prevenous part of capillaries) cerebral blood volume fraction. It is based on a theory of MR signal dephasing in the presence of blood vessel network and ...

BACKGROUND: Despite the proven benefits in hemorrhagic shock, blood transfusions have been linked to increased morbidity and mortality. The short-term adverse effects of blood transfusion in cardiac surgical patients are well documented but there are very few studies that adequately assess the long-term survival. This study was undertaken to evaluate ...

This study assessed the phenotypic and allelic profiles of ABO and Rhesus D blood group system among first time blood donors at the National Centre of Blood Supply of Antananarivo. We collected through this retrospective study all data registered during 7 years of practice (from 2003 to 2009). Age and sex ...

Objectives:  Outcome of the thrombolytic treatment is dependent on biochemical reactions of the fibrinolytic system as well as on hemodynamic conditions. However, understanding of the interaction between these two processes is still deficient. Methods:  Model blood clot thrombolysis in an artificial perfusion system, was studied by stroboscopic optical microscopy. The ...

BACKGROUND: Blood transfusion in rural sub-Saharan Africa presents special challenges. Transfusions are primarily given for emergencies-life-threatening blood loss or anemia; blood is usually collected from family or replacement donors; and facilities to store an adequate reserve in a hospital bank are constrained. We report the everyday and organizational practices in ...

The functionality of vascular networks within implanted prevascularized tissues is difficult to assess using traditional analysis techniques, such as histology. This is largely due to the inability to visualize hemodynamics in vivo longitudinally. Therefore, we have developed dynamic imaging methods to measure blood flow and hemoglobin oxygen saturation in implanted ...

Optical microscopy of blood cells in vivo provides a unique opportunity for clinicians and researchers to visualize the morphology and dynamics of circulating cells, but is usually limited by the imaging speed and by the need for exogenous labeling of the cells. Here we present a label-free approach for in ...

While a number of studies have analysed the relationship between ABO blood group and vascular thrombosis [1], especially venous thromboembolism (VTE) [2], only few data have been published on the association between ABO blood group and haemorrhagic disorders [3]. However, as plasma von Willebrand factor levels are 25-35 percent lower ...

There is a need for real-time non-invasive, continuous monitoring of cerebral blood flow (CBF) during surgery, in intensive care units and clinical research. We investigated a new non-invasive hybrid technology employing ultrasound tagged near infrared spectroscopy (UT-NIRS) that may estimate changes in CBF using a cerebral blood flow index (CFI). ...

BACKGROUND:: A persistent cerebrospinal fluid leak after spinal surgery can be associated with both meningitis and/or pneumocephalus. Therefore, early active intervention is recommended with surgical exploration, lumbar subarachnoid drain, and less commonly epidural blood patch. In the absence of a ligamentum flavum, the use of high-resolution ultrasound (US) spine imaging ...

An interesting problem in hemorheology is to calculate that volume fraction of erythrocytes (hematocrit) that is optimal for transporting a maximum amount of oxygen. If the hematocrit is too low, too few erythrocytes are present to transport oxygen. If it is too high, the blood is very viscous and cannot ...

Adaptive servo ventilation (ASV) is reported to be effective for the treatment of heart failure. We treated a patient with idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy using ASV and assessed the effects on hemodynamics, coronary flow, and flow reserve before and after ASV therapy. This case suggests that ASV might decrease myocardial oxygen ...

The pulse CO-oximeter (Rad-57 Masimo Corporation, Irvine, CA) allows non-invasive and instantaneous measurement of carboxyhemoglobin (COHb) and methemoglobin (MetHb) percentage level using a finger probe. However, the accuracy and reliability of the Rad-57 against the gold standard of venous or arterial blood samples have not been clearly established. Thus, the ...

PURPOSE: Recent studies reported that microcirculatory blood flow alterations occur in patients with circulatory shock independent of arterial pressure but typically lack baseline microcirculatory data before the insult and after recovery. We selected cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) patients with expected and rapidly reversible hemodynamic instability to test the hypothesis that microcirculatory ...

Background:The activated clotting time (ACT) is widely used for monitoring heparin anticoagulation during cardiac surgery. Celite-based ACT values are prolonged when aprotinin is administered. MDCO-2010, a novel serine protease inhibitor, is currently being evaluated as a possible alternative to aprotinin. Therefore, we evaluated the in vitro effects of this novel ...

The Coatzacoalcos Region in Veracruz, Mexico houses one of the most important industrial complexes in Mexico and Latin America. Lead is an ubiquitous environmental pollutant which represents a great risk to human health and ecosystems. Amphibian populations have been recognized as biomonitors of changes in environmental conditions. The purpose of ...

The aim of the present study was to test the hypothesis that cortical surface arteries and parenchymal blood flow are independently regulated depending on the perturbation. To this end, a novel image-based analytical method for quantitatively measuring vessel diameters and flow dynamics was developed. The algorithm relies on the spatiotemporal ...

Functional MRI (fMRI) brain studies performed in the presence of a steady-state or "blood pool" contrast agent yields activation maps that are weighted for cerebral blood volume (CBV). Previous animal experiments suggest significant contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) improvements, but these studies have not yet been performed in humans due to the ...

Object The aim of this study was to evaluate and compare CSF flow after endoscopic third ventriculostomy (ETV) and endoscopic aqueductoplasty (EAP) in patients presenting with obstructive hydrocephalus caused by aqueductal stenosis. Methods In patients harboring aqueductal stenosis who underwent EAP (n = 8), ETV (n = 8), and both ...

Johne's disease is caused by Mycobacterium avium ssp. paratuberculosis (MAP) and has been recognized as an important bacterial infection in ruminants. Although MAP has been detected in semen and within the reproductive organs of bulls, the bacterial distribution and shedding patterns are currently not well characterized. Our investigation was performed ...

OBJECTIVE:: We compared the effects of intravenous infusions of 0.9% saline ([Cl] 154 mmol/L) and Plasma-Lyte 148 ([Cl] 98 mmol/L, Baxter Healthcare) on renal blood flow velocity and perfusion in humans using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). BACKGROUND:: Animal experiments suggest that hyperchloremia resulting from 0.9% saline infusion may affect renal ...

The accuracy of perfusion measurements using dynamic, susceptibility-weighted, contrast-enhanced MRI depends on estimating contrast agent concentration in an artery, i.e., the arterial input function. One of the difficulties associated with obtaining an arterial input function are partial volume effects when both blood and brain parenchyma occupy the same pixel. Previous ...

The intra-aorta pump is a novel continuous flow (CF) left ventricular (LV) device. According to literatures, the pulsatile flow LV device can provide superior LV unloading and circulatory support compared with CF LV assist devices at the same level of ventricular assist device flow. Therefore, a pulsatile control algorithm for ...

OBJECTIVE: To analyse cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) hydrodynamics in patients with Chiari type I malformation (CM) with and without syringomyelia using 4D magnetic resonance (MR) phase contrast (PC) flow imaging. METHODS: 4D-PC CSF flow data were acquired in 20 patients with CM (12 patients with presyrinx/syrinx). Characteristic 4D-CSF flow patterns were ...

Cerebral blood volume (CBV) changes significantly with brain activation, whether measured using positron emission tomography, functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), or optical microscopy. If cerebral vessels are considered to be impermeable, the contents of the skull incompressible, and the skull itself inextensible, task- and hypercapnia-related changes of CBV could produce ...

The effects of hydroxyethyl starch on bleeding after cardiopulmonary bypass were determined. A meta-analysis was performed of postoperative blood loss in randomized clinical trials of hydroxyethyl starch versus albumin for fluid management in adult cardiopulmonary bypass surgery. Impacts of hydroxyethyl starch molecular weight and molar substitution were assessed. Randomized trials ...

BACKGROUND:: The second part of our study on operating room fires analyzes the construct of the nasal cannula used during facial surgery under conscious sedation with supplemental oxygen. This prospective study compares two common styles of nasal cannulas with a nasopharyngeal system described in our first report. METHODS:: Twenty patients ...

Studies elucidate conflicting results about the relationships between ABO blood groups and Plasmodium infection outcomes in humans. This study examined association between ABO blood group and Plasmodium falciparum (P. falciparum) malaria related outcomes among 1065 malaria suspected febrile patients who attended Dore Baafano Health Center, southern Ethiopia, between December, 2010 ...

BACKGROUND: Digital subtraction angiography (DSA) provides detailed hemodynamic information. However, the imaging interpretation is mainly based on the physician's experience and observation. We aimed to quantitatively study the peritherapeutic blood flow changes of a cerebral arteriovenous malformation (AVM) treated by embolization using optical flow estimation on DSA. METHODS: A 37-year-old ...

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to assess functionality and resources of facilities providing blood collection and transfusion services in Afghanistan. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: This national cross-sectional assessment included facilities collecting or transfusing blood identified through official data sources and private key informants. At each facility, study representatives ...

We have evaluated the use of deconvolution using an exponential approximation basis for the quantification of myocardial blood flow from perfusion cardiovascular magnetic resonance. Our experiments, based on simulated signal intensity (SI) curves, phantom acquisitions and clinical image data, indicate that exponential deconvolution allows for accurate quantification of myocardial blood ...

Ciguatera in humans is typically caused by the consumption of reef fish that have accumulated Ciguatoxins (CTXs) in their flesh. Over a six month period, we captured 38 wild adult great barracuda (Sphyraena barracuda), a species commonly associated with ciguatera in The Bahamas. We sampled three tissues (i.e., muscle, liver, ...

Heparin is a natural polymer widely used in medicine especially during the treatment of cardiovascular diseases since it is a potent blood anticoagulant. In case of emergency, e.g., massive hemorrhage, the anticoagulant activity of heparin has to be quickly stopped by the administration of a heparin reversing agent. Currently protamine ...

Image-derived input functions (IDIFs) represent a promising technique for a simpler and less invasive quantification of PET studies as compared to arterial cannulation. However, a number of limitations complicate the routine use of IDIFs in clinical research protocols and the full substitution of manual arterial samples by venous ones has ...

Anemia has been associated with elevated cerebral blood flow (CBF) in animal models and certain clinical conditions (eg, renal disease), but whether hemoglobin level variations across a relatively normal range are associated with local or diffuse CBF changes is unclear. We investigated whether lower hemoglobin is associated with regional increases ...

Changes in elasticity and structures of red blood cells (RBCs) are important indicators of disease, and this makes them interesting for medical studies. In forensics, blood analyses represent a crucial part of crime scene investigations. For these reasons, the recovery and analysis of blood cells from ancient tissues is of ...

As part of a scheduled policy and procedure review, the department of nursing education at a large urban academic medical center conducted a literature review to determine the most up-to-date evidence for central venous access device (CVAD) blood draws. The literature review revealed that the dead space blood draw was ...

Object Controlled hypotension is routinely used during open repair of craniosynostosis to decrease blood loss, although this benefit is unproven. In this study the authors analyzed the longitudinal relationships between intraoperative mean arterial pressure (MAP) and calculated blood loss (CBL) during frontoorbital advancement (FOA) for craniosynostosis. Methods The authors reviewed ...

The aim of this study was to demonstrate whether it is possible to objectively assess the effects of acupuncture by microcirculation-related parameters in the given clinical scenario, to evaluate the significance of the status of capillary perfusion prior to acupuncture for the treatment of a clinical cold pattern, and to ...

We describe a novel approach to study blood microparticles using the scanning flow cytometer, which measures light scattering patterns (LSPs) of individual particles. Starting from platelet-rich plasma, we separated spherical microparticles from non-spherical plasma constituents, such as platelets and cell debris, based on similarity of their LSP to that of ...

Background: Blood transfusion is a high risk activity. Aim: To evaluate transfusion safety in planned cardiac surgery. Methods: This study was conducted in the blood bank of the Rabta Hospital in two phases: a phase to observe transfusion acts followed by corrective actions and a phase to evaluate the impacts ...

Dried blood spots can be a convenient and ethical means of sampling when analyzing compounds in blood. As with any analytical technique, success of the resulting analyses hinge on the precision and accuracy of sample collection, handling and extraction. In this Special Feature, a new method for dried blood spot ...

Sepsis is an adverse systemic inflammatory response caused by microbial infection in blood. This paper reports a simple microfluidic approach for intrinsic, non-specific removal of both microbes and inflammatory cellular components (platelets and leukocytes) from whole blood, inspired by the invivo phenomenon of leukocyte margination. As blood flows through a ...