Aclinical Setting Research Articles

Preface

Life expectancy in the developed and developing countries isconstantly increasing. Medicine has benefited from novel biomarkersfor screening and diagnosis. At least for a number of diseases,biomedical imaging is one of the most promising means of earlydiagnosis. Medical hardware manufacturer's progress has led to a newgeneration of measurements to understand the human anatomical andfunctional states. These measurements go beyond simple means ofanatomical visualization (e.g. X-ray images) and therefore theirinterpretation becomes a scientific challenge for humans mostlybecause of the volume and flow of information as well as theirnature. Computer-aided diagnosis develops mathematical models andtheir computational solutions to assist data interpretation in aclinical setting. In simple words, one would like to be able toprovide a formal answer to a clinical question using the availablemeasurements. The development of mathematical models for automaticclinical interpretation of multi-modalities is a great challenge.For more information please click the “Full Text” above.

Complications associated with the use of indwelling epidural catheters in dogs: 81 cases (1996-1999).

To evaluate complications associated with use of indwelling epidural catheters in dogs in a clinical setting. Retrospective clinical study. 81 client-owned dogs. Medical records were reviewed for dogs in which a 19-gauge epidural catheter was placed percutaneously at L7-S1 and advanced to the point of maximum efficacy for pain control (between L7 and T4, depending on the procedure). Catheters were used to provide perioperative epidural analgesia during surgeries that included perineal (n = 6), hind limb (33), abdominal (43), thoracic (5), forelimb (2), and cervical (1) procedures. Catheters were maintained in situ from 1 to 7 days (mean, 2.3 days; median, 2.0 days). Sixty-four dogs did not have complications; 17 dogs had minor complications. Catheter dislodgement was the most common complication (13/80 [16%] dogs). Catheter site contamination without inflammation developed in 2 (2.4%) dogs; inflammation at the catheter site developed in 2 (2.4%) dogs but was not related to duration of time the catheter was in place. Complications were not serious and did not require treatment other than catheter removal. Dogs that dislodged their catheters were significantly younger (mean, 2.9 years; median, 2.0 years) than other dogs (mean, 6.2 years; median, 6.0 years). Dogs that received femoral fracture repair dislodged their catheters more often (62.5%) than dogs undergoing other procedures (10.9%). The complication rate associated with temporary epidural catheterization of dogs appears to be low, and complications generally are not serious.