High-volume Irrigation Research Articles

High volume nasal irrigations with steroids for chronic rhinosinusitis and allergic rhinitis.

The primary aim of this systematic review is to assess the efficacy, safety, and cost-effectiveness of high-volume steroid nasal irrigation (SNI) for treating chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) and allergic rhinitis (AR). A systematic review of literature from 2012 to 2024 was conducted using PubMed to identify relevant studies. The search focused on terms related to AR, CRS, and steroid nasal irrigation. Studies were screened for relevance and duplicates removed, resulting in 20 studies being included in the final analysis. These studies were categorized based on their focus on efficacy, safety, or both, and underwent a risk of bias assessment using Cochrane and ROBINS-I tools. Of the 20 studies included, 13 examined the effectiveness of high-volume nasal steroid irrigations, 4 investigated safety, and 3 covered both. High-volume irrigations demonstrated superior efficacy in symptom improvement for CRS and AR compared to nasal sprays, particularly post-surgery. Budesonide was the most commonly used steroid. Safety evaluations indicated no significant hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis suppression or increases in intraocular pressure, although minor adverse events were reported. High-volume steroid nasal irrigations are more effective than standard nasal sprays for CRS and AR, particularly post-surgery, without significant safety concerns. However, no studies on cost-effectiveness were found, suggesting a need for further research in this area.

Sinonasal Irrigation After Endoscopic Sinus surgery - Past to Present and Future.

Functional endoscopic sinus surgery (FESS) is the gold standard treatment for medically refractive chronic rhinosinusitis, aimed at removing diseased tissue and improving natural sinus drainage and aeration. Irrigation of the sinuses has been known to improve sinus mucosal health and is an essential adjunct to surgery. There are a number of methods, devices, and solutions available which are used for nasal irrigation. Neti Pot, squeeze bottle, syringe, rubber bulb and commercially available nasal sprays are some of the simpler used devices used for douching. Electric devices like flosser, Hydropulse and the Navage nasal irrigation systems are available but it's not clear if they provide any advantage over the other methods. We use and propose a gravitational pressure-pulsed device which provides adequate volume and force without the need for external pressure. Salt with sodium bicarbonate is the most used solution base. Hypertonic saline has been described to be more efficacious compared to isotonic saline. Additives such as sodium hypochlorite, antibiotics, corticosteroids, manuka honey and xylitol have proven to be beneficial. Large volume positive pressure irrigations have proven to be beneficial. Optimal position for irrigation varies for low or high-volume irrigation systems. Patient education regarding precautions and disinfection of the device is a must.

Considerations for shared decision-making in treatment of chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps.

Shared decision-making is an approach where physicians and patients work together to determine a personalized treatment course. Such an approach is integral to patient-centered care in chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps (CRSwNP). CRSwNP is a chronic inflammatory condition of the sinonasal cavity that can severely impact physical health, smell, and quality of life (QOL). Traditional standard-of-care treatment options include topical (i.e. sprays) and oral corticosteroids and endoscopic sinus surgery, but more recently, novel corticosteroid delivery methods (i.e. high volume irrigations, recently-approved exhalation breath-powered delivering devices, and drug-eluting steroid implants) and 3 new FDA approved biologics directed against type II immunomodulators have become available. The availability of these therapeutics offers exciting new opportunities in CRSwNP management but requires personalized and shared-decision making as each modality has variable impacts on CRSwNP and related comorbid conditions. Studies have published treatment algorithms, but the practical use of these lean guidelines is heavily influenced by the lens of the treating physician, the most common being otolaryngologists and allergy immunologists. Clinical equipoise occurs when there is no basis for one intervention to be regarded as "better" than another. While most guidelines, in general, support the use of topical corticosteroids with or without oral corticosteroids followed by ESS for the majority of unoperated CRSwNP patients, there are situations of clinical equipoise that arise particularly in CRSwNP who have failed surgery or those with severe comorbid conditions. In the shared decision-making process, clinicians and patients must consider symptomatology, goals, comfort, compliance, treatment efficacy, and treatment cost when determining the initial choice of therapy and escalation of therapy with the potential use of multiple modalities for recalcitrant CRSwNP. A summary of salient considerations that might constitute shared decision-making is presented in this summary.

Deposition of drugs in the nose and sinuses with an exhalation delivery system vs conventional nasal spray or high-volume irrigation in Draf II/III post-surgical anatomy.

Endoscopic sinus surgery is often performed to improve delivery of topical medication into sinus cavities. Intranasal steroids are guideline recommended in post-surgical patients, and experiments with cadavers suggest that surgery improves delivery of drug into sinuses. Exhalation delivery systems (EDS) use a new mechanism for intranasal delivery and have been shown to reach superior/posterior regions of the nasal cavity better than nasal sprays in unoperated patients. Silicone casts of the nasal cavity and sinuses from a patient after Draf II, and then Draf III, were made from high-resolution computed tomography (CT) data using 3D printing. Internal surfaces were coated with liquid-sensitive, color-changing gel. Color changes were evaluated following conventional nasal spray delivery (0.1 mL x 2) (Nasonex), EDS delivery (0.1 mL x 2) (XHANCE), and high-volume, low-flow (HVLF) delivery (80 mL) with head tilted either 45° or 90°. Conventional nasal spray deposited liquid only in anterior nasal segments. EDS deposited liquid throughout the nasal cavity, in surgically opened ethmoid and maxillary spaces, at entrances of the frontal sinuses in Draf II geometry, and into frontal sinuses in Draf III. Tilted 45° HVLF delivery enters the maxillary sinuses but not the frontal sinuses or the ethmoid region. At full 90° inclination, HVLF delivery reaches most of the frontal and maxillary sinuses but not the roof and posterior wall of the ethmoid region. HVLF and EDS produced a deep intranasal/intrasinal deposition in the silicone cast compared with conventional nasal spray delivery; both deposited liquid inside the surgically opened sinuses. HVLF offers the benefit of lavage, whereas EDS may be more efficient and convenient.

Severe odontogenic infections with septic progress \u2013 a constant and increasing challenge: a retrospective analysis

BackgroundMore than 90% of all infections in the head and neck region can be traced back to an odontogenic origin. In rare cases they can lead to sepsis, which may pose a vital threat to the patient. The purpose of this study was to analyse characteristics concerning etiology and progress of severe odontogenic infections with a fulminant development.MethodsAll patients with odontogenic infections requiring hospital admission were included in a retrospective analysis conducted from 02/2012 to 09/2017. Of 483 patients 16 patients (13 male, 3 female) showed severe exacerbation with septic progress. The average age was 52.8 years. All patients underwent at least one surgical procedure that involved an extraoral incision and drainage as well as high volume irrigation intraoperatively. At least one revision was required for four of the patients. Three patients showed an exceedingly severe disease progression with multiorgan dysfunction syndrome (MODS) and circulatory arrest. Antibiotic treatment was adjusted according to the results of an antibiogram and resistogram. Irrigation with saline was done several times a day.ResultsSixteen patients showed odontogenic infections that spread over multiple maxillo-facial and cervical regions accompanied by septic laboratory signs. All these patients needed intensive care and a tracheostomy. The hospitalization period was 27.8 days on average. In 16 cases risk factors for the development of odontogenic abscesses like diabetes mellitus, obesity, chronic alcohol and nicotine abuse, rheumatism and poor oral hygiene were present. Intraoperative swabs showed a typical polymicrobial aerobic and anaerobic spectrum of oral bacteria, especially anaerobes and streptococci, mainly Streptocococcus viridans.ConclusionOdontogenic infections with fulminant progression should be treated based on clinical and imaging data with immediate surgical incision and drainage including elimination of odontogenic foci as well as intensified intra- and postoperative irrigation. If needed, repeat imaging followed by further incisions should be performed. Immediate antibiotic treatment adapted to the antibiogram is of utmost importance. A combination of tazobactam and piperacillin has proven to be a good first choice and can be recommended for abscesses that spread over multiple levels with initial signs of severe infections.

Irrigation and Debridement, Modular Exchange, and Implant Retention for Acute Periprosthetic Infection After Total Knee Arthroplasty.

The role of irrigation and debridement, modular exchange, and implant retention for the treatment of periprosthetic joint infection (PJI) after total knee arthroplasty (TKA) remains controversial. The proposed benefits of debridement, antibiotics, and implant retention, often referred to as DAIR, include reduced economic cost and morbidity of 2-stage reimplantation1. The primary disadvantage of this approach is a higher rate of failure and infection recurrence2,3. Furthermore, several authors have demonstrated inferior outcomes of 2-stage exchange revision arthroplasty after a failed attempt at limited debridement with implant retention4-6. Because of study heterogeneity, the outcomes of acute PJI treatment with irrigation and debridement and implant retention have been variable in the literature, with reported success rates ranging from 16% to 100%; overall, the success rate is around 50%3,7,8. Recently, studies evaluating outcomes of DAIR have indicated that host factors, organism type, the timing of intervention, and the duration of symptoms can influence the likelihood of success with this approach7,9-12. DAIR may be considered for all patients with early postoperative PJI or an acute hematogenous infection in the context of well-fixed implants and a healthy soft-tissue envelope. Chronic PJI should be considered an absolute contraindication to DAIR13. The patient's health status, comorbidities, and immune status also should be considered. Caution should be exercised when considering DAIR for a patient in whom preoperative cultures demonstrate a drug-resistant or highly virulent organism, because of a higher risk of failure1,9,14,15. With careful patient selection and meticulous surgical technique, it is possible to achieve success with this treatment strategy. The surgical procedure begins with a medial parapatellar approach and arthrotomy. A complete synovectomy is then performed, and remaining synovial tissue is aggressively debrided. Multiple culture samples should be obtained, and aseptic technique should be utilized to decrease contamination. The implant is interrogated to ensure stable fixation. Following adequate debridement, high-volume irrigation is performed; in cases involving irrigation and debridement with implant retention, we recommend incorporation of an antiseptic solution such as povidone-iodine. We recommend switching to a clean setup to facilitate sterile, uncontaminated closure of the wound, which is performed in a standard fashion. Meticulous attention should be paid to layered closure, and, if there is concern about delayed skin-healing, incisional negative-pressure wound therapy may be utilized.

Low-volume versus high-volume initiated trans-anal irrigation therapy in adults with chronic constipation: study protocol for a randomised controlled trial

BackgroundConstipation is common in adults and up to 20% of the population report this symptom. Chronic constipation (CC), usually defined as more than 6 months of symptoms, is less common but results in 0.5 million UK GP consultations per annum. The effect of symptoms on measured quality of life (QOL) is significant, and CC consumes significant health care resources. In the UK, it is estimated that 10% of district nursing time is spent on constipation. Trans-anal irrigation therapy has become a widely used treatment despite a lack of robust efficacy data to support its use. The long-term outcome of treatment is also unclear. A randomised comparison of two different methods of irrigation (high- and low-volume) will provide valuable evidence of superiority of one system over the other, as well as providing efficacy data for the treatment as a whole.MethodsParticipants will be recruited based on predetermined eligibility criteria. Following informed consent, they will be randomised to either high-volume (HV) or low-volume (LV) irrigation and undergo standardised radiological and physiological investigations. Following training, they will commence home irrigation with the allocated device. Data will be collected at 1, 3, 6 and 12 months according to a standardised outcomes framework. The primary outcome is PAC-QOL, measured at 3 months. The study is powered to detect a 10% difference in outcome between systems at 3 months; this means that 300 patients will need to be recruited.DiscussionThis study will be the first randomised comparison of two different methods of trans-anal irrigation. It will also be the largest prospective study of CC patients treated with irrigation. It will provide evidence for the effectiveness of irrigation in the treatment of CC, as well as the comparative effectiveness of the two methods. This will enable more cost-effective and evidence-based use of irrigation. Also, the results will be combined with the other studies in the CapaCiTY programme to generate an evidence-based treatment algorithm for CC in adults.Trial registrationISRCTN, identifier: ISRCTN11093872. Registered on 11 November 2015. Trial not retrospectively registered. Protocol version 3 (22 January 2016).

A single-puncture arthrocentesis technique, using a peripheral intravenous catheter

Arthrocentesis is a technique used for lavage of the inflammatory content of the supradiscal space and lysis of the fibrous strands attaching the articular disc to the superior compartment of the temporomandibular joint (TMJ). The most widely accepted and classical manner in which this technique is performed is through two-needle access to the superior joint space. Nevertheless, it has been reported in the literature that this technique is challenging and has several limitations. Thus, the use of a single-puncture approach has been proposed, which represents a less traumatic and easier to perform technique. The single-puncture approach may have several advantages over the classical two-needle approach in regard to completion time, tolerability, stabilization of the needle, and retention of the intra-articular medication. A single-puncture technique is described herein, which uses an intravenous catheter to provide simultaneous inflow/outflow for low or high volume irrigation of the TMJ. The feasibility and low cost of this technique are primary advantages; peripheral intravenous catheters are one of the most widely used devices for vascular access in the primary and hospital healthcare settings.

Delivery of Topical Therapies.

Chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyposis (CRSwNP) is an inflammatory disease of the sinonasal passages. Similar to other chronic inflammatory diseases, an essential component of the long-term control is prolonged medical therapy. To minimize the risk of adverse effects and cumulative complications of systemic medications, topical sinonasal therapy has become the primary strategy for prolonged medical therapy. The objective of this review article is to describe the evidence for the most common topical sinonasal delivery techniques. Evidence supports that high-volume irrigations provide the most reliable delivery of medical therapy to the paranasal sinuses. Low-volume nasal sprays and drops provide reliable delivery to the nasal cavity and a degree of penetration into the middle meatus and olfactory cleft; however, they do not reliably penetrate the paranasal sinuses. Sinus surgery and the head down-forward position optimize the delivery of high-volume irrigations into the paranasal sinuses. Additionally, high-volume irrigations assist in overcoming unfavorable nasal anatomy such as septal deviation and turbinate hypertrophy.

Arthroscopic Treatment for Primary Septic Arthritis of the Hip in Adults.

Purpose. Primary septic arthritis is a rare differential diagnosis of acute hip pain in adults. Inspired by the success of all-arthroscopic treatment in pediatric patients, we developed a diagnostic and surgical pathway for our adult patients. Methods. Seven patients, average age 44 ± 13.7 years with acute hip pain since 4.4 ± 2.9 days in the average, were included. Septic arthritis was confirmed by joint aspiration and dissemination was excluded by MRI and standard radiographs. Surgical treatment consisted of immediate arthroscopic lavage using 4 portals for debridement, high-volume irrigation, partial synovectomy, and drainage. Results. Patients were treated in hospital for 12.4 ± 3.1 days (range 7–16 days). WBC and CRP returned to physiological levels. During the mean follow-up of 26.4 ± 19.4 months (range 13–66 months) no patient showed recurrence of infection. The 5 patients with an unimpaired hip joint prior to the infection had a mean modified Harris Hip Score of 94 ± 5.6 points (range 91–100) at final follow-up. Conclusions. Arthroscopic therapy using a minimally invasive approach with low perioperative morbidity for the treatment of primary septic arthritis of the adult hip is able to restore normal hip function in acute cases without dissemination of the infection. Level of Evidence. IV.

Postoperative Irrigation Therapy after Sinonasal Tumor Surgery

Sinonasal care after endoscopic tumor resection aims to manage crusting, edema, mucus, and a healing cavity. High-volume irrigations have proved beneficial in this setting. The addition of corticosteroid to the irrigation is used for chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) in modifying the postsurgical inflammatory response; however, its effect in endoscopic sinonasal tumor resection is unknown. Saline alone versus combination saline and corticosteroid irrigations in postoperative nasal care of sinonasal tumor patients was assessed. A retrospective cohort of patients postendoscopic endonasal tumor resection was assessed. Patients used 240 mL of saline or 240 mL of saline with 1 mg of betamethasone daily. Nasal symptom scores (NSSs) and the 22-item Sino-Nasal Outcome test (SNOT-22) was recorded 3 months postoperatively. An endoscopic score was made of the area undergoing secondary healing at 3 months by two blinded assessors. Fifty-nine patients were assessed (aged 50.1 ± 18.26 years; 36% female subjects). The groups were similar in number (saline n = 31), treatment, and surgical characteristics. The endoscopic scores did not differ between the groups at 3 months. NSS was lower in the saline group (1.0 [interquartile range {IQR}, 3] versus 7.0 [IQR, 9]; p = 0.03) and, similarly, for SNOT-22 (0.24 [IQR, 1] versus 1.09 [IQR, 1]; p = 0.01) compared with the saline with steroid group. Although corticosteroid irrigations have become routine for managing inflammatory sinus disease at our center, their use after tumor surgery does not appear to be warranted. The inflammatory healing process after tumor surgery differs from CRS inflammation and may explain the observed findings.

High Volume Sinonasal Budesonide Irrigations for Chronic Rhinosinusitis: An Update on the Safety and Effectiveness

Chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) is a common inflammatory disease of the paranasal sinuses associated with severe impairments in patient quality of life, sleep, and productivity. Topical corticosteroid therapy is a key component to a successful management plan for patients with CRS. Delivering topical medical therapies using high-volume sinonasal irrigations are commonly used following endoscopic sinus surgery (ESS) due to its proven efficacy for improving drug delivery into the paranasal sinuses. Topical high volume budesonide irrigations have become a popular offlabel management strategy for CRS with the purpose to improve topical steroid delivery into the sinonasal cavities. Early evidence outlined in this review suggests that high volume sinonasal budesonide irrigations are an effective treatment modality in patients with CRS following ESS. Overall it appears that short-term use of this therapy is likely safe, however, future studies will need to assess the safety of higher doses and longer-term therapy of budesonide irrigations in patients with CRS.

Aquifer heterogeneity and response time: the challenge for groundwater management

Groundwater is an important contributor to irrigation water supplies. The time lag between withdrawal and the subsequent impacts on the river corridor presents a challenge for water management. We highlight aspects of this challenge by examining trends in the groundwater levels and changes in groundwater management goals for the Namoi Catchment, which is within the Murray–Darling Basin, Australia. The first high-volume irrigation bore was installed in the cotton-growing districts in the Namoi Catchment in 1966. The development of high-yielding bores made accessible a vast new water supply, enabling cotton growers to buffer the droughts. Prior to the development of a groundwater resource it is difficult to accurately predict how the water at the point of withdrawal is hydraulically connected to recharge zones and nearby surface-water features. This is due to the heterogeneity of the sediments from which the water is withdrawn. It can take years or decades for the impact of groundwater withdrawal to be transmitted kilometres through the aquifer system. We present the analysis of both historical and new groundwater level and streamflow data to quantify the impacts of extensive groundwater withdrawals on the watertable, hydraulic gradients within the semi-confined aquifers, and the movement of water between rivers and aquifers. The results highlight the need to monitor the impacts of irrigated agriculture at both the regional and local scales, and the need for additional research on how to optimise the conjunctive use of both surface-water and groundwater to sustain irrigated agriculture while minimising the impact on groundwater-dependent ecosystems.

Emergent Hip Arthroscopy: Life-saving Intervention for Septic Hip and Secondary Multiorgan Failure

This article describes the case of a 27-year-old female athletic trainer who presented to the emergency department in acute renal failure with rhabdomyolysis and disseminated intravascular coagulation following a brief onset of right hip pain and staphylococcal facial infection. Despite the absence of fever, peripheral leukocytosis, or organisms on gram stain from emergent joint aspiration, magnetic resonance imaging revealed a large hip effusion; a presumptive diagnosis of septic hip was made. Emergent hip arthroscopy was performed in the middle of the night within 3 hours of presentation. Minimally invasive, high-volume irrigation and debridement was rapidly performed using dual-portal arthroscopy. Although this approach required prolonged critical respiratory and hemodynamic support, the patient recovered from a life-threatening situation not often seen by arthroscopic or sports medicine surgeons. The unusual diagnosis of staphylococcal hip sepsis with multifocal dissemination was established, as was an atypical but important indication for emergent hip arthroscopy. Although generally implemented to improve quality of life, this case represents the use of hip arthroscopy to increase its quantity as well. Hip arthroscopy may have an emergent indication with life-saving potential.

Effect of fertilization and irrigation schedule on water and fertilizer solute transport for wheat crop in a sub-humid sub-tropical region

In order to increase the water and fertilizer use efficiency and decrease the losses of water and fertilizer solutes (N and P), it is necessary to assess the influence of level of fertilization and irrigation schedule on movement and balance of water and fertilizers in the root zone. With this goal, the reported study was undertaken to determine the effect of fertilization and irrigation schedule on water movement and fertilizer solute transport in wheat crop field in a sub-tropical sub-humid region. Field experiments were conducted on wheat crop of cultivar Sonalika ( Triticum aestivum L.) during the years 2002–2003, 2003–2004 and 2004–2005. Each experiment consisted of four fertilizer treatments and three irrigation treatments during the wheat growth period. During the experiment, the irrigation treatments were: I 1 = 10% maximum allowable depletion (MAD) of available soil water (ASW); I 2 = 40% MAD of ASW; I 3 = 60% MAD of ASW. The fertilizer treatments during the experiment were: F 1 = control treatment with N:P 2O 5:K 2O as 0:0:0 kg ha −1; F 2 = fertilizer application of N:P 2O 5:K 2O as 80:40:40 kg ha −1; F 3 = fertilizer application of N:P 2O 5:K 2O as 120:60:60 kg ha −1 and F 4 = fertilizer application of N:P 2O 5:K 2O as 160:80:80 kg ha −1. The results of the investigation revealed that low volume high frequency irrigation results in higher deep percolation losses than the low frequency high volume irrigation with different levels of fertilization for wheat crop in coarse lateritic soil, whereas different levels of fertilization did not significantly affect soil water balance of the wheat crop root zone during all the irrigation schedules. Level of fertilization and irrigation schedule had significant effect on nitrogen leaching loss whereas irrigation schedules had no significant effect on nitrogen uptake under different levels of fertilization. On the other hand, the leaching loss of phosphorus was not significantly influenced by the irrigation schedule and level of fertilization of wheat crop. This indicated that PO 4–P leaching loss was very low in the soil solution as compared to nitrogen due to fixation of phosphorus in soils. From the observed data of nitrogen and phosphorus use efficiency, it was revealed that irrigation schedule with 40% maximum allowable depletion of available soil water with F 2 fertilizer treatment (N:P 2O 5:K 2O as 80:40:40 kg ha −1) was the threshold limit for wheat crop with respect to nitrogen and phosphorus use, crop yield and environmental pollution.

Mechanisms and treatment of postoperative wound infections in instrumented spinal surgery

Purpose of review Patients undergoing spinal surgery with placement of instrumentation are at an increasing risk of developing a postoperative infection. This review identifies the mechanisms and treatment options for postoperative infections in the spine, and how to achieve a reduced incidence. Recent findings The incidence of postoperative surgical site infection in the thoracolumbar spine continues to be relatively low. Certain patients have, however, been identified as having an increased risk of attracting a postoperative infection despite meticulous technique and advanced antibiotics. Patients with diabetes, obesity and trauma are especially at risk and preoperative and postoperative serum glucose control should be a priority. The primary route for infection is direct inoculation of the open wound during surgery, and strategies to reduce intraoperative contamination have been shown to reduce postoperative wound problems. Surgical site infection with hardware in place should have aggressive open debridement and high volume irrigation. The removal of instrumentation is often not required. Summary Postoperative surgical site infection after spinal surgery can potentially be a devastating outcome after a successful operative intervention. The key in management is prevention and modification of known risk factors as well as aggressive debridements when an infection has been identified.

Arthroscopic surgery for septic arthritis of the hip joint in 4 adults

Purpose: Arthroscopic surgery for septic coxarthritis has not become a well-established technique despite its minimally invasive nature. The authors performed arthroscopic surgery and intraoperative high-volume irrigation on 4 adult patients with septic coxarthritis. This minimally invasive procedure was successful in treating these patients, and there was no recurrence of arthritis or other complications. The purpose of this article is to introduce this 3-directional-approach method of arthroscopic surgery for septic coxarthritis. Type of Study: Case study of arthroscopic surgery for septic arthritis of the hip joint in 4 adults. Methods: There were 3 women and 1 man with an average age of 58 years. The length of time from onset of symptoms to surgery averaged 36 days. One patient had diabetes; another had subarachnoid hemorrhage and was being treated with steroidal drugs. The etiologic agent was found to be Staphylococcus aureus infection in 2 patients, Serratia sp. in 1 patient, and group-B Streptococcus in 1 patient. Three-directional-approach arthroscopic surgery and intraoperative high-volume irrigation were performed using 20 to 25 L of physiologic saline on the 4 patients. Continuous postoperative intra-articular irrigation was not performed. Results: Inflammatory reactions subsided within 4 weeks of surgery in 3 of the 4 patients and within 6 weeks in the other patient. At the time of the final examination, the postoperative follow-up period ranged from 1 to 6 years and none of the patients had ankylosis of the hip joint. Conclusions: Three-directional-approach arthroscopic surgery in combination with intraoperative large-volume irrigation is an effective technique for treating septic arthritis of the hip joint because the joint can be preserved and it is less invasive than other open arthrotomy techniques.Arthroscopy: The Journal of Arthroscopic and Related Surgery, Vol 17, No 3 (March), 2001: pp 290–297

Electrical Conduction and Flashover Characteristics of Large Irrigation Sprinkler Water Streams Contacting High-Voltage Transmission Lines

This paper presents the results of an investigation into the electrical conduction characteristics of high-volume irrigation sprinkler water streams which may come in contact with high-voltage transmission lines. The measure of electric current conducted through the water stream is established as a function of distance from nozzle-to-conductor for two types of sprinkler systems. conductor-to-tower and conductor-to-conductor flashover data for various practical airgaps as a function of nozzle stream size and nozzle- to-conductor distance are presented.