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Query: UMLS:C0021051 (immunodeficiency)
 71,517 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

People with human immunodeficiency virus disease (HIVD) frequently present to surgical services for consideration of surgical therapies. They may be counseled by physicians who introduce into the decision-making process their personal fear of contagion, uncertainty about potential therapeutic benefits of surgery for people with HIVD, and anecdotal impressions that the immunodeficiency of HIVD might be accelerated by surgical and anesthetic interventions. However, there are no studies that have investigated immunomodulating effects of surgery and anesthesia in people with HIVD. Also, clinical studies of surgical interventions in populations of people with HIVD do not clearly demonstrate adverse outcomes attributable to surgery alone. Review of immunomodulating effects of surgical procedures in populations of people without HIVD reveals that multiple alterations of immune parameters may occur in response to all phases of anesthesia, surgery, and postoperative recovery. These alterations often depend upon the type of anesthesia used and the degree of surgical trauma. Most notably, the alterations are transient and rarely correlated with adverse clinical outcomes. These facts mitigate against the current preconceived notion that surgery will superimpose a sustained and clinically significant detriment to the immunologic competence of people with HIVD. A proposal for rational exploration and study of this issue is presented.
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PMID:Surgery and human immunodeficiency virus disease. 278 70

Children with bacterial tracheitis present with the symptoms of viral laryngotracheobronchitis or epiglottitis, but do not respond to appropriate therapy for these diseases and frequently develop acute respiratory decompensation. Since the treatment and outcome of bacterial tracheitis differ so much from those of viral laryngotracheobronchitis and epiglottitis, prompt and accurate diagnosis is essential. The aim of this study was to evaluate the significance of different diagnostic characteristics in a group of eleven patients and to compare the results to those recently reported in the pediatric and otorhinolaryngologic literature. The present study suggests that reliable predictive factors do not exist for bacterial tracheitis. No single clinical, radiological or laboratory feature was a reliable diagnostic predictor for bacterial tracheitis, nor was it any combination of these features. The only diagnostic procedure to distinguish bacterial tracheitis accurately and promptly from other forms of acute obstructive upper airway diseases was direct laryngo-tracheo-bronchoscopy. Following endoscopic removal of all tracheal secretions and pulmonary toilet, nasotracheal intubation provides sufficient airway maintenance and obviates the need for tracheostomy. Endoscopy is thus diagnostic and therapeutic at the same time. If bacterial tracheitis is suspected a direct laryngoscopy and rigid tracheobronchoscopy should be performed under general anesthesia, as prompt diagnosis and adequate treatment are essential to survival. The cultures of the purulent tracheal secretions frequently revealed Staphylococcus aureus in combination with various pathogens, particularly the involvement of Pseudomonas aeruginosa was noted in two patients. Our data imply a susceptibility of children with Down's syndrome or immunodeficiency to bacterial tracheitis.
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PMID:Airway endoscopy in the diagnosis and treatment of bacterial tracheitis in children. 825 82

Healthcare for the homeless is often crisis-oriented and fragmented. Homelessness may be associated with ongoing healthcare problems such as tuberculosis, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS), and substance abuse. The purpose of this study was to identify the anesthesia services required by homeless individuals from an urban area. The anesthesia records of all individuals (N = 40) identified as being homeless and receiving care at one New York City medical center during a 12-month period were reviewed. Approximately one-half (47.5%) of the 40 patients in the study did not require general anesthesia but intubation only. Most of these intubations were for cardiac/respiratory arrests of unknown cause, drug/alcohol overdose, or multiple trauma. Of the 21 patients requiring surgery, 15 had emergency procedures such as splenectomy, appendectomy, exploratory laparotomy, incarcerated hernia repair, and reduction of fractures. The findings of this study support previous research which indicates that most homeless people enter into care for emergency rather than elective services.
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PMID:Anesthesia for the homeless. 829 92

Anesthesia personnel are at risk for exposure to many potentially infectious organisms, particularly hepatitis B virus (HBV) and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) in the blood of patients whose blood-borne pathogen status is unknown. This article describes three strategies for reducing risks of occupational exposure to health care workers: the body substance isolation system, universal precautions, and sharps safety procedures. The occupational health heirarchy of worker safety that includes engineering controls, work practice modifications, administrative controls, and personal protective equipment is presented. Studies to substantiate the various strategies are referenced.
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PMID:Infection precautions: what works and what does not. 833 2

Anesthesia personnel are at risk for occupationally acquired blood-borne infections from human immunodeficiency virus, hepatitis viruses, and others after percutaneous exposures to infected blood or body fluids. The risk is greater after an infected, blood-contaminated, percutaneous injury, especially from a hollow-bore blood-filled needle, than from other types of exposures. Few data are available on the specific occupational hazards to anesthesia personnel from needles and other sharp devices. Fifty-eight percutaneous injuries (PIs) from anesthesia personnel in nine hospitals were analyzed. Thirty-nine of 58 PIs were from contaminated devices (all needles), and 19 were from uncontaminated devices or of unknown contamination status. Forty-three percent of contaminated percutaneous injuries (CPI) were classified as moderate (some bleeding) or severe (deep injury with profuse bleeding), and most were to health-care workers' hands. Fifty-nine percent of CPI were potentially preventable. Eighty-seven percent of CPI were from hollow-bore needles, and 68% of these were potentially preventable. The largest categories of devices causing CPI were needle on syringe, intravenous (i.v.) or arterial catheter needle-stylet, suture needle, and standard hollow-bore needle for secondary i.v. infusion. Most CPI occurred between steps of a multistep procedure (8%), were recapping related (13%), or occurred at other times after use (41%). No CPI were reported from use of needlestick-prevention safety devices. The devices and mechanisms of injury identified in this study provide specific data that may lead to prevention strategies to reduce the risk of PI.
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PMID:Percutaneous injuries in anesthesia personnel. 869 5

The environment in the postanesthesia care unit (PACU) is unique in the modern hospital. It was born of necessity and continues of necessity. The modern PACU has evolved from a simple room designed to house a single patient and a nurse to a modern, bustling room of great proportions. Today's PACU is an open ward, probably the only one left in the modern hospital, and contains many immunocompromised patients, including pediatric patients; knowledge of the patient's medical history may be sketchy or brief. Patients undergo cough-inducing procedures and exhale waste anesthesia gases. The PACU has a high ratio of health care workers (HCWs) to patients. HCWs, often in their childbearing years, function in close proximity to the patient's face. These environmental conditions coupled with the epidemic proportions of tuberculosis in the United States, the increase in incidence of hepatitis C virus, the consequences of human immunodeficiency virus, and the possible adverse effects of waste anesthesia gases result in a milieu that is a risk to both patients and HCWs that cannot be managed with air exchange controls alone. This article reviews the historical contribution of the PACU and the factors in the PACU environment that increase the vulnerability of HCWs and patients to respiratory diseases, bloodborne pathogens, and adverse effects of waste anesthetic gases.
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PMID:The post anesthesia care unit: unique contribution, unique risk. 896 18

Interest in umbilical cord blood as an alternate source of hematopoietic stem cells is growing rapidly. Umbilical cord blood offers the clinician a source of hematopoietic stem cells that is rarely contaminated by latent viruses and is readily available. Moreover, the collection of umbilical cord blood poses no risk to the donor; there is no need for general anesthesia or blood replacement, and the procedure causes no discomfort. Whether cord blood lymphocytes are as likely to cause GVHD as lymphocytes from older individuals is unknown. Current clinical experience would suggest that the incidence may be low. Few of the patients transplanted with umbilical cord blood thus far have developed clinically significant GVHD, including recipients of HLA-disparate grafts. These results and associated laboratory findings pose intriguing possibilities for the future of umbilical cord blood stem cells in the setting of unrelated transplantation. With the marked incidence of grade 2-4 acute GVHD that is currently observed after unrelated bone marrow transplantation, a reduction in incidence or severity would be a major advancement in this field. In the setting of autologous trans-plantation, there are other intriguing possibilities; for example, cord blood may be an optimal source of pluripotential stem cells for gene therapy. The large-scale collection and storage of cord blood stem cells has become a reality. Pilot programs for the banking of unrelated umbilical cord blood have already begun in the United States and Europe. Not only is there the potential for reducing the time from search initiation to the time of donor stem cell acquisition but also there is the potential for reducing the risks associated with unrelated bone marrow transplantation. There is also the hope of remedying the shortage of donors from ethnic and racial backgrounds that are currently underrepresented in most unrelated donor programs. Even with the creation of such banks, it should not be forgotten that the collection of umbilical cord bloods should at least be considered when a child with leukemia, lymphoma, neuroblastoma, marrow failure syndrome, immunodeficiency state, or inborn error of metabolism has a mother who is pregnant. The clinical results to date in small recipients would suggest that it is at least as good as bone marrow; but additional patients and more time will be needed to finalize this conclusion.
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PMID:Allogeneic umbilical cord blood transplantation. 907 4

Treatment of a patient with Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) is very challenging, and makes great demands on the anaesthesiologist. Any of an AIDS patient's vital organ systems may be compromised, either by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) itself, opportunistic infections, by tumours, or as a result of AIDS-related drug therapies. Infections of the lungs (e.g., Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia) are prevalent, and cardiac impairment can be found in as many as 50% of AIDS patients. In addition, disorders of the central and peripheral nervous system and water and electrolyte imbalances are often seen. Perioperatively, the AIDS patient is especially prone to infections as a result of a compromised immune system. The choice of anaesthetic procedure for the AIDS patient-aside from the type of operation-depends on the severity of the illness and progression of organ impairment. All anaesthesia personnel must be careful to avoid infection, as they frequently come in contact with the blood or body fluids of their patients. However, the risk of being infected by an AIDS patient is very low, provided hygiene regulations are followed strictly. The rate of seroconversion after accidental needle-stick injury is below 1%. If exposure does occur, regular serologic controls should be continued for one year. Prophylactic treatment with azidothymidine after exposition to HIV is recommended.
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PMID:[The AIDS patient in anesthesia]. 917 23

Anesthesia providers must take appropriate precautions to reduce the potential for transmission of infectious agents to the patients under their care. The devastating spread of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and hepatitis B virus (HBV) over the past decade has resulted in the development of specific guidelines for the cleaning, disinfection, sterilization, and handling of medical equipment and instruments. Contamination of laryngoscope blades and handles with visible and occult blood frequently occurs during routine airway management. Several studies suggest procedures for cleaning, disinfection, sterilization, or handling of laryngoscope blades and handles are ineffective, or there may be poor compliance with the established protocols. The purpose of this study was to determine the incidence of visible and occult blood on laryngoscope blades and handles that were identified as ready for patient use. Sixty-five laryngoscope blades and handles identified as ready for patient use were observed for visible blood and tested for occult blood. A modified version of the three-stage phenolphthalein blood indicator test was employed to determine the presence of occult blood. None of the blades or handles observed had visible blood. Of the 65 blades tested for occult blood, 13 (20%) tested positive. Of the 65 handles tested for occult blood, 26 (40%) tested positive. More afternoon blades and handles tested positive for occult blood than morning blades and handles (P < 0.01). The extent to which contaminated anesthesia equipment plays in nosocomial infection is difficult to determine. The presence of blood is an indicator of potential cross-infection, since biological fluids, such as blood and saliva, are known to transmit infectious diseases. This study confirms that more rigorous decontamination protocols must be instituted to ensure complete removal of blood prior to sterilization, since laryngoscope blades and handles have irregular surfaces with repositories for infectious material.
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PMID:Incidence of visible and occult blood on laryngoscope blades and handles. 923 93

The University Teaching Hospital is situated in the Zambian capital, Lusaka. In a 15-year period (1979 to 1993), 81 child patients with cancrum oris were admitted to the pediatric plastic surgery unit. There were 29 boys and 52 girls, of whom 58 were below 3 years of age. The majority of them were from certain provinces where the population is comparatively much lower than in other provinces of Zambia. The dietary habits in cancrum orisprone provinces are quite different than those of other provinces of Zambia. Of 81 patients, 3 refused surgery, 11 died during early medical treatment, and 12 died following early minor surgery. A total of 55 patients had reconstructive surgery by one of the authors (Nath). Problems encountered during management, such as anesthesia, trismus, and choice of appropriate flaps, are discussed in this paper. The implication of human immunodeficiency virus is also addressed.
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PMID:Cancrum oris: management, incidence, and implications of human immunodeficiency virus in Zambia. 970 69


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