Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
Pivot Concepts:   Target Concepts:
Query: UMLS:C0034065 (pulmonary embolism)
 14,979 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

There are 2 striking differences in the practice of medicine in the US and in the UK: 1) in the former, there is a great emphasis on private medicine, and 2) in the US there is a much higher incidence of litigation, whereas in the UK, family planning services are free, and litigation in this area is almost unknown. British medical opinion agrees with the US on the following oral contraceptive contraindications: 1) cancer of the breast, ovary, uterus, vagina, or cervix; 2) coronary thrombosis, pulmonary embolism, deep vein thrombosis, angina pectoris, or stroke; and 3) unusual or unexplained vaginal bleeding. Both countries agree that it is inadvisable to give the combined pill over the age of 45, and over the age of 35 in smokers. The UK agrees with 75% of the routines adopted by US doctors on a patient's 1st visit for oral contraceptives. However, a patient who becomes amenorrheic while taking the pill is not regarded as lightly in the UK as she would be in the US; she is closely monitored. If 1 of 4 risk factors (age 35 or over, hypertension, obesity, or smoking) is evident, a patient in the UK is closely supervised while taking the pill. If more than 2 risk factors are present, a UK doctor may advise against the pill. Since the 1960s the media have both praisd and condemned the pill. There is no doubt that, in the field of contraceptive advice, the US and the UK lead the way, and a closer liaison between the 2 medical professions is essential to reassure patients.
 ...
PMID:Contraceptive advice: how the English differ from the Americans. 309 Feb 54

The case of a 63-year-old woman is presented to whom a barium sulfate enema was administered accidentally into the vagina. During inflation of the stop manchette a deep bilateral laceration of the vaginal mucosa occurred which was neglected initially. Thus, venous vessels were ruptured and the subsequent insufflation of the barium sulfate suspension resulted in a direct injection to the afferent veins and a peracute, massive pulmonary embolism. Within 1 min irreversible heart failure followed. The case differs in some aspects from two similar cases referred to in the literature, where death occurred 15 h and 3 days, respectively, after enema.
 ...
PMID:[Lethal barium sulfate embolism after accidental vaginal application (author's transl)]. 746 78

One encounters a variety of radiopaque foreign objects when reviewing plain film radiographs of the abdomen. Recognizing such devices can offer important clues about a patient's medical history. Accordingly, intrauterine contraceptive devices (IUCD), tubal sterilization, varicoceles, inferior vena cava (IVC) filtration, and vaginal pessaries are discussed with reference made to an IUD, tubal sterilization clips, embolization coils for bilateral varicoceles, an IVC filter, and a vaginal pessary in five attached anteroposterior radiographs of the lower abdomen and pelvis for five different patients. IUCDs confer long-term, passive, reversible, and inexpensive protection against unwanted pregnancy. They may, however, induce menstrual complications as well as an increased risk of pelvic inflammatory disease and ectopic pregnancy. They can also be spontaneously expelled from the uterus without being noticed by the client. An IUCD increases the risk of spontaneous abortion unless removed in cases where intrauterine pregnancy occurs. Complications at the time of insertion include pain, syncope, and uterine perforation. Tubal sterilization is an effective, though largely irreversible method of contraception. Complications include an increased risk of ectopic gestation in the event of pregnancy and the usual risks of hemorrhage, infection, injury to adjacent structures, and anesthesia-related complications. A varicocele is a dilation of the pampiniform venous plexus of the scrotum. They are more often unilateral than bilateral, occurring in up to 20% of men most often on the left side. Although most cases are probably insignificant, varicoceles can decrease sperm count and motility and cause abnormal morphology. Correction of varicoceles has been shown to improve sperm quality and can increase the chances of fertility. Percutaneous venous embolization techniques have recently been developed to that end. Procedural risks include perforation of the vein, intimal dissection, inadvertent embolization of vessels via collateral channels, and reactions to contrast media. IVC filters are a feasible alternative treatment for deep venous thrombosis and pulmonary embolism among patients in whom anticoagulants are contraindicated or for those in whom anticoagulation therapy has failed. Introduced via the femoral or jugular veins, they are permanent metallic devices placed within the lumen of the IVC to filter thrombi which migrate from the deep veins of the lower extremities. Contraindications to IVC filter insertion include severe coagulopathy and thrombosis involving all venous access routes, while complications include hematoma at the insertion site, migration or tilting of the device due to poor anchoring in the IVC wall, and vena cava obstruction. A pessary is a prosthetic device used to support pelvic structures when their natural support is lacking. They are usually made of plastic or rubber and inserted into the vagina to aid in the non-operative treatment of uterine prolapse, proctoceles, and cystoceles. They must be properly fitted and removed every few months for cleaning.
 ...
PMID:Radiology rounds. Intrauterine contraceptive device. 821 57

In the Netherlands a 34-year old pregnant women presented at the obstetrics and gynecology department of OLVG Hospital in Amsterdam with uterine bleeding. She was at 11 weeks gestation and had an IUD in situ. A vaginal ultrasound revealed that the pregnancy was intact so the physicians could not remove the IUD. She returned 12 days later because she was suffering from an incomplete spontaneous abortion. The physicians removed the IUD and performed an aspiration curettage. They did not administer antibiotics. 10 days after the operation the woman suffered worsening pain in the right thigh and leg and had difficulty walking, a fever, and general sickness. She was breathing very rapidly. Repeated vaginal ultrasounds revealed that she had retained the conceptus. The physicians prescribed respiratory support and antibiotics (claforan, gentamicin, and metronidazole). Blood culture indicated Staphylococcus aureus. Computer tomography revealed a retroperitoneal abscess at the level of the right iliopsoas muscle near the os ilium and the sacro-iliac joint. The physicians performed an extraperitoneal incision and drainage of the abscess and a repeat aspiration curettage. Staphylococcus aureus was isolated from all abscess samples, the conceptus, the cervix, the vagina, the urine, and the sputum. The physicians continued gentamicin and metronidazole treatment. They dismissed her after a complete recovery 16 days after the 2nd aspiration curettage. Possible complications of psoas abscess are sepsis, pulmonary embolism, hemorrhage, and bowel obstruction. Antibiotic prophylaxis in abortion curettage may prevent late sequelae, such as psoas abscess and pelvic inflammatory disease.
 ...
PMID:Psoas abscess related to spontaneous abortion, intra-uterine contraceptive device and curettage. 838 62

An analysis of causes of maternal deaths in the Southern Highlands Zone of Tanzania, concentrating on avoidable factors contributing to these deaths, was conducted in 1983. Deaths were ascertained by forms sent to doctors in hospitals and assistants in health centers, by visiting hospital and centers regularly, and from reports to Regional Medical Officers. The majority of deaths occurred in hospitals, producing a maternal mortality rate of 2.5/1000 in hospitals, compared to 0.8/1000 for the Zone overall. Total numbers and notable cases were discussed in each of the following etiologies: ectopic pregnancy (1), sepsis after abortion (20), placenta previa (3), eclampsia (4), postpartum hemorrhage (21), anemia (3), obstructed labor (6), puerperal infection (10), sepsis after surgery (7), puerperal pulmonary embolism (2), aspiration after anesthesia (1), herbal medicines (2). The greatest number of deaths were in gravida 3 women. The main avoidable factors were lack of blood for transfusion, no partogram being kept in labor, and risk factors noted but not acted upon. Blood was not available for several reasons: blood not kept in maternity ward, equipment not available to transfuse and relatives refused to give blood. Some other avoidable risk factors were: lack of or slow transport to facility, interference abortion, no antenatal care, lack of gas gangrene serum, packing vagina with cloths to stop bleeding, staff errors. It was felt that isolation of rural doctors contributed to errors, which may possibly be avoided by holding periodic seminars and reviews.
 ...
PMID:Preliminary report on maternal deaths in the Southern Highlands of Tanzania in 1983. 1228 47

One thousand and thirteen (1013) symphysiotomies were performed and 27,477 deliveries were conducted during the period. The symphysiotomy rate in the study period was 3.7%. Fifty-six percent (56%) of the patients who had symphysiotomy were aged 39 years and below, and the mean age was 27.94 +/- 7.16 years. Mothers with maternal age greater than 40 years were at a higher risk for symphysiotomy. Thirty-eight percent (38%) of those who had symphysiotomy were nulliparae, 35% were multiparae, while grandmultiparae accounted for 27%. Cephalopelvic disproportion was the leading indication for symphysiotomy (88%), while arrest of the after-coming head of the breech and previous caesarean section with mild cephalopelvic disproportion were other indications for symphysiotomy. Transient post-operative pelvic and leg pain was the leading maternal complication in the study, while stress incontinence, para urethra/vagina lacerations and vesico-vagina fistula were the other complications highlighted. In the study, 69% of the symphysiotomies performed were for babies with birth weight between 3.0 and 3.9 kg. The record of one maternal death was available and was from massive pulmonary embolism on the third day postpartum. There were 104 perinatal deaths with a perinatal mortality rate of 108.7 per 1000 total births.
 ...
PMID:Symphysiotomy at the Mater Misericordiae Hospital Afikpo, Ebonyi State of Nigeria (1982-1999): a review of 1013 cases. 1536 33

A 42-year-old woman died from massive barium sulfate (BaSO(4)) lung embolism after a balloon catheter intended for elective colonography was inserted into her vagina. The vaginal insertion of the balloon catheter caused a bilateral laceration of the vaginal wall which was followed by penetration of BaSO(4) into the afferent veins and massive pulmonary embolism. Fluoroscopy performed during the fatal events and post-mortem X-rays revealed a radio-opaque substance in the vagina and uterus, the pelvic vessels and the vena cava, the right heart chambers, the lungs, and the kidneys. In addition to lungs, finely granular intravascular particles were demonstrated histologically in several organs including the brain and the glomerular capillaries. Scanning (SEM) and transmission (TEM) electron microscopy together with X-ray microanalysis, and inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-AES) allowed the definite identification of BaSO(4) in lungs and confirmed its capacity to penetrate the pulmonary filter and to embolise via the systemic circulation in various organs.
 ...
PMID:Fatal iatrogenic BaSO4 embolism: morphological and ultrastructural findings confirmed by X-ray microanalysis and ICP-AES. 1727 39

The aim of this study is to analyze our experience about the benefits and morbidity of primary vaginal reconstruction in pelvic exenteration. Over a 10-year period, 64 patients underwent a pelvic exenteration for gynecologic cancer, except for ovarian and fallopian cancer. Twenty-nine patients underwent pelvic exenteration with vaginal reconstruction [21 cases with transverse rectus-abdominis myocutaneous (TRAM) flap and eight cases with Singapore fascio-cutaneous flap]. Thirty-five patients did not undergo vaginal reconstruction. Postoperative morbidity was recorded and a comparative analysis of morbidity between groups was made. Pelvic abscess and small bowel fistula occurred more frequently in the no neovagina group (20% versus 6.9% and 20% versus 3.4%, respectively). There were no differences between groups regarding fever, colorectal anastomosis (CRA) dehiscence-leakage, prolonged ileus, deep venous thrombosis, pulmonary embolism or wound complications. Surgery time was significantly longer for the neovagina group. There was only one perioperative death, which occurred in the neovagina group. Vaginal stenosis, necrosis, and shortness occurred less frequently for TRAM flap compared with Singapore flap (19.0% versus 28.6%, 14.5% versus 50% and 0% versus 100%, respectively). CRA dehiscence-leakage appeared more frequently (83.3% versus 28.6%) in the Singapore group. Nevertheless, this complication was statistically associated (p = 0.0009) with low CRA (<5 cm). TRAM flap seems to be the preferable option for reconstructing the vagina after pelvic exenteration. The Singapore fascio-cutaneous flap carries a higher rate of complications, does not work as functional neovagina after pelvic exenteration, and does not seem to be a good choice in cases of low colorectal anastomosis.
 ...
PMID:Primary vaginal reconstruction at the time of pelvic exenteration for gynecologic cancer: morbidity revisited. 1894 43

Barium enema investigation is regarded as a safe investigative procedure. Rarely, it may cause complications such as colonic perforation and barium intravasation. Barium intravasation may be caused by the inadvertent introduction of the catheter into the vagina, thereby into the vaginal venous plexus. It may also occur through mechanical colonic perforation with the catheter, or via diseased bowel conditions. This may lead to complications such as liver microabscesses, massive pulmonary embolism, hypovolemic shock, disseminated intravascular coagulopathy and even sudden death. With that in mind, we would like to report an interesting case of barium intravasation into the portal venous system via the vagina venous plexus. The patient experienced abdominal discomfort with mild per vaginal bleed and went into disseminated intravascular coagulopathy. She received supportive management and she made a full recovery.
 ...
PMID:Rare and lethal complication of barium enema intravasation. 3093 Nov 38