[A medical and economic study about use of hemostatic glues in cardiac surgery]. / Etude médicoéconomique en chirurgie cardiaque : application aux colles hémostatiques.

INTRODUCTION: The impact of the use of biological and synthetic glues in cardiac surgery was assessed by an economic and medical study. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The observational prospective study had duration of three months. All the patients undergoing cardiac surgery were included in the study. The end points were medical (blood transfusion) and economic (duration and cost of the stay in hospital). There were 2 groups: treated or not by glues. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS: T Student tests. RESULTS: Among 154 patients, the 2 principal indications were valvular replacement (48%) and coronary artery bypass grafting (37%). Fifty seven (37%) patients received a glue. The number of transfused globular units and the duration of the stay in the intensive care unit were significantly higher (p<0.05) by treated patients. CONCLUSION: Not only the use of glues did not decrease the post-operative bleedings but it increased also the cost of the stay in hospital. Guidelines were validated by the hospital Commission on drugs.

Carbohydrates--the renewable raw materials of high biotechnological value.

Carbohydrates are the potential biomolecules derived from nature. Their molecular diversity has led to a bewildering variety of species, structures and characteristics all performing a large array of functions of great significance. Biologically they are vital as message (immunological) carriers, physiologically they are useful as energy (nutritional) reserves, and technologically they are needed for altering the texture and consistency (functional) of foods. Recent advances in glycobiology have opened up a new understanding of the role of sugars in biology and medicine. Noncellulosic beta-(1-3)-linked D-glucans, a group of polysaccharides found as constituents of fungi, algae, and higher plants, exhibit many interesting properties, depending on their molecular conformation. They are excellent 'biological response modifiers' and show significant immunomodulatory activities. They elicit a variety of host defense biological responses, for example, potent antitumor activity. On the other hand, the mixed-linkage ((1-3/1-4)-beta-linked) glucans are important constituents of cereal cell walls, where they perform properties of physiological importance, such as water holding capacity, porosity, and plasticity, which are useful at different stages of growth/development of plants. Of late, carbohydrate-based therapeutics are becoming the promise against many chronic diseases of today and tomorrow. Some of the characteristic features, structural attributes, functional significance, and applications of a selected few carbohydrate species are the subject matter of this review.