THE PREVALENCE OF UNDERWEIGHT, OVERWEIGHT AND OBESITY IN A ROMANIAN POPULATION IN THE FIRST TRIMESTER OF PREGNANCY - CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS.

CONTEXT: Underweight, overweight and obesity are important global public health issues and risk factors for adverse perinatal outcomes. OBJECTIVE: To assess the distribution of the body mass index (BMI) in the Romanian obstetric population in the first trimester of pregnancy and its correlation with pregnancy outcomes. We also report the distribution of blood pressure (BP) parameters and their correlation with BMI. DESIGN: This retrospective study includes 9,064 women attending routine first trimester visit and ultrasound scan at 12.8(±0.6) gestational weeks. Characteristics, parity, method of conception, blood pressure (from 3,650 women), maternal weight and height, BMI and foetal ultrasound were recorded. Pregnancy outcomes were available for 1,607 deliveries. The Pearson correlation coefficient was assessed for each BMI group vs. blood pressure parameters, gestational age and birth weight. ANOVA analysis and post hoc tests were used to determine group differences. Linear regression was applied to estimate the contribution of BMI and gestational age to birth weight variance. RESULTS: In our population, 66.37% pregnant women had a normal BMI, 19.29% were overweight, and 7.56% were obese. There was a weak-to-medium positive correlation between BMI and blood pressure parameters, for all weight categories. The correlation between maternal BMI and birth weight was positive for normal and overweight. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings highlight the need for more effective health strategies targeting reduction of weight-related problems in women of childbearing age.

Bone shortening of clavicular fractures: comparison of measurement methods.

BACKGROUND: The indication for operative treatment of clavicular fractures with bone shortening over 2 cm is much debated. Correct measurement of clavicular length is essential, and reliable measures of clavicular length are therefore highly requested by clinical decision-makers. The aim of this study was to investigate if three commonly scientifically used measurement methods were interchangeable to each other. METHODS: A retrospective study using radiographs collected as part of a previous study on clavicular fractures. Two independent raters measured clavicle shortening on 60 patients using conventional radiographs on two separate sessions. The two measurement methods described by Hill et al. and Silva et al. were used on unilateral pictures. Side difference measurements according to Lazarides et al. were made on panoramic radiographs. The measurements were analyzed using intraclass correlation, Weir's protocol for Standard error of measurement (SEM) and minimal detectable change (MDC), and Bland-Altman plots. RESULTS: None of the methods were directly interchangeable. The side difference method by Lazarides et al. was the most reliable of the three methods, but had a high proportion of post-fracture bone lengthening that indicated methodological problems. The Hill et al. and Silva et al. methods had high minimal detectable change, making their use unreliable. CONCLUSION: As all three measurement methods had either reliability or methodological issues, we found it likely that differences in measurement methods have caused the differences in clavicular length observed in scientific studies.

Patella fractures treated with suture tension band fixation.

BACKGROUND: Patella fractures requiring surgery are traditionally treated using metallic implants, which are associated with high re-operation rates, mainly due to implant prominence. To overcome the problem of prominent metallic implants, we present a technique based purely on braided sutures. METHODS: This technique is described in a step-wise, standardised way based on our findings on six patients treated at our institution. RESULTS: This technique can be adapted to all types of patella fractures. The described suture configuration allows maintenance of inter-fragmentary reduction until bony union without symptoms from the suture material. CONCLUSIONS: We believe that this technique is a safe and promising alternative to traditional metallic fixation methods.

Traumatic aneurysm of the abdominal aorta with acute thrombosis of bilateral iliac arteries.

A traumatic aneurysm of the abdominal aorta resulting in acute peripheral thrombosis is rare. A 29-year-old man suffered a sudden occlusion of the terminal abdominal aorta and bilateral iliac arteries. An infrarenal abdominal aortic aneurysm was found, along with destruction of lumbar vertebrae and an aberrant renal artery. The pathogenesis of this false aneurysm was thought to be traumatic rather than inflammatory because the patient's history and laboratory findings showed no signs of inflammatory reactions. He had been in an automobile accident five years previously, resulting in lumbar vertebral injury. Arterial reconstruction and intraoperative perfusion of the aberrant renal artery were performed successfully. To our knowledge, our case is the seventh one reported in the English literature of a traumatic aneurysm of the abdominal aorta successfully repaired by surgery.

Factors influenced on prognosis of reconstructive surgery for peripheral arterial occlusion: comparative study between arteriosclerosis obliterans and thromboangiitis obliterans.

Reconstructive surgery was carried out in 93 patients of ASO and TAO. Factors influenced on prognosis were studied being compared with ASO and TAO. Cumulative 5-year patency was 60% in ASO and 25% in TAO. Distal patency was shown by total score given in each site of arteriogram. Patency rate was well correlated with combinated factors such as total score of arteriogram and back flow at site of surgery. Period from onset of symptom to surgery and site of operation also correlated with patency statistically, though total serum cholesterol, ischemic time at reconstructive surgery, and amount of bleeding at operation did not relate to prognosis. Causes of early failure and special problems of late failure in TAO were studied.

Long-term follow-up results of the iliofemoral venous thrombosis.

During the past 7 years 116 patients with acute and chronic iliofemoral venous thrombosis were treated surgically and medically. Exploration was undertaken mainly by clinical assessment and routine venography for follow-up was not considered as a requisite. Thrombectomy was performed 18 times in 17 patients with excellent or good results in 66.6%. Palma's operation was carried out 17 times in 17 patients with satisfactory results in 82.3%. These were contrasted with 34.2% satisfactory results among the medical patients. These lead to the following conclusion: 1. Venous thrombectomy within 14 days after the onset is effective. 2. The usefulness of delayed thrombectomy is uncertain. 3. Palma's operation offers satisfactory results for chronic iliofemoral venous thrombosis. 4. In Japan, in contrast with America and Europe, pulmonary thromboembolism is exceedingly rare and ligation or interruption of the inferior vena cava or the femoral vein is not performed routinely.

Surgical treatment of Buerger's disease.

Forty of 266 patients with Buerger's disease underwent 47 vascular reconstructions: bypass in 38, thromboendarterectomy in 7 and replacement in 2. Indications for arterial reconstruction were ulceration or gangrene in 60%, claudication in 33.3% and rest pain in 6.7%. In a follow-up from 6 months to 8 years and 7 months, the overall patency rate was 24% in bypass, 0% in thromboendarterectomy and 100% in replacement. One hundred nine of the 266 patients underwent sympathetic denervation: lumbar in 92 (bilateral in 19) and thoracic in 17. In the course of 11 years follow-up study, 23 cases required amputation of the extremity. A good initial result gradually gave way to recurrence unless the patients discontinued smoking. The most important factor which decides natural history of Buerger's disease is smoking.

Involvement of the iliac artery in Buerger's disease (pathogenesis and arterial reconstruction).

Out of 216 patients with Buerger's disease, 14 showed the involvement of the iliac artery in addition to the occlusive lesion in the leg arteries. It occurred within 2 to 8 years after the onset of symptom. The obliterative lesion of the iliac artery might owe its cause to a direct proximal progression of thromboangitis obliterans of the femoral artery or to a skip progression of the disease. The skip lesion of the iliac artery might be due to an ascending progress of the thromboangiitic lesion in the branch arteries of the iliac artery. The indication for arterial reconstruction in the case with the involvement of the iliac artery depends on run-off in the deep femoral artery. Out of the 14 cases, 2 underwent thromboendarterectomy with autogenous vein patch grafting of the external iliac artery and 6 underwent bypass grafting, but their long-term follow-up result was poor.

Treatment of ilio-femoral venous occlusion.

During the past thirteen and a half years, 222 cases of iliofemoral venous occlusion were treated. Diagnosis was based mainly on clinical symptoms and phlebography. Surgery, injury, malignancy and heavy muscular exercise were the chief etiologic factors of this disease. As therapeutic maneuvres: (1) thrombectomy, (2) Palma's operation, (3) conservative procedures, (4) extirpation of a tumor, and (5) removal of secondary varicose veins were performed. Long-term results of treatment were reviewed. Thrombectomy and Palma's operation obtained good results in 59% and in 42% of cases respectively, while conservative procedures showed a favorable outcome in 36% of cases where followed. Results of thrombectomy were statistically better than those of conservative procedures (p less than 0.05).

Onset and clinicopathological course in Buerger's disease.

From clinicopathological study, vasculitis of Buerger's disease seemed to start at small branch arteries and veins and progress to the trunk artery with thrombus. Progress of vascular lesions in trunk artery was gradual in general; the pathogenesis was briefly discussed.

Pattern of arterial occlusion in Buerger's disease.

The pattern of arterial occlusion in Buerger's disease was analyzed by simultaneous bilateral femoral arteriography in 210 limbs of 105 patients with Buerger's disease. In 55 limbs of 42 patients, the femoropopliteal segment was affected in addition to the infrapopliteal arterial obstructive lesion. The pattern of crural arterial occlusion was similar in about 40% of both the patients with femoropopliteal occlusion and the patients with crural occlusion. Toes were ulcerated in 4 of 58 limbs with continuous arterial flow, and ulceration occurred in 86 of 152 limbs with a discontinuous flow. The rate of occurrence of bilateral trophic lesion in the group with an arteriographically similar occlusion pattern was not significantly higher than that in the group with a different pattern. The pattern of arterial occlusion in Buerger's disease seemed to be fixed mainly within 1 year after the onset of symptoms, and the skip-lesion in the main artery was favorable to proximal progression of the disease.

Measurement of blood pressure, blood flow and flow velocity in arterial reconstruction of the lower extremity.

Seventy-five limbs of 66 patients undergoing arterial reconstruction of the lower extremity were studied. In 41 of 64 limbs that were not involved in early failure, API returned to normal immediately and the increased API was maintained as long as grafts remained patent. The limbs exhibiting a rise in API of 0.1 or more following proximal reconstruction in the cases with combined iliac and femoral arterial occlusion or bypass grafting to an isolated segment obtained marked improvement of symptoms. Postoperative increase in TPI was not so marked as in API, and TPI remained very low in the limbs with arterial obstructive lesions below the ankle after successful reconstruction. Early or late failure could not be predicted on the basis of preoperative or postoperative API, TPI or A-T gradient. In the limbs with no recovery of TPI, blood flow or flow velocity in the foot was of value predicting which limbs would be salvaged.

Indirect blood pressure measurement at the common femoral artery.

In the present study the technique and the reliability of indirect blood pressure measurement at the common femoral level was described. The blood pressure was measured by using a long cuff, which encircled the hips at the level of the groin, and determining the flow signals by Doppler technique applied at the ankle. In order to transmit the cuff pressure to the artery, a slender bag with air, which was a blood pressure cuff used in children, was placed over the common femoral artery under the cuff. A 14 cm. wide cuff-bladder was usually used, but in obese subjects with the size of hips more than 90 cm, a 16 cm. wide cuff-bladder was applied. In patients with collateral vessels around the groin due to the iliac disease, the blood pressure could be measured by placing the Doppler flat probe over the common femoral artery or the collateral vessel. In observation of 24 subjects, a close correlation was obtained between the femoral cuff pressures and common femoral intra-arterial pressures. Furthermore, blood pressure values at the common femoral level measured indirectly showed similar reproducibility as those at the ankle and toe levels.

[The effects of failure of arterial reconstruction on limb status].

During the last 8 years, arterial reconstructive operations such as bypass grafting, thrombendarterectomy and percutaneous transluminal angioplasty were performed on 282 lower extremities with chronic arterial occlusion. Operative indications were intermittent claudication in 57.1% and limb salvage in 42.9%. Early and late failure rate following operations was 31.2%: for claudication group 24.0% and for limb salvage group 40.7%. In 30.6% of claudication group and in 45.7% of limb salvage group, ischemia of limbs, compared to their preoperative status, worsened following occlusion. These limb worsening-rates were high and not negligible. Main causes of failures were poor run off and poor graft. Because chronic arterial occlusion is not a malignant disease, it is not forgivable to worsen limb status by surgery. Therefore, the operative indication for claudicant should be the need of patients in their daily life. For femoro-popliteal bypass grafting in claudicant, not artificial graft but auto vein graft should be used. When no suitable vein is available, conservative therapy is the choice of treatment. In case of limb salvage, artificial graft may be used.

[Pathogenesis and prevention of the revascularization syndrome].

Revascularization syndrome is one of the dangerous postoperative complications which results sometimes in loss of a limb, renal shutdown and death due to myoglobin-nephrosis and hyperkalemia. During the past 3 years, 2 cases of revascularization syndrome were experienced in 16 cases of thrombo-embolectomies for acute peripheral arterial occlusion. One patient died from hyperkalemia 100 minutes after revascularization. Another patient suffered from a renal shutdown, and was treated with hemodialysis and thigh amputation. It is sometimes very difficult to predict whether the revascularization syndrome will occur or not. When revascularization is performed within 12 hours after an onset of acute occlusion and when the amount of ischemic muscle is not large, the syndrome may not occur. When the time-interval between the onset of ischemia and revascularization is longer than 24 hours and when the mass of ischemic muscle is large, the syndrome will occur. Preoperative serum creatinine and urea nitrogen level are important parameters predicting the prognosis.