Update on Extracorporeal Oxygenation in Adults

The usefulness of managing adult patients with severe acute respiratory distress syndrome and hypoxemia by means of systems using extracorporeal oxygenation has been questioned. A National Institutes of Health multicentre study, published in 1979, reported survival rates of 9.5% and 8.3% in extracorporeally and ventilator managed patients, respectively. Another recent study reports survival rates of 33% and 42% in ventilator and extracorporealy managed patients, respectively. None of these differences was statistically significant. Indications for extracorporeal oxygenation may need to be re-evaluated to clarify those cases that would not be manageable with current ventilation strategies and, hence, would merit extracorporeal support.Peer Reviewe

Traces of DU in samples of environmental bio-monitors (non-flowering plants, fungi) and soil from target sites of the Western Balkan region

This paper reports results of gamma and alpha spectrometric measurements for mosses, lichens, fungi and soil samples from areas in the Balkans targeted by depleted uranium (DU). Samples were collected in 2002 and 2003 in the vicinity of several villages, principally Han Pijesak: (Bosnia and Herzegovina, hit by DU in 1995) and Bratoselce (South Serbia, hit by DU in 1999) and in lesser numbers from Gornja Stubla, Kosovo (which is identified as a high natural radon/thoron area) and Presevo close to the Kosovo border. In the course of gamma spectrometric measurements some results suggested samples with unusual high uranium contents which might be considered to be a signature for the presence of DU, although many samples had very high detection limits. Alpha spectrometric measurements directly proved the presence of DU for five samples, all from directly targeted places. These were samples of mosses, lichens and soil. For some samples homogeneity tests were applied which showed a rather even distribution of DU in these samples. No trace of DU was found in any sample from a dwelling. (C) 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved