עמירה קן-דרור, חנן שניידר, נעמה קונסטנטיני

שירותי בריאות כללית, מחוז חיפה, היח' לטיפול נמרץ לב, בי"ח כרמל, המרכז לרפואת ספורט ולמחקר ע"ש ריבשטיין, מכון וינגייט

פגיעה קהה (blunt) בבית החזה של ספורטאי צעיר עם לב בריא לחלוטין, עלולה לגרום למוות פתאומי כתוצאה מדום לב. למי שנכח באירוע כזה החוויה קשה, מתסכלת ובלתי נשכחת. מצאנו לנכון לסקור תופעה זו, ולהביאה לידיעת ציבור הרופאים; ראשית, כדי לעורר מודעות לקיומה, להכיר אותה ולנסות ללמוד להתמודד עם מניעתה ואופן הטיפול הנכון בעת התרחשותה. שנית, כהזדמנות נוספת לריענון הידע אודות הסיבות הקרדיו-ואסקולריות למוות פתאומי בהקשר עם פעילות גופנית ולסקירת הספרות העדכנית.
 

Juridical and Halachic Aspects of Postmortem Sperm Procurement

Ya'akov Ariel, Moshe Vermout, Pnina Abramovitz-Shneider, Avinoam Shuper

Institute of Halachic and Ethical Aspects of Medicine, Ramat Gan

The ability to fertilize human ova with sperm retrieved soon after death has been utilized in Israel and in other countries. However, postmortem sperm procurement (PMSP) has significant Halachic, juridical and ethical implications with regard to both the action of sperm and its implications for mother and offspring. In specific situations, and with reliable supervision aimed at preventing sperm interchange, Halacha may allow the procedure, while the juridical approach in such a situation is not as yet well established.

As for Halacha, even if a son is born, the widowed mother will still be obligated by the Halacha of yibum (marrying the deceased husband's brother). The child's rights as heir, aspects of implications for its future life, or even social aspects of PMSP, all are factors to be seriously considered before PMSP is performed, without bias by temporary emotions. Thus, PMSP should be reserved for only very special circumstances, and only after consultation with the appropriate medical, Halachic, juridical and ethical experts.

Experience with 100 Liver Transplant Recipients 

Ezra Shaharabani, Ziv Ben-Ari, Nathan Bar-Nathan, Alex Yusim, Rivka Shapira, Ran Tur-Kaspa, Zaki Shapira, Eytan Mor

Transplantation Dept., Liver Institute, Rabin Medical Center; and Pediatric Gastroenterology Institute, Schneider Children's Medical Center, Petah Tikva

Liver transplantation is the treatment of choice for end- stage liver disease. During the past 8 years we performed 102 liver transplants in 84 adults and 16 children. In the adults, 9 were combined transplants: 1 a liver-pancreas transplant for type I diabetes, and 8 liver-kidney transplants. In the children, transplants included 5 whole-livers, 5 left-lateral liver segments from living-related donors, 4 reduced-grafts of right or left lobes, and 2 split left-lateral segments.

At a mean follow-up of 31 months (range 1-96) 70 were alive, 3 had died during surgery and 15 during the first postoperative months. Mortality was due to primary graft non-function (7), sepsis (10), intracranial hemorrhage (1), tumors (4), recurrent hepatitis B (2), biliary strictures (2) and chronic rejection (1). The 1- and 4-year survival rates were 79.5% and 69.6%, respectively.

After transplantation, 10 developed biliary stricture (5 corrected by balloon dilatation) and 8 anastomotic stricture (7 corrected by surgery), and there were 2 multiple intra-hepatic strictures. There was hepatic artery thrombosis in 5, including 4 children. In 3, grafts were salvaged by thrombectomy and 2 others underwent re-transplantation. In those who survived transplantation by more than 1-month, recurrent hepatitis B was seen in 6 of 17 (35%) and recurrent hepatitis C in 12 of 19 (63%).

Thus, results of our first 100 liver transplants are similar to those reported by larger centers, showing that in an appropriate setting good results can be achieved by small transplant programs.

Risk of Transmission of Viral Disease by Needle Puncture in Health Care Workers

Yosef Mishal, Chaim Yosefy, Emil Hay, Dalia Catz, Elisia Ambon, Roza Schneider

Infectious Disease Unit, Emergency Dept. and Microbiology Lab, Barzilai Medical Center, Ashkelon (Affiliated with Ben-Gurion University of the Negev)

The accidental exposure of the health care workers (HCW) to blood and blood products constitutes a danger for transmission of blood-borne pathogens and the development of severe diseases. Most attention is focused on exposure to the viruses of hepatitis B, C and human immunodeficiency. The objectives of this prospective study were to determine the rate of exposure of our HCW to blood and blood products; to define the high risk groups; and to establish recommendations to prevent transmission or reduce the risk of exposure to these viruses.

During the year 1996, 103 injuries from needle-puncture or other sharp objects were reported to our infectious diseases control unit. Most of those injured were women. 58.4% of the events occurred in the vicinity of the patient. The source of exposure was known in 60% of the cases. 73.8% of those injured had already been immunized against hepatitis B. The departments in which most exposures occurred were the operating theater (12.5%), medical departments A (10.6%) and B (9.6%), and the emergency department (7.7%). Nurses were at highest risk, constituting 47% of those injured.

Our recommendations are that a continuous teaching program be established for the high risk groups; that HCW be urged to report every event of exposure; and to encourage HCW to undergo active immunization against hepatitis B.

Taxol as Second-Line Therapy in Recurrent Breast and Ovarian Cancer

R. Borovik, M. Steiner, J. Atad, B. Sneiderman, T. Rosenberg, S. Palti

Oncology Depts., Lin Medical Center and Carmel Medical Center, Haifa

Results of chemotherapy with Taxol (paclitaxel) in 55 patients with recurrent breast and ovarian cancer were reviewed. Taxol was given as a 3-hour infusion, every 3 weeks, on an outpatient basis. There was complete or partial response in 8 patients (23%) with breast cancer and 10 (50%) with ovarian cancer. Performance status and previous response to adriamycin were important prognostic factors. Toxicity was manageable. Treatment had to be stopped for hypersensitivity reactions in only 2 patients. Taxol given in an ambulatory clinic is safe and effective.