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, , 343-348. Abnormally prolonged peripheral vasoconstriction has been detected prospectively by means of a toe temperature nomogram in 15 (11·5%) out of 131 patients following cardiopulmonary bypass. This state has been associated with a 53% incidence of hospital death, a detectable pathological cause in all cases, and in seven of the 15 cases it was the first or only evidence of a circulatory disorder. It is apparent that toe temperature monitoring after open-heart surgery gives early warning of a wide variety of potentially serious pathological processes, permitting effective treatment of the underlying cause before irreversible changes occur. It has become an indispensable part of routine postoperative care in our unit and is regarded as the simplest and most effective method of monitoring the circulation currently available. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

, , 617-621. Seventy-four consecutive patients undergoing open-heart surgery were extensively investigated, preoperatively and postoperatively, for evidence of infection. The incidence of the infective complications encountered is presented, together with discussion on the aetiology of these complications. A previously unrecognized infective complication is described, this being a high incidence of infection with The series also reports an assessment of the nitroblue tetrazolium (NBT) test in these patients, and it is concluded that the system evolved in this series, of minimal chemoprophylaxis and constant monitoring of infection, affords a logical alternative to conventional methods using massive prophylaxis. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]