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Objective: To determine the effects of fat emboli on cardiopulmonary function in critically ill patients., Design: A prospective study., Setting: Tertiary referral medical/surgical shock/trauma intensive care unit (ICU)., Patients: A total of 51 critically ill medical and surgical (including acute trauma) patients who required supplemental oxygen (FIO2 of > or = 0.35) to maintain arterial blood oxyhemoglobin saturation of > or = 90% and who had 62 pulmonary artery catheters placed for patient care reasons., Interventions: Pulmonary capillary blood samples were obtained via the pulmonary artery catheters in the "wedged position" at insertion and postinsertion at 8, 24, 48, and 72 hrs. Cytospun smears of the buffy coat aspirates of these samples were made and were stained with Oil Red-O for fat., Measurements and Main Results: One investigator, without knowledge of the patients' cardiopulmonary function, examined all smears and graded them 0 to 4+ for amount of fat. Fat scores were correlated with chest radiograph appearance, hemodynamic and respiratory parameters, complete blood cell counts with differential white blood cell counts, whether the patient was receiving lipid-containing parenteral nutrition, principal organ system failure, and reason for ICU admission. Samples from 27 pulmonary artery catheter insertions had no fat, 13 samples had low-grade (1+) episodic fat, and 22 samples had repeated episodes of > or = 2+ fat or isolated episodes of 4+ fat. There was a significant association between the amount of pulmonary microvascular fat and trauma as the reason for ICU admission. Of the other parameters, only chest compliance and body temperature showed unequivocal significant associations. These associations were opposite to the expected findings, but would support a conclusion that fat emboli did not cause the observed cardiopulmonary dysfunction. The inconsistent associations for the FIO2, PCO2, and mixed venous blood oxyhemoglobin saturation may be random events., Conclusion: Cardiopulmonary dysfunction commonly attributed to fat emboli is likely due to other causes.

The therapeutic effectiveness of intermittent vs. continuous combination chemotherapy and of the substitution of adriamycin for methotrexate in a 5-drug regimen was evaluated in women with metastatic breast carcinoma. Patients were randomly allocated to receive continuous therapy with cyclophosphamide, methotrexate, 5-fluorouracil, vincristine, prednisone ( CMFVP -C, 86 patients), intermittent CMFVP ( CMFVP -I, 109 patients), or intermittent CAFVP (107 patients). The CR + PR rate with CAFVP (71%) was superior to CMFVP -C (50%, p = 0.003) and to CMFVP -I (50%, p = 0.002). The remission duration with CAFVP (14 months, median) was superior to CMFVP -I (7 months) (p less than 0.01), and tended to be superior to CMFVP -C (9 months) (p = 0.07). There was a survival advantage of CAFVP (19 months, median) over CMFVP -I (13 months) (p = 0.01), but not over CMFVP -C (16 months) (p = 0.24). Among CR + PR patients, the survival with CAFVP (29 months, median) was superior (p = 0.02) to both CMFVP -I (18 months) and CMFVP -C (21 months). The CMFVP -C regimen was associated with the highest incidence of leukopenia and neurologic toxicity, but the lowest incidence of GI toxicity. The results indicate that the CAFVP regimen is well tolerated and is superior to the CMFVP regimens.