SINCE the advent of cardiac surgery, considerable work has appeared on acid-base and electrolyte balance in the postoperative period, but relatively little of it has concerned calcium. We recently observed a case of rapid myocardial calcification after cardiac surgery and present it as an unusual addition to the existing literature on abnormal myocardial calcification. Report of a Case An eight-year-old boy entered the hospital in June, 1962, for investigation of a cardiac murmur. Two years previously cardiac surgeons at another institution had repaired uneventfully a coarctation of the aorta and a patent ductus arteriosus. The boy's physician, however, discovered a new murmur shortly before the current admission. Past medical history, family history, and review of systems were not contributory. Physical examination showed a well-developed but slender, 50 lb (22.8 kg), child in no distress. The blood pressure was 85/58 mm Hg in the right arm and 98/60 mm Hg in
To determine whether use of a radiolucent cushion could significantly decrease pain during screening mammography without compromising image quality or other technical factors.838 patients presenting for routine screening mammography were evaluated. The radiolucent cushions were placed on the compression surfaces of the mammographic equipment and were used while imaging the right breast. No pads were used while imaging the left breast. Patient age, hormonal status, compression force, and radiation dose values were collected on all patients. Each subject completed a visual analog pain scale (VAS) rating the degree of pain experienced with and without the cushions. All mammographic images obtained (CC and MLO views) were compared, side by side (cushioned versus non-cushioned) by the readers.Use of radiolucent cushions reduced pain by 10% or more in 66% (555/838) of women. Patients in this "benefited group" experienced an average pain reduction of 53%. No compromise of image quality was observed. Compression force and radiation dose values were highly correlated between the cushioned and non-cushioned sides.Two-thirds of women experienced a significant reduction of pain when the radiolucent cushions were used during mammography. Pain reduction was accomplished without any clinically significant change in compression force, radiation dose values, or image quality.
