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A SHORT TEXTBOOK OF MIDWIFERY
Author(s) -
George Frederick Gibberd
Publication year - 1947
Publication title -
medical journal of australia
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.904
H-Index - 131
eISSN - 1326-5377
pISSN - 0025-729X
DOI - 10.5694/j.1326-5377.1947.tb78204.x
Subject(s) - citation , computer science , library science , information retrieval
Throughout this paper it is the undesirable effects of artificial pneumothorax which have been emphasized-it is not pretended that a balanced view has been given. It is pointed out that on the basis of published figures we may expect good results in only 44 of the 112 cases which have been recorded. It has been necessary to abandon artificial pneumothorax in 38 cases. In seven cases (five of empyema and two of unexpandable lung) an adverse effect can be attributed directly to the use of artificial pneumothorax. In only 16 of the 48 cases in which cavities were present was it possible to bring about closure of the cavity. Cavity closure was achieved only when the pneumothorax was of the "satisfactory" or "acceptable" type. No apology is offered for the speculation contained in the discussion-a speculation which, though perhaps idle, may nevertheless prove interesting. A scheme for determining the truth about the efficiency of satisfactory pneumothorax is suggested. It is probably not practical (even if desirable) to conduct such an investigation in Australia at the present time.