Biomaterial Database

Compression therapy of limb edema using hydrostatic pressure of mercury. 1991

A Palmer, and J Macchiaverna, and A Braun, and R Hendrix, and A J Miller

Department of Surgery, Northwestern University Medical School, Chicago, Illinois.

A new apparatus for the treatment of edema of the extremities is described. The extremity is placed in a cylindrical vertical tank and isolated by a circumferential synthetic rubber membrane. The equipment is programmed to create a mold of the extremity using a slurry of plastic granules from a reservoir. Mercury is then pumped between the mold and the extremity, thereby exerting a pressure gradient on the extremity equal to the hydrostatic pressure of the mercury column. A computerized program forms the mold and runs several compression cycles for each treatment session. Twelve patients were treated (8 upper extremities, 4 lower extremities) on a weekly or semiweekly basis. Progress was followed with computed axial tomography scans, as well as measurements and photographs. Ten patients experienced significant immediate decrease in edema with each treatment. Wrapping or elastic support was required to prevent the return of edema between treatments. No pain, skin injury, or other complication of treatment was noted. The apparatus can safely provide short-term, immediate, significant improvement of extremity edema. Further studies will be necessary to determine long-term benefit.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D008209	Lymphedema	Edema due to obstruction of lymph vessels or disorders of the lymph nodes.	Milroy's Disease,Congenital Familial Lymphedema,Congenital Hereditary Lymphedema,Early Onset Lymphedema,Hereditary Lymphedema,Hereditary Lymphedema 1,Hereditary Lymphedema Type I,Lymphedema, Early-Onset,Lymphedema, Hereditary, Ia,Milroy Disease,Nonne-Milroy Disease,Nonne-Milroy Lymphedema,Nonne-Milroy-Meige Disease,Primary Congenital Lymphedema,Congenital Hereditary Lymphedemas,Congenital Lymphedema, Primary,Congenital Lymphedemas, Primary,Early Onset Lymphedemas,Early-Onset Lymphedema,Early-Onset Lymphedemas,Hereditary Lymphedema 1s,Hereditary Lymphedema, Congenital,Hereditary Lymphedemas,Hereditary Lymphedemas, Congenital,Lymphedema, Congenital Hereditary,Lymphedema, Early Onset,Lymphedema, Hereditary,Lymphedema, Nonne-Milroy,Lymphedema, Primary Congenital,Lymphedemas,Lymphedemas, Congenital Hereditary,Lymphedemas, Early Onset,Lymphedemas, Early-Onset,Lymphedemas, Hereditary,Lymphedemas, Primary Congenital,Milroys Disease,Nonne Milroy Disease,Nonne Milroy Lymphedema,Nonne Milroy Meige Disease,Primary Congenital Lymphedemas
D008628	Mercury	A silver metallic element that exists as a liquid at room temperature. It has the atomic symbol Hg (from hydrargyrum, liquid silver), atomic number 80, and atomic weight 200.59. Mercury is used in many industrial applications and its salts have been employed therapeutically as purgatives, antisyphilitics, disinfectants, and astringents. It can be absorbed through the skin and mucous membranes which leads to MERCURY POISONING. Because of its toxicity, the clinical use of mercury and mercurials is diminishing.
D003250	Constriction	The act of constricting.	Clamping,Clampings,Constrictions
D004867	Equipment Design	Methods and patterns of fabricating machines and related hardware.	Design, Equipment,Device Design,Medical Device Design,Design, Medical Device,Designs, Medical Device,Device Design, Medical,Device Designs, Medical,Medical Device Designs,Design, Device,Designs, Device,Designs, Equipment,Device Designs,Equipment Designs
D005121	Extremities	The farthest or outermost projections of the body, such as the HAND and FOOT.	Limbs,Extremity,Limb
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D006874	Hydrostatic Pressure	The pressure due to the weight of fluid.	Hydrostatic Pressures,Pressure, Hydrostatic,Pressures, Hydrostatic
D001458	Bandages	Material used for wrapping or binding any part of the body.	Dressings,Bandage,Dressing
D014057	Tomography, X-Ray Computed	Tomography using x-ray transmission and a computer algorithm to reconstruct the image.	CAT Scan, X-Ray,CT Scan, X-Ray,Cine-CT,Computerized Tomography, X-Ray,Electron Beam Computed Tomography,Tomodensitometry,Tomography, Transmission Computed,X-Ray Tomography, Computed,CAT Scan, X Ray,CT X Ray,Computed Tomography, X-Ray,Computed X Ray Tomography,Computerized Tomography, X Ray,Electron Beam Tomography,Tomography, X Ray Computed,Tomography, X-Ray Computer Assisted,Tomography, X-Ray Computerized,Tomography, X-Ray Computerized Axial,Tomography, Xray Computed,X Ray Computerized Tomography,X Ray Tomography, Computed,X-Ray Computer Assisted Tomography,X-Ray Computerized Axial Tomography,Beam Tomography, Electron,CAT Scans, X-Ray,CT Scan, X Ray,CT Scans, X-Ray,CT X Rays,Cine CT,Computed Tomography, Transmission,Computed Tomography, X Ray,Computed Tomography, Xray,Computed X-Ray Tomography,Scan, X-Ray CAT,Scan, X-Ray CT,Scans, X-Ray CAT,Scans, X-Ray CT,Tomographies, Computed X-Ray,Tomography, Computed X-Ray,Tomography, Electron Beam,Tomography, X Ray Computer Assisted,Tomography, X Ray Computerized,Tomography, X Ray Computerized Axial,Transmission Computed Tomography,X Ray Computer Assisted Tomography,X Ray Computerized Axial Tomography,X Ray, CT,X Rays, CT,X-Ray CAT Scan,X-Ray CAT Scans,X-Ray CT Scan,X-Ray CT Scans,X-Ray Computed Tomography,X-Ray Computerized Tomography,Xray Computed Tomography