Continuous delivery of local anesthetics significantly improved postoperative pain control while decreasing the amount of narcotic analgesia required in patients who underwent standard median sternotomy. There was also a significant decrease in hospital length of stay, which is likely to result in significant cost reductions.

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Prophylaxis of Venous Thrombosis SIR,-We wish to rectify an omission in our paper (18 April, p.144) on dextran 70 in the prophylaxis of postoperative venous thrombosis. Dextran 70, although not an approved name, means a dextran fraction with a mean molecular weight of 70,000. Throughout our work on the antithrombotic properties of dextran, including the above study, we have used Macrodex, a 6% solution of dextran with a weight average molecular weight of 70,000 and of precisely defined molecular weight distribution. Macrodex is different from Rheomacrodex, which has a mean molecular weight of 40,000. Both these dextran fractions are manufactured by Pharmacia AB, Uppsala, and are distributed in Britain by Pharmacia (Great Britain), 75 Uxbridge Road, London W.5.-We are, etc.,