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Biomedical subjects

A Castro

Publications and source records attributed to A Castro.

At least 613 records · Page 34Linked to original sources
PubMedDate not supplied

[Survey of nursing roles in anesthesiology, postoperative recovery care and pain management in Catalonia, Spain: analysis of the current situation].

OBJECTIVE: To determine nursing functions in anesthesiology, postoperative recovery care, and pain management in Catalan hospitals and to analyze the roles of nurses in this specialty. METHODS: Development of a mail questionnaire sent to 70 public and private hospitals in Catalonia, to be filled in and returned separately by the nursing supervisor and by the anesthesiology department of each hospital. The survey included questions on whether tasks were or were not carried out by nurses. RESULTS: Responses were received from 31% of nursing supervisors and 45% of anesthesiology departments. Only 22% of the hospitals employed nursing staff with duties exclusively in the anesthesiology department. Nurses took on more responsibilities in major outpatient surgery services and postanesthetic recovery care units than in other areas. Significant discrepancies were found between answers given by nursing supervisors and those returned by anesthesiology departments regarding tasks of nurses in this specialty. Items with the greatest agreement were those related to maintenance of material. Those with the lowest agreement were related to drug management. CONCLUSIONS: Although responses came from only a third of the target population, the information obtained suggests a lack of definition in Spain of nursing tasks in the field of anesthesiology. This situation is different from that of most European countries and of the United States of America.

Anesthesia↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Adenine nucleotides in migraine].

Several studies have shown that migraine is associated with an abnormal platelet activation state, characterized by increased plasma levels of platelet BTG and PF4 proteins. Adenine nucleotides are contained in platelets as a part of the dense granules released during platelet activation. In the present study we evaluated the plasma levels of the adenine nucleotides AMP, ADP and ATP during asymptomatic and painful episodes in a group of 50 patients with migraine (common and classical) and a control group. During the painful phases we found a significant reduction in AMP plasma levels, and we did not find significant differences between the control group and the migraine patients in ADP and ATP levels, nor between asymptomatic and painful phases. Our results support the hypothesis that in migraine a hyposecretion of platelet dense granules is present.

Adenosine Diphosphate↗
PubMedDate not supplied

The antihypertensive agent cicletanine reverses vascular hyperreactivity to noradrenaline and cardiac hypertrophy in DOCA-salt rats.

Cicletanine, when given p.o. either acutely or subchronically, was found to produce a clear-cut antihypertensive effect in the deoxycorticosterone salt experimental rat model. This compound was able to reverse high blood pressure, even at doses deprived of diuretic effect. Subchronic treatment (30 mg/kg, p.o.; 14 days) with cicletanine reduced the enhanced contractile response to noradrenaline in deoxycorticosterone salt rat aortic strips and reversed the cardiac hypertrophy in these animals. The antihypertensive effect after long-term treatment with cicletanine in deoxycorticosterone salt rats appears to be related to an antagonism of the elevated sympathetic drive to the vascular smooth muscle.

Adrenalectomy↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Posterior fossa subdural hematoma.

One case of traumatic posterior fossa subdural hematoma (PFSH) is described. This location represent 1% of the subdural hematomas. Computerized Tomography (CT) was used in the diagnosis and follow-up of the hematoma. The etiology and physiopathology of this process are discussed.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Relation between plasma renin and other variables. An evaluation in the Venezuelan population].

The plasma renin activity (PRA) was determined by radioimmunoassay in 102 subjects with normal blood pressure. In this group, 56 were female and 46 male, their ages ranged between 13 and 90 years, they were not receiving any medication and their diet contained normal amounts of sodium and potassium. In addition to the PRA measurements, their weight, height, blood pressure, hemoglobin, hematocrit, serum and urinary sodium, potassium, chloride as well as proteinuria and creatinine clearance were studied. A significative correlation was found between the PRA and age. However, no correlation was found between PRA and urinary sodium. The subjects were also divided in three groups: I. less than 30 years old. II. between 30 and 60 years old, and III. over 60 years. A significative correlation between PRA and urinary sodium was found in group II. These results in group II could be explained by the finding of a daily urinary sodium excretion below 250 mEq. Age has a definite influence between PRA and urinary sodium. We found that important changes in the response of the yuxtaglomerular apparatus to the intake of sodium develop around the age of 60. In group II is where we found a more stable equilibrium in PRA. In group I, the response of the PRA to a low intake of sodium was faster and violent, where as in group III the response was slower. Finally we think it is very important in these type of studies to follow very strict methodology, because it is the only way to establish comparisons between the different ethnic groups.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[The electrocardiogram of the normal child].

The EKG findings of 202 normal children, aged 1 month to 10 years were reviewed in order to determine criteria for diagnosis of ventricular hypertrophy. QRS voltage in right and left precordial leads are very variable and do not constitute adequate criteria for the diagnosis of ventricular hypertrophy the same is true with QRS duration, which increases progressively from 50 to 60 msec from the first to the fourth year of life, and to 70 msec over that age. The values found are smaller than those previously reported in the literature. Measurement of initial intrinsicoid deflection time in leads VI, aVF and V6 apparently have important clinical significance. This is a constant finding in normal hearts in lead VI, where deflection time is 18 to 20 msec. Therefore, times above 25 to 30 msec are sugestive of right ventricular hypertrophy when RBBB is not present. Intrinsicoid deflection time in lead V6 in children under one year of age was 20 msec, while between age one and ten it varied between 20 and 31 msec. Such variations show how left ventricular tissue increases after the first years of life, and also that times above 5 msec over those found for any age group are indicative of left ventricular hypertrophy.

Age Factors↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Surgical treatment of the "parachute mitral valve" complex in infancy (report of a case).

The case is presented of a 15-month-old male, affected by severe mitral valve regurgitation associated to aortic coarctation. The surgical treatment consisted in replacement of the mitral valve by a Hancock prosthesis followed, at a second state, by resection of the coarctation. The mitral insufficiency was secondary to an anomaly of the subvalvular apparatus of the "Parachute Valve" type. The incidence of defects associated to congenital mitral insufficiency is commented. The surgical indications for replacement or repair of these anomalies in infancy are discussed, and the surgical results achieved to data are analysed. Emphasis is made on the convenience, in case the corrective procedure requires valvular replacement, of implanting a low-profile biological prosthesis, which does not require anticoagulant therapy.

Aortic Coarctation↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[New trends in rabies vaccination].

A brief review of the old and new proposed antirabies vaccines was treated. A better immunogenicity, safety and acceptability of the vaccines obtained from nonneural tissues was demonstrated. Some considerations about the human rabies pathogenesis and immunity were also briefly discussed.

Humans↗