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Biomedical subjects

B Habot

Publications and source records attributed to B Habot.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources
PubMed1991

Leukocyte alkaline phosphatase score in patients with cerebrovascular disease and in patients with primary and metastatic brain tumors.

Leukocyte alkaline phosphatase (LAP) activity in peripheral blood was determined in 54 patients with cerebrovascular disease (CVD), 11 patients with primary brain tumor, and 23 patients with metastatic brain tumor. The LAP score of the primary brain tumor patients (155 +/- 40) was significantly higher (P less than 0.03) than the LAP score for cerebrovascular disease patients (96 +/- 87). The LAP score levels of the metastatic brain tumor patients (251 +/- 55) was significantly higher as compared with both the cerebrovascular disease (P less than 0.001) and primary brain tumor groups (P less than 0.001). The LAP score could serve as an additional, although non-specific, marker to assist in the differentiation between cerebrovascular disease and brain tumors.

Adult↗
PubMed1989

[Anaphylactic shock after i.v. verapamil].

A 61-year-old woman who was being treated with verapamil because of atrial fibrillation with rapid ventricular rate, went into anaphylactic shock. Verapamil is safe and effective for treating supraventricular tachyarrhythmias and serious adverse effects are uncommon. However, hypotension, cardiogenic shock, bradycardia and precipitation or aggravation of heart failure have been described. The patient presented was successfully treated with corticosteroids and antihistaminics.

Adrenal Cortex Hormones↗
PubMed1985

Nutritional status of the institutionalized elderly.

The nutritional status of 84 elderly ambulant, self-feeding residents in public institutions was evaluated in terms of their food supply and the biochemical constituents in their blood. Calculations were made of the energy, protein, vitamin and iron composition of the food supply in the institution. The amount of nutrients supplied were adequate when compared with the recommended dietary allowances. Deficiency levels in the blood (expressed as a percentage of the population) were found in the following constituents; riboflavin 46%, hemoglobin 44%, plasma carotene 34%, thiamine 19%, leukocyte ascorbic acid 20%, retinol 5%, and plasma iron 2%. No deficiency was found in pyridoxine. Problems of monitoring the nutritional status of the institutionalized elderly are discussed.

Aged↗
PubMed1976

Cardiovascular complications in matched pairs of low and normal renin hypertensive patients.

A nomogram for plasma renin activity (PRA), based on 31 normal volunteers, was constructed, and the 95% tolerance limits were computed to the regression line of PRA on 24-h urinary sodium excretion. On this nomogram, reproducibility of the PRA profile for the same patient with essential hypertension was good. Retrospectively, 20 essential hypertension patients with low PRA were matched for age and sex with essential hypertension patients with normal PRA. No statistically significant difference was found between the two groups in either the number of cardiovascular complications or in the blood pressure means. It is concluded that the incidence of cardiovascular complications tends to be similar in all cases of essential hypertension of a similar degree of severity.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Effects of anesthesia in elective surgery on the memory of the elderly.

The effects of anesthesia in elective operations on the cognitive functioning of the elderly, was examined in 88 patients aged 60-90 years. These patients were assessed pre-operatively and at a week and three months post-operatively. Forty patients (44.5%) received general anesthesia and 48 (54.5%) received regional anesthesia. The results show no significant difference between the two anesthetic methods. Differences were noted in remote memory index between the three examination time periods. (In contrast to a later work, it was found that patients whose cognitive state had been low deteriorated more than others). The only differences found between younger and older patients were in remote, recent and immediate memory. One of the major conclusions was that the effects of the methods of anesthesia, general and regional, are no different in young and elderly patients.

Journal Article↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Seasonal variation in the incidence of delirium among the patients of a geriatric hospital.

Delirium syndrome is common in the hospitalized elderly population. However, data on its numerous etiological factors are scarce. Clinical observations suggest that delirium incidence could be related to seasonality. In order to evaluate the seasonal influence on the incidence of delirium syndrome among the patients of a geriatric hospital, we performed a retrospective study reviewing the medical records of 5218 patients aged 65 years and older, who were hospitalized in three medical wards between the years 1991 and 1997. The diagnoses of delirium were made according to ICD-9-CM. Of the 4929 subjects enrolled, 3548 (72%) were referred for assessment to the psychiatric or neurologic specialist, because of acute changes in their mental or behavioral status. Of those patients, 312 (6.3%) were diagnosed with delirium at admission, and 234 (4.7%) developed delirium during their hospitalization. Statistical analysis of incidence revealed a seasonal variation, with higher rates in the winter than in the summer months (P<0.001). This study suggests a seasonal influence on delirium syndrome incidence and a possible etiological relation with seasonal factors like the light -dark cycle.

Journal Article↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Accuracy of recall memory in elderly patients in response to telephone support calls.

During the Gulf War, 93 elderly patients (mean age 74 years) received telephone-based support calls from a hospital-based home care facility. Accuracy of memory recall of these telephone support calls was assessed 6 weeks after the termination of the war by means of a postal questionnaire. The relative accuracy of the recall memory of these patients or their caregivers to the telephone calls received exhibited a sensitivity of 75%, a specificity of 78%, a positive predictive value of 60% and a negative predictive value of 88%. Patients who had received four calls demonstrated better memory recall than those receiving less than four. Thus, relying upon patient's memory alone may be insufficient for evaluating survey data in the elderly. In addition, we found that only patients who correctly remembered receiving four individual telephone support calls tended to exhibit a decrease in the anxiety level. This study emphasizes the importance of repeated interventional telephone calls as a method of increasing recall accuracy and decreasing anxiety in aged patients.

Journal Article↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Barium enema in frail elderly patients.

BACKGROUND: Barium enema (BE) examinations for the investigation of suspected colonic disease are often unsuccessful in elderly patients. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the success rate of BE in hospitalized frail elderly patients. METHODS: Four hundred and seventy-two elderly patients hospitalized for different reasons underwent BE examinations. The medical charts and radiological reports were retrospectively reviewed. RESULTS: One hundred and ninety-two (41%) BE examinations were considered inadequate; mostly (32%) because of inappropriate preparation. Sixty-seven patients (14%) were not cooperative and could not retain the contrast material, and in 25 patients (5%), the examination failed due to both these reasons. The characteristics associated with unsuccessful BE examination were the mean number of medical problems (p < 0.001), the mean number of scheduled medications (p < 0.05) and in particular the long-term use of laxatives (p < 0.01) or antiparkinsonian drugs (p < 0.01). Of great significance in predicting an inadequate BE were the patient's functional status (p < 0.001) and the presence of dementia (p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: The high percentage of unsuccessful BEs in the frail elderly suggests that clinicians should carefully consider the need for that examination in these patients. We suggest that only in patients where there is a clear suspicion of a bleeding or obstructing tumor should a BE examination be performed, and even in these cases, colonoscopy or CT may be preferable as the initial examination in the frail elderly.

Aged↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Rhinoscleroma in an octogenarian woman.

Rhinoscleroma, a granulomatous infection caused by Klebsiella rhinoscleromatis and usually afflicting young adults, was diagnosed in an 81-year-old woman. Treatment was started with orally administered antibiotics but was soon halted because of side effects. She was treated instead by local spread of a 3% rifampin ointment. After 6 weeks, the lesion cleared up and she improved remarkably. There was no recurrence during 18 months of follow-up. The current report is the second published case of rhinoscleroma in an elderly person and the first report on its cure by local treatment with a 3% rifampin ointment. This favorable experience contributes to the limited knowledge on rhinoscleroma in the elderly.

Journal Article↗