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Biomedical subjects

B Vrhovac

Publications and source records attributed to B Vrhovac.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources
PubMed1977

The effect of alternate-day prednisone therapy on cortisol secretion rate in corticosteroid-dependent asthmatics.

The effect of alternate-day prednisone regimen (nine-patients) on cortisol secretion rate was compared with daily therapeutic regimen (ten patients) in corticosteroid-dependent asthmatics. Only the alternate-day regimen did not suppress the adrenal function. The therapeutic efficacy of both regimens was equal. The advantages of alternate-day corticosteroid therapy are presented and the optimal way of starting this therapy discussed.

Adrenal Cortex Hormones↗
PubMed1977

Cortisol secretion rate during beclomethasone dipropionate aerosol therapy in bronchial asthma.

Beclomethasone dipropionate is a new synthetic corticosteroid for the inhalatory treatment of bronchial asthma. The effect of beclomethasone dipropionate aerosol (400 mug/day/j weeks) on the cortisol secretion rate in comparison with prednisone per os (10 mg/day/4 weeks) was investigated in 12 patients with allergic bronchial asthma. There was no suppression of the adrenal cortex in the course of beclomethasone dipropionate inhalation, while prednisone significantly suppressed adrenal cortex function.

Adrenal Cortex↗
PubMed1977

Placebo and its importance in medicine.

Placebo can be defined as "a therapeutic effect, drug or non-drug, or a part of it which, in the condition being treated, objectively does not have any specific pharmacodynamic action." Even today when powerful drugs are available placebo is important and present in therapy. Effective therapeutic agents are also sometimes used as placebo, mostly inadvertently. In clinical pharmacological investigations placebos are used deliberately to discriminate the pharmacodynamic action of drugs from psychic and other factors which can influence the objective of the drug evalution. The use of placebo in therapeutic trials is justified only when no effective treatment is available or the symptom or disease is trivial. Placebo effect is especially pronounced in diseases where pain is an important symptom as well as in psychosomatic diseases. The extent of placebo reaction depends on patient's characteristics (reactors and non-reactors), drug presentation, as well as on personality and attitudes of the prescriber. Deliberate use of placebo other than in clinical therapeutic investigation is justified in mild mental depression and in situations where the diagnosis is known, no drug is necessary, but the patient's pressure to get a prescription is irresistible (?). Every doctor should cultivate the induction of placebo reaction in treatment of his patient, but not to the extent that the belief of the former in the action of an inactive medication starts.

Ethics, Medical↗
PubMed1976

The effect of propranolol, prindolol, practolol and verapamil versus placebo on exercise induced tachycardia in patients with ventricular preexcitation.

Propranolol, prindolol, practolol and verapamil have been given orally in a fixed dose to subjects with preexcitation syndrome in a cross over study. The effect on exercise induced tachycardia, prevention of tachyarrhythmias and normalization of heart rate after exercise was investigated. Propranolol, practolol and prindolol significantly (p less than 0.01-0.05) reduced the heart rate at rest and during exercise and favourably influenced the normalization of the heart rate after exercise. The effect on effort tolerance (work done till the submaximal heart rate was reached) was significantly better after propranolol (versus prindolol and verapamil) and practolol (versus verapamil) only. Verapamil showed a consistent effect only given intravenously in paroxysmal tachycardia while in the majority of patients there was no difference between oral verapamil and placebo.

Adult↗