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Biomedical subjects

C Putterman

Publications and source records attributed to C Putterman.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

Quotation accuracy: fact or fiction?

Results from original studies are not always correctly represented in subsequent medical publications. In this study, randomly selected quotations from Israeli medical journals were examined. Less than 80% of the examined statements were in complete agreement with the original source. In about 7% the cited reference failed to substantiate the previous author's statement. Similar results were found over a range of American and European general and speciality journals. It is concluded that errors in quotation are a widespread problem in the biomedical literature. Editors and peer reviewers can improve quotation accuracy by stressing this issue in decisions regarding publication. Nevertheless, it seems that the most efficient solution would be for authors to increase their vigilance in accurately quoting results and statements from previous publications.

Bibliographies as Topic

Acute colchicine intoxication--possible role of erythromycin administration.

A 29-year-old patient with familial Mediterranean fever and amyloidosis involving the kidney, liver, and gastrointestinal tract received longterm colchicine, 1 mg daily. In the last year she developed diarrhea and abdominal pain, that coincided with toxic colchicine blood levels. After 2 weeks of oral erythromycin therapy she was hospitalized for acute, life threatening colchicine toxicity, with fever, diarrhea, abdominal pain, myalgia and lower extremity parasthesias and later convulsions and alopecia. Pancytopenia evolved into rebound leukocytosis, disturbed liver function and hypoglycemia. After a long stormy course she improved. Colchicine toxicity with combined liver and renal impairment and the role of erythromycin in her colchicine toxicity are discussed.

Acute Disease

Inappropriate secretion of antidiuretic hormone in Sheehan's syndrome: a rare cause of postpartum hyponatremia.

A 27-year-old woman experienced hemorrhagic shock after delivery. One week later she was seen in an obtunded state of consciousness. The results of laboratory evaluation were consistent with the syndrome of inappropriate antidiuretic hormone secretion caused by hypopituitarism. Hydrocortisone rapidly corrected sodium levels. Syndrome of inappropriate secretion of antidiuretic hormone caused by Sheehan's syndrome should be considered in the differential diagnosis of postpartum hyponatremia.

Adult

Colchicine intoxication: clinical pharmacology, risk factors, features, and management.

The use of colchicine for acute gouty arthritis dates to ancient times. In recent years, colchicine also has been used successfully for various other rheumatic and nonrheumatic conditions. Colchicine is a safe drug when used according to established therapeutic guidelines. However, toxicity can be considerable if ingested intentionally or if the recommended doses are exceeded. Colchicine intoxication is characterized by multi-organ involvement and by the poor prognosis associated with administration of large amounts of the drug. Therapy is basically supportive and symptomatic because of the rapid distribution and binding of colchicine to the affected tissues. Use of anticolchicine antibodies is a novel approach that has shown promise in experimental models. Important research questions pertain to the effect of liver and kidney disease on colchicine metabolism, use of colchicine levels in the diagnosis of intoxication and for prognostication, and application of immunotoxicotherapy for colchicine poisoning in humans.

Animals

Development of the Abbott MATRIX Aero assay for the measurement of specific IgE.

An enzyme immunoassay has been developed for the quantitation of specific immunoglobulin E (IgE) in human serum to a panel of allergens. The assay system, called the Abbott MATRIX Aero, includes an instrument, reagents and test cell disposables. Each test cell contains fourteen airborne allergens individually localized on a nitrocellulose solid phase. Individual calibration curves for each allergen are established by the manufacturer and included in barcode form with each test kit. Stable factory calibration eliminates the need to establish a calibration curve with each assay run. The instrument automatically incubates, washes, and reads the test cell and prints each result, which ensures assay reproducibility and provides ease-of-use. Analysis of test results shows good agreement with another in vitro assay for specific IgE. The Abbott MATRIX Aero is a sensitive, reproducible and easy-to-use system for the measurement of specific IgE to a panel of fourteen allergens simultaneously using a single, small volume of serum.

Allergens

Acute nonrheumatic perimyocarditis complicating streptococcal tonsillitis.

Streptococcal infection is a rarely recognized cause of nonrheumatic perimyocarditis. We report a case of a young patient who developed acute perimyocarditis as manifested by diffuse electrocardiogram changes, and markedly elevated cardiac enzymes, concurrently with streptococcal tonsillitis. Despite the dramatic presentation, the patient recovered uneventfully. We conclude that streptococci can involve the heart also directly by a bacterial component or toxin, and not only through a delayed immunologic mechanism as in rheumatic fever. Further studies are necessary to accurately determine the incidence of myocardial involvement during early stages of streptococcal infection.

Adult

[Captopril-induced liver dysfunction].

Captopril is widely used for congestive heart failure and arterial hypertension. Its main side effects are cough, neutropenia, and renal injury. Liver dysfunction has rarely been described. We present a 71-year-old man with an acute myocardial infarction who developed high fever and progressive disturbance of liver function tests, hepatocellular and cholestatic, after beginning captopril. When other, more likely causes for his condition were ruled out, captopril was discontinued and the fever and liver dysfunction then quickly resolved. We recommend periodic laboratory follow-up in patients treated with angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors.

Aged

Lupus refractory pleural effusion: transient response to intravenous immunoglobulins.

A patient with systemic lupus erythematosus complicated by refractory bilateral pleural effusions is described. High dose corticosteroids with azathioprine, as well as intrapleural instillation of corticosteroids, proved ineffective in management. As our patient remained severely symptomatic and required repeated thoracocentesis, a therapeutic trial of intravenous immunoglobulins (IVIG) was attempted. IVIG had a beneficial effect, although of a transient and partial nature. Despite the results achieved, it seems that IVIG has limited value in treating lupus pleural effusion.

Adult

Author, verify your references! Or, the accuracy of references in Israeli medical journals.

The high rate of citation errors in bibliographies in medical journals has been a source of concern in recent years. We examined the accuracy of references published during 1 year in two Israeli medical journals. Only two-thirds of the randomly selected references examined were error free; 8% had major errors preventing identification of the cited article. Most of the errors found (76%) were in referencing the author(s) or title of the article. We conclude that errors in citation appear also in Israeli medical journals. Editors should emphasize the importance of reference verification; however, primary responsibility for the accuracy of the reference list rests with the author. Authors should exercise more care in preparing bibliographies and should invest more effort in verification of quoted references.

Authorship