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Biomedical subjects

C Serra

Publications and source records attributed to C Serra.

151 records · Page 9Linked to original sources
PubMedDate not supplied

[Clinical and electrophysiologic changes produced by (--) eburnamonine in acute and post-acute stages of head injuries].

Two groups of patients suffering from cranial trauma have been submitted to a double-blind acute (1-2 per phlebo ampules/die for 7-10 days) and chronic (1 i.m. ampule for 30 days) at random treatment, respectively with (--) Eburnamonine and Papaverine. The evaluation of the clinical symptoms (state of consciousness, neurologic and post-traumatic symptoms) and of some electrophysiological responses (REG, visual and somato-sensorial evoked potentials) were investigated in basal conditions, during the acute stage, at the end of the chronic treatment and 30 days after the drugs withdrawal. The results showed (--) Eburnamonine to induce a superior improvement than Papaverine of some clinical symptoms (motor disorders, retrograde amnesia, vertigo) and of cortical bioelectrical activity, as rheoencephalographic data and reduction in early latencies of evoked response to somato-sensorial stimulation (SEP) revealed. Local and systemic tolerability was good with both drugs; a slight hypotensive action, more marked with Papaverine, was noted at the end of the treatment.

Acute Disease↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Our experience with rheoencephalography. Qualitative REG study of 1000 cases of verified chronic cerebrovascular insufficiency].

After a detailed review of literature basic and clinical data on rheoencephalography (R.E.G.) the findings of 1000 patients suffering from verified brain blood supply impairment submitted to REG studies are exposed. Following parameters of REG curve have been analysed: sphygmic amplitude, sphygmic interrelations between two homologous brain regions; sphygmic speed, rise time, slope of REG curve, dicrotic incisure, random oscillations of catacrotic phase. A reduction in sphygmic speed has been observed in 70 % of cases, with changes in slope of REG curve in 90 % and reduction or disappearance of catacrotic dicrotism in 93.5 % and progressively less frequent changes in the remaining REG parameters. The obtained data have been submitted to statistical analysis. Significant associations have been observed between two or more pathological REG parameters and between the pathology of REG curve as a whole and the different invasive methods employed for assessing the cerebrovascular insufficiency such as CT, CBF studies and angiographic data. Not significant correlations between the focal REG pathology, and the focal changes of REG or of the invasive methods have been found. The systematic employment of REG study as a non invasive method for the screening of cerebral blood impairment is recommended.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Electrophysiological variations induced by (-) eburnamonine in patients with chronic cerebrovascular insufficiency].

Twenty adult patients, (13 males and 7 females) aged from 20 to 57 years, suffering from chronic brain blood supply impairment verified by different techniques (CBF measurement, ophthalmoangioscopic study; CAT, Carotid angiogram) have been submitted to REG and various EEG investigations (Standard and spectral EEG analysis, VEP and SEP studies) prior and during a chronic treatment with eburnamonine intramuscularly given for 60 days and after drug withdrawal. A significant reduction in prominent EEG frequency during the first 30 days treatment has been observed whereas a significant increase in mean EEG amplitude during 60 days treatment could be recorded. A significant and progressive increase in mean REG sphygmic amplitude after 60 days treatment and 30 days after the withdrawal, together with a significant increase in rise time and a significant reduction in culmination time of REG, could be observed. A reduction in VEP latencies of P1 either over the occipital or over the centrofrontal regions with increase in total VEP duration and significant improvement in postero-anterior transmission of evoked response have been observed. A reduction in SEP latencies of P1 either on contralateral or on ipsilateral somatosensory cortex has been observed. A significant decrease in delta content over all brain regions and in theta content over parieto-occipital regions with significant increase in alpha content during the whole treatment and after the suspension with a transient increase in beta frequency during the first 30 days treatment have been revealed by spectral EEG analysis. Bearing in mind the different and frequently antithetic trends in EEG amplitude and frequency changes observed in patients suffering from partial blood supply impairment versus the total blood supply impairment the antihypoxic effects of (--) eburnamonine have been confirmed, with increase in blood flow, specially of cortical grey matter, revealed by REG changes.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Screening for the early diagnosis of hepatocellular carcinoma: cost-effectiveness analysis].

PURPOSE: We investigated the cost-effectiveness of a screening program for the early diagnosis and treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in liver cirrhosis patients. An HCC screening program in liver cirrhosis patients should be carried out when the HCC makes a major cause of death and considering that: 1) the diagnostic techniques should be highly sensitive and specific; 2) the overall cost of the screening program should not be too high; 3) patient survival should be improved. MATERIAL AND METHODS: March, 1989, to November 1991, 324 Italian patients with liver cirrhosis (201 men and 123 women) whose age ranged 18-83 years (mean +/- SD: 57.2 +/- 11.9) were submitted to US examinations and serum alpha-fetoprotein titration at six months' intervals. RESULTS: During the follow-up, 38 patients (11.7%) developed HCC, with 4.3% incidence per follow-up year. The Cox model identified serum alpha-fetoprotein, Child-Pugh classes B and C and the male gender as independent risk factors for developing HCC. Only 22 of 38 HCC patients (58%) were submitted to resection, orthotopic liver transplantation or local therapy. The 3-year survival of the 38 HCCs diagnosed during the follow-up is 37%. In all, 1800 US examinations and serum alpha-fetoprotein titrations were carried out during this screening program, costing 219,600 US dollars/patient. Each HCC treated successfully (stable disease at 12 months) was diagnosed at a cost of 24,400 US dollars. CONCLUSIONS: Screening all liver cirrhosis patients is a questionable approach because it is very expensive and its benefit in terms of patient survival is poor. More targeted screening programs with definite risk factors should be tested for cost-effectiveness.

Adolescent↗