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Biomedical subjects

C Torres

Publications and source records attributed to C Torres.

At least 145 records · Page 8Linked to original sources
PubMed1990

Serological diagnosis of neurobrucellosis.

The presence of antibodies was determined in the serum and cerebrospinal fluid in six patients with neurobrucellosis using the Rose Bengal test, the microdilution agglutination test, and the Coombs' test. Four of the patients were followed up for more than three months. The Rose Bengal test and the microagglutination test were positive in cerebrospinal fluid in five of the six cases at some stage. The Coombs' test was positive in cerebrospinal fluid in every patient and in one was the only positive serological test. Cerebrospinal fluid positivity is not excluded by low titres or negative results of antibodies in the serum for any of the three methods. A Coombs' test or some equivalent must always be made on the cerebrospinal fluid to diagnose neurobrucellosis.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1989

The association between apolipoprotein A-I and prostacyclin binding in human serum.

The stability of Prostacyclin in human blood is dependent upon binding to circulating proteins. Although this binding has been considered to be primarily due to albumin, a recent report has suggested that apolipoprotein A-I is responsible. We compared prostacyclin binding to the concentration of albumin and apolipoprotein A-I in several groups of sera with known differences in the ability to bind prostacyclin. Our results indicate a strong correlation with albumin concentration but no correlation between binding and the concentration of apolipoprotein A-I. It appears that in the human circulation albumin concentration is the most important determinant of prostacyclin binding.

Apolipoprotein A-I↗
PubMed1989

[Fluoride content of tea and amount ingested by children].

The fluoride concentration on their respective infusions was determined in the twelve most popular brand of tea which can be obtained in Valparaiso, Chile. Fluoride concentration was measured 5, 45 and 180 minutes after tea preparation, by using an specific fluoride electrode. The amount of ingestion of tea in children was estimated by means of a survey on 303 children from a sample of 7,690 boys and girls living in a fluoridated area. The data revealed a large variability in fluoride concentration depending on the brand of tea. Mean fluoride concentration was 2.36 mg F/l. at the five first minutes. Sixty eight per cent of children drinking tea as usual beverage, therefore it was estimated that about 22.1% of this sample have risk of dental fluorosis.

Child↗
PubMed1989

[Pediatric organ transplantation].

Since we started our pediatric kidney transplant program in 1970, we advocate children's transplantation to be performed in pediatric surgery units. Recent progress in immuno-suppression with ciclosporine and in operative procedures lead us to extend the program to liver transplantations in 1986, then to heart and lung transplantations in 1988. The Pediatric Transplant Unit was designed to assume the pre-operative evaluation of the recipients and the post-operative course of transplanted patients, closely connected to all specialists dealing with medical and surgical diseases of children. 29 patients were transplanted (kidney: 8, liver: 14, heart: 1, lungs: 6) with a 83% overall survival rate. The goal of this paper is not to discuss and compare indications or results with others series. Through our experience of pediatric organ transplantation, we shall try to point out the main advantages of a Pediatric Transplantation Unit: it optimizes the management of the rare pediatric donnors, and allows better skill and efficiency of the numerous specialities concerned by organ transplantation, such as intensive care, infectiology, immunology, radiology... The common medical and para-medical staff, common operative theater, and common use of equipment in the same department for transplantation of different organs is also an important matter to be considered now in term of cost-effectiveness.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1988

Management of low-grade gliomas of the optic nerve and chiasm.

Thirty-six patients were evaluated between 1965 and 1983 for glioma of the optic nerves and/or chiasm. Median follow-up was 10.2 years. Pathologic verification was obtained in 32 patients. Tumor initially confined to the optic nerve recurred in one of five patients after complete resection. The actuarial survival for 25 patients irradiated for biopsy-proven glioma of the optic chiasm was 96%, 90%, and 90% at 5, 10, and 15 years, respectively, and the progression-free survival was 87% at 5, 10, and 15 years. Vision stabilized or improved in 86% of patients after radiotherapy. Patients irradiated to a dose greater than a NSD of 1385 ret had a significantly improved progression-free survival (P = 0.015). One serious complication occurred after a dose of 1533 ret. The recommended radiation dose for optic glioma is 45 to 50 Gy with 1.8 Gy fractions.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1988

Effects of medium and inoculum variations on screening for high-level aminoglycoside resistance in Enterococcus faecalis.

Enterococcus faecalis isolates that are refractory to aminoglycoside-penicillin synergy can be detected by their ability to grow in the presence of high concentrations of aminoglycoside (2,000 micrograms/ml). In past studies investigators have used a variety of media and inoculum sizes to perform high-level aminoglycoside resistance screens, but little is known about how these variations affect test accuracy. We screened 63 E. faecalis strains on different media by using various inoculum sizes and correlated the results with synergy test results obtained by time-kill studies. Screens were done with dextrose-phosphate agar, brain heart infusion agar, Trypticase soy agar with 5% sheep blood, Mueller-Hinton agar with 5% sheep blood, dextrose-phosphate broth, and Mueller-Hinton broth. Agar screens were inoculated with 10(2), 10(4), and 10(6) CFU; and broth screens contained a final inoculum of 10(5) CFU/ml. The E. faecalis isolates were tested for high-level resistance to streptomycin, kanamycin, amikacin, gentamicin, and tobramycin. Of the 63 isolates tested, 21 did not show high-level resistance to any of the aminoglycosides tested, and 42 demonstrated high-level resistance to one or more drugs. The sensitivity of most screens was greater than or equal to 90%. Regardless of the inoculum size or medium used, false-resistance results were seldom encountered. Screen specificity, which was used as the indicator of false susceptibility, was markedly influenced by both the inoculum size and the drug being tested. Specificity was low whenever a 10(2)-CFU inoculum was used, when amikacin was tested with any inoculum, and when tobramycin was tested in broth media. Data for kanamycin could be used to predict amikacin-penicillin synergy, and the highly accurate gentamicin screen obviated the need for the testing of tobramycin. We recommend a 10(6) -CFU inoculum for agar screens and a 10(5) -CFU/ml inoculum for broth screens. The type of medium used did not substantially influence screen accuracy. Among the aminoglycosides, only streptomycin, gentamicin, and occasionally, kanamycin need to be used to screen E. faecalis isolates for aminoglycoside-penicillin synergy.

Amikacin↗
PubMed1988

High-content aminoglycoside disks for determining aminoglycoside-penicillin synergy against Enterococcus faecalis.

We investigated the use of high-content aminoglycoside disks for determining Enterococcus faecalis susceptibility to aminoglycoside-penicillin synergy. The susceptibility of the organisms to synergy was established by 24-h time-kill studies performed with streptomycin, kanamycin, amikacin, gentamicin, and tobramycin, alone and in combination with penicillin. A total of 20 isolates that were susceptible to all drug combinations and 20 strains that were resistant to each aminoglycoside-penicillin combination were selected for testing against high-content disks. Disk-agar diffusion was performed on Mueller-Hinton agar, with and without 5% sheep blood, by using disks that contained either 300 or 2,000 micrograms of streptomycin and either 120 or 2,000 micrograms of kanamycin, amikacin, tobramycin, or gentamicin. Zone size results obtained for each aminoglycoside, except amikacin, could be used to differentiate between synergy-susceptible and -resistant isolates. No overlap occurred between the zone sizes of susceptible and resistant strains. Susceptibility to amikacin-penicillin synergy could reliably be tested with kanamycin, but not amikacin, disks. When the disks containing 120 micrograms were tested, a narrow zone size range of 6 to 7 mm could be used to identify all resistant strains. In contrast, when the disks containing 2,000 micrograms were used, the zone size ranges for resistant isolates varied widely with the aminoglycoside being tested. The presence of blood in the medium did not appreciably affect the disk test results. To detect resistance to every aminoglycoside-penicillin combination that may be considered for therapy, E. faecalis isolates need to be tested against a maximum of three different high-content disks (i.e., streptomycin, gentamicin, kanamycin). The disk-agar diffusion test performed with high-content aminoglycoside disks can provide laboratories with a convenient and reliable method for detecting E. faecalis isolates that are resistant to aminoglycoside-penicillin synergy.

Amikacin↗
PubMed1988

Physostigmine enhances blood flow-metabolism ratio in neocortex.

Inhibition of central nervous system cholinesterase with a single pulse of physostigmine induces a pronounced increase of blood flow in the neocortex, cingulate gyrus, claustrum, and amygdala. This phenomenon is not accompanied by an increase in energy metabolism and may help explain the effect of this drug on memory in normal humans and patients with Alzheimer's disease, as well as other conditions. In contrast, a parallel increase of blood flow and metabolism was observed in the superior colliculus, a component of the visual pathways. Prolonged administration of physostigmine lead to persistent vasodilatation in the neocortex, a lessening of this effect in cingulate gyrus, claustrum and amygdala, and an increase in primary olfactory cortex and hippocampus when compared with single pulse administration. Effects of physostigmine on glucose utilization remained essentially the same as with pulse administration.

Animals↗
PubMed1988

[Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and emergency surgery. Apropos of 12 cases].

From 1972 to 1986, a total of 46 children with the histological diagnosis of Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma were treated in our hospital. Twelve had emergency surgery. Nine of them presented with an acute abdominal condition and three bowel perforation during treatment for childhood Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. Survival rate was 58%.

Abdomen, Acute↗
PubMed1988

[Kidney injuries in children].

From 1972 to 1985 blunt renal injuries were recorded in 58 children up to the age of 14 years. Early evaluation and treatment of these children is essential in order to preserve maximum renal function. The majority responded well to careful conservative, nonoperative management. Some of those requiring surgical intervention, responded well to initial conservative treatment followed by surgical intervention conducted as an delayed procedure. The critical injuries need early operative intervention.

Accidents↗
PubMed1987

Open microsurgical autograft of adrenal medulla to the right caudate nucleus in two patients with intractable Parkinson's disease.

Recent experimental studies and one clinical case have suggested that grafting tissue from the adrenal medulla into the brain may ameliorate the signs of Parkinson's disease. We describe the treatment of two young patients (35 and 39 years old) with intractable and incapacitating Parkinson's disease, in whom fragments of the adrenal medulla were autotransplanted to the right caudate nucleus. Clinical improvement was noted in both patients at 15 and 6 days (respectively) after implantation and has continued in both. Rigidity and akinesia had virtually disappeared in the first patient at 10 months after surgery, and his tremor was greatly reduced. A similar degree of improvement was present in the second patient at three months. We conclude that autografting of the adrenal medulla to the right caudate nucleus was associated with a marked improvement in the signs of Parkinson's disease in two patients, but our results are preliminary and further work is necessary to see whether this procedure will be applicable over the long term in other types of patients with Parkinson's disease.

Adrenal Medulla↗
PubMed1987

[Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma as a cause of intussusception in children].

From 1972 to 1985, a total of 35 children with histological diagnosis of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma were treated. A previously undiagnosed abdominal non-Hodgkin's lymphoma produced intussusception in three of these children between 5 and 10 years of age. Our experience indicates that any child around 6 years of age with abdominal pain, bloody stools and a palpable mass plus radiographic evidence of intussusception should be considered to have an intestinal wall lymphoma until proven otherwise. Inadequate surgical treatment may result from failure to recognize relationship between intussusception and lymphoma in older child.

Child↗