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Biomedical subjects

D Alves

Publications and source records attributed to D Alves.

23 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1994

[Children and lead exposure. Preliminary study].

UNLABELLED: Lead poisoning is one of the most common and preventable childhood illness. The authors believe that the present study is the first evaluation of this problem in Portugal. OBJECTIVES: a) to characterize blood lead levels in children aged 1 to 6 years living in the Oporto area; b) to identify risk groups and develop screening strategies. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The authors studied an opportunistic sample of children that were observed at the Hospital Maria Pia and the Instituto Nacional de Saúde Dr. Ricardo Jorge (Porto) to whom blood testing was requested. All children with neurological or digestive symptoms were excluded (October-December 1991; n = 113). RESULTS: One child had a blood lead level of 46.6 micrograms/dl (class-IV, CDC); 32% (n = 36) were between 20 e 44 micrograms/dl (class-III), while only four children (3.2%) presented values < = 9 micrograms/dl (class-I). Class II included the remainder (n = 73). The results clearly point out that lead poisoning is a real problem among Portuguese children, since the proportion of children not considered to be lead-poisoned is very small. Children in the other classes are at risk of developing acute and chronic toxicity.

Child, Preschool↗
PubMed1986

Four cases of late onset metachromatic leucodystrophy in a family: clinical, biochemical and neuropathological studies.

Four cases of familial metachromatic leucodystrophy are described: the age of onset ranged from 15 to 21 years. Mental deterioration was the earliest clinical sign to be noted and all progressed to severe dementia. The arylsulphatase activity in peripheral leucocytes of the patients was very low, 5 to 15 nmol/h/mg protein, moderately reduced in the heterozygote, 40 nmol/h/mg protein, compared with control values of 60-160 nmol/h/mg protein. Sural nerve biopsies in two cases showed perivascular macrophages filled with metachromatic material and electron microscopy showed typical inclusions in Schwann cell cytoplasm. Necropsy in one of the cases revealed severe demyelination mainly in the cerebral hemispheres with metachromatic material in macrophages and neurons.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Subarachnoid fentanyl augments lidocaine spinal anesthesia for cesarean delivery.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Fentanyl at doses of 6.25 microgram or more, when to hyperbaric bupivacaine for spinal anesthesia for cesarean delivery, has been reported to markedly increase the duration of analgesia. In this study, subarachnoid fentanyl 15 micrograms was evaluated as the sole adjunct to hyperbaric lidocaine spinal anesthesia in parturients undergoing cesarean delivery at term, to determine its effect on the duration of analgesia and side effects perioperatively. METHODS: Twenty-eight parturients scheduled for elective cesarean delivery at term were randomized to one of two groups in a prospective, double-blind fashion. Patients in group F received 15 micrograms fentanyl in addition to 80 mg hyperbaric lidocaine for subarachnoid anesthesia, while patients in group N received 0.3 mL normal saline in addition to 80 mg hyperbaric lidocaine. Visual analog pain scores were recorded preoperatively and at regular intervals until the first patient request for additional analgesia. The occurrence of side effects (nausea, vomiting, pruritus, shivering) was recorded at intervals for 4 hours postinduction. All patients received patient-controlled analgesia after delivery, and analgesic requirements for 24 hours postinduction were recorded. RESULTS: There was no difference between groups with respect to visual analog pain scores intraoperatively. The mean duration of effective analgesia was increased in the patients receiving fentanyl from 71 minutes to 101 minutes (Student's t-test, P < .01). No difference was observed between groups with regard to 4-hour or 24-hour analgesic requirements. Patients in group F were significantly less likely to experience nausea (Fisher's exact test, P < .05) and vomiting (chi-square test, P < .05) in the immediate perioperative period, but no differences were noted between groups in the incidence of pruritus or shivering. CONCLUSIONS: The addition of fentanyl 15 micrograms to hyperbaric lidocaine for subarachnoid anesthesia for cesarean delivery increases the duration of effective analgesia by approximately 30 minutes compared to plain hyperbaric lidocaine, and provides a protective effect regarding nausea and vomiting in the perioperative period.

Adjuvants, Anesthesia↗