Search PubMed⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

D R Aickin

Publications and source records attributed to D R Aickin.

34 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

The biochemical effects of a maternal hyperalimentation during pregnancy.

Six patients each with a very low 24-hour urine oestriol excretion were infused with hypertonic dextrose and amino acids for 48 hours prior to delivery. Amniotic fluid samples were studied before and after infusion. Lecithin sphingomyelin ratios and insulin levels were increased following infusions in all patients. There was usually a fall in amniotic fluid glucose and an increase in ammonia, amino acid nitrogen and osmolality following infusions. Maternal plasma oestriol, human placental lactogen, cystyl aminopeptidase and urine oestriol excretion were unchanged during the infusions.

Amino Acids↗

Hypovolaemia, pre-eclampsia and diuretics.

Six patients with severe pre-eclampsia were found to have low central venous pressures. This was considered to be an indication that hypovolaemia was present, depsite concurrent generalized oedema. Treatment with sufficient intravenous saline and albumin, to restore the central venous pressure to normal, resulted in improved renal function and avoidance of permanent renal impairment in all cases. These observations support the view that diuretics should not be administered to patients with pre-eclampsia.

Adult↗

The clinical significance of low urine oestriol values.

Urine oestriol values from 327 pregnancies with antenatal complications were measured between 30 weeks gestation and term. Mean values were much lower than those obtained from pregnancies without complications. When infants were light for dates or developed evidence of neonatal morbidity, oestriol values were more likely to have been below the normal range than in pregnancies resulting in deliveries of normal infants. There was no evidence of severe fetal jeopardy in most pregnancies with oestriol values below normal. Perinatal death was consistently predicted when urine oestriol values lay below a line joining 35 mumol/day at 30 weeks and 65 mumol/day at term.

Estriol↗

Ultrasonic monitoring of fetal respiratory movement.

Ultrasonic monitoring of fetal respiratory movement including velocity measurements is described. Both proximal and distal walls of the fetal chest are imaged simultaneously. The time-position mode clearly defines fetal respiratory movement and rejects artefacts.

Female↗

Amniotic fluid endocrine changes during maternal hyperalimentation.

Ten women with low estriol excretion received hyperalimentation prior to induction of labor. Six received an amino acid mixture (5% Aminofusin) and 25% dextrose, two received the amino acid mixture, and two received 25% dextrose. Amniotic fluid obtained before and after hyperalimentation was assayed for fetal surfactant production, thyroid, pituitary, and carbohydrate regulating hormones. In the combined amino acid/dextrose infusion group the amniotic fluid palmitic acid levels increased significantly post infusion; rT3 also increased significantly but T3 and T4 showed no significant change. The pituitary hormones growth hormone, prolactin, and ACTH showed no significant change, but beta-endorphin-like activity was significantly elevated. No thyroid-stimulating hormone was detected in any of the samples. All the carbohydrate regulating hormones, insulin, cortisol, and cAMP, showed significant increases but cGMP showed a significant decrease. The amino acid and dextrose only groups gave similar results. Seven of the infants showed some degree of intrauterine growth retardation but no neonatal complications attributable to the hyperalimentation.

Amino Acids↗