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Biomedical subjects

E Lahat

Publications and source records attributed to E Lahat.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources
PubMed1997

Acupuncture and the opioid system: implications in management of migraine.

We investigated the effectiveness of acupuncture in childhood migraine in 22 children with migraine, randomly divided into two groups: a true acupuncture group (12 children) and a placebo acupuncture group (10 children). Ten healthy children served as a control group. Opioid activity in blood plasma was assayed by two methods: (1) determination of total (panopioid) activity with an opiate radioreceptor assay, and (2) determination of beta-endorphinlike immunoreactivity by radioimmunoassay. The true acupuncture treatment led to significant clinical reduction in both migraine frequency and intensity. At the beginning of the study, significantly greater panopioid activity was evident in plasma of the control group than in plasma of the migraine group. The true acupuncture group showed a gradual increase in the panopioid activity in plasma, which correlated with the clinical improvement. After the tenth treatment, the values of opioid activity of the true acupuncture group were similar to those of the control group, whereas the plasma of the placebo acupuncture group exhibited insignificant changes in plasma panopioid activity. In addition, a significant increase in beta-endorphin levels was observed in the migraine patients who were treated in the true acupuncture group as compared with the values before treatment or with the values of the placebo acupuncture group. The results suggest that acupuncture may be an effective treatment in children with migraine headaches and that it leads to an increase in activity of the opioidergic system.

Acupuncture Therapy↗
PubMed1997

Intussusception: a 9-year survey (1986-1995).

BACKGROUND: Acute intussusception has different clinical features in various parts of the world. The goal of this study was to determine the clinical presentation in different ethnic groups in Israel. METHODS: A retrospective chart review of a 9-year period (1985-1995) was carried out at a university medical center. Data extracted included age, sex, ethnic origin, presenting symptoms and signs, the type of enema (barium or air), and the success rate of non-surgical reduction of the intussusception. RESULTS: Ninety patients suffering from intestinal obstruction due to acute intussusception were admitted. The triad of intermittent screaming attacks, lethargy, and vomiting was observed in 37.5% of study subjects. The majority of patients were admitted during the warmer months of the year. The average age of the patients was 7.8 +/- 3.7 months; 70% of them were between the ages of 4 and 9 months and 92.5% under 1 year of age. The female-to-male ratio was 1:2.1. Air enema was superior to the barium enema in achieving reduction (p < 0.01). The incidence in the Jewish population was similar to that observed in other surveys, and twice that found in the Arab population in our region (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The overall clinical presentation of acute intussusception found in our study does not differ from other studies. The lower incidence of acute intussusception found in the Arab population can be explained by ethnic, genetic, or nutritional factors.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed1997

Visual evoked potentials: a diagnostic test for migraine headache in children.

Visual evoked potentials (VEPs) were performed in a blind fashion in 114 children aged 3 to 17 years with different types of headaches, in order to investigate whether this could be helpful in the diagnosis of migraine versus other types of headaches in children. The study showed that the amplitude between P100 and N2 was significantly larger in children with migraine headaches (mean 19.8 microvol, SD 7.75) compared with other types of headaches (mean 13.1 microvol, SD 7.45). These results suggest that the sensitivity of VEP P100 amplitude to distinguish migraine headaches in children is 67%, the specificity of VEP is 83%, and the predictive positive value is 83%. VEP study might be helpful in work-up of a child with headache, particularly a young child, when signs and symptoms may not be characteristic.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1996

Severe pseudohypoaldosteronism in a pair of twins not associated with hydramnios.

A pair of non-identical twins with severe pseudohypoaldosteronism (PHA) were followed over a period of 4 years. The diagnosis was based on dehydration, hyponatremia, hyperkalemia, high urine sodium/potassium ratios, and high serum concentrations of aldosterone and renin. Sweat and saliva electrolyte concentrations were high, suggesting multifocal target-organ unresponsiveness to mineralocorticoids. No hydramnios was observed during pregnancy. Despite continuous treatment with sodium chloride and sodium bicarbonate (< or = 20 g/day) and cation exchange resin (Kayexalate, sodium polystyrene sulfonate, < or = 4 g/kg per day), the children had repeated episodes of dehydration, hyponatremia, and hyperkalemia. Growth velocity was normal in both twins. Catch-up growth was observed following infancy in the first twin. Normalization of plasma aldosterone, electrolytes, and renin concentrations was achieved at the age of 9 months.

Body Height↗
PubMed1996

Postural stability by computerized posturography in minor head trauma.

Mild head injuries are very common among young children. Often, these injuries are followed by a variety of subjective complaints termed posttraumatic syndrome. Posturography (balance test) was performed immediately after the trauma in 21 children who had sustained mild head injury. Significant difference in performance was observed in head-injured children in all subparts of the test as compared with a control group. We conclude that posturography may serve as a simple cost-effective method in qualifying the posttraumatic imbalance.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1996

Peritoneal ventilation in rabbits: augmentation of gas exchange with cisapride.

BACKGROUND: Peritoneal ventilation has been shown to be effective in achieving extrapulmonary oxygenation and carbon dioxide elimination in an animal model of severe adult respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). Cisapride is a "prokinetic" agent (increases gastric emptying), that may increase the splanchnic circulation and thus favourably affect gas exchange in peritoneal ventilation. METHODS: Using Doppler ultrasound the effect of cisapride on the portal venous circulation was examined in eight spontaneously breathing rabbits and the effect of cisapride on gas exchange in five rabbits spontaneously breathing room air was compared with that of a control group who did not receive cisapride. Its effect on gas exchange in five rabbits with ARDS being treated with mechanical lung and peritoneal ventilation was compared with that of a control group, and its effect on gas exchange in five rabbits with ARDS treated with conventional ventilation was also compared with that of a control group. RESULTS: Enteral administration of cisapride increased portal venous blood velocity, as measured ultrasonographically, by a mean of 188% one hour after receiving the drug. In rabbits with ARDS being treated with both peritoneal ventilation and mechanical ventilation to the lungs, those receiving cisapride had arterial oxygen tensions 1.5-3 times that of controls. Cisapride had no effect on arterial blood gas tensions in rabbits who were spontaneously breathing room air, nor in rabbits with ARDS who received only conventional mechanical lung ventilation. CONCLUSIONS: Cisapride increases arterial oxygenation in rabbits with severe ARDS treated with peritoneal ventilation, probably due to its ability to increase splanchnic circulation. It should be considered as an adjuvant medication to peritoneal ventilation.

Animals↗
PubMed1996

Renal and absorptive hypercalciuria: a metabolic disturbance with varying and interchanging modes of expression.

BACKGROUND: In previous studies, the oral calcium loading and deprivation test has been used to distinguish between children with renal (fasting) hypercalciuria (RH) and absorptive hypercalciuria (AH). OBJECTIVE: We evaluated the long-term clinical course of 30 children with idiopathic hypercalciuria and investigated the influence of urinary sodium excretion, as a reflection of its intake, on urinary calcium excretion. METHODS: Thirty normocalcemic, normophosphatemic children (21 boys and 9 girls) with urinary calcium to creatinine ratios greater than 0.57 mmol/L/mmol/L ( > 0.21 mg/dL/mg/dL on the three consecutive examinations participated in this study. They were divided according to their responses to calcium deprivation and loading into AH (16 patients) and RH (14 patients). RESULTS: When restudied 3 to 7 years later, 6 of the 16 children with AH were normocalciuric and three demonstrated characteristics compatible with RH. The remaining seven patients maintained their initial AH pattern. Of the 14 children with RH, four were normocalciuric and four demonstrated AH. The remaining six children maintained their initial RH pattern. A significant positive correlation was observed between urine sodium and calcium excretion in children with AH or RH. Children who were normocalciuric at the second study had significantly lower values of urine sodium excretion when compared with those in whom hypercalciuria persisted. CONCLUSIONS: We suggest that AH and RH constitute a continuum. The change in characteristics observed during the second study suggests that any attempt to divide these patients into two physiologically distinct subtypes may be artificial. The main factor influencing urinary excretion of calcium in our patients seemed to be sodium intake.

Absorption↗
PubMed1995

Focal epileptic episodes associated with hypoglycemia in children with diabetes.

Focal neurological deficits associated with hypoglycemia have been well described in adults with diabetes. We could find only one report of the association between focal epileptic episodes and hypoglycemia in children with diabetes. We describe 3 patients with seven focal epileptic episodes associated with hypoglycemia.

Blood Glucose↗
PubMed1995

BAEP studies in children with attention deficit disorder.

Brainstem auditory evoked potentials (BAEPs) were performed on 114 children with attention deficit disorder (ADD). Prolonged latencies of waves III and V and longer brainstem transmission time interval of waves I-III and I-V were observed in the study group compared with normal controls. A significant asymmetry of wave III latency between the ears was found in children with ADD, but not observed in the control group. The authors conclude that children with ADD have brainstem dysfunction. BAEPs, an objective electrophysiological test, may contribute to the diagnosis of ADD, distinguishing these children from the normal population.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1995

Lipid profile with paternal history of coronary heart disease before age 40.

Serum lipids were measured in children and their parents from 40 families in which the father had a myocardial infarction or coronary heart disease (CHD) before age 40 years. The relationship between physical activity and serum lipid concentrations in the children was also evaluated. Twenty six men had one or more abnormal lipid value (in mmol/l): total venous cholesterol (TVC) > 6.24, triglycerides < 2.55, low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) > 4.42, or high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) < 0.91. There were 15 spouses with significant hyperlipidaemia (values above). In the 107 children examined, TVC mean (SD) was 4.68 (1.17), triglycerides 1.4 (0.8), LDL-C 3.0 (1.0), and HDL-C 1.18 (0.28). Altogether 42% of the children had significant hyperlipidaemia. No significant correlation was found between the degree of physical activity of the children and their LDL-C and TVC concentrations. However, a significant positive correlation was found between the degree of physical activity and HDL-C and a significant negative one with triglyceride concentrations. It is concluded that screening the progeny of young CHD patients is highly productive in identifying young people at excessive risk for future CHD. The data also suggest that promoting high degrees of activity among these children may have a positive influence on risk factors for adult onset CHD.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1994

The management of epidural haematomas--surgical versus conservative treatment.

We treated 14 children and infants during 1990-1993 who suffered severe head trauma with consequent epidural haematomas. We tried, in accordance with several recent publications, to follow part of them conservatively. The report describes the clinical and radiological features of these patients and discusses the criteria for conservative management of epidural haematoma in paediatric patients. The relevant literature is reviewed.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1994

Development of children born after ovarian superovulation induced by long-acting gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist and menotropins, and by in vitro fertilization.

The use of a gonodotropin-releasing hormone (Gn-RH) agonist in an in vitro fertilization (IVF) program raises the question of any influence on the physical, neurologic, and mental development of the children. We compared the development of children born after long-acting Gn-RH agonist treatment with that of children born after spontaneous pregnancies. Children from singleton pregnancies and > or = 28 months of age were examined by a pediatric neurologist and a psychologist who did not know to which group the children belonged. The General Cognitive Index test was used. Each group included 30 children. Five children cooperated only partly. Physical and neurologic findings were normal in all children, except that one in the group born after in vitro fertilization had diffuse hypotonia, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, and hyperactivity. The General Cognitive Index for the 26 children in the study group and the 29 children in the control group who fully cooperated were 102 +/- 13.3 and 106 +/- 13.5, respectively (p = 0.37). The verbal perception, motor, and memory indexes were not significantly different. We conclude that the long-acting Gn-RH agonist had no clinically identifiable influence on the development of these children.

Adult↗
PubMed1994

Peritoneal ventilation: an animal model of extrapulmonary ventilation in experimental adult respiratory distress syndrome.

Adult respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is a critical medical problem in which severe arterial hypoxemia is often poorly responsive to conventional modes of mechanical ventilation. We studied the efficiency of mechanical ventilation of the peritoneal cavity in rabbits with experimental ARDS caused by lung lavage. The study shows that peritoneal ventilation is significantly effective in oxygenation of hypoxemic animals with ARDS and is also effective for carbon dioxide elimination. Peritoneal ventilation may be considered as an investigational method for extrapulmonary oxygenation in severe intractable hypoxemia caused by ARDS.

Animals↗
PubMed1994

Phenothiazine treatment and respiratory distress syndrome in a child.

An 11-year-old boy who was treated with a relatively high dose of methotrimeprazine meleate (Levemepromazine) a phenothiazine antipsychotic drug, was admitted to the pediatric intensive care unit suffering from respiratory distress syndrome. He required intensive treatment and support for 13 days. The persistent effects of methotrimeprazine meleate on various organs are typical of the prolonged biological action of the phenothiazine metabolites. The association of phenothiazine overdose and respiratory distress syndrome merits consideration.

Child↗