Search PubMed⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

E Thomas

Publications and source records attributed to E Thomas.

At least 289 records · Page 16Linked to original sources
PubMed1991

[Birth spacing: collaborative study of eight state maternities].

We collected data con 2,434 deliveries of live newborns (1.5% of the total for the country) in 8 state supported maternity wards of urban areas in Chile. First children, stillbirths and twins were excluded. Proportion of the sample according to city was: West Santiago 41%, Talcahuano 16%, Valparaíso 14%, Arica 8%, Chillan 7%, Valdivia 6%, Punta Arenas 6%, and Coyhaique 2%. The intergenesic interval was over 5 years in 38%, over 4 years in 48% and under 1 year in only 1.9% of cases, with minimal inter-city variation. Contraceptive agents were used by 26% of mothers with intergenesic interval under 1 year and 21% of those over 5 years, significantly higher than that found in the other intervals. Maternal age was between 20 and 29 years in 60%; only 8% of mothers were younger than 20 or older than 40 years of age. The incidence of cesarean section increased from 21 to 28.6% with increasing intergenesic interval. Mean weight of newborns was 3,338 g, significantly lower in the intergenesic interval under 1 year (3,251 g). The incidence of low birth weight was also highest in the latter group.

Adult↗
PubMed1991

Cervical cord compression in scleroderma. One case.

The cervical spine is rarely involved in scleroderma. The lesions reported here consisted of osteolysis of the posterior arches disturbing vertebral statics, and exuberant calcifications responsible for spinal cord compression by stenosis of the vertebral canal.

Calcinosis↗
PubMed1990

Rapid immunoblot method for diagnosis of acute Mycoplasma pneumoniae infection.

A rapid immunoblotting technique based on the IgM response to a major immunogenic protein is described for the diagnosis of Mycoplasma pneumoniae infection. Using results of the complement fixation test as the criterion for diagnosis, the rapid immunoblot method was positive in 95.7% of patients. The sensitivity was reduced to 81.9% if the test was performed on either single sera or acute sera only from serum pairs. Although the few sera that failed to demonstrate a positive IgM response were more likely to be from older patients, there was a consistent IgM response recorded for both younger (less than 20 years) and older (greater than or equal to 20 years) patients.

Antibodies, Bacterial↗
PubMed1990

Risk factors for pneumonia after percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy.

Percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) is currently a popular method of administering enteral feeding. Most of these patients are elderly, debilitated, and chronically ill. They are on a number of medications and have multiple diseases. With impaired consciousness and swallowing disability, these patients are prone to develop pneumonia. In order to identify possible risk factors, we followed 24 men who underwent PEG for the occurrence of pneumonia or until they died. We then analyzed the medical records of these patients for potential risk factors for pneumonia. The presence of esophagitis during PEG placement endoscopy and history of pneumonia prior to PEG were significant risk factors. Advanced age and cerebrovascular accident (CVA) tended to indicate a higher risk of pneumonia. Taking these risk factors into consideration may be beneficial in the management of such patients.

Age Factors↗
PubMed1990

Disulfiram-induced hepatitis.

We reported a case of disulfiram-induced hepatitis with unique clinical features and compared our case with others in the literature. Our patient had headache, mild fever, nausea, vomiting, rash, and eosinophilia after 3 weeks of disulfiram therapy. Subsequent liver biopsy showed low-grade lobular hepatitis. After disulfiram therapy was discontinued, symptoms subsided and results of liver function tests returned to normal.

Alcoholism↗
PubMed1990

Renal function after long-term low-dose cyclosporin for psoriasis.

Two groups of patients receiving cyclosporin A (CyA) for psoriasis had their renal function assessed by measurement of glomerular filtration rate (GFR) and effective renal plasma flow (ERPF). The first group comprised 13 patients who had taken low dose (average 3 mg/kg per day) CyA for an average period of 2.5 years. Seven of the 13 had a normal GFR of 108 (77-121) ml/min (median; range). In the other six patients the GFR was low at 63 (50-77) ml/min and CyA was discontinued for periods ranging from 3 to 17 weeks. The GFR rose in all six patients, to 79 (60-91) ml/min; this change was significant (P less than 0.05). The six patients restarted CyA because their psoriasis recurred and after a mean interval of 15 weeks the GFR had fallen in all six to 63 (46-80) ml/min (P less than 0.05) and the ERPF decreased from 339 (231-414) ml/min to 244 (177-321) ml/min (P less than 0.05). In the second group of 11 patients measurements were made prior to starting CyA and after taking CyA for a mean of 9 weeks. The GFR fell in eight out of 11 subjects, the GFR for the 11 patients being 117 (72-128) ml/min before taking CyA and 97 (51-122) ml/min after CyA (P less than 0.02). The ERPF was measured in nine of the 11 patients and fell in seven of the nine. The ERPF for the nine patients before CyA was 490 (296-642) ml/min and for the 11 patients after CyA was 410 (195-543) ml/min (P less than 0.01).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adult↗
PubMed1990

Esophageal contribution to chest pain in patients with coronary artery disease.

We conducted a prospective study to determine the role of the esophagus in causing chest pain in patients with established CAD on optimum therapy. Thirty-two men with documented CAD who complained of frequent and usually daily retrosternal chest pain were evaluated. Following a standard esophageal manometry and acid perfusion test, simultaneous two-channel ambulatory Holter monitor and esophageal pH record tests were performed for 24 hours. Fifty-three episodes of chest pain were documented in 20 patients; 11 patients were free of pain. Of the 20 patients who complained of chest pains, 17 (85 percent) demonstrated at least one episode of PPR, defined as a drop in distal esophageal pH to less than 4 within ten minutes before or after the onset chest pain. Episodes of asymptomatic GER were common. The correlation of PPR with chest pain was 70 percent (37/53 episodes) and of ischemic ECG changes with chest pain 13 percent (7/53); in the remaining, there was no correlation with either. Two patients demonstrated simultaneous PPR and ischemic ECG changes. Seventeen esophageal motility abnormalities were observed in 14 patients (45 percent). It is our conclusion that esophageal disorders contribute to chest pain in patients with documented CAD. In this group, GER plays a greater role than in those with normal coronary arteries. In addition, esophageal motility disorders are common in these patients. Esophageal testing can be undertaken safely in these patients.

Aged↗
PubMed1990

Denitrogenation in pregnant women.

Forty-five pregnant females were studied with respect to the effectiveness of denitrogenation by the 3, 5, 7 and 9 rapid vital capacity breaths, and 3 to 5 minutes of normal breathing. It was found that 3 to 9 vital capacity breaths cannot effectively denitrogenate a pregnant patient when a circle breathing system with a gas flow of 8 litres/min is used. At least 3 minutes of normal tidal volume breathing should be given for proper denitrogenation or preoxygenation if the circle system is used for such a purpose.

Abortion, Missed↗
PubMed1990

[Milk of calcium syndrome: a diagnosis to be made before the scheduling of lithotripsy. Consideration apropos of 6 cases].

The authors report six cases of milk of calcium syndrome. As in previously published cases, the diagnosis was established by the film taken in the standing position: the "lithiasic density" shrinks, densifies and exhibits a horizontal upper edge. Four patients were at first mistakenly diagnosed as having urinary lithiasis for which extracorporeal lithotripsy was scheduled. In one case, the lithotripsy was actually performed and the diagnosis of milk of calcium disease was established only immediately after the procedure. In another patient, lithotripsy was performed because small stones were thought to be present in the milk of calcium. In the two other cases, the diagnosis was made on the day before scheduled lithotripsy and this procedure was therefore cancelled. The purpose of the authors in reporting these cases is above all to point out the diagnostic value of a plain film of the abdomen in the standing position. Diagnosis must be made in time to avoid extracorporeal lithotripsy since, in milk of calcium syndrome, this procedure is illogical, inefficient and probably more hazardous than useful. On the basis of the six cases reported herein and of data from the literature, several characteristics of milk of calcium syndrome can be emphasized. Milk of calcium syndrome predominantly affects individuals with a positive personal or family history for renal lithiasis. It occurs in both sexes and all age groups, including childhood. Milk of calcium syndrome complicates partial or total dilatation of the urinary tract. Crystallization may be of the phosphatic or oxalic type. Concomitant urinary tract infection is common.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adult↗
PubMed1990

Jaundice and hepatorenal syndrome associated with cytosine arabinoside.

A young man receiving high dose cytosine arabinoside (3g/m2 every 12 hours) for promyelocytic leukemia developed rapidly increasing hyperbilirubinemia and hepatorenal syndrome. The patient had been treated previously with courses of standard dose cytosine arabinoside without hepatic or renal complications. His condition rapidly deteriorated, and he required hemodialysis. The total bilirubin increased to 45.4 mg/dL, but alkaline phosphatase remained normal. Twelve days after starting chemotherapy, the patient died of hepatorenal failure. Liver necropsy revealed mild bile stasis and microvesicular steatosis. We suspect high dose cytosine arabinoside played a major role in causing impairment of bilirubin transport within the hepatocyte in this patient.

Acute Kidney Injury↗
PubMed1990

[Treatment and evolution of algodystrophy of the foot. Retrospective study of 199 cases].

This retrospective review presents the results of treating 199 patients with sympathetic reflex dystrophy of the foot: 141 of traumatic and 58 of non-traumatic origin. Calcitonin (177 patients) improved or cured 62.2 p. 100 of these patients and was equally effective for pseudo inflammatory and ischemic (cold) stages of the disease. Among the therapeutic means available, regional sympathetic blockade with guanethidine (49 patients, 163 treatments) provided 80 p. 100 improvement or cure, with twice as many patients in the hot phase as in the cold. All patients were cured: 75 p. 100 in less than a year, 4.6 p. 100 with moderate, non-handicapping sequelae. Normal activities were partially reinstituted 3.5 +/- 2.8 months (post-trauma) or 1.9 +/- 1 months (non-trauma) after treatment. They were completely possible 5 months after the end of treatment in both groups. In the trauma group, 73 patients had work-related accidents: their evolution was the same as that of the other patients in this group. When present, psychological background (35 p. 100 of the cases) only delayed progress in the non-traumatic group (9.9 vs 6.5 months).

Adolescent↗