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Biomedical subjects

G Abraham

Publications and source records attributed to G Abraham.

At least 109 records · Page 6Linked to original sources
PubMed1991

Is intraperitoneal tobramycin ototoxic in CAPD patients?

In 40 CAPD patients treated for peritonitis, the authors did a prospective study of ototoxic effects of intraperitoneal tobramycin. They evaluated cochlear function in pure-tone threshold audiograms over a range of frequencies from 250-10,000 Hz, in the speech-reception threshold test and in the speech-discrimination test. These tests were performed within 48 hours of initiation of tobramycin treatment and within 2 or 3 weeks of the drug's discontinuation. With the aminoglycoside doses used in this study, no statistical difference between the mean baseline and mean follow-up hearing levels was seen in these 40 patients. However, according to the standard criteria of ototoxicity, the hearing in 10 of 40 patients (25%) deteriorated after tobramycin, while it improved in seven patients (17.5%). In the remaining 23 (57.5%), hearing remained stable. With respect to the risk factors for ototoxicity such as advanced age, increased duration of treatment, elevated plasma aminoglycoside levels, concomitant treatment with other ototoxic drugs, pre-existing hearing loss, renal dysfunction and hyperthermia, no statistically significant difference was demonstrated between the patients with deteriorated, stable or improved hearing. The results of this study do not confirm that tobramycin given intraperitoneally to CAPD patients produces auditory toxicity. The hearing deterioration observed in 10 patients may be due to synergistic factors. The improvement observed in 7 patients could not be explained.

Audiometry, Pure-Tone↗
PubMed1990

Intravenous bicarbonate and sodium chloride both prolong endurance during intense cycle ergometer exercise.

To determine the effects of neutralizing exercise systemic acidosis via the intravenous route upon endurance and metabolic responses, eight lean, normal, postabsorptive men exercised to exhaustion at about 80% of their VO2 max (69 +/- 3%, mean +/- SEM, of maximum power output) on a cycle ergometer. Exercise studies were performed either with no infusion (control) or with a total infusion volume of about 1.5 L, mainly as 1.3% sodium bicarbonate or as 0.9% sodium chloride (NaCl), infused (double-blind) throughout exercise. The sodium bicarbonate was to prevent acid-base change, the sodium chloride was as a control for the volume infused. Arterialized venous blood and breath-by-breath analysis of expired gases were obtained. [H+] (nmol.L-1) and [HCO3-] (mmol.L-1) at exhaustion were similar in control and NaCl (46.5 +/- 1.8, 19.9 +/- 0.9), but remained unchanged from rest values with bicarbonate (38.4 +/- 0.9, 24.8 +/- 1.5, p less than 0.005 vs control and NaCl). At exhaustion, VO2, VCO2, RER, heart rate, and systolic BP as well as FFA, glycerol, alanine, insulin, norepinephrine, and epinephrine did not differ among protocols. Endurance was markedly prolonged (p less than 0.01) with bicarbonate (31.9 +/- 5.8 min) and NaCl (31.8 +/- 4.1 min) compared with the control (19.0 +/- 2.9 min) condition. Plasma glucose at exhaustion was higher (p less than 0.025) in the control compared to bicarbonate and NaCl experiments, while lactate was higher (p less than 0.025) in the bicarbonate than in the control and NaCl experiments. Thus, the prolonged endurance with sodium bicarbonate infusion could not be explained either by its effect of maintaining blood acid-base equilibrium or concomitant metabolic changes.

Acid-Base Equilibrium↗
PubMed1990

Mathematical Model of Thermal Destruction of Bacillus stearothermophilus Spores.

The experimental survival curves of Bacillus stearothermophilus spores in aqueous suspension, for six constant temperatures ranging from 105 to 130 degrees C, displayed an initial shoulder before a linear decline. To interpret these observations, we supposed that, before the heat treatment, the designated spore suspension contained a countable and mortal N(0) population of activated spores and an M(0) population of dormant spores which remained masked during spore counting and had to be activated before being destroyed by heat. We also hypothesized that the mechanisms of both activation and destruction are, at constant temperature, ruled by first-order kinetics, with velocity constants k(A) and k(D), respectively. Mathematical analysis showed that this model could represent not only our experimental survival curves, but also all other shapes (linear and biphasic) of survival curves found in the literature; also, there is an inherent symmetry in the model formulation between the activation and destruction reactions, and we showed that the dormancy rate (tau = M(0)/N(0)) is the only parameter which permits a distinction between the two reactions. By applying the model to our experimental data and considering that the dormancy rate is not dependent on the treatment temperature, we showed that, for the studied suspension, the limiting reaction was the activation reaction.

Journal Article↗
PubMed1990

Fibrillary glomerulonephritis in a patient with metastatic carcinoma of the liver.

A 61-year-old women presented with nephrotic syndrome and progressive renal failure associated with metastatic adenocarcinoma of the liver. Renal biopsy revealed marked widening of the basement membrane and nonamyloidotic fibrillary deposits composed chiefly of polyclonal IgG. This is the first reported case of Congo-red-negative fibrillary glomerulopathy in association with adenocarcinoma of the liver.

Adenocarcinoma↗
PubMed1990

Role of corpus allatum on the modulation of feeding rhythm in the semilooper caterpillar, Achaea janata (L).

A circadian feeding rhythm which may be entrained by photoperiod was found in fifth instar caterpillars of the lepidopteran, Achaea janata (L.). Allatectomy reduced the amount of food consumed; this consumption was significantly lower during the fifth instar in both allatectomized and sham-operated insects. An apparent circadian feeding pattern appeared on day 2 in the sham-operated caterpillars. Topical application of the anti-allatin, Precocene-II (50 micrograms/animal) also reduced leaf consumption significantly compared to the respective controls, although these controls maintained the same apparent circadian feeding rhythm on day 2.

Animals↗
PubMed1990

Peritonitis-related deaths in continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD) patients.

A total of 636 episodes of peritonitis occurred in 440 patients who entered our continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD) program from September 1977 to February 1988. Sixteen patients (8 male and 8 female, aged 37-77 years) died during an episode of peritonitis (fatality rate 2.5%). They had been on CAPD for 3 to 105 (average 39) months. Six of them were diabetics. The peritonitis rate among these 16 patients were 1 episode per 12 patient months, while the corresponding figure for the whole (440) CAPD population was 14 patient months. Risk factors present in the 16 patients were: cardiovascular disease (12), cerebrovascular accident (2) peripheral artery disease (1) and pulmonary fibrosis (1). Fever and leukocytosis were present on admission in 11 patients, while total serum proteins and albumin were significantly lower (p less than 0.001) than the corresponding values before peritonitis (56 +/- 8 vs. 65 +/- 5). Staph. aureus was isolated in 8 patients (50%), multiple organisms in 6, Pseudomonas and Candida albicans in 1 each. An abdominal abscess was found in 4 (25%) patients. The peritoneal catheter was removed between the 5th and 10th day in 6 and after the 10th day in 7 patients. Peritonitis with sepsis was the cause of death in 13 patients. Contributing factors were cardiovascular accident in 9, uremic coma in 2, extensive GI bleeding in 2, GI perforation in 2, intestinal infarction in 1, and pneumonia in 2 patients. We conclude that the risk of peritonitis-related death in CAPD patients is increased with Staph. aureus or multibacterial peritonitis. Contributing factors are concomitant cardiovascular disease and delayed (greater than 5 days) catheter removal.

Cardiovascular Diseases↗
PubMed1990

[Post-traumatic coma and pre-traumatic memory].

Instead of thinking that it is impossible to enter in the internal world of a comatose patient, we are now put before a new and encouraging prospective, that of the possibility, even though minimal, of influencing the vital residual organisation of the patient and to induce him perhaps to accept again external stimulations, which previously were too intense. As loss of conscience often causes loss of memory, our intention was to examine the problem of memory loss in comatose patients after accidents. The analysis of 50 questionnaires distributed to trauma-patients awakening from a comatose state and interviews give clear indications that: 1) the patients remember absolutely nothing during the time of the coma; 2) in the majority of cases (34) the patients remember in the moment preceding the accident a clear autodestructive tendency especially if they were the cause of the accident; and 3) almost all patients (41) agree to have benefited greatly from the trauma itself and from its memory.

Amnesia↗
PubMed1990

Genital swelling as a surgical complication of continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis.

Genital edema was seen as a complication of continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD) in 18 patients, who accounted for 4 per cent of all patients on CAPD. In the majority of patients, the swelling developed suddenly and painlessly in the scrotum, penis or labia majora. Some of the patients noticed ultrafiltration failure. In the majority of these patients, this was a result of fluid leakage through the patent processus vaginalis. In one female patient, fluid leaked through the implantation site of the catheter. A computed tomographic scan using contrast media is a useful diagnostic tool in identifying the side of the defect in patients with generalized scrotal or penile edema. Surgical repair of the hernia and the hole in the processus vaginalis or hernia sac prevented recurrence. A trial of temporary discontinuation of CAPD or intermittent peritoneal dialysis using small volumes of dialysis fluid prevented recurrence while reinstituting CAPD in patients with normal findings from contrast studies. Intermittent peritoneal dialysis using low volumes of dialysis fluid with stepwise increase prevented recurrence while reinstituting CAPD two to three weeks after surgical repair.

Adult↗
PubMed1989

Electrophysiological measures during acupuncture-induced surgical analgesia.

Electrophysiological recordings (electroencephalograms, somatosensory-evoked potentials, cognitive-evoked potentials) were made in five patients during acupuncture-induced analgesia for removal of a thyroid tumor. The electrophysiological measures were unchanged during the operation. Acupuncture's modes of action in producing analgesia are not revealed in this study.

Acupuncture Therapy↗
PubMed1989

Splenic abscess and peritonitis in a continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD) patient.

A 26-year-old female was on continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD) because of diabetic end-stage renal failure. She developed an acute peritonitis that relapsed repeatedly despite appropriate antibiotic treatment. Investigations showed the presence of a splenic abscess, and splenectomy and peritoneal cannula removal were required. The patient died of myocardial infarction two weeks postoperatively. This is the first recorded case of peritonitis secondary to splenic abscess in a CAPD patient. Autopsy findings suggest that the abscess developed from infection of a splenic infarct.

Abscess↗
PubMed1989

Oral lecithin improves ultrafiltration in patients on peritoneal dialysis.

Three patients on peritoneal dialysis (two on continuous ambulatory and one on intermittent) with severe ultrafiltration failure were treated with 2 capsules of Lecithin three times a day (containing of 1.08 g of phosphatidylcholine). Their ultrafiltration improved significantly to the point that their edema improved and were able to continue on peritoneal dialysis with fewer daily hypertonic exchange.

Administration, Oral↗