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Biomedical subjects

H G Kreeftenberg

Publications and source records attributed to H G Kreeftenberg.

15 recordsLinked to original sources

[Effective tracing of osteoporosis at a fracture and osteoporosis clinic in Groningen; an analysis of the first 100 patients].

OBJECTIVE: To analyse the results from a fracture and osteoporosis (FO) outpatient clinic in order to achieve efficient case-finding for osteoporosis in patients of 50 years and older with a fracture due to low-energy trauma. DESIGN: Descriptive. METHOD: Following the publication of new professional guidelines for case-finding and treatment of osteoporosis, an FO outpatient clinic was opened at the University Hospital of Groningen, The Netherlands, to which patients of 50 years and older with a fracture due to low-energy trauma could be referred for further diagnosis and treatment after initial treatment for trauma. Bone-mineral density of the lumbar spine, hip and distal radius was assessed with dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA). Patients with manifest osteoporosis, defined as having a fracture and a T-score < or = -2 SD at one of the measured sites, were put on medication. The results from the first 100 patients were analysed. RESULTS: In the first five months 74% (116/156) of the patients were seen in the FO clinic. In January 2004 the first 100 patients completed the diagnostic process. A total of 67 patients had manifest osteoporosis, 20 osteopenia and 13 had normal bone density. Furthermore, 48% of the patients between 50 and 60 years old had manifest osteoporosis. Unrecognised vertebral fractures were found in 21 patients. Forty-three percent of patients with manifest osteoporosis had low 25-OH-vitamine D levels (< 30 nmol/l). Eleven patients were sent to the Department of Internal Medicine on indication of secondary osteoporosis. CONCLUSION: The FO outpatient clinic proved to be effective and useful for identifying and treating a population at risk of osteoporosis.

25-Hydroxyvitamin D 2↗

Medical students' experiences of diseases in internal medicine in university and community hospitals.

Because medical students in The Netherlands should achieve common national objectives, it is important to know whether clinical experiences in different hospitals are comparable. The research questions were: (1) Do students achieve learning experiences of the required diseases during the internship in Internal Medicine and to what extent do they achieve these experiences? (2) Are there differences between the diseases experienced at a university hospital and at community hospitals? Completed logbooks of students were analysed; the percentage of students that achieved the required diseases and the mean number of experiences of diseases were calculated. A t-test was done to test for differences. Medical students in the university and in community hospitals get broad experience (76-131%) of the required diseases. In both hospitals there are many students who are not achieving the requirements, but the mean number of experiences of students at the community hospitals is higher than those at the university hospital. To eliminate the differences between students from the university hospital and the community hospitals, the educational programmes within both hospitals should be adjusted.

Clinical Competence↗

Quantification of liver iron concentration with magnetic resonance imaging by combining T1-, T2-weighted spin echo sequences and a gradient echo sequence.

BACKGROUND: The aim of the study was to quantify hepatic iron by MRI for practical use. METHODS: In twenty-three patients with various degrees of iron overload, measurements were carried out with a 1.5 Tesla MR unit. A combination of pulse sequences (T1, T2 and gradient echo) enabled us to quantify smaller amounts of liver iron as accurately as larger amounts of liver iron. The gradient echo sequence provided us with a good correlation when detecting smaller amounts of iron in the liver where the T1 sequence provided a good correlation when larger amounts of iron were present. RESULTS: The combination of the three sequences showed a nice correlation (r=-0. 93, P<0.001) and provided us with an accurate estimate of the liver iron content (LIC). This correlation was achieved with a LIC from the lower range of normal up to LIC of 146 mmol/kg dry weight, which seems the highest measurable liver iron content for a 1.5 Tesla MRI. Measuring in the lower range makes it possible to decide whether further invasive diagnostic investigations by a liver biopsy are indicated. CONCLUSION: MRI is a useful tool to quantify iron overload non-invasively. In cases where a liver biopsy is hazardous MRI can easily be used to obtain reliable, quantitative information about the initial LIC. Quantification by MRI could also be used for follow up of the iron content during depletion treatment by phlebotomy or iron chelation. The stronger the magnet the more sensitive the detection of concentrations up to 150 mmol/kg is. A semi-quantitative judgement will only be possible with severe iron overload over 150 mmol/kg. If such an iron excess is found, a liver biopsy should be performed to exclude cirrhosis.

Adult↗

Condition on arrival of transferred critically ill patients.

We performed a retrospective inventory of the condition of transferred patients to our 11-bed medical ICU, aimed firstly to measure the quality of these transports and secondly to identify variables that may predict a high risk of deterioration during transferral. By a search in our hospital database, we identified 112 consecutive patients (47 women/65 men) transferred from other hospitals (distance 20-350 km) to our ICU over a period of 14 months. The following data were collected on departure (if available) and on arrival: blood pressure, heart rate, temperature, oxygen saturation, routine laboratory parameters, arterial blood gas analysis, lactic acid, settings of mechanical ventilation, use of vasopressor/inotropic medication, presence of venous and arterial catheters and Apache II score on arrival. No major worsening during transportation was found, looking at the whole group. However, individual data showed severe deterioration of some patients during transport. We were not able to point out parameters that could predict hemodynamic or respiratory instability during transport or condition on arrival. In conclusion, quality of transport seems fairly good; in individual cases, improvements are possible. Therefore, we plan to investigate whether or not a strict protocol, based on recommendations in the literature and on local feasibility can further improve condition on arrival and survival of transferred ICU patients in our adherence region.

APACHE↗

Scrotal hematoma, anemia, and jaundice as manifestations of adrenal neuroblastoma in a newborn.

Clinically, a neuroblastoma presents mostly as an abdominal mass. Within the tumor, bleeding can be present, sometimes extending in to its surroundings. This case report describes a neuroblastoma, presenting as scrotal hematoma in a newborn boy, which initially raised the suspicion of a torsion testis. In this patient, the bleeding descended through the subcutaneous and muscular tissue into the scrotum. In addition, anemia and jaundice were marked features. This clinical manifestation of a neuroblastoma has not been reported previously. Ultrasonography is advised as the first diagnostic step to exclude retroperitoneal origin of the bleeding. Magnetic resonance imaging and meta-iodobenzyl guanidine scanning were helpful tools in the final diagnostic workup.

Adrenal Gland Neoplasms↗

Objectives for an internship internal medicine: from the Dutch Blueprint (Raamplan 1994) to implementation into a practical logbook.

BACKGROUND: The Dutch Blueprint 1994 (Raamplan 1994) describes the objectives of undergraduate medical education. The Blueprint, developed in order to improve medical education in the Netherlands, is accepted by all Dutch medical schools and has been legislated. AIM: Translation of global objectives of the Blueprint into specific requirements of a Logbook (guideline and evaluation tool) for the internship Internal Medicine. DESCRIPTION: The Blueprint as such is impracticable as a guideline during the Internal Medicine internship. The content covers the objectives for the entire field of medicine, and the volume dedicated to Internal Medicine is too large to fit in with a twelve week internship. The practicability of the Blueprint leaves much to be desired because it is complex, and not easily accessible. So, the Blueprint was adapted on three points: (1) selecting those objectives out of the whole content, which are specifically relevant to Internal Medicine; (2) decreasing the volume Internal Medicine by clustering and defining the requirements; (3) making the Logbook usable as a guideline and evaluation instrument. CONCLUSION: The Logbook is a good starting-point to evaluate whether students meet the objectives of the Blueprint related to the discipline Internal Medicine.

Education, Medical, Graduate↗

Imported rickettsioses: think of murine typhus.

Murine typhus is a disease still prevalent in many parts of the world. Because the incidence in the US and Europe has declined rapidly, physicians in these continents have become unfamiliar with the clinical picture. Murine typhus is associated with significant morbidity and fatalities do occur, especially in the elderly and when late recognized. We present a patient with murine typhus that illustrates the wide variety of symptoms in this disease, which makes diagnosis difficult. However, if one keeps the possibility of murine typhus in mind, it is easily diagnosed and treated.

Diagnosis, Differential↗

Evaluation and clinical application of the Enterotest for the determination of human biliary porphyrin composition.

The Enterotest string test is an easy and non-invasive method for sampling duodenal fluid, which has been successfully used for the analysis of duodenal microflora, as well as biliary bile acid and lipid composition. The method was evaluated for determination of porphyrins in duodenal bile in normal subjects and subjects with porphyria, following cholecystokinin induced gall bladder contraction; it is known that analysis of biliary porphyrins is more discriminatory for the diagnosis of asymptomatic porphyria than their analysis in faeces or urine. Moreover, serial analysis of bile from patients with erythropoietic protoporphyria may help in establishing their ability to secrete protoporphyrin in bile and to assess effects of treatment. The binding of various porphyrins to Enterotest strings was investigated by incubating pieces of the string in different human bile samples with low to very high porphyrin concentrations, followed by HPLC analysis of porphyrins both in the native bile and in extracts obtained from the strings. No differences between porphyrin composition in native bile and extracts were observed. Duodenal fluid obtained by means of the Enterotest from volunteers not receiving cholecystokinin showed large variations in porphyrin patterns not resembling those of native bile. Mesoporphyrin, a secondary porphyrin derived from protoporphyrin by bacteria, was often detectable. These data indicate that the duodenal content without cholecystokinin injection does not reflect biliary porphyrin composition. The presence of mesoporphyrin in the whole intestinal tract, but not in serum and bile, suggests that there is no enterohepatic circulation of secondary porphyrins. There was close agreement between the porphyrin ratios found with the standard duodenal intubation technique and the Enterotest, performed simultaneously in one healthy volunteer after induction of gall bladder contraction by cholecystokinin. From these experiments, it was concluded that fluid adsorbed to the Enterotest string after gall-bladder contraction can be used to determine biliary porphyrin composition. Since duodenal bile is diluted gall bladder bile, variable porphyrin concentrations were found when applying the Enterotest in combination with cholecystokinin in the same subject on successive days. However, porphyrin ratios, such as the protoporphyrin to coproporphyrin I ratio, were relatively constant. In subjects with symptomatic variegate porphyria, the Enterotest showed highly aberrant porphyrin patterns, with increased protoporphyrin to coproporphyrin I ratios and, in addition, the presence of some unknown porphyrins. A deviating biliary protoporphyrin/coproporphyrin I ratio in one patient appeared to be a useful diagnostic index for the presence of latent variegate porphyria (or variegate porphyria in remission).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Adult↗

Impaired autonomic responsiveness of the cardiovascular system of the rat induced by a heat-labile component of Bordetella pertussis vaccine.

Bordetella pertussis vaccination induces severe impairment of the autonomic responsiveness of the cardiovascular system in rats. The vasodilation after beta 2-adrenoceptor stimulation with salbutamol as well as the negative chronotropic action induced by the muscarinic receptor stimulant arecoline were inhibited 4 days after vaccination. Moreover, basal blood pressure values appeared to be significantly lower in B. pertussis-vaccinated rats compared with control animals. These effects were dependent upon the bacterial strain used. Differences in pharmacological activity due to strain differences paralleled variations in the content of lymphocytosis-promoting factor of the vaccine. The inhibitory effects were absent after the administration of vaccine heated for 1 h at 80 degrees C, implicating an important role for a heat-labile component, e.g., lymphocytosis-promoting factor, and not for a heat-stable constituent, e.g., endotoxin (lipopolysaccharide). Previous studies indicate that some early biological effects elicited by B. pertussis vaccine can be attributed to lipopolysaccharide, whereas late induced effects are mainly brought about by lymphocytosis-promoting factor. For that reason a role for lipopolysaccharide might be excluded because 5 h after vaccination no disturbances of the autonomic nervous system were observed. We conclude that B. pertussis vaccination induces autonomic hyporesponsiveness due to a heat-labile component that is assumed to be lymphocytosis-promoting factor.

Albuterol↗

In vitro immune responsiveness to vaccinia virus and HLA.

Because several lines of evidence suggest that HLA products might have an important function in the immune response to infectious agents, we studied the possible relation between immune response to vaccinia virus and HLA phenotype in 79 soldiers who received a primary vaccination. A low in vitro response to vaccinia virus was associated with HLA-Cw3 both in 49 subjects tested three to four weeks after vaccination (P less than 0.001) and in the remaining 30 subjects tested five to 11 weeks after vaccination (P = 0.035). Responses to unrelated antigens and phytohemagglutinin of lymphocytes tested before, three to four weeks and five to 11 weeks after vaccination indicated that this association was specific for vaccinia virus and suggested that differences in immune response to vaccinia were reflected in temporarily altered immune responsiveness to unrelated antigens. Our results indicate that HLA-Cw3 or an HLA product associated with Cw3 is involved in the cellular immune response to vaccinia virus.

Adolescent↗

Pulmonary vasculitis may obscure large cell lung carcinoma. A case report.

Several vasculitic syndromes are recognized as paraneoplastic syndromes of an underlying malignant disease. Most frequently small vessel vasculitis of the skin has been reported. We describe the case of a 62-year-old man with a pulmonary mass due to pulmonary vasculitis. After resection of the pulmonary mass, the patient displayed bone metastasis. Retrospectively, tumor cells were found in the pulmonary mass that had been resected 9 months before. In this case report the rare association of vasculitis and lung carcinoma is reviewed. Our report indicates that pulmonary vasculitis may obscure the histologic findings of lung carcinoma and that in patients with localized pulmonary vasculitis special attention has to be paid to the possible presence of malignant cells.

Carcinoma, Large Cell↗