[Relief of dyspnea, right-sided failure and hypoxemia].
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to H Johnsson.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
A prospective, non-randomized, interventional study was carried out to evaluate the effect of changes in lifestyle on abnormal fibrinolytic parameters, and the influence of those, in turn, on the risk of recurrence among patients with venous thromboembolism. Patients with elevated plasminogen activator inhibitor 1 (PAI-1) levels or decreased release of tissue plasminogen activator (t-PA) antigen were given information and advice about improved diet, increased physical activity, weight loss and/or cessation of smoking. Totally 144 patients (119 with elevated PAI-1 and 25 with deficient t-PA release) were followed with repeated analyses of the fibrinolytic parameters for a median of 8 months after the initial advice, and 65% of the patients managed to execute at least one change in their lifestyle. The reduction of PAI-1 activity after one, two and three changes in lifestyle were -2.4, -10.0 and -14.0 AU/ml (-10, -30 and -48% of baseline activity), respectively. Those who accomplished two or three changes in their lifestyle had a greater chance of normalizing the PAI-1 level than those with no or only one change (P = 0.009). The effects of improved diet, weight loss and increased physical activity on the PAI-1 level were of a similar magnitude, -7.0 to -10.4 AU/ml (24-32% reduction). The effect on t-PA release was more difficult to evaluate due to the limited number of those patients. After a follow-up of 6 years (mean) after the first visit the patients were inquired about recurrent events, with a response rate of 86%.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
An increased referral of patients with anticoagulation related haemorrhages necessitated an analysis of causes and outcome of these complications in a patient group that reflected Swedish therapeutic traditions of anticoagulation treatment. Prospectively, all patients from Stockholm evaluated for warfarin related intracranial haemorrhage occurring during 1987 were analysed and their 6 month outcome recorded. Sixty-eight patients were included. The results of intracranial haemorrhagic complications were catastrophic with a 77% mortality rate. Their incidence was much higher than expected. Forty-one patients had non-traumatic intracerebral haematomas, 1 had a non-traumatic subarachnoid haemorrhage and 26 had traumatic injuries. In the 42 patients with non-traumatic haemorrhages, the indications for anticoagulation were cerebral ischaemic events in a majority (27/42). The remaining 15 patients had different indications for anticoagulation. They also had an increased frequency of hypertension (p < 0.05). In the 26 patients with traumatic haematomas, only 6/26 patients had previous cerebral ischaemic injuries (p < 0.01). Valvular heart prosthesis was their most common indication (11/26) for anticoagulation. Caution in instituting anticoagulation therapy in patients with hypertension or cerebrovascular disease, which is an important indication for anticoagulation in Sweden, is mandatory. Adherence to strict treatment regimens and their continuous reevaluation may help to avoid complications. The finding of more patients than expected with haemorrhagic complications is not compatible with the risk evaluations used to justify anticoagulation therapy in the patient groups studied. Clinical practice must have changed with time, showing that risk evaluations from controlled trials or retrospectively collected clinical data from selected patients are not necessarily applicable for long-term clinical practice.
In a survey of the incidence of pneumococcal neonatal septicemia in Sweden 1991-92, to our knowledge the first nationwide survey of this kind, an incidence of 3.6/100,000 was found. Based on this, the relative incidence of neonatal septicemia caused by pneumococci was calculated to be 0.9-1.3%. Despite recent reports of pneumococci resistant to antibiotics, no resistant strain was found, and among the affected neonates, all treated with conventional antibiotics, there was a lower mortality as compared to prior reports. This might reflect the facts that the infants were less often born preterm, were less often born after premature rupture of membranes, and had a higher proportion with a late onset of symptoms than in earlier surveys.
Two hundred and four consecutive patients with venographically confirmed deep vein thrombosis (DVT) were randomised either to a low molecular weight heparin, Fragmin, administered subcutaneously (s.c.) once daily as a fixed dose of 200 IU anti-factor Xa/kg or to continuous intravenous infusion of unfractionated heparin (UFH). The UFH dose was adjusted to maintain the activated partial thromboplastin time between 1.5 and 3.0 times the upper limit of the reference value at each centre. Fragmin or UFH was given for a minimum of 5 days until anticoagulation with warfarin, given from day 1, was established (i.e. an Internation Normalised Ratio, of 2.0-3.0). A second venogram was obtained after Fragmin or UFH treatment. There were no significant differences in the change in mean Marder score before and after treatment between the two treatment groups, irrespective of thrombus localisation. No major bleeding events, symptomatic pulmonary embolism, symptomatic thrombosis progression or death occurred during hospitalisation. Eight documented venous thromboembolic events occurred before the follow-up visit 6 months after randomisation: 5 in patients treated with Fragmin and 3 in those treated with UFH. Six of these events occurred after cessation of warfarin treatment. In conclusion Fragmin given s.c. once daily in a fixed dose adjusted for body weight, is no less effective or safe than a continuous infusion of UFH in the initial treatment of acute DVT.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Normoglucemic men with intermittent claudication (n = 41), mean age of 63 years, and sex-, age-, body mass index-, and smoking habit-matched controls (n = 75) were compared for plasma lipoprotein and hemostatic variables. The patients had significantly lower levels of large high-density lipoprotein (HDL) particles (HDL2b, HDL2a, and HDL3a) and elevated lipoprotein(a) [Lp(a)] concentrations than the control subjects. Of the hemostatic variables, plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1), plasma antiplasmin, plasma fibrinogen, and urine beta-thromboglobulin concentrations were significantly elevated in patients. In intermittent claudication patients Lp(a) correlated significantly with activation of the coagulation system, ie, with the levels of plasma fibrinogen and urine fibrinopeptide A. No correlations between the values for Lp(a) and PAI-1 or plasma alpha 2-antiplasmin were seen. The PAI-1 activity showed significant univariate correlations to the levels of HDL3b, HDL2b (inverse), and very-low-density lipoprotein triglycerides, of which the positive correlation to HDL3b persisted in multivariate analysis (r = .48, P < .001). Independent characteristics for intermittent claudication estimated by multiple regression analysis were PAI-1, plasma fibrinogen, and HDL3a, with a combined R2 of .36. The intermittent claudication subgroup that was being treated with beta-blockers/thiazides had a higher frequency of coronary heart disease compared with the other patients. In addition, the patients taking beta-blockers/thiazides had elevated triglyceride concentrations, lower HDL cholesterol with a size shift toward smaller particles, and a tendency toward raised PAI-1 and plasma alpha 2-antiplasmin levels compared with the patient group that did not take these medications.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Pneumococci (Streptococcus pneumoniae) infrequently cause neonatal septicemia. An increased number of cases have been reported in recent years, but no increase in the relative incidence among neonatal infections has been noted. On the basis of two cases of our own and a review of 40 recently published case reports, the clinical characteristics of pneumococcal septicemia are described and the pathogenesis is discussed. The presenting clinical picture in early-onset pneumococcal septicemia is dominated by respiratory distress, frequently accompanied by leukopenia, and is indistinguishable from that seen in septicemia caused by Group B Streptococci (GBS). The onset is preceded by prelabor rupture of the fetal membranes in almost half of the instances. The mortality is 50%, twice the figure given in recent GBS reports.
Pneumococci (Streptococcus pneumoniae) infrequently cause neonatal septicemia. An increased number of cases have been reported in recent years, but no increase in the relative incidence among neonatal infections has been noted. Two recent cases that occurred within a short period of time are described. They were found to exhibit most clinical characteristics, previously described, of Group B Streptococci (GBS) septicemia with an early onset, but appear to have a graver prognosis.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
The effect on the bleeding time of heparin, followed by an infusion with desmopressin (DDAVP) 0.3 micrograms/kg or placebo in a randomized, double-blind set-up, was investigated in 20 patients treated for acute venous thromboembolism. The bleeding time was on the average prolonged by 90% (95% confidence interval 46%-134%) after at least 1 day of treatment with heparin. At that point DDAVP shortened the bleeding time by 23% with a confidence interval of -35% to -11% whereas the effect of placebo was -2% with a confidence interval of -23% to +20%. There was also a shortening of the APTT after DDAVP but not after placebo. It is concluded that DDAVP induces a partial reversal of the effect of heparin on the bleeding time, and that DDAVP should be tried in case of hemorrhagic problems.
An open prospective multicenter study was conducted in order to evaluate the Wellcogen Strep B latex agglutination test in the diagnosis of group B streptococcal (GBS) infections in neonates. Twenty-three (5.9%) of 391 urine specimens and 5 (1.2%) of 404 sera assayed were positive. The results of the urine tests corresponded to a sensitivity of 0.78 for bacteremic, 0.50 for non-bacteremic and 0.53 for all GBS associated (bacteremic, non-bacteremic and suspected) infections. After 20-25-fold concentration of urine specimens the sensitivity increased to 1.0 for bacteremic, 0.67 for non-bacteremic and 0.78 for all GBS associated infections. The specificity of the test was high (0.93 for concentrated urines), and the predictive value of a positive test (Pvpos) was 0.68. A positive latex test was highly predictive of positive surface cultures for GBS (Pv pos = 0.83 after concentration).
Thirty-one patients with IgG antibodies to cardiolipin (ACLA) were studied to determine their in vivo formation of the platelet aggregating and vasoconstricting substance thromboxane A2 (TxA2) and the platelet inhibiting and vasodilating substance prostacyclin (PGI2). This was done by measurements in urine of their enzymatically formed metabolites 2,3-dinor-TxB2 and 2,3-dinor-6-keto-PGF1 alpha, respectively, using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. It is demonstrated that patients with IgG ACLA have a highly significant increase in the biosynthesis of TxA2 compared with age-matched healthy controls (807 +/- 163 [SEM] vs. 230 +/- 15 pg mg-1 creatinine, P = 0.0000005). A significant increment of the formation of PGI2 was also found (189 +/- 23 (SEM) vs. 125 +/- 11 pg mg-1 creatinine, P = 0.03), although this was much less pronounced than that for TxA2. We conclude that the highly increased formation of TxA2, reflecting platelet activation, in patients with IgG ACLA is of pathophysiologic relevance for their tendency to arterial and venous thrombosis and hence that they should be considered for prophylactic treatment with inhibitors of TxA2 formation, like aspirin.
One plethysmographic and two thermographic methods were evaluated against venography in 102 patients with suspected deep vein thrombosis (DVT). Seventy-one patients had venographically verified DVT, which in 21 cases was restricted to the calf. Plethysmography (PG) gave a sensitivity and specificity of 63% and 94%, respectively. The former was influenced by a limited sensitivity of 14% in the sub-group with distal DVT. The sensitivity and specificity of temperature profiles (TP) were 87% and 39%, respectively, while the corresponding values for thermo-camera (TC) were 83% and 55%, respectively. Using a combined diagnostic approach of PG and TP, additional evaluation of posterior and lateral profiles and pattern recognition, 96% sensitivity and 81% specificity were reached. The combination of PG and TP will be an essential diagnostic complement when venography is not possible or inconclusive, as well as having a role in diagnostic screening in a large number of patients.