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Biomedical subjects

J Fabre

Publications and source records attributed to J Fabre.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources
PubMed1991

[Cardiac sarcoma disclosed by hypereosinophilia].

A 48 year old woman presented peripheral eosinophilia and neurologic symptoms which were related to a right parietal hypodense lesion. Further investigation led to the discovery of a left atrial cardiac tumor which had been incompletely resected and diagnosed as sarcoma. Eosinophilia than decreased. Two months after cardiac surgery, intracranial hypertension appeared and another expansive cerebral mass was discovered on CT scan. The patient was treated by radiotherapy. Two years later, the patient presented left abdominal pain. An increase of eosinophilic rate was noted. Abdominal CT scan revealed an heterogenous mass in the spleen. Splenectomy was performed and the tumor was diagnosed as a metastasis of the cardiac sarcoma. This case illustrates a rare tumor which is distinctive by its clinical signs: peripheral eosinophilia and neurologic signs. There were no cardiac symptoms. The clinical evolution was good after more than two years from initial diagnosis. This implies that a surgical attitude is recommended in such cases.

Eosinophilia↗
PubMed1990

[Between nihilism and fanaticism: the ethics of prevention].

Opinions diverge on the ethics of preventive medicine. A balance needs to be struck between nihilism (doing nothing) and fanaticism (doing too much). The authors consider the ethical aspects of preventive medicine from the practising physician's viewpoint. Various aspects can be identified: SCIENTIFIC AND METHODOLOGICAL: Like any medical act, preventive practice relies on good scientific data. The epidemiologic studies should be clinically relevant and their recommendations must be interpreted critically before being incorporated into clinical practice. It should not be forgotten that we are dealing with patients and their behaviour. Tactful dialogue and personalized intervention are essential. DEONTOLOGICAL: Modern medicine is oriented toward health maintenance and promotion, thus including prevention. Although the community has drawn obvious benefits from preventive practices such as the use of vaccines, prevention must not be allowed to become a medical tyranny. Respect for the individual should remain its central concern. ETHICAL: The "meaning of life" must not be forgotten. Factors such as quality of life should always be kept in mind in measuring the benefits of prevention. By providing objective information and tailored counselling, the aim of prevention is to encourage expression of the individual's own responsibility for her/his own health. FINANCIAL: Preventive medicine is not covered by health insurance schemes. Cost-benefit analysis should consider not only the economic aspects of prevention but also its positive impacts on the entire social field. SOCIAL AND CULTURAL: The findings of epidemiologic studies must be adapted to precise socio-cultural environments. In our culture, for example, caregivers should be the first to practise what they preach. It must also be remembered that at the present time the basic preventive measures are still not accessible to everyone.

Culture↗
PubMed1990

Intrathecal administration of 131I radiolabelled monoclonal antibody as a treatment for neoplastic meningitis.

Fifteen patients with neoplastic meningitis received a single intrathecal injection of between 11 and 60 mCi of a 131I radiolabelled monoclonal antibody (MoAb), chosen for its immunoreactivity to tumour. Major toxicity was manifest as nausea, vomiting and headache (7/15 patients), reversible bone marrow suppression (3/8 patients) and seizures (2/15 patients). Nine patients were evaluable for either a tumour or clinical response. Six of these demonstrated an event-free response that was maintained for periods of between 7 and 26 months.

Antibodies, Monoclonal↗
PubMed1990

[Place of muscular exercise test in screening in asymptomatic smokers].

The diagnosis of smoking-related chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is often made too late. Could the study of breathing pattern during exercise testing help in earlier detection. In order to test this hypothesis, we studied 34 asymptomatic smokers (S) compared to 55 nonsmoking controls (NS). The subjects, divided into 3 age groups (30-60 yr), were comparable in terms of anthropometric and spirometric characteristics. The smokers from 30-50 yr had a lower VO2max than the controls (p less than 0.01) whereas the older smokers (50-60 yr) had a VO2max comparable to that of the controls. The study of breathing pattern indicated rapid, shallow breathing by all smokers. Thus exercise testing, and the abnormalities observed in breathing pattern, would seem to help in early detection of COPD in asymptomatic smokers.

Adult↗
PubMed1989

[Peripheral thyroid insufficiency. Criteria of equilibrium in treatment with L-thyroxine].

During treatment of primary hypothyroidism, the respective values of hormonal assays (total and free T4 and T3, ultrasensitive TSH assay, TRH test) and of the serum markers from peripheral tissue response to thyroid hormones used to detect overdosage are matter to debate. Thirty-four female patients with hypothyroidism, aged 38 +/- 7 years (mean +/- SD) were studied. the mean dose of L-thyroxine required to obtain clinical euthyroidism was 100 +/- 35 micrograms/day. Thyroid hormone and TSH concentrations were measured 20 to 24 hours after the last dose of L-thyroxine and after fasting overnight and were compared with the concentrations obtained in 45 euthyroid controls aged 32 +/- 10 years.

Adult↗
PubMed1989

[Before we forget...].

Explore the source record for details and available documents.

Health Services Accessibility↗
PubMed1989

[Where shall we live if we lose our independence?].

A survey of housing conditions of 730 elderly people has revealed the progressive, though not yet complete, disappearance of apartments without hot water, inside toilets or bathrooms. In any event, the poorest people remain at a disadvantage in this respect, and a relatively large number of the elderly live in old buildings without elevators or laundry equipment. In the event of their independence becoming limited (i. e. if they were unable to assume their own housekeeping), 66% of the surveyed would wish to stay in their own homes, if adequate help were available. In the case of a more severe handicap, 41% would prefer to live in a pension for old people, 30% in a type of housing providing special care for old people, and 12% in a flat specially designed for old people in a building open to all age groups. These last two choices, which are incompatible with conditions governing admission to the institutions in the survey area, reveal a lack of information but also show a desire for the development of institutions where elderly people can feel really at home. Only an extremely small minority considered the possibility of living with their children. According to the survey, the general wish is that institutions for old people should be situated in the section of town where the people concerned have lived, and not isolated in the countryside.

Activities of Daily Living↗
PubMed1989

[Social networks of the elderly].

The results of a survey conducted among 535 elderly people living in their own homes in urban areas make it possible to analyse the familiar and social relationship of this population. Cohabitation becomes rare as age increases and as most people, especially women, lose their spouses. More than half of the elderly people surveyed had good contacts with family and/or friends, but, for about a quarter of them, social relations were extremely rare. The authors of this article try to define the influence of age, sex, matrimonial status and the socio-professional milieu on the various forms of relationship. These data lead to the identification of a number of groups of people particularly exposed to the risk of isolation: former manual workers or persons having had very subordinate functions (this generally corresponds to a low level of schooling); people who were divorced or separated; men having lost their spouses (overall, men have somewhat fewer contacts than women with family and friends). Widows, though 25% of them were very isolated, generally had good family and social relationships; nevertheless, they often felt at a disadvantage in social life. Practically, the aim of the authors will not be to tackle isolation and solitude of the aged in general, but to design specific measures which will meet the real needs of the various groups at risk.

Aged↗
PubMed1989

The healing of chronic venous leg ulcers with prepared human amnion.

Forty chronic venous leg ulcers were treated, before split skin grafting, with human amnion prepared in one of the four following ways: tissue-culture-maintained, frozen, fresh or lyophilised. Although there was no significant statistical difference in the results obtained with the different preparations of amnion, we found that lyophilised amnion was at least as good as the other preparations in promoting a good take of the skin grafts and was the simplest to store and use. It also produced the shortest healing times. Frozen and fresh amnion were easier to prepare than lyophilised amnion but gave a lower graft take and a longer healing time. Tissue-culture-maintained amnion was the most difficult to prepare and gave the poorest results. Its use was abandoned during the trial because of technical difficulties and a high infection rate.

Aged↗
PubMed1989

Diet and opiate addiction: a quantitative assessment of the diet of non-institutionalized opiate addicts.

The diet, weight and height of 38 non-institutionalized chronic opiate addicts have been assessed and compared to those of a random sample of the 20-35 year old general population of Canton Geneva, Switzerland. A history questionnaire was administered by specially trained dietitians. Results show that, after adjustment for age and alcohol intake, male addicts have the same caloric intake as non-addicts. However, addicts tend to replace foods that are rich in fat and proteins with foods rich in sucrose and relatively poor in vitamins and minerals. Beer is the major component of their much larger alcohol consumption. On the other hand, the body mass index (kg/m2) of the male addicts is within the normal range, suggesting this may not be a good indicator of their unbalanced diet. This study gives a quantitative assessment, in terms of nutrient intake, of the typical craving for sweet described by opiate addicts.

Adult↗