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Biomedical subjects

J Ramet

Publications and source records attributed to J Ramet.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

One week treatment with cimetidine does not attenuate the cortisol response to a short corticotropin test in stable intensive care patients: a prospective, randomized, and controlled study.

Cimetidine is commonly used for stress ulcer prophylaxis in intensive care patients. Cimetidine contains an imidazole structure. Similar drugs have been shown to inhibit steroid synthesis by blocking cytochrome P450-dependent reactions in the adrenal cortex. It is suggested that bolus injections of cimetidine suppress the normal corticosteroid production. This might be deleterious since a decreased cortisol response seems to be associated with increased mortality during chronic severe stress. We therefore performed a prospective, randomized, and controlled study to assess the effect of a short-term continuous infusion of either cimetidine or ranitidine, a non-imidazole H2-pantagonist, upon cortisol secretion in a cohort of hemodynamically stable intensive care patients. Twenty patients were consecutively enrolled following determined inclusion criteria and divided in three treatment groups: 6 controls, 7 cimetidine- and 7 ranitidinetreated subjects. Both cimetidine (1200 mg) and ranitidine (200 mg) were administered by infusion pump over 24 hrs. A short corticotropin test was done within 24 hrs after admission (d0) and repeated 7 days thereafter (d7). On both occasions, plasma cortisol was measured immediately before the test and 30 min afterwards. The three treatment groups presented a normal cortisol response at d0 and d7. Peak cortisol levels after stimulation did not show any significant difference for both the cimetidine and the ranitidine group, either at d0 or at d7. Moreover, this response at d0 and d7 was also not significantly different from the one observed in the controls. From this study we can conclude that one week treatment with conventional intravenous doses of cimetidine does not induce significant alterations of the cortisol response in hemodynamically stable ICU patients.

Adrenocorticotropic Hormone↗

Acrodermatitis enteropathica-like cutaneous lesions in organic aciduria.

Cutaneous lesions resembling acrodermatitis enteropathica were present in two infants with methylmalonic acidemia and in one infant with propionic acidemia. All three infants were being fed a low-protein diet limited in branched-chain amino acids when the skin lesions developed. A deficiency in plasma levels of essential amino acids, particularly isoleucine, was confirmed. Supplementation of the diet with isoleucine in one of the patients led to a prompt improvement of the skin lesions. We conclude that dietary deficiencies associated with the treatment of organic aciduria should be added to the causes of acrodermatitis enteropathica-like cutaneous lesions.

Acrodermatitis↗

Cardiac and respiratory reactivity to gastroesophageal reflux: experimental data in infants.

Gastroesophageal reflux associated with apnea and/or bradycardia induces both dilatation of the esophagus and abrupt intrusion of acid content in it. To evaluate the relative importance of these two types of stimulation on cardiac and respiratory responses, a series of experimental protocols were designed, in which we evaluated the influence of esophageal dilatation alone, acid infusion alone and both stimulations simultaneously. The passage of a volume in the lower third of the esophagus (n = 14) during reflux was simulated by balloon dilation; the passage of acid gastric juice during reflux was simulated by an esophageal acid infusion test, within the physiological range (n = 8; duration = 5 min; pH = 2.2). Cardiac, respiratory and arousal responses were compared during a control period and during the distal balloon dilatation and esophageal saline and acid infusion periods. Distal esophageal balloon dilatation and acid infusion induced significant prolongation of the RR interval and of the duration of the respiratory cycle. The presence of the esophageal catheter did not lead to continuous vagal stimulation. Simultaneous stimulation by balloon dilatation and acid infusion provoked cardiac responses that were above the level reached by each stimulation separately. Behavioral and electroencephalographic observations demonstrate significantly more frequent and longer arousal responses during the acid infusion than during control and saline infusion periods. We conclude that distal esophageal balloon dilatation and acid infusion elicit significant cardiac and respiratory responses in newborns during active sleep.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Arousal↗

Treatment of epidermolysis bullosa with human cultured epidermal allografts.

Junctional epidermolysis bullosa letalis type Herlitz Pearson is a genetically determined, life-threatening disease. Effective therapy has been lacking to date. Therefore any therapy that improves wound healing would be beneficial for these patients. Cultured epidermal grafts are known to enhance wound epithelialization and have been used with success in some epidermolysis bullosa disorders. Encouraged by these reports, we grafted cultured allogeneic keratinocytes to an infant with a junctional epidermolysis bullosa letalis type.

Cells, Cultured↗

Cardiac, respiratory, and arousal responses to an esophageal acid infusion test in near-term infants during active sleep.

This study was designed to determine the cardiac, respiratory, and arousal responses to an esophageal acid infusion test in near-term infants free from neurological, gastroesophageal, and cardiopulmonary disease at time of testing during active sleep. Eight infants (gestational age 28-37.5 weeks, postconceptional age 36-40 weeks) were tested. Using standardized procedures and timing, we compared the cardiac, respiratory and arousal responses during a control period and during distal esophageal saline and acid infusion periods. The duration of each of these periods was 5 min. The pH of the acid infusion was 2.2. We found that this mild distal esophageal acid infusion test induced significant prolongation of the interval between successive electrocardiogram R waves compared with control and saline infusion periods (806.5 +/- 145.7 ms, 478.8 +/- 49.4 ms, and 468.8 +/- 37.2 ms, respectively; p less than 0.01) and of the duration of the respiratory cycle (2.9 +/- 0.7 s, 1.5 +/- 0.3 s, and 1.5 +/- 0.2 s, respectively; p less than 0.01). Esophageal acid infusion elicited significant electroencephalogram (EEG) arousal responses. The number of the EEG arousals was significantly increased during the acid period as compared with control and saline infusion periods (2.9 +/- 1.4, 0.5 +/- 0.5, and 0.4 +/- 0.5, respectively; p less than 0.01). Total arousal duration was significantly increased during acid as compared with control and saline infusion periods (42 +/- 17.5 s, 4.5 +/- 5.1 s, and 3.5 +/- 5.0 s, respectively; p less than 0.01). We conclude that distal esophageal acid stimulation elicits significant cardiac, respiratory, and EEG arousal responses in near-term infants during active sleep.

Administration, Oral↗

Comparative study of cefetamet pivoxil and penicillin V in the treatment of group A beta-hemolytic streptococcal pharyngitis.

The efficacy of cefetamet pivoxil (20 mg/kg and 10 mg/kg b.i.d.) was investigated in an open, prospective, randomized, comparative multicenter trial involving 148 children suffering from group A beta-hemolytic streptococcal (GABHS) pharyngo-tonsillitis. Phenoxymethylpenicillin given for 10 days was used as the reference drug and resulted in 15% treatment failures. After treatment with cefetamet pivoxil 20 mg/kg b.i.d., 2 failures (5.8%) were observed in 34 patients treated for 7 days and 2 (6%) in 33 patients after 10 days treatment. In 8 children treated with cefetamet pivoxil 10 mg/kg b.i.d. for 10 days, 7 were cured and 1 relapsed in the late follow-up. Recruitment for this dosage group is being continued. No serious adverse events occurred. Cefetamet pivoxil, given b.i.d., can be considered an alternative to phenoxymethylpenicillin in the treatment of GABHS pharyngo-tonsillitis.

Acute Disease↗

Nonsurgical intervention in the resolution of acquired neonatal bronchial stenosis.

A stricture of the right main bronchus developed in an 1100 gm premature (first delivered twin female) infant being mechanically ventilated for approximately 1 month. The stricture resolved with treatment consisting of three consecutive daily obturations with angiocatheters avoiding the use of a balloon inflation technique provoking a local dilation. The catheters were placed with a guide wire under fluoroscopic control. The clinical protocol advanced for the dilation of acquired bronchial stenosis was well tolerated by the patient. A 9-month clinical radiologic review confirmed normal pulmonary structures and functions. Catheter dilation is described as a new technique for treatment of bronchial stenosis in the very small infant.

Angioplasty, Balloon↗

Unusual Tc-99m MDP and I-123 MIBG images in focal pyelonephritis.

A 6-year-old boy presented with an inflammatory syndrome. Because Tc-99m MDP bone scintigraphy revealed increased tracer uptake at the upper pole of the right kidney, further studies were oriented towards a diagnosis of renal or adrenal pathology. I-123 metaiodobenzylguanidine (MIBG) accumulated at the site of the abnormal MDP uptake. The diagnosis of neuroblastoma or allied disorder was excluded on the basis of other investigations and further evaluation, suggesting that the MIBG uptake was a false-positive. Findings on clinical imaging, laboratory findings, Tc-99m DMSA imaging, sonography, and CT scanning were highly suggestive of acute focal pyelonephritis.

3-Iodobenzylguanidine↗

Cardiac and respiratory responses to esophageal dilatation during REM sleep in human infants.

Forty-one preterm and fullterm infants (26.5-40.5 weeks gestational age and 31.5-50 weeks postconceptional age) free from neurologic and cardiopulmonary disease at the time of testing underwent a standardized esophageal dilatation test (EDT) during polygraphically controlled REM sleep. RR interval and total duration of the respiratory cycle (TTOT) were measured (1) during the 60 s preceding the EDT, i.e. mean control RR and mean control TTOT; (2) during EDT. Percent RR (%RR) was defined as the longest RR interval in milliseconds during EDT divided by mean control RR in milliseconds multiplied by 100, and percent TTOT (%TTOT) as the longest TTOT in seconds during EDT divided by mean control TTOT in seconds multiplied by 100. EDT provoked prolongation of both RR interval and TTOT. %RR decreased significantly with advancing gestational age (p less than 0.003), and %TTOT with advancing postconceptional age (p less than 0.003), indicating that both cardiac and respiratory responses to an EDT challenge are blunted with maturation.

Electrocardiography↗

Trigeminal airstream stimulation. Maturation-related cardiac and respiratory responses during REM sleep in human infants.

Thirty-three premature and full-term infants (PCA, 31.5 to 50 weeks) who were free from neurologic and cardiopulmonary disease at the time of testing underwent a standardized TAS test during polygraphically controlled REM sleep. The R-R interval and the TTOT were measured before and during TAS. The R-R interval and TTOT changes during TAS were compared to the preceding 60-second mean R-R interval and TTOT in each infant and expressed as a percentage of mean control values (ie, % RR and % TTOT). During TAS, there was a significant negative correlation between cardiac and respiratory responses and postconceptional age (p less than 0.001 and p less than 0.0001, respectively). Prolongation of both the R-R interval and the TTOT elicited by TAS was significantly blunted by maturation.

Electrocardiography↗

[Critical study of efficiency and toxicity of transcutaneous trinitrin in infants and children].

The local effects of transcutaneous application of trinitrine in order to facilitate access to the peripheral veins, were evaluated in a double blind study of 23 infants aged 3 weeks to 10 years. The results were extremely discouraging. Indeed, no relationship between the venous distension and the local trinitrine concentration was observed. Despite the use of various concentrations, no patient presented local or haemodynamic changes. The application of a percutaneous dose of trinitrine at the site of puncture seems to be an inefficient method to facilitate access to the peripheral veins in the pediatric age group.

Administration, Cutaneous↗

Effect of maturation on heart rate response to ocular compression test during rapid eye movement sleep in human infants.

Thirty-three premature and full-term infants (31.5-50 wk postconceptional age) free from neurologic and cardiopulmonary disease at time of testing, underwent a standardized ocular compression test during polygraphically controlled rapid eye movement sleep. RR intervals were measured on the ECG before and during ocular compression. RR interval changes during ocular compression were compared to the preceding 60-s mean RR interval in each infant. Results were analyzed relative to gestational age, postnatal age, and postconceptional age. Baseline heart rate during REM sleep decreased with postconceptional age. During ocular compression, there was a significant negative correlation between the longest RR interval or the "latency" variable with postconceptional age. Latency is defined as the time, in milliseconds, from beginning of eyelid pressure to the first measurable RR increase compared to mean control RR + 1 SD. Our results indicate that during rapid eye movement sleep, "baseline heart rate" decreases with maturation, an effect supposedly related to increased vagal activity, whereas the heart rate response on ocular pressure stimulus, a vagally mediated reflex, is significantly influenced and blunted with maturation.

Autonomic Nervous System↗