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Biomedical subjects

J Szajewski

Publications and source records attributed to J Szajewski.

11 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2001

Interview with Janusz Szajewski.

Janusz Szajewski, the founder of the Warsaw Poisons Control Centre and Haemodialysis Unit at Praski Hospital in Warsaw, Poland, was born on February 25, 1924 in Grodzisk, Poland. He undertook his undergraduate studies from 1939 to 1945 at the underground Chrobry College in Piotrkow, Poland, at a time when higher education was outlawed to Poles and punishable by imprisonment at Auschwitz. At war's end, Dr. Szajewski went to medical school at the Medical University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland, from 1945-1950. Further training in Internal Medicine was obtained at the Medical University of Warsaw. Because of his former activity in the underground Polish Army during the war his training was interrupted in 1951 by a 6-month deportation by the Polish communist regime to Silesia andforced employment as a coal-mine physician. During the 1950s, he also worked as chief of the Department of Internal Medicine in the Polish Red Cross Hospital in Hamhyng, North Korea. Subsequently, from 1959-1960, Dr. Szajewski served as a Rockefeller Fellow at the Cleveland Clinic Foundation, under the guidance of Irvine H. Page. Dr. Szajewski began his work with the Warsaw Poisons Control Centre and Haemodialysis Unit in 1970 and directed the center 1970-1996.

Toxicology↗
PubMed2000

[Viper bites].

The common European adder (Vipera berus) is the only naturally occurring venomous snake in Poland. Adder bites occur mainly in the summer usually to individuals who accidentally or purposely bother snakes. Children often become victims of adders. The most common symptoms are: local swelling, rash and discoloration around the bite. General symptoms such as extensive edema spreading to the trunk, vomiting and diarrhoea, acute renal failure, CNS disturbances and cardiovascular problems are not frequent. Haemorrhages are extremely rare. Shock, although also rare, is the most serious symptom. Fatalities are quite exceptional. The treatment should start first of all with immobilization of the bitten limb and in most cases it will suffice. Any patient suspected of being bitten, should be kept under observation in hospital, where the supportive care is possible, if needed. Antivenoms, thought quite safe nowadays, can be used in case of adults only when all of the other means including intensive shock care have been ineffective. In children early treatment with new more purified antivenoms may be considered however existing literature does not offer evidence based efficiency of such treatment in larger groups of children. Tetanus protection is a routine.

Humans↗
PubMed1997

[Correlation of carbamazepine levels in blood with clinical poisoning states, evaluated with the help of the APACHE II system and the Matthew coma scale].

Acute carbamazepine (CBZ) poisoning occurs recently quite often. Symptomatology of poisoning is variable but usually various degrees of consciousness impairment prevail. 77 patients (36 women and 41 man, mean age 31.5) were hospitalized last two years in this Centre. Clinical condition was evaluated in a regular descriptive way, classifying the degree of coma according to the Matthew scale but also by calculating the scores according to APACHE II and TOXSCORE. Serum CBZ was measured. A slight falling trend was found of the relation of the serum CBZ in the range 6-37.8 micrograms/ml (38 micrograms/ml = median) to APACHE II score and the TOXSCORE and slight rising trend of the relation of the serum CBZ to the degree of coma. The significance of this trend rose essentially at the serum CBZ levels of more than the median 38 micrograms/ml. The causes of the non significant correlation of serum CBZ (in particularly range) to the clinical condition is discussed. The individuals factors of the patient and possible effect of other, unknown drugs taken together with CBZ seem to play a minor role at the concentrations above 38 micrograms/ml. A very precise correlation has been found at the serum concentrations exceeding 40 micrograms/ml.

APACHE↗
PubMed1988

[4 cases of poisoning with the extract of yew (Taxus baccata) needles].

Four prisoners drank a decoction of yew (Taxus baccata) needles containing the toxic alkaloid taxine++ B. Two died in prison (one in the cell, the other shortly after admission to prison hospital, death was caused in both cases by cardiac arrest). Two other prisoners were admitted to the Warsaw Poisons Control Centre. One of them was in deep coma, with severe ventricular arrhythmias and had several episodes of ventricular fibrillation controlled with defibrillatory procedures. After an initial improvement (return of consciousness) his general condition deteriorated suddenly, he lost consciousness again, his circulation stopped and he died on the fourth day of hospitalization. The other patient drank a much smaller amount of the decoction. He was conscious, had bradycardia requiring transient endocavitary pacemaking, and had mild ventricular arrhythmia. He left the hospital in a very good condition after ten days of treatment. In both these cases long-standing excessive diuresis and corresponding considerable hypokalemia were observed. A synergism of the toxic effects of taxine++ B, digitalis glycosides and hypokalemia is considered very likely. In both cases atropine was effective for a short time in the control of bradycardia.

Alkaloids↗