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Biomedical subjects

K Bernstein

Publications and source records attributed to K Bernstein.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1990

Oxygen free radical scavenger system intermediates in essential hypertensive patients before and immediately after sublingual captopril administration.

Oxygen-free radical intermediates/scavengers were measured in 43 patients with essential hypertension who, although under antihypertensive therapy (without angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors), still had high blood pressure values. Measurements were taken before and 30, 60 and 120 min after sublingual administration of 25 mg captopril. Both systolic and diastolic blood pressures were reduced significantly. Twenty normotensive healthy volunteers were used as controls. The hypertensive patients had lower glutathione peroxide activity (GSHPx), higher superoxide dismutase (SOD) and serum glutathione reductase activity (GSHRx) compared with the controls. After captopril (30, 60 min) the glutathione and GSHPx increased compared with the pretreatment values. SOD and GSHRx remained high compared with the controls, while whole blood glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase remained low. Another group of 19 essential hypertensive patients, free of any antihypertensive medication (for at least 3 weeks), had lower GSHPx, SOD and higher GSHRx than the normal control group. Our results show significant differences in the oxygen free radical scavenger system of hypertensives compared with the normal subjects. It may be that captopril has a concomitant scavenging action together with its antihypertensive effect. Our study raises the question whether cell/organ damage will occur in hypertensive patients exposed to oxidative stress during periods of low antioxidative capacity.

Adult↗
PubMed1989

Anesthesia with alfentanil and methohexitone for short gynecological surgery. A comparison with thiopentone/nitrous oxide.

An anesthetic technique in which alfentanil hydrochloride, an ultra-short-acting opioid, was used as a substitute for N2O/O2 was evaluated in outpatient gynecological surgery. Methohexitone was used as a hypnotic agent. The following parameters were studied: blood pressure (BP) and heart rate before, during and at the end of surgery; the incidence of apnea longer than 20 s at induction; the awakening phase; immediate postoperative complications and later postoperative complications according to a questionnaire, including signs of thrombophlebitis. Eighty-nine patients were randomly allocated to three groups. Twenty-nine patients received alfentanil 7 micrograms/kg plus methohexitone plus O2/air (Group A7). Thirty patients received alfentanil 15 micrograms/kg plus methohexitone plus O2/air (Group A15). Thirty patients received thiopentone 5 mg/kg plus N2O/O2 (Group P, reference group). Neither in the A7-group, nor in the A15-group was there any increase in peroperative BP, while in the P-group both systolic and diastolic BP rose. The awakening phase was significantly shorter in both the A7- and A15-groups compared to the P-group. Apnea of clinical importance was only seen in the A15-group. There were few immediate postoperative complications in all groups, but the incidence of dizziness was significantly higher in the P-group. According to the questionnaire, the overall incidence of complaints the day after surgery was somewhat higher in the P-group. On the other hand, there was a somewhat higher incidence of thrombophlebitis in both A-groups. We may thus recommend the use of a combination of alfentanil 7 micrograms/kg plus methohexitone and air/oxygen for anesthesia in patients subjected to short gynecological procedures.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1987

Implementation of pharmacy computerization in long-term care.

A computerized pharmacy service is ideal for long-term care and a fairly stable resident census at the 812-bed Jewish Home and Hospital for Aged (JHHA). The skilled nursing facility (SNF) now uses pharmacy-generated medication administration records (MARs), drug stop-order lists, and formulary listings. The health-related facility (HRF) self-medicated residents receive individual counseling during pharmacy computer-mediated medication refill appointments. Improvements in clinical services have involved antibiotic and drug use review through selected drug category, computerized drug profiles, and drug regimen review. Administrative and financial benefits have been realized through cost reports and budget reduction, and streamlined internal pharmacy operations. Although most software packages are designed for retail use, pharmacy personnel at JHHA have successfully implemented and tailor designed the AIMS system to the needs of long-term care pharmacy.

Aged↗
PubMed1986

[Description of neurocutaneous melanoblastosis].

Description of a rare case of neurocutaneous Melanoblastosis. In a 25 year-old man there was an extraordinary massiveness of the tumor in the field of the cerebrospinal soft membranes. Tumor cells, relevant for diagnosis, from lumbal and suboccipital liquor could be shown. Nomenclature and pathogenesis of the disease are discussed.

Adult↗
PubMed1985

Influence of two different anaesthetic agents on the newborn and the correlation between foetal oxygenation and induction-delivery time in elective caesarean section.

The PO2 and acid-base balance (pH, PCO2 and base deficit) of the newborn, determined at the moment of birth and at 10 and 60 min after birth, were compared in two series of elective caesarean section, anaesthesia being induced with thiopentone in one series (n = 12), and with ketamine in the other (n = 16). The PO2 and acid base values of umbilical cord blood at birth were correlated with the induction delivery (ID) times of the total series of patients subjected to elective caesarean section (n = 28). The ID-times were varied between 2 and 10 min. The PO2, acid-base values and Apgar scores did not differ between the thiopentone and ketamine groups. A significant negative correlation between the PO2 of the newborn at the moment of birth and the ID-time was found in the thiopentone group. The study suggests that ketamine is a good alternative to barbiturate as an induction agent for caesarean section.

Anesthesia, Obstetrical↗
PubMed1983

Depth localization of thrombi and dynamic studies of postoperative thrombosis using the 125I-fibrinogen-sum-coincidence method.

Forty-one patients subjected to gynecologic surgery were investigated by means of the 125I-fibrinogen-sum-coincidence (FSC) method, which allows depth determination as well as absolute activity measurements of the thrombi. In 14 patients with postoperative deep venous thrombosis there was a good correlation between the depths of thrombi measured on phlebograms and those determined by the FSC test. The new technique allows differentiation between superficial thrombophlebitis and deep venous thrombosis, thereby eliminating the main disadvantage that has limited the use of the original fibrinogen uptake test. The FSC test makes it possible to calculate the absolute net activity of 125I-fibrinogen in a thrombus and to measure its elimination rate. The courses of individual thrombi could be followed up for as long as 1 month after surgery.

Female↗
PubMed1982

Construction of a partial rabbit spleen cDNA library and identification of immunoglobulin clones.

A partial cDNA library was constructed from total poly A(+)-RNA isolated from the spleen of a rabbit (kappa allotype b5; heavy chain allotypes a3d12e15) that had been hyperimmunized with Streptococcus pneumoniae (type III). In spite of the absence of either specific DNA probes for rabbit immunoglobulin (Ig) sequences or cross-hybridizing mouse Ig DNA probes, recombinant clones containing cDNA sequences of rabbit gamma heavy chain and kappa light chains were identified by a combination of screening techniques: (a) colony hybridization using labeled mRNA; (b) mRNA hybridization selection and translation and (c) hybridization to electrophoretically fractionated poly A(+)-RNA ("Northern" analysis). Sequencing of three kappa light chain recombinant DNA sequences, including part of the 3' untranslated (UT) region, has confirmed the fact that recombinant DNA for kappa light chain mRNA has been identified. An unexpectedly high degree of homology between the 3' UT region sequence of this DNA from a rabbit of b5 allotype and the published 3' UT sequence from a b4 rabbit was found. It appears that 3' UT sequences from b4 and b5 alleles have diverged less than the coding sequences for the constant regions. The functional significance of this conservation of 3' UT sequences remains to be elucidated.

Animals↗
PubMed1982

[Metastases of the central nervous system: A prospective study. 2nd Communication: site and distribution patterns of brain metastases].

Among 737 malignant tumors, 93 (12.6%) cases showed metastases within the brain substance. There was no predominance for one of the both hemispheres. However, the cerebellum was a privileged site for metastases (48 out of 93 cases, 51.6%). Multiple metastatic nodules of the brain were found in 65 cases; single metastases occurred 18 times (ratio 3.6 to 1). 11 cases displayed a carcinosis of the leptomeninges and 5 a carcinosis of the brain (table 3). Within the cerebrum we observed 1,060 metastatic nodules (fig. 1). 210 secondary deposits, i.e. one sixth of all nodules, were localized in the cerebellum. Concerning the distribution patterns of the metastases, it is remarkable that an increasing frequency of nodules was seen from the frontal lobes (241) to the parietal (259) and occipital lobes (276), whereas the temporal lobes (146) were significantly less affected. 936 out of a total of 1,270 brain metastases (73.7%) showed a size of the nodules not larger than a pea (table 8.) The source of more than two thirds of all metastatic deposits (875/1,270 = 68.9%) was a carcinoma of the lung (bronchial carcinoma, resp.). With the exception of metastases in the pituitary gland, pineal gland and choroid plexus (compare with the 3rd communication on CNS metastases) 18.6 metastatic brain nodules were observed per lung carcinoma. However, the highest frequency per case with brain metastases was registered in thyroid cancer (40 nodules, table 8).

Aged↗
PubMed1982

[Metastases of the central nervous system: a prospective study. 3rd Communication: metastases in the pituitary gland, pineal gland, and choroid plexus (author's transl)].

The following frequency of metastases was found among 737 systematically investigated malignant tumors: pituitary gland--26 cases (3.5%); choroid plexus--19 cases (2.6%); pineal gland--13 cases (1.8%). Most of the metastases were only demonstrated by histological examination. Half of the cases with secondary deposits in the pituitary gland (13/26) were single metastases without any other settlements in the central nervous system, whereas about a quarter (3/13) of the pineal metastases were single deposits. Contrary to this, the choroid plexus displayed multiply metastases including carcinosis of the brain and leptomeninges, with the exception of one case (table 5). The age distribution revealed a peak in the old age (6th to 8th decade). Males (n = 35) were more frequently affected than females (n = 23). Carcinomas of the breast, however, showed the highest tendency of all tumors for secondary spread to pituitary gland (12,5%, table 4).

Adult↗
PubMed1980

Incidence of thrombosis after gynecologic surgery evaluated by an improved 125I-fibrinogen uptake test.

Two hundred and seventy-six women over 50 years of age who had gynecologic surgery were followed postoperatively with the 125I-fibrinogen uptake test (125I-FUT) to detect deep venous thrombosis (DVT). By using a newly devised technique based on conventional 125I-FUT, the exact depth of thrombi could be determined. The correlation between the results with our new technique and those from phlebography was almost 100%. Forty-seven (17%) of the women developed DVT postoperatively, 60% of them occurring in the calf muscle veins. Patients subjected to abdominal hysterectomies for malignant diseases had the highest incidence of DVT (36%), whereas those operated on for benign diseases with the same technique had the lowest (11%). Patients operated on for uterine prolapse had an intermediate DVT frequency of 15% but advanced age and estrogens given preoperatively increased the frequency. Neither the type of anesthesia (epidural or general), nor the duration of the operation, significantly influence the incidence of DVT in this study.

Age Factors↗
PubMed1980

A method for determination of the depth of thrombi after injection of fibrinogen labelled with iodine 125.

By using a specific characteristic of 125I decay, the depth of thrombi located in the lower limb could be determined. Twelve thrombi in nine patients were studied with the method and their localization was in all cases confirmed by phlebography and clinical examination. The results of the phlebograms were in good agreement with those of the 125I-fibrinogen method. The present method offers a promising alternative to phlebography in the diagnosis of postoperative thrombosis.

Aged↗
PubMed1980

Effect of dihydroergotamine on coagulation factors and components of the fibrinolytic system.

Dihydroergotamine (DHE) was given to 20 gynecological patients, 0.5 mg i.m. preoperatively and again every twelfth hour for 7 days. No cases of thrombosis occurred as judged by the 125I-fibrinogen test. Increased concentrations, but within normal range, were found for fibrinogen factor VIII activity and related antigen, plasminogen and antithrombin III and decreased concentration for alpha 2-macroglobulin. The fibrinolytic activity of the wall of a superficial hand vein was not suppressed, which otherwise occurs postoperatively. Together with the increased concentration of antithrombin III this might explain the potentiating effect of DHE or prophylactic treatment with low-dose heparin.

Aged↗