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Biomedical subjects

K H Andersen

Publications and source records attributed to K H Andersen.

34 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1990

Illicit anabolic steroid use: a controlled personality study.

The illicit use of anabolic steroids for strength and cosmetic reasons appears to be an increasing problem. Although alcohol and drug abuse have been associated with increased risk for personality psychopathology, the personality correlates of illicit anabolic steroid abuse are unknown. To determine whether personality psychopathology is common among anabolic steroid users, we evaluated a series of illicit anabolic steroid users and compared them with a group of age-matched alcoholics and 2 control groups. Anabolic steroid users were found to have increased risk for personality psychopathology compared with community controls. The risk appeared to be partially explained by a group membership effect. Additionally, similar to the alcoholic group, illicit anabolic steroid users also demonstrated significant antisocial traits.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1989

[Complications following preventive treatment of thromboembolism with Dihydergot-heparin].

The observation of two cases of ergotism after administration of dihydroergotamine (Dihydergot-heparin (DHEH], led to review of the literature concerning documentation of the use of this drug in postoperative thromboembolism prophylaxis and the incidence of complications to this treatment. DHE is supposed to exert a selective constrictive effect on veins. There are now, however, numerous reports of ergotism because of arterial spasm. Some authors find better thromboembolic prophylactic effect, when DHE is used in combination with low-dose heparin (LDH) while others cannot show any advantages of using this drug. Several trials show that the best method for thromboembolic prophylaxis consists of graduated supportive stockings (TED) combined with LDH. The use of DHE in postoperative thromboembolism prophylaxis cannot be recommended. TED combined with LDH should be preferred.

Dihydroergotamine↗
PubMed1989

Behavioral performance and seizure activity of lithium-intoxicated Sprague-Dawley rats treated with theophylline.

Male Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into four groups that were treated with various combinations of lithium, saline, and theophylline, i.e., saline/saline, saline/theophylline, lithium/theophylline, and lithium/saline. Neurobehavioral testing of cerebellar and neuromuscular functioning, and determination of the effect of the drug combinations on the animals' seizure threshold concluded that while theophylline increases lithium clearance, it does not exacerbate lithium neurotoxicity.

3-Mercaptopropionic Acid↗
PubMed1989

Assessing the position of the tracheal tube. The reliability of different methods.

Various methods have been developed to confirm proper intubation of the trachea. This blind, randomised study evaluates some of these quantitatively and qualitatively. Forty patients had both their trachea and oesophagus intubated. A procedure that included auscultation of the upper abdomen and lungs was 100% reliable independent of which tube was ventilated. Auscultation of the lungs resulted in a wrong conclusion in 15% (6-30, 95% confidence limits) of the cases when the oesophagus was ventilated: the sounds were misinterpretated as normal breath sounds. Suction on the tubes with a 60-ml syringe was also a reliable test. Other methods assessed were observation for condensation of water vapor, and abnormal movements of the upper abdomen; these were unreliable.

Anesthesia, General↗
PubMed1989

A new method of analgesia for relief of circumcision pain.

A prospective, randomised, double-blind study was designed to determine whether topical application of 2% lignocaine is effective in decreasing analgesic drug requirements during and after circumcision surgery. General anaesthesia with halothane and nitrous oxide 60-70% in oxygen was administered via a facemask and a Bain system. Administration of halothane was stopped after removal of the foreskin; lignocaine (2%) or placebo was applied topically as drops to the surface of the penis to two groups of patients. Halothane was restarted if the anaesthesia was ineffective. The intra-operative consumption of halothane was significantly less (p less than 0.05) in the treated group as compared with the placebo group (0 and 17, SEM 3, % x minute). The treated group required significantly less (p less than 0.002) pethidine after operation (5 and 10 patients), and the pain-free period was significantly longer (p less than 0.01) (41, SEM 6 and 6, SEM 2 minutes) as compared with the placebo group.

Administration, Topical↗
PubMed1987

Percutaneous radiofrequency facet denervation in low-back and extremity pain.

The present series includes 47 patients (35 females 12 males) with an average observation time of 8 months after percutaneous lumbar facet denervation by radiofrequency electrocoagulation. All patients had static and kinetic lumbar pain; 90% of them had pain radiating into the legs. None had clinical or radiologic (radiculography and/or CT scan) evidence of a lumbar disc herniation, and all had exhausted conservative therapy. All but one had provocation of their habitual pain on arthrography of the relevant intervertebral lumbar joints and/or on intraoperative stimulation prior to electrocoagulation. 22/47 of the patients had no immediate or late beneficial effect of the electrocoagulation. Eight of the remaining 25 patients had satisfactory relief of pain at follow-up. The failures included all patients with previous multiple lumbar operations except for three.

Adult↗
PubMed1987

Epidural application of cortico-steroids in low-back pain and sciatica.

Seven women and nine men, aged 27-59 years (mean 45), with lumbar pain and sciatica had epidural blocks once with 80 mg of depo-medrol and lidocaine in individual doses. All had static and kinetic lumbar pain up to 16 years and all but four also pain radiating to the lower limbs. Radiculography was "negative" in all patients, but three exhibited minor neurological abnormalities. Five patients had had a lumbar hemilaminectomy previously. In case of segmental pain in the lower limbs the appropriate level was used, in all other patients injection was done in L3-4 interspace. By means of a visual analogous scale 10 patients (62%) stated relief of half the pain the following day. One month later only 7 patients (43%) stated relief of one third of the pain. Only one patient benefited ultimately (after 6 months). In the remainder complaints were unaffected by the epidural injection. These discouraging results are not compatible with other reports, and a planned double-blind randomized investigation was abandoned. For the present category of patients (long-lasting complaints, previous "disc" operations) we found the epidural steroid injection useless.

Adrenal Cortex Hormones↗
PubMed1983

Air aspirated from the venous system during total hip replacement.

In order to demonstrate the presence of air embolism during total hip replacement surgery six patients, chosen at random, were examined with an ultrasound probe placed over the right atrium. In five patients, the characteristic double cardiac sound coming from the ultrasound probe changed into an irregular rattling sound as the femoral cement started generating its maximum hardening heat. In two patients this change was also heard simultaneously with the insertion of the femoral prosthesis. In four patients in whom catheters were placed in the right atrium it was possible to aspirate a maximum of 3 ml air from the right atrium. During the cementation of acetabulum, no change in the signal, coming from the ultrasound probe, was registered. It is probable that air is formed in the venous system during the insertion and cementation of a femoral prosthesis. The resulting air embolism is presumed to be the cause of the massive, but generally very brief impairment of the central circulation and the lungs seen during a hip arthroplasty. In the case of patients undergoing anaesthesia with N2O, the N2O should be removed before the cementation, it is also recommended that the right atrium be catheterised, in order to reduce the risk of this complication.

Aged↗
PubMed1981

Non-invasive monitoring of cardiac function during haemodialysis.

The cardiac function during haemodialysis has been studied using a non-invasive method in a prospective investigation of 7 elderly patients, all of whom had an enlarged heart on the chest X-ray and in all of whom experience had shown that a fall in blood pressure developed during haemodialysis. The cardiac output was determined by impedance cardiography and showed no significant changes during dialysis. A significant rise was observed in the heart rate and this was found to reach a maximum during the periods in which the blood pressure was lowest. Left ventricular function was evaluated from the systolic time intervals, PEP/LVET (PEP = pre-ejection period and LVET = left ventricular ejection time) and the noninvasive contraction index BP diastolic/PEP. The electromechanical systole (QS2), LVET and the non-invasive contraction index all decreased significantly during dialysis, while PEP and PEP/LVET were significantly increased. All the changes were most pronounced at the time when the blood pressure was lowest. It is concluded from the investigation that the cause of the fall in blood pressure during haemodialysis of elderly patients with impaired cardiac function may be ascribed to transient reduction in left ventricular performance.

Aged↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Cocaine exposure during the brain growth spurt: studies of neonatal survival, somatic growth, and brain development.

Neonatal Sprague-Dawley rat pups were assigned to one of five groups. Three cocaine-treated groups were injected SC with either 40, 60, or 80 mg/kg/day of cocaine from postnatal day (PND) 4 through 9. Control groups were either injected with equivalent volumes of sterile dH2O (vehicle control) or received no injections (normal control) from PND 4 through 9. This early postnatal period, corresponding to the third trimester of pregnancy in humans, is characterized as a period of rapid development within the central nervous system (CNS), generally termed the brain growth spurt. The survival rate, somatic growth, and brain development in response to the various dosages of postnatal cocaine administration were assessed. There was a dose-dependent relationship between cocaine administration and survival rate. Furthermore, significantly reduced somatic growth, assessed in terms of body weight, was found in animals given 80 mg/kg cocaine daily, as compared with controls. With respect to brain weight, no significant differences were obtained among the various doses of cocaine-treated and control animals and there was no evidence of regional vulnerability (forebrain, cerebellum, or brainstem) to the cocaine insult. Additionally, neither an effect of gender, nor the interactions of gender with various doses of cocaine treatment was found on somatic growth and brain development. Taken together, the present results suggest that the brain exhibits a greater resistance to the cocaine insults than does somatic growth. Several possible explanations regarding the somatic growth retardation are discussed.

Animals↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Cocaine-induced somatic growth deficit during the brain growth spurt is prevented by artificial-rearing.

The brain growth spurt is a dynamic period of central nervous system development that has been shown to be particularly vulnerable to a variety of insults. This study was designed to assess the effects of various doses of cocaine during this potentially vulnerable period on survival rate, somatic growth, and brain development, utilizing an artificial-rearing paradigm. Three cocaine-treated groups received SC administration of either 40, 60, or 80 mg/kg/day of cocaine HCl from postnatal days 4 through 9. There were significant differences in survival rates among 60 and 80 mg/kg/day cocaine-treated animals as compared with gastrostomy controls. No statistically significant differences were found with regard to body and brain weights between the various cocaine-treated groups and the gastrostomy control group. Additionally, there was no evidence of cocaine's effect on forebrain, cerebellum, or brainstem weights when compared with individually corresponding controls. Taken together with our previous results, these data suggest that cocaine administration during the brain growth spurt period produces a dose-related increase in lethality, and the use of artificial-rearing method seems to lower the lethal threshold of cocaine among these neonates. However, no statistically significant effects of cocaine exposure on brain weight measures were obtained. The most important finding was that the cocaine-induced somatic growth retardation observed previously under normal-rearing conditions was eliminated by using a nutritionally controlled artificial-rearing paradigm, suggesting that cocaine-induced restriction of somatic growth may be a function of interference with normal feeding behavior, and therefore, a secondary effect of cocaine exposure during development.

Animals↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Illicit anabolic steroid use in athletes. A case series analysis.

Because of recent anabolic steroid abuse scandals at all levels of athletic competition ranging from high school sports to the 1988 Olympics in Seoul, Korea, the investigators closely examined the anabolic steroid use histories of 20 competitive and noncompetitive weight lifters. Steroid efficacy studies only examine the anabolic effects of individual drugs. However, these 20 steroid users consistently practiced polypharmacy. During steroid use cycles lasting between 7 and 14 weeks, athletes commonly used two or three oral agents and two long-acting injectable products. Dosages of oral preparations tended to be similar to those used in efficacy studies, whereas dosages of the long-acting injectable agents were approximately three to eight times greater than those used in controlled studies. Subjects reported significant increases in body weight and strength. In addition, mental status changes were reported that included symptoms of depression, hostility, aggression, and paranoia. Based on the pattern of anabolic steroid use currently being practiced in the United States, it is apparent that past efficacy and toxicology studies are of limited value in delineating the benefits and hazards of these drugs.

Adolescent↗