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Biomedical subjects

L V Miller

Publications and source records attributed to L V Miller.

40 records · Page 3Linked to original sources

Diabetes mellitus and autonomic dysfunction after vacor rodenticide ingestion.

A case of N-3 pyridylmethyl-N' 4 nitrophenyl urea (Vacor) rodenticide poisoning in a 52-year-old man is presented. Vacor is structurally related to alloxan and streptozotocin, agents that have been used extensively to produce diabetes mellitus in laboratory animals. Seven days after ingestion of Vacor, the patient presented in diabetic ketoacidosis complicated by postural hypotension and adynamic ileus. The patient recovered from ketoacidosis but has continued to require insulin. With infusion of arginine, glucagon rose from 185 to 650 pg./ml. and C-peptide from 0.5 to 3.4 ng./ml. Six weeks after onset of diabetes, no anti-islet-cell antibodies were detected. Muscle capillary basement membrane thickness on electron microscopy was found to be 1,918 +/- 194 A. The absence of hyperglycemia after Vacor ingestion should not lead to complacency on the part of the attending physician. The patient must be observed closely for development of ketoacidosis and treated prophylactically with nicotinamide, the suggested antidote.

Autonomic Nervous System↗

Evaluation of patient's knowledge of diabetes self-care.

A survey conducted at a Veterans Administration Hospital to evaluate patient capability for self-management found that over 35 per cent of the patients interviewed lacked any formal training. Seventeen patients had been placed on insulin without formal instruction. Almost one half the patients who claimed to have attended training programs could not demonstrate adequate knowledge or skills in any of the major areas of self-care: insulin administration, urine testing, diet, foot care, and management of hypoglycemia and hyperglycemia. While patients with training were more knowledgeable than patients without training, the difference was slight. The results indicate the need for systematic analysis of patient knowledge and the evaluation of training programs on a continuing basis.

Adult↗