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Biomedical subjects

M Arnold

Publications and source records attributed to M Arnold.

At least 145 records · Page 8Linked to original sources

Clinical and pathological features of tuberculous pleural effusion and its long-term consequences.

A retrospective study of 83 cases of tuberculous pleural effusion showed that the mean age of the patients was 44 years and 10 patients (12%) were over the age of 70. Pleural fluid was smear positive for tubercle bacilli in none but culture positive in 23% of the cases. Pleural biopsy was a more sensitive method of diagnosis with granulomatous inflammation seen in 97% of cases. Five patients developed significant pleural thickening during chemotherapy requiring decortication. Twenty-two patients with tuberculous effusion diagnosed and treated over 2 years previously were traced for reassessment. None of them had significant pleural thickening and lung function tests did not show significant impairment compared to matched control subjects.

Adolescent↗

Examination of urine metabolites in the newborn period and during protein loading tests at 6 months of age--Part 1.

In the course of the collaborative study of children treated for PKU, urine samples from a total of 165 patients were analysed at six different times: in the newborn period before onset of therapy, after beginning of dietary management, during and immediately after a protein loading test at 6 months of age. In 95.9% of newborns with elevated Phe levels in plasma, metabolites of this amino acid as well as of Tyr could be detected. Of all metabolites phenylpyruvate always showed the highest concentration, followed by phenyllactate and o-hydroxy-phenylacetate. During the protein loading test an increase of the same metabolites occurred. At the age of 6 months the percentage of p-hydroxylated compounds related to the sum of all metabolites was lower than in the newborn period. Comparing the results of urine analyses at 6 months of age after the protein loading tests with the classification of HPA into the reaction types I-III, it can be clearly stated that patients with the milder forms II and III have already lower levels of Phe metabolites in urine before onset of therapy compared to the reaction type I. In retrospect 52% of the newborns could therefore be classified as reaction type I even before beginning of dietary management. The analysis of urinary Phe metabolites before the onset of therapy therefore provides sufficient information about the reaction type.

Creatinine↗

Impairment of active avoidance by the noradrenergic neurotoxin, DSP4: attenuation by post-training epinephrine.

Male Sprague-Dawley rats were treated with the selective noradrenergic neurotoxin, DSP4 prior to behavioral assessment. They were trained in an inhibitory avoidance and a one-way active avoidance task and given post-training treatment with epinephrine (EPI, 0.1 mg/kg, SC) or physiological saline. Performance on these tests was assessed at time points after treatment with DSP4 when (1) both central NE and sympathetic catecholamines were depleted and when (2) sympathetic catecholamines had returned to control levels and central NE remained depleted. Activity was also assessed at two time points after DSP4 treatment. DSP4 treatment had no effect upon inhibitory avoidance retention but impaired one-way active avoidance shuttle performance at both time points following DSP4 treatment. There was a transient depression of spontaneous activity which may indicate a deficit of behavioral initiation during the early phase after DSP4 treatment when the sympathetic catecholamine levels were depleted. This finding suggests that the peripheral sympathetic system may support some aspect of behavioral initiation. Epinephrine (0.1 mg/kg SC) administered after active avoidance training ameliorated the active avoidance retention performance deficit seen 4 days after DSP4 treatment. Post-training EPI did not significantly affect active avoidance retention performance when animals were trained and tested after peripheral sympathetic recovery (approximately 2 weeks after DSP4 treatment).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Animals↗

Retroperitoneal dermoid presenting as an infected pancreatic cyst.

Bacteroides fragilis infection of a juxtapancreatic benign cystic retroperitoneal teratoma in a 28 year old Chinese male is reported. Preliminary drainage was followed by excision. The radiological and pathological findings of this rare tumour are reported with emphasis on the differential diagnosis which includes inflammatory and neoplastic pancreatic cysts.

Adult↗

The use of serum amylase and lipase in evaluating and managing blunt abdominal trauma.

In order to determine the usefulness of serum amylase and lipase in the initial evaluation and subsequent management of blunt abdominal trauma (BAT) patients, we collected serum amylase and lipase on 85 consecutive BAT patients at admission, hospital day 1, hospital day 3, and hospital day 7. Only one patient had a pancreatic injury. A total of 45 patients (53%) had at least one enzyme abnormality during the study. There was no correlation between amylase or lipase values and age, sex, type of injury, diagnostic tests, operation, and outcome. In a control group of nonabdominal-trauma patients with admit studies only, all enzyme values were normal. We conclude that serum amylase and lipase are randomly elevated in patients with nonpancreatic-BAT both initially and during subsequent hospitalization and are not useful clinical tools in these patients.

Abdominal Injuries↗

A comparison of the radiation response of the epidermis in two strains of pig.

The response of the epidermis was compared in two strains of pig, the English Large White and the Göttinger Miniature, after irradiation with 90Sr beta rays. The effects of two types of anesthesia were also tested in pigs of each strain, a volatile gas mixture of approximately 70% oxygen, approximately 30% nitrous oxide, and 2% halothane, and an intravenously administered narcotic azaperon/etimodat with the animals breathing air. Strain- and anesthetic-related changes were compared on the basis of dose-effect curves for the incidence of moist desquamation from which ED50 values (+/- SE) were determined, i.e., the dose required to produce this effect in 50% of the fields irradiated. For English Large White pigs anesthetized with the volatile gas mixture, an ED50 of 27.32 +/- 0.52 Gy was obtained for moist desquamation. Irradiation with the azaperon/etomidat anesthesia in this strain of pig produced a significantly higher ED50 of 33.36 +/- 0.76 Gy (P less than 0.001). This appeared to be related to the fact that the animals were breathing air, i.e., a lower oxygen concentration (approximately 21%), at the time of irradiation. For the Göttinger Miniature pig the ED50 values for moist desquamation were 38.93 +/- 3.12 Gy and 43.36 +/- 1.34 Gy while using the gaseous anesthetic mixture and the azaperon/etomidat anesthesia with the animals breathing air, respectively. These ED50 values are 10-11 Gy higher than those obtained for the English Large White pig under identical conditions of anesthesia, which resulted in a strain difference ratio of approximately 1.35. Radiation under the volatile gas mixture anesthesia resulted in a uniform irradiation response over the skin of the flank in both strains of pig. Radiation under azaperon/etomidat anesthesia resulted in a nonuniform skin response over the flank. The ED50 for moist desquamation was significantly higher in dorsal sites on the flank compared with the ventral area of English Large White pigs; a similar trend was seen in Göttinger Miniature pigs. This difference in the radiosensitivity over the flank skin while the animals are under azaperon/etomidat anesthesia at the time of irradiation was associated with the animals breathing air and is in agreement with findings published previously for animals under halothane anesthesia and breathing air.

Anesthetics↗

Fifteen-year results of coronary artery bypass for isolated left anterior descending coronary artery disease.

During 1971 through 1975, 266 patients underwent primary coronary artery bypass grafting for occlusive disease confined to the left anterior descending coronary artery. Actuarial survival at 15 years was 72.7% with 60% of survivors being free from angina. Although the cause of death was cardiac related in 50% of the patients who died, survival was comparable with that of an age-matched and sex-matched general population. During follow-up, 48 secondary or tertiary repeat coronary artery bypass as well as 44 percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty procedures were performed. Acute event-free status (freedom from acute myocardial infarction, repeat coronary artery bypass grafting, percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty, or death) persisted at 15 years in 43.2% of patients. The differences in survival when patients were segregated according to age, sex, number of grafts performed, or graft conduit (internal mammary artery versus vein) were not significant. However, comparison of graft conduits revealed a significantly better (p = 0.02) overall acute event-free survival when the internal mammary artery was used.

Adult↗

Recombinant alpha 2 interferon is superior to doxorubicin for inoperable hepatocellular carcinoma: a prospective randomised trial.

In a prospective trial of 75 Chinese patients with histologically proven inoperable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), 25 patients were randomised to receive doxorubicin 60-75 mg m-2 intravenously once every 3 weeks, 25 to receive recombinant alpha 2 interferon (rIFN) (Roferon) 9-18 x 10(6) IU m-2 intramuscularly (i.m.) daily and 25 to receive rIFN 25-50 x 10(6) IU m-2 i.m. three times weekly. Patients were switched to the other drug if: (a) there was progressive disease after 12 weeks, (b) unacceptable toxicity developed and (c) they had received a total of 500 mg m-2 of doxorubicin. Six patients had switching over of therapy, three on doxorubicin and three on rIFN. In the remaining 69 patients on single drug therapy, the median survival rate of patients on doxorubicin and rIFN was 4.8 and 8.3 weeks respectively (P = ns.). rIFN induced tumour regression of 25-50% in 12% of patients and of over 50% in 10% of patients. When compared with doxorubicin, rIFN was associated with more tumour regression (P = 0.00199) and less progressive tumours (P = 0.00017). It caused less prolonged and less severe marrow suppression (P = 0.01217), and had significantly less fatal complications than doxorubicin (P = 0.01383). Doxorubicin caused fatal complications due to cardiotoxicity and neutropenia in 25% of patients. rIFN was associated with fatal complications due to dementia and renal failure in 3.8% of patients. In the treatment of inoperable HCC, rIFN is superior to doxorubicin in causing more tumour regression, less serious marrow suppression and less fatal complications.

Adult↗

Endocrinological disorders in shunted hydrocephalus.

Endocrinological findings were identified in 60% of 90 shunted patients with an isolated hydrocephalus, namely dwarfism in one third and abnormal proportions, obesity, sexual precocity and various combinations in 9-15%. Different causes of these findings were observed. But none of the cases had a malfunction of the shunt at the time of this study.

Cerebrospinal Fluid Shunts↗

Vibrio vulnificus septicaemia presenting as spontaneous necrotising cellulitis in a woman with hepatic cirrhosis.

Vibrio vulnificus is a virulent marine organism commonly found in Hong Kong coastal waters which contaminates local sea-food. It may produce a primary septicaemia, often associated with secondary skin lesions, following ingestion of raw shell fish. We report a rapidly fatal case of primary V. vulnificus septicaemia in a 50-year-old housewife with post-hepatitic cirrhosis presenting as spontaneous necrotising cellulitis of the legs. V. vulnificus infection should be considered in patients with a history of liver disease with acute septicaemia and characteristic skin lesions.

Cellulitis↗

[The biorhythm of gingival temperature].

In two studies with a total of 16 test persons, gingival temperature being a measure of blood flow was taken in the region of the front teeth, canines and molars in defined intervals. Gingival temperature has got--like other biological criteria--a circadian rhythmic that may be both of therapeutical and methodical value.

Adolescent↗

[Processing of a speech signal and thereby necessary attention: a contribution to dual performance].

UNLABELLED: Speech intelligibility during the performance of a second task (sorting of small plates), and the frequency of sorting in dependence of the phases of speech processing (input-processing-output) are investigated. A fixed speech level (65 dB) is combined with 5 different noise levels (55, 60, 65, 70, 75 dB). The speech material and the sorting task vary in difficulty (words, sentences, small texts; simple and complicated sorting). By rating 3 questions the subjective quality of both tasks is inquired. MAIN RESULTS: speech intelligibility and frequency of sorting vary in dependence of noise level; frequency of sorting varies in dependence of the phases of speech processing and speech material; subjective ratings are corresponding with the performance of both tasks.

Attention↗