Biomedical subjects
M Ferrari
Publications and source records attributed to M Ferrari.
[Presence of organo-halogenated compounds in drinking water].
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Clinical evaluation of new antiarrhythmic agents: experiences with propafenone.
The authors propose a general design for the clinical evaluation of new antiarrhythmic agents with special reference to their experience with propafenone, a new Class 1 agent. The drug was studied in 61 patients affected by PSRT, VEBs or RVT often unresponsive to other drugs. Both acute i.v. sensitivity tests and evaluation of chronic oral treatment were carried out. The results indicate that propafenone is a highly effective drug and that its oral activity may be predicted in individual patients by an acute i.v. administration. The most frequent adverse reaction was a widening of QRS complex. However the drug had to be withdrawn due to impaired intraventricular conduction in one patient only. More frequently (four cases) its withdrawal was due to adverse extracardiac reactions.
[Multivariate statistical analysis in predicting bronchopulmonary complications after surgical interventions in cancer of the lung].
A multivaried statistic process, the linear discriminant analysis, applied to VEMS, CV, I.T., FEF 25-75, pH, PaO2, PaCO2, was used by the authors to foresee, in 42 patients suffering from bronchogenous carcinoma, the arising or absence of respiratory complications after operation. With such method, the falsely positive or negative previsions, resulted to be 13 with a total percentage of error as high as 30%. These results suggest that, even when elaborated through the multivaried analysis, the parameters studied do not allow to adequately discriminate the patients who would develop, after operation, bronchopulmonary complications from those who would be exent from them.
FCE 20700, a cytoprotective PGE2 derivative, does not interfere with the antiinflammatory activity of indomethacin.
A study was made of the interaction between FCE 20700 (11-deoxy-13,14-didehydro-16(S)-methyl-PGE2 methylester) at a fixed dose of 250 mcg/kg and the ulcerogenic and antiinflammatory effect of indomethacin (I) on rat carrageenin paw edema. The combination tested showed the same antiinflammatory effect as I alone: potency ratio FCE 20700 + I/I was 1.03, demonstrating the lack of interaction between the two compounds. Moreover the gastric lesions in FCE 20700 + I treated rats were markedly reduced, allowing the dosage of I to be increased by about three times without increasing its ulcerogenic effect.
Childhood migraine and motion sickness.
The incidence of motion sickness among 222 children in four diagnostic categories--migraine, nonmigraine headaches, seizure disorders, and learning disabilities--was compared. Motion sickness was found to be an associated feature in 45% of the cases of childhood migraine, in contrast to a 5% to 7% incidence in the other groups. Therefore, it is suggested that motion sickness be regarded as an additional reliable minor criterion in the diagnosis of childhood migraine. Hypotheses of common central and peripheral mechanisms underlying both conditions are offered.
[Polyvalent pneumococcal vaccine].
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[The new HDCS antirabies vaccine].
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[Association of hereditary hydrocephalus and holoprosencephaly].
An infant with alobar holoprosencephaly and hydrocephalus is reported. The mechanism of hydrocephalus (aqueductal stenosis) and the mother's previous history (2 boys from a first marriage still-born with hydrocephalus) suggest a X-linked hydrocephalus. The association of a holoprosencephaly with this hereditary hydrocephalus is discussed.
A report on the positive inotropic action of amrinone.
The inotropic action of amrinone was evaluated on isolated guinea-pig atria and on specimens of human atrial myocardium. The drug elicited a positive inotropic response in both the tissues. On spontaneously beating guinea-pig atria the influence on contractility was higher than on the rate. The magnitude of the response was influenced by temperature. Propranolol or phentolamine did not affect the positive inotropic action of amrinone. The efficacy of amrinone was higher than ouabain, in normal as well as in low extracellular calcium. Amrinone showed a positive inotropic action also at high extracellular potassium. The positive staircase was not reversed by amrinone, which had a higher positive inotropic effect at higher frequency of driving; the drug did not significantly delay the decline of contractile force in zero calcium. It is possible that the inotropic effect of amrinone in mainly due to an effect on influx of calcium into the cells.
[Endurance of 6 marathon runners before and after a "dissociated diet"].
The effect of a carbohydrate loading diet on the endurance of six male marathon runners have been examined. Endurance improved in three runners, remained unchanged in two, and worsened in one. Due to the possibility of negative effects on the performance capability, a runner should experiment his personal reactions to the carbohydrate loading diet before using it regularly for long distance competitions.
Prenatal diagnosis of thalassaemia and fetal red cell microcytosis.
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Reactivation in calves of Bovid herpesvirus 2 latent infection.
Seven calves which had recovered from an experimentally induced infection with Bovid herpesvirus 2 (BHV 2) were subjected to a course of dexamethasone (DMS) treatment six months later. BHV 2 was recovered from nasal swabs obtained from each calf 11 days after the start of DMS treatment. The virus was also isolated from the skin, nervous system tissue and lymph nodes of a calf killed 11 days after the start of DMS treatment in which a concurrent piroplasma infection was also, unexpectedly, discovered. It is suggested that the skin and nervous system are possible anatomical sites for the latency of BHV 2 in the host.
Childhood autism: deficits of communication and symbolic development. I. Distinctions from language disorders.
The present paper reviews, outlines, and explores the literature concerned with the speech-language disorder of childhood autism. The problems of communication of the autistic child are compared and contrasted with those of children with a variety of other language disorders (e.g. receptive developmental dysphasia). Based upon the review of normal preverbal communicatory and symbolic development, it is concluded that childhood autism involves a pervasive language disorder encompassing communication in general, as well as certain symbolic-representational abilities necessary for language. An overview of the attempts to teach speech to autistic children in then undertaken with special emphasis on the possible implications of developmental knowledge for these training pursuits. Finally, the role of neurologic substrates in the language and communication disorder of autism is presented.
Digitalis glycosides and plasma renin activity.
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Amiodarone and amiodarone plus digitalis in the treatment of paroxismal supraventricular reciprocating tachyarrhythmias.
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Evaluation of the supertransfusion regimen in homozygous beta-thalassaemia children.
The maintenance of physiological levels of haemoglobin is beneficial in the management of patients with thalassaemia major since it leads to better tissue oxygenation, reduction of blood volume, and reduced intestinal absorption of iron. We have studied 11 patients with thalassaemia major while treating them for 4-12 months with a standard transfusion regimen (mean pre-transfusion Hb 10.2 g/dl) and then for a second period of 7-18 months with a supertransfusion regimen (mean pre-transfusion Hb 12.3 g/dl). Blood consumption was 16.71 +/- 2.0 ml/kg/month in the first period; it rose to 20.30 +/- 3.5 ml/kg/month in the first 5 months of the second period, and then returned to the values of the first period (16.53 +/0 2.0 ml/kg/month). There were no significant differences in blood consumption between the two transfusion regimens, after the 5-month equilibration period.