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Biomedical subjects

M Huttunen

Publications and source records attributed to M Huttunen.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1994

Puerperal endometritis after abdominal twin delivery.

The infectious complications of 122 consecutive abdominal twin deliveries over the period 1984-1989 were analyzed in a prospective clinical study, comparing them with 761 singleton abdominal deliveries over the period 1984-1986. The incidence of endometritis was nearly three-fold after twin deliveries and the incidence of abdominal wound infections nearly two-fold compared with singleton abdominal pregnancies (13.1/4.7% and 5.6/3.0%). The risk of amnionitis was increased ten-fold, 6 hours after rupture of the membranes in abdominal twin delivery, but no connection was found between amnionitis and endometritis, as in singleton abdominal deliveries. Multiple regression analysis indicated only two risk factors as regards puerperal endometritis after abdominal twin delivery: age under 25 years (odds ratio 6.9, 95% confidence limits 1.9-24.8), an association also seen in singleton abdominal deliveries, and a period of more than 6 hours from rupture of membranes to delivery (odds ratio 7.8, 95% confidence limits 2.1-28.5). Multiple pregnancy appears to be associated with an increased risk of endometritis. The etiological factors remain unknown, but a large placental bed and/or immunological factors may be implicated.

Cesarean Section↗
PubMed1992

Quality of life before and after liver transplantation: experiences with 7 patients with primary biliary cirrhosis in a 2-year follow-up.

Seven patients with end-stage primary biliary cirrhosis were evaluated both before and 1 and 2 years after liver transplantation using a clinical psychiatric interview and the self-rating questionaire SCL-90. Neuropsychological tests were done before and 1 year after operation. Preoperatively, all patients had a poor general condition and overall quality of life. Flattening of emotions and reactions, regression, disturbances of verbal memory and cognitive function, and dependence on close relatives were observed. One year after transplantation, 6 patients had a much better overall quality of life, and with five patients it improved still further during the 2nd year, but only 2 patients felt that their life situation had fully stabilised. However, nearly all of them experienced phases of moderate or even severe depression or anxiety during those 2 years. On neuropsychological tests patients appeared to be near their normal level. The only patient who died during this follow-up (some months after transplantation) had in her life history a prominent sense of insecurity and mistrust. It seems to take more than a year for the majority of patients to give up the regressive mode of experience and turn to adult interests in life again, as well as psychologically experience the new liver as part of oneself.

Adult↗
PubMed1992

Cytomegalovirus hepatitis in late pregnancy.

A case of pregnancy complicated by cytomegalovirus hepatitis is represented. The mother had a fulminant disease, but she delivered spontaneously at 31 weeks of gestation. The baby was unaffected.

Adult↗
PubMed1992

Which anti-hypertensive to add to a beta-blocker: ACE inhibitor or diuretic?

Thirty-eight patients already treated with atenolol 50 mg once daily were randomly assigned to treatment with either hydrochlorothiazide (12.5-25 mg once daily) or lisinopril (10-20 mg once daily) for 8 weeks in a double-blind crossover study. Eight weeks' treatment with the combination of ACE inhibitor and beta-blocker or the diuretic and beta-blocker produced falls in blood pressure (lying: -8.4 +/- 15.4/ -7.3 +/- 80 mmHg and -6.1 +/- 15.3/ -5.2 +/- 8.8 mmHg [mean +/- SD] for lisinopril and hydrochlorothiazide respectively; standing: -10.2 +/- 14.2/8.2 +/- 9.2 mmHg and -6.8 +/- 14/ -6.3 +/- 10.3 mmHg for lisinopril and hydrochlorothiazide respectively) which were not statistically significantly different. Heart rate was significantly increased on the combination of beta-blocker and diuretic (lying: +4.3 +/- 10.7; standing: +3.2 +/- 10.0 beats/min) compared with a fall on beta-blocker+ACE inhibitor (lying; -0.5 +/- 7.6; standing: -1.5 +/- 7.4). Both therapeutic regimens were equally well tolerated. These results suggest that where patients fail to respond to monotherapy with a beta-blocker the addition of an ACE inhibitor may be as effective as the more traditional option of diuretic therapy.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1988

Enoxacin treatment of urinary tract infections in elderly patients.

Sixty-seven elderly patients (61 female, six male) with a mean age of 82 years (range 67-95) were orally treated for 4-14 days with enoxacin (200 or 400 mg bd) for urinary tract infections in a non-comparative open study. Fifty-three patients had features of pyelonephritis, and 17 had indwelling catheters. Clinical and bacteriological assessments were made on day 0, between days 2 and 4, at the end of therapy, 5-9 days post-treatment. Patients whose response continued to be satisfactory were re-examined 4-6 weeks after the last dose. In 20 patients enoxacin concentrations were measured in samples of urine and serum during the study. Enoxacin therapy eliminated the causative pathogens in 98.5% of the patients after 2-4 days treatment and in 100% at the end of therapy. Overall results at the end of treatment were good or excellent in 84% of patients. Sixty patients (90%) at 5-9 days follow-up had a satisfactory response (51 had complete eradication of pathogen and nine re-infection). At 4-6 weeks follow-up, 46 patients (69%) remained completely infection free. Side effects of therapy were, in general, mild or moderate although four patients, all of whom had a history of cerebrovascular disturbance, suffered convulsions during study.

Aged↗
PubMed1987

Serum lipid changes in a one-year, multicenter, double-blind comparison of doxazosin and atenolol for mild to moderate essential hypertension.

Proatherogenic changes in serum lipid concentrations have been implicated as one of the major risk factors in the development of coronary artery disease. In a double-blind study, the new alpha 1-adrenoceptor inhibitor, doxazosin, was compared with atenolol for effects on the serum lipid profile. Ninety-six hypertensive patients were treated for up to 1 year with either doxazosin or atenolol once daily. There were statistically significant differences (p less than or equal to 0.01) between doxazosin and atenolol after 20 to 52 weeks of treatment in changes from baseline total triglyceride levels, high density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol levels and HDL/total cholesterol ratio. The percentage of change from baseline and the statistical significance of the difference between treatment groups were: total triglycerides, doxazosin -5.9%, atenolol +32.4% (p = 0.01); HDL cholesterol, doxazosin +7.2%, atenolol -5.6% (p = 0.007) and HDL/total cholesterol ratio: doxazosin +8.7%, atenolol -6.2% (p = 0.006). All mean changes were in favor of doxazosin therapy. In addition, doxazosin treatment beneficially decreased total serum cholesterol levels (-1.6%) compared with atenolol (+0.6%), although not to a significant degree. The differences were maintained in the cohort of 67 patients treated for a full year. The favorable change exerted by doxazosin on the lipid profile suggests that it may have a beneficial influence on the lipid risk factor. These results, together with the sustained decrease in blood pressure achieved for up to 1 year of therapy, suggest that doxazosin may reduce the risk of coronary artery disease in susceptible patients.

Adrenergic alpha-Antagonists↗
PubMed1986

A long-term double-blind comparison of doxazosin and atenolol in patients with mild to moderate essential hypertension.

The efficacy and safety of doxazosin and atenolol were compared following once-daily administration for up to 1 year, with a minimum of 20 weeks' active treatment. According to response, patients received doxazosin 1-16 mg day-1 or atenolol 50-100 mg day-1. Mean daily doses at the final efficacy assessment (between 20 weeks and 1 year) were doxazosin 11.8 mg and atenolol 94.2 mg. Atenolol produced somewhat greater falls in blood pressure than doxazosin. The differences were statistically significant in the supine but not in the standing position. A small mean reduction in heart rate was produced by doxazosin whereas atenolol produced a marked bradycardia. Analysis of the same patient group at 20 weeks revealed similar overall profiles of activity except that atenolol produced greater falls in blood pressure than in the longer term analysis. Serum concentrations of HDL/total cholesterol ratio were raised in the doxazosin treatment group and lowered in the atenolol group. Triglyceride concentrations fell in the doxazosin group and rose in the atenolol group. Significant differences (P less than 0.001) were observed between treatment groups for these parameters, all differences being in favour of doxazosin. Pharmacokinetics of doxazosin, measured at steady state in 36 patients, showed dose-related plasma concentrations, a mean half-life of about 12 h and relatively low intersubject variation. The incidence of side-effects was slightly greater for patients in the doxazosin group. Drug-related side-effects were mostly mild to moderate in severity with no serious drug-related occurrences in either treatment group. No serious drug-related abnormalities in laboratory biochemistry and haematology tests were observed in either treatment group.

Adult↗
PubMed1982

Reduced level of cellular glucocorticoid receptors in patients with anorexia nervosa.

Specific glucocorticoid receptors were measured in circulating mononuclear leukocytes from 12 patients with anorexia nervosa and 21 healthy control subjects. Cells from patients were found to contain a significantly (p less than 0.01) lower level of glucocorticoid receptor (3830 +/- 210 sites/cell, mean +/- SE) than those from controls (4930 +/- 250 sites/cell). A partial glucocorticoid receptor defect may well explain the abnormal cortisol metabolism and glucocorticoid resistance commonly found in patients with anorexia nervosa.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1981

Subcellular and perisynaptic distribution of rat brain aldehyde dehydrogenase activity.

The nuclear mitochondrial and synaptosomal fractions of rat brain were each found to contain some 25-30% of the total aldehyde dehydrogenase activity. The cytoplasmic fraction had a very low total aldehyde dehydrogenase activity. There were differences in the distribution of the activity when different aldehydes were used as substrates, suggesting the presence of isoenzymes in the various subcellular compartments. When rats were treated intracisternally with 6-hydroxydopamine there was no change in brain aldehyde dehydrogenase activity, although the noradrenaline content and the activities of tyrosine hydroxylase and dopamine-beta-hydroxylase were markedly decreased. Treatment with 6-hydroxydopamine also had no significant effect on the aldehyde dehydrogenase activity in retinal homogenates. The results suggest that the aldehyde dehydrogenase activity in rat brain is predominantly outside the catecholaminergic nerve terminals.

Aldehyde Dehydrogenase↗
PubMed1976

The daily rhythm of plasma tryptophan and tyrosine in depression.

The study dealt with the level of and diurnal alterations in the concentration of tryptophan, free tryptophan and tyrosine in the blood plasma of 20 inhibited depression patients and 10 healthy controls. The results suggested that there was no distinct relationship between either the total plasma tryptophan or plasma tyrosine level and depression. On the other hand, the free plasma tryptophan level was, at all the times of day at which measurements were made, either significantly or almost significantly higher in the patients than in the controls. It was further found that the results of measurement were related to the patients' clinical improvement, as measured by the Hamilton test, in such a way that after four weeks of treatment the free plasma tryptophan level in 'poorly improved' patients continued to be significantly higher in comparison with the controls, whereas the values for the 'well improved' patient group did not differ greatly from the corresponding values for the control group any longer. It may be hypothesized that the rise in the free plasma tryptophan in depressive patients might represent an effort made by the peripheral body to compensate for the slowed-up serotonin metabolism of the brain, whereby the tryptophan mobilized from the periphery would serve as a sort of 'endogenous antidepressant' provided by the organism itself.

Acute Disease↗