Biomedical subjects

M Vermeulen

Publications and source records attributed to M Vermeulen.

204 records · Page 12Linked to original sources

PubMedDate not supplied

Treatment with vitamin K antagonists: frequency of indications and appropriateness of continuation.

To prevent venous and arterial thrombosis vitamin K antagonists (VKA) are the treatment of choice for many indications. It is important to balance the benefits and the potential hazards of this treatment. An effective way to prevent unnecessary bleeding during VKA treatment is to stop treatment when the indication is no longer present. In this study, we analyze the distribution of indications in a randomly selected group of 250 patients starting VKA treatment at the Amsterdam Thrombosis Service. The proportion of patients still treated after one year of follow-up was also investigated. The distribution of the indications among patients starting VKA therapy was approximately 50% for venous thromboembolism treatment and prophylaxis, and approximately 50% for prophylaxis of arterial thrombosis. After one year of follow-up, 164 (65.6%) of the 250 patients had stopped VKA therapy. Reasons for stopping included: no indication for continuing VKA treatment, e.g. end of treatment, prophylaxis or restoration of sinus rhythm (137 patients); death (17) and other reasons (10). Six (2.4%; 95% CI: 0.9-5.1%) patients had a questionable indication for long-term treatment, and 9 (3.6%, 95% CI: 1.6-6.7%) patients had no clear indication for continued VKA treatment. We conclude that in the setting of the Amsterdam Thrombosis Service, only a small proportion of patients is treated with long-term VKA therapy without a valid indication after 1 year.

Acenocoumarol↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage. Complications and outcome in a hospital population.

We describe total management results in a prospective series of 264 patients with aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) admitted to a neurologic unit. Referrals were actively solicited from general physicians as well as neurologists in the area. The diagnosis was based on computed tomography (CT). Secondary deteriorations were analyzed clinically and with serial CT scanning. Outcome was assessed 3 months after SAH. There were no relevant differences between the analyses of patients with and without an aneurysm confirmed by angiography or autopsy. One third of the patients either died within 1 day (12%) or remained in a poor clinical condition that precluded surgery (22%). One third were in good clinical condition, but contraindications to surgery were judged present or serious complications occurred before surgery could be performed. One third of all patients underwent surgery. Overall mortality in our series was 52%; only 26% made a good recovery. The risk of rebleeding was not related to the patients' initial clinical condition, but all other intracranial complications occurred significantly more often in patients graded poor compared with patients in good clinical condition. The most important causes of death and severe disability were hemorrhage (16%), recurrent hemorrhage (18%), and delayed cerebral ischemia (15%). The most important surgical complication was delayed deterioration caused by ischemia (20% of operated patients). We estimated that recognition of 'warning leaks,' surgery in patients over 65, and improvement of our surgical technique could decrease mortality from 52% to approximately 41%.

Brain Ischemia↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Using the U.S. Behavior Risk Factor Surveillance System's health related quality of life survey tool in a Canadian city.

As responsibility for health funding shifts from central to local governments, providers find themselves in decision-making roles or asked to give guidance in allocation of resources. To develop a picture of a population's health, data are needed about the effects that illness and disability have on a person's ability to function and thus on quality of life. This study assessed the validity in a Canadian city, of a Health-related Quality of Life (HRQoL) instrument developed by the US Centers for Disease Control and used in the US Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System. The HRQoL was administered to a random sample of 1,042 adults. The patterns of association among the HRQoL questions, and the direction of the relationships among independent variables and HRQoL were consistent with those hypothesized. The accumulating evidence for validity of the HRQoL support its use in monitoring the performance of local health initiatives in Canada.

Activities of Daily Living↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Dental general anesthesia: clinical characteristics of 933 patients.

To initiate a study on the usefulness of dental treatment with general anesthesia, we investigated clinical characteristics of 933 patients who received total oral rehabilitation using general anesthesia at the Department of Restorative and Pediatric Dentistry of the University Hospital Leuven, Belgium. The median age of the patients was 10 years. The overall male-to-female ratio was 53 to 47. The principal indications for treatment using general anesthesia were rampant caries, fear, and a mental or physical handicap. The mean number of decayed teeth was 10.9 (sd 4.9). Nearly 50 percent of the patients were referred by a dentist.

Adolescent↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Nonaneurysmal perimesencephalic subarachnoid hemorrhage: CT and MR patterns that differ from aneurysmal rupture.

We describe a characteristic distribution of cisternal blood in 52 patients with nonaneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage proved by a normal angiogram. On CT, the center of the bleeding was located immediately anterior to the brainstem in all patients, which was confirmed in four patients who were studied with MR imaging. Extension to the ambient cisterns or to the basal parts of the sylvian fissures was common, but the lateral sylvian or anterior interhemispheric fissures were never completely filled with blood. Rupture into the ventricular system did not occur. MR demonstrated downward extension of the blood anterior to the brainstem as far as the medulla, but failed to detect the source of hemorrhage. Our aim was to determine whether this so-called nonaneurysmal perimesencephalic hemorrhage could be distinguished from aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage on early CT scans. Two neuroradiologists were shown a consecutive series of 221 CT scans of patients with subarachnoid hemorrhage who subsequently underwent angiography. Only one patient with a basilar artery aneurysm on angiography was incorrectly labeled by both observers as having a nonaneurysmal perimesencephalic pattern of hemorrhage. The high predictive value of the perimesencephalic pattern of hemorrhage for a normal angiogram (0.95 and 0.94, respectively, for the two observers) and the excellent interobserver agreement (kappa 0.87) demonstrate that nonaneurysmal perimesencephalic hemorrhage can be distinguished on CT in the majority of patients. Recognition of this pattern of hemorrhage is important as patients with this subset of subarachnoid hemorrhage have an excellent prognosis.

Adult↗

PubMedDate not supplied

In vitro investigation of immunoglobulin treatment mechanisms in autoimmune diseases.

High doses of immunoglobulins (IVIG) may have beneficial effects in patients with autoimmune diseases. In this review several different mechanisms of action are discussed. These mechanisms include effects on the effector phase of the immune response, on the initial steps of the immune response and on the mixed lymphocytic reaction.

Antibody Formation↗