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Biomedical subjects

R Arinoviche

Publications and source records attributed to R Arinoviche.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

X-ray absorptiometry of bone in obese and eutrophic children from Valparaiso, Chile.

OBJECTIVE: To assess and compare bone mineral content (BMC) and bone mineral density (BMD) by dual X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) measurement in obese and eutrophic children. METHODS: In a cross sectional, case control study 16 obese children (8 male, 8 female) aged 5 to 13 years were recruited from the outpatient nutrition clinic of Carlos van Buren Hospital, Valparaiso, Chile, during 1997. Sixteen healthy eutrophic children matched for sex, chronological age, height, and pubertal stage were enrolled as controls. The mean dietary calcium intake was 580 +/- 100 mg/day. All obese patients had more than 2 standard deviation (SD) of height/weight ratio. Lumbar spine (L2-L4) BMD, femoral neck BMD, total body BMD, and total body BMC were measured by posteroanterior dual photon DEXA. The results were expressed as mean +/- SD. Comparison of the data was determined by Wilcoxon and Student t test. RESULTS: Mean BMC was 1684.1 +/- 492.38 g in obese children and 1418.2 +/- 483.48 g in controls (p < 0.001, Student t test; p = 0.001, Wilcoxon test). Mean total BMD was 817.5 +/- 99.37 g/cm2 in obese children and 771.62 +/- 105.62 g/cm2 in controls. (p = 0.041 by Wilcoxon). Mean hip BMD was 784.4 +/- 117.05 g/cm2 in obese children and 801.67 +/- 150.34 g/cm2 in controls. Mean spine BMD was 724.87 +/- 171.75 g/cm2 in obese children and 686 +/- 137.08 g/cm2 in controls (not significant). CONCLUSION: Obese children have more total body BMC than eutrophic children. There was no significant difference in regional hip BMD and lumbar spine BMD among obese and normal children. Obese children may have larger bones.

Absorptiometry, Photon↗

[Impact of an educational manual on knowledge and attitudes of rheumatic patients and health care workers].

BACKGROUND: Education may induce voluntary behavioral changes in patients that lead to an improvement in health status. AIM: To assess the impact of the educational manual "Aches and Pain" on knowledge and attitudes of patients with chronic rheumatism and paramedics, using an instrument with 40 asseverations extracted from the manual. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Seventy seven patients and 42 paramedics were studied. The assessment instrument was responded before and after reading chapters of the manual, selected by the authors. Knowledge was quantified according to the number of correct answers. Adaptation to disease, optimism and self help capacity were the evaluated attitudes, using a five point scale. RESULTS: The study was completed by 48 patients and 42 paramedics. Knowledge improved from 19.9 +/- 5.3 to 25.6 +/-6.15 correct answers in the former and from 23.6 +/- 4.9 to 30.3 +/- 5.5 in the latter (p < 0.001). In patients there were improvements in the degree of adaptation to disease from 3.6 +/- 0.9 to 4.0 +/- 0.8 and in self-help capacity from 4.0 +/- 0.8 to 4.3 +/- 0.8; optimism did not improve significantly. CONCLUSIONS: The educational manual had an impact on knowledge and improved rheumatic patient's attitudes towards the disease.

Adult↗

X-ray bone densitometry in the diagnosis and followup of reflex sympathetic dystrophy syndrome.

OBJECTIVE: To establish bone involvement in reflex sympathetic dystrophy syndrome (RSDS). METHODS: Bone mineral density (BMD g/cm2) and bone mineral content (BMC g) were measured by dual X-ray absorptiometry. We studied 12 patients with phase I RSDS and 18 controls. RESULTS: BMD and BMC were significantly lower in the involved side of patients (28.4 and 45.1%, respectively) compared with the contralateral normal limb. Controls only showed a minimal variation of 2.17% in BMD and 4.38% in BMC between right and left measures. The difference between patients and controls was highly significant (p < 0.001). A second measurement of BMD and BMC was made in 8 patients following treatment (prednisone or calcitonin) and showed increments in both variables, which was significant in the affected limbs (20.1%). CONCLUSION: We believe that X-ray bone densitometry is a highly sensitive and specific technique to evaluate bone mass in patients with RSDS and aid in diagnosis and treatment monitoring.

Absorptiometry, Photon↗

[Etodolac versus piroxicam in the treatment of acute lumbago. Double-blind study].

To evaluate the efficacy of the nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug etodolac, a comparative, double-blind study versus piroxicam was carried out. Two homogenous groups (in terms of age, sex, time since last crisis and duration of present episode) of patients suffering from acute lumbar pain were treated during one week with either etodolaco, 300 mg b.i.d. (n = 30) or piroxicam 20 mg/day plus placebo (n = 31). Diagnosis was confirmed by history, physical examination, and Rx studies. Several clinical parameters were assessed prior and after treatment. All 61 patients completed the study. Adverse drug reactions were evaluated in the final visit. No significant differences were established between groups in relation to efficacy. Compared to baseline, statistically significant relief of symptoms was achieved in both groups, for pain intensity (p < 0.005); sleep quality (p < 0.005); paravertebral muscles spasm (p < 0.005) and spinal range of motion (p < 0.005). Patients treated with etodolac exhibited significantly less adverse reactions than those on piroxicam (p < 0.025).

Adult↗

Familial chondrocalcinosis in the Chiloe Islands, Chile.

Studies about chondrocalcinosis in the Chiloe Islands (Chile) showed the high frequency of the disease there and how most of it is aggregated in a few highly involved families. Pedigrees and the high degree of consanguinity among parents of index cases pointed to a recessive inheritance. The presence of common Caucasian anthropological features of genetic value in the patients and the lack of Indian mixture in three of the involved families, documented back to 1600, suggest a Caucasian origin of the mutation. Biochemical studies of the patients' synovial fluid showed a significant rise in pyrophosphate concentration. Calcium, phosphorus, and alkaline phosphatase concentrations were not different from a control group.

Adult↗