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Biomedical subjects

R C Chen

Publications and source records attributed to R C Chen.

At least 73 records · Page 4Linked to original sources
PubMed1989

[Diaphragmatic fatigue and its role in the development of respiratory insufficiency and cor pulmonale in COPD].

Diaphragmatic function test was performed at rest and during maximal incremental exercise in six male normal non-smokers (Group A), sixteen male patients with COPD (58 +/- 8 yrs), including 4 with only small airway disorder (B) 6 with mild (C) and 6 with moderate airway obstruction (D) and eight patients with cor pulmonale complicated severe airway obstruction and chronic respiratory failure (E). Maximal transdiaphragmatic pressure (Pdi max) at rest in Group A, B, C, D, E were 13.6 +/- 2.9 kPa, 10.8 +/- 3.1 kPa, 9.9 +/- 3.4 kPa, 6.8 +/- 3.3 kPa and 5.3 +/- 2.5 kPa respectively, the latter two (D and E) being significantly lower than that of the normal control (D, P less than 0.05, E, P less than 0.01). Breathing pattern of the diaphragm at rest was similar to the normal control in all groups except that half of the patients in Group E (4/8) showed diaphragmatic paradoxical motion during inspiration. Ergometer test with incremental workload was performed in all groups except for Group E. During exercise, patients with COPD revealed some extent of diaphragmatic fatigue. All in group D(6/6) and most in group C(4/6) eventually developed inspiratory paradoxical motion of diaphragm before the ventilatory reserve was exhausted.

Aged↗
PubMed1987

[Thymectomy in Chinese myasthenia gravis].

From 1972 to 1986, 80 Chinese myasthenia gravis patients with thymectomy were studied. There were 25 males, aged from 21 to 70 years old (mean age 44) and 55 females aged from 12 to 56 years old (mean age 34). According to Osserman's criteria 10 patients belonged to grade I, 28 to IIa, 31 to IIb, 4 to III, 2 to IV and 5 to V. The postoperative follow ups ranged from 1 month to 13 years. The thymic pathology showed: hyperplasia in 44 cases, atrophy in 17 cases and presence of thymoma in 19 cases. The postoperative improvement occurred in 50% in thymomatous patients, 81% in non-thymomatous patients. There was no relationship between the duration of illness before operation and the postoperative status. However the patients with age onset after 40 had higher incidence of thymoma, and a higher rate of death from myasthenia gravis despite short duration of illness before surgery. All of 18 patients in whom serum was examined, the antiacetylcholine receptor antibody was detectable. The mean titres of this antibody in 8 hyperplasia patients, 3 atrophy patients and 7 thymoma patients were all higher than the mean value of 67 myasthenia gravis patients who did not received any treatment except anticholinesterase. Seven cases had postthymectomy followups of the antibody titres, 3 cases showed decreased antibody titre after thymectomy. Ten ocular myasthenic patients received thymectomy, 3 had thymoma, 5 had hyperplasia and 2 had atrophic thymus. The improvement rate in this group was around 71%.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adult↗
PubMed1987

[Campylobacter pyloridis in active chronic gastritis and peptic ulcer].

From Oct. 1986 to Jan. 1987, a total of 74 patients presenting for endoscopy were studied. These included 30 cases of active chronic gastritis and 44 cases of peptic ulcer. Biopsy specimens were taken during the endoscopy and sent to the laboratory for Campylobacter pyloridis culture within 2 hours. The culture was done by inoculated with chocolate agar, Brucella agar and 0.2% urea broth for urease activity. Results showed that, 53% (16/32) of active chronic gastritis, 77% (10/13) of gastric ulcer and 84% (26/31) of duodenal ulcer were positive for Campylobacter pyloridis. The specificity and sensitivity of urease positive rate are 64% and 90% respectively. It is higher as compared with bacteria culture. In addition, we found that 10 days would be needed for the routine culture and identification of this organism. But it took only 30 minutes to 6 hours for urease activity test. Therefore, we suggested that urease activity test could be a rapid diagnostic method for detecting Campylobacter pyloridis.

Campylobacter↗
PubMed1986

Systemic penicillin as an experimental model of epilepsy.

Systemic use of high-dose penicillin was studied in rats and cats to establish an experimental model of epilepsy. In rats, intraperitoneal injection of 2.5 to 5.0 million units/kg (MU/kg) penicillin was effective to induce spikes in 45.7 +/- 31.0 min (means +/- SD) and seizure in 71.5 +/- 38.4 min. In cats, intravenous administration of penicillin at 0.5 to 1.0 MU/kg induced spikes in 10.4 +/- 7.8 min and seizure in 32.2 +/- 19.8 min. Intraperitoneal use of penicillin at 1.0 to 2.0 MU/kg caused spikes in 24.0 +/- 18.4 min and seizure in 71.2 +/- 38.3 min. Pretreatment with intravenous isoniazid at 16.3 +/- 10.3 mg/kg significantly delayed the appearance of intravenous penicillin-induced spikes to 63.1 +/- 49.8 min or prevented the appearance of spikes and abolished the occurrence of seizures. Acupuncture at various points increased the penicillin-induced spikes and seizures.

Acupuncture Therapy↗
PubMed1985

Polychlorinated biphenyl poisoning: correlation of sensory and motor nerve conduction, neurologic symptoms, and blood levels of polychlorinated biphenyls, quaterphenyls, and dibenzofurans.

In 1979 in Taiwan, more than 2000 people were poisoned with rice cooking oil contaminated with polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB). One hundred ten patients were studied within one year of the exposure. The blood PCB levels were 39.3 +/- 16.6 ppb. The blood levels of the PCB derivatives, polychlorinated quaterphenyls (PCQ) and polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDF), were 8.6 +/- 4.8 and 0.076 +/- 0.038 ppb, respectively. Both the sensory and motor nerve conduction velocities (NCV) of the patients were significantly lower than the control. Abnormal slowing of sensory NCV was found in 43.6% and abnormal slowing of motor NCV was seen in 21.8%. Patients who had higher PCQ blood levels had significantly slower median nerve sensory NCV than those with lower PCQ levels. Patients with higher PCB blood levels had significantly slower peroneal nerve motor NCV than those with lower PCB levels.

Adolescent↗