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Biomedical subjects

R E Ripple

Publications and source records attributed to R E Ripple.

6 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1994

Vancomycin hypersensitivity: synergism with narcotics and "desensitization" by a rapid continuous intravenous protocol.

BACKGROUND: We examined the clinical spectrum of patients with persistent adverse reactions to vancomycin, assessed contributing factors, and evaluated the efficacy and safety of a rapid continuous intravenous "desensitization" protocol in these patients. METHODS: Seven patients with serious staphylococcal infections resistant to beta-lactam antibiotics whose adverse reactions to vancomycin persisted despite slowing of the vancomycin infusion and pretreatment with H1-antihistamine were studied. All seven patients underwent a rapid continuous intravenous desensitization protocol with multiple small increases in vancomycin concentration tightly regulated with a syringe pump. RESULTS: Most of the seven patients safely achieved, during the first day, a vancomycin infusion rate (VIR) sufficient, or close to sufficient, to provide the desired vancomycin dose. In three patients there appeared to be a threshold VIR beyond which adverse reactions were repeatedly elicited; these reactions abated when the VIR was slightly lowered. Narcotic administration was found to adversely affect treatment with vancomycin. After concurrent narcotic administration was discontinued in three patients, they and the other four patients successfully completed the full course of treatment with vancomycin. CONCLUSION: Patients whose adverse reactions to vancomycin did not respond to slowing of the infusion rate and additional H1-antihistamines can be safely treated with a rapid continuous intravenous desensitization protocol and discontinuance of narcotic administration.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1986

Role of leukocytes in ocular inflammation of tyrosinemia II.

In the animal model of tyrosinemia II only corneas from tyrosine(tyr)-fed rats produce chemoattractants in organ culture. To study the role of neutrophils (PMNs) in production of these chemoattractants, leukocytes (WBCs) were depleted using i.p. cyclophosphamide (CP). Saline (SAL)-treated rats maintained 18,375 +/- 894 WBC/mm3 (mean +/- SEM) with 4168 +/- 424 PMNs. Rats receiving CP (150 mg/kg day 0, 75 mg/kg day 4) has 1565 +/- 170 WBC (565 +/- 129 PMN) on day 3, and 398 +/- 68 WBC (19 +/- 5 PMN) on day 8. Rats ate a low-protein +/- 5% tyr diet on days 4-8. Only SAL-treated tyr-fed rats developed plaque-like gray epithelial lesions; histopathology showed corneal epithelial necrosis, stromal edema, and epithelial and stromal PMN infiltration. Control and CP-treated tyr-fed rat corneas showed no inflammation. On day 8 corneas were cultured in RPMI 1640 + 5% heat-inactivated fetal bovine serum. After 3 days, supernatants were assayed for chemotactic activity (leading front method); data were expressed as the percentage of peritoneal PMN migration relative to 5% zymosan-activated rat serum. The mean total migration toward 75% supernatant from SAL-treated, tyr-fed rat corneas was 79%, whereas migration toward corneal supernatants from controls and CP-treated tyr-fed rats ranged from 42-48%. Corneal extracts were assayed for proteolytic activity. WBC depletion prevented the increase in cathepsin B- and D-like activities present in tyr-fed corneas, suggesting that PMNs were a major source of these enzymes. The data suggest that WBC depletion reduces both corneal inflammation in vivo and the production of chemotactic activity by tyr-fed corneas in culture.

Animals↗
PubMedDate not supplied

A life-span developmental cross-cultural study of divergent thinking abilities.

Developmental aspects of ideational fluency, flexibility, and originality were assessed across five age groups (children, adolescents, young adults, adults, middle-aged adults) comparatively in two cultures (Chinese and American). A total of 316 Chinese participants ranging in age from nine to sixty years responded in writing (Cantonese) to presentation of four groups of acoustical stimuli. Responses were scored for fluency, flexibility, and originality of thought. Comparative American data were collected in a previous study. Significant age associated differences in fluency and flexibility were obtained for Chinese respondents. A cross-cultural MANOVA yielded significant main effects for culture; American scores were uniformly higher than Chinese. Developmental trends across age groups demonstrated cross-cultural similarity in the expression of originality.

Acoustic Stimulation↗