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Biomedical subjects

R G Hoffmann

Publications and source records attributed to R G Hoffmann.

At least 91 records · Page 5Linked to original sources
PubMed1989

Should the elderly be resuscitated following out-of-hospital cardiac arrest?

PURPOSE: Elderly and younger patients who were successfully resuscitated and hospitalized following out-of-hospital cardiac arrest were studied to determine if there was a significant difference in hospital course and long-term survival between the two groups. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The study consisted of 214 consecutive patients, divided into two age groups: elderly (more than 70 years, n = 112) and younger (less than 70 years, n = 102). Hospital charts and paramedic run data were retrospectively reviewed for each patient and findings were compared between the two age groups. RESULTS: Prior to cardiac arrest, 47 of 112 (42 percent) elderly patients had a history of heart failure, compared with 19 of 102 (18 percent) younger patients, and were more commonly taking digitalis (51 percent versus 29 percent) and diuretics (47 percent versus 26 percent). Younger patients, however, more often had an acute myocardial infarction at the time of the cardiac arrest (33 percent versus 16 percent). At the time of cardiac arrest, 83 percent of younger patients demonstrated ventricular fibrillation, compared with 71 percent of the elderly. In contrast, electromechanical dissociation was five times more common in the elderly patients. Although hospital deaths were more common in the elderly (71 percent versus 53 percent), the length of hospitalization and stay in intensive care units were not significantly different between the age groups. The number of neurologic deaths was similar in both age groups, as were residual neurologic impairments. Only five elderly patients and six younger patients required placement in extended-care facilities. Calculated long-term survival curves demonstrated similar survival in both age groups, with approximately 65 percent of hospital survivors alive at 24 months after hospital discharge. CONCLUSION: Resuscitation of elderly patients in whom out-of-hospital cardiac arrest occurs is reasonable and appropriate, according to the findings of this study. Even though elderly patients are more likely than younger patients to die during hospitalization, the hospital stay of the elderly is not longer, the elderly do not have more residual neurologic impairments, and survival after hospital discharge is similar to that in younger patients.

Adult↗
PubMed1989

Serial bilirubin determinations as a prognostic marker in clinical infections.

Patients with documented serious infection and total bilirubin values of greater than 2 mg/dl were surveyed for serial changes in bilirubin and other laboratory and clinical features. Of 19 patients studied, 12 (Group A) had persisting or increasing hyperbilirubinemia, and 7 (Group B) had decline in bilirubin after infection onset. None demonstrated marked changes in other liver tests. Only one patient had infection directly involving the hepatobiliary system. There were no significant differences between the two groups with respect to underlying illnesses, active hepatobiliary diseases, pathogens, bacteremia, or administration of cholestatic drugs. All Group A patients died because of uncontrolled infections, whereas all Group B patients survived with resolution of infection (p less than .001). Ten of 15 patients with available preinfection liver tests demonstrated serial bilirubin increases without marked changes in other liver tests prior to clinical recognition of infection. These findings demonstrate that hyperbilirubinemia disproportionate to increases in other tests may manifest before recognition of infection and that persistent or progressive hyperbilirubinemia is indicative of ongoing active infection.

Adult↗
PubMed1989

Alzheimer disease: quantitative analysis of I-123-iodoamphetamine SPECT brain imaging.

To enable a more quantitative diagnosis of senile dementia of the Alzheimer type (SDAT), the authors developed and tested a semiautomated method to define regions of interest (ROIs) to be used in quantitating results from single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) of regional cerebral blood flow performed with N-isopropyl iodine-123-iodoamphetamine. SPECT/IMP imaging was performed in ten patients with probable SDAT and seven healthy subjects. Multiple ROIs were manually and semiautomatically generated, and uptake was quantitated for each ROI. Mean cortical activity was estimated as the average of the mean activity in 24 semiautomatically generated ROIs; mean cerebellar activity was determined from the mean activity in separate ROIs. A ratio of parietal to cerebellar activity less than 0.60 and a ratio of parietal to mean cortical activity less than 0.90 allowed correct categorization of nine of ten and eight of ten patients, respectively, with SDAT and all control subjects. The degree of diminished mental status observed in patients with SDAT correlated with both global and regional changes in IMP uptake.

Adult↗
PubMed1988

Survey of nursing personnel attitudes toward infections and their control in the elderly.

To better understand nursing practice in geriatric care settings as it relates to infections, a survey of nursing attitudes about a variety of infection control issues was undertaken. Nurses were recruited from four settings: a university-affiliated, private nursing home (N = 46), a hospital-based nursing home (N = 33), a private nursing home (N = 20), and a home care agency (N = 26). The nurses appropriately recognized the importance of pneumonia and influenza as major threats to health in these settings and also reported some indifference regarding the notification of physicians about fevers under 38.9 degrees C (102.0 degrees F). Among the groups, similar attitudes about infection control principles were recorded, except that the ratings by the home care agency nurses were different from those of the institution-based nurses in the following areas: isolation as a means to prevent infection spread, proper waste disposal methods, and frequency of catheter change. Assessment of personnel attitudes and practices are important in detecting problems, guiding in-service programing, and revising care practices.

Aged↗
PubMed1988

Comparative efficacy of monophasic and biphasic truncated exponential shocks for nonthoracotomy internal defibrillation in dogs.

Pentobarbital-anesthetized dogs were studied to determine the relative efficacy of monophasic and biphasic truncated exponential shocks employing a nonthoracotomy internal defibrillation pathway that consisted of a right ventricular catheter electrode (cathode) and a subcutaneous chest wall patch electrode (anode). In part 1 of the experiments, six dogs (19.6 +/- 1.1 kg) were utilized. Monophasic pulses of 5, 7.5, 10 and 12.5 ms duration were compared with biphasic pulses of the same total duration. The biphasic pulses had an initial positive phase (P1) followed by a terminal negative phase (P2) with the initial voltage equal for each phase. For each biphasic total pulse width, five relative P1 versus P2 durations were tested (50 and 50%, 75 and 25%, 90 and 10%, 25 and 75%, 10 and 90%). Ventricular fibrillation was induced by alternating current and pulse configurations were tested randomly to determine the minimal voltage and energy for defibrillation (threshold). Biphasic shocks with P1 longer than P2 were associated with significantly lower (p less than 0.01) energy thresholds than were monophasic shocks. Additionally, there was no significant relation between pulse width and voltage or energy thresholds. In part 2 of the experiments, six dogs (20.2 +/- 1.6 kg) were studied. Monophasic shocks were compared with biphasic shocks with P1 versus P2 durations of 75 and 25% and 90 and 10% for total pulse widths of 7.5, 10 and 12.5 ms. Threshold determinations were performed as in part 1. Subsequently, five initial voltages clustered about threshold were randomly tested four times and dose-response curves constructed for each pulse configuration with the use of stepwise logistic regression. Biphasic shocks resulted in significantly lower energy (p less than 0.0001) and voltage (p less than 0.001) requirements than did monophasic shocks.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Animals↗
PubMed1988

Documentation and evaluation of fevers in hospital-based and community-based nursing homes.

We reviewed clinical evaluation practices and documentation of fever (greater than or equal to 100.2 degrees F) in all febrile patients over a two-month period in a hospital-based nursing home (HBNH) compared with a community-based nursing home (CBNH). Results showed 38 febrile (mean 101.9 degrees F) HBNH patients and 26 febrile (mean 101.5 degrees F) CBNH patients. Median time from fever onset to physician contact was 4 hours in HBNH and 12.5 hours in CBNH episodes (P less than 0.01). Laboratory studies were initially performed in 68% of HBNH and 31% of CBNH episodes (P less than 0.005), and diagnosis of fever source was documented in 76% of HBNH and 16% of CBNH episodes (P less than 0.005). Overall assessment stratification showed 81% febrile HBNH patients had both evaluation and therapy performed compared with 38% in CBNH (P less than 0.0001); 39% of febrile CBNH patients had no evaluation or therapy performed. Results indicate lack of documentation, and fever evaluation in CBNHs may preclude complete detection of nursing home-acquired infections and thereby hamper preventive responses to potential infection problems.

Adult↗
PubMed1988

Accurate diagnosis of renal transplant rejection by indium-111 platelet imaging despite postoperative cyclosporin therapy.

Previous reports indicate that In-111 platelet scintigraphy (IPS) is a reliable test for the early diagnosis of acute post-operative renal transplant rejection (TR). However, the recent introduction of cyclosporin for post-transplantation immunosuppression requires that the diagnostic efficacy of IPS once again be established. Therefore, a prospective IPS study of 73 post-operative renal transplant recipients was conducted. Fourty-nine patients received cyclosporin and 24 patients did not receive this drug. Between these two patient groups, there were no significant differences in the diagnostic sensitivities (0.86 vs 0.80) and specificities (0.93 vs 0.84) with which TR was identified. We conclude that during the first two weeks following renal transplantation the cyclosporin treatment regimen used at our institution does not limit the reliability of IPS as a test for TR.

Adult↗
PubMed1988

Dipyridamole thallium-201 myocardial imaging. Complications associated with oral and intravenous routes of administration.

Previous reports have shown that TI-201 myocardial imaging with either an oral or intravenous administration of dipyridamole is a suitable diagnostic examination for patients at risk for coronary artery disease who cannot perform treadmill exercise. To compare the incidence of complications associated with these two routes of drug administration, the records of 78 oral and 97 intravenous dipyridamole TI-201 imaging studies were reviewed. The oral administration is associated with a significantly higher incidence of nausea (15% vs. 4%). Despite the higher incidence of nausea, the percentage of patients having one or more dipyridamole-induced symptoms was no greater for the oral (29%) than for the intravenous (37%) administration. Intravenous administration produced both a significantly higher incidence of atypical angina (14% vs. 4%) and a significantly greater increase in heart rate (16.6 vs. 10.2 beats per minute). No patient in either the oral or intravenous dipyridamole protocols had life-threatening arrhythmias or myocardial infarctions. In clinical practice, the difference in complications associated with the oral and intravenous administration of dipyridamole for TI-201 imaging is not significant.

Administration, Oral↗
PubMed1988

Chronic lung disease in premature infants: a retrospective evaluation of underlying factors.

A retrospective case-control study involving 99 premature infants requiring vigorous respiratory support was conducted to investigate the relative contribution of various etiologic factors in the development of chronic lung disease (CLD). Nineteen of the 99 developed CLD. Background and management factors up to the development of CLD, with attention to mode of ventilation (tube, or face mask/nasal prongs) were investigated. Infants in the CLD group had significantly lower birth weights (BW) (p less than .001) and gestational ages (p less than .01) than those in the non-CLD group. There was no difference in the incidence of intrathoracic airleak or symptomatic patent ductus arteriosus. Of the CLD group, 74% were intubated compared with 35% in the non-CLD group (p less than .002). There was no difference between the groups in the morbidity score of initial pulmonary disease or in the duration of ventilation with various pressures and oxygen concentrations. Multiple logistic regression analysis revealed that intubated infants were 4.8 times more likely to develop CLD than nonintubated infants, and infants with low BW had a 3.2-fold greater risk of developing the disease.

Apgar Score↗
PubMed1988

Pneumothorax and other lung diseases: effect of altered resolution and edge enhancement on diagnosis with digitized radiographs.

Prior studies have shown that pneumothorax is one of the more difficult entities to diagnose with digitized radiography. This study was designed to test whether increasing resolution from 1.25 to 2.5 line pairs per millimeter (lp/mm) and image processing (edge enhancement from unsharp masking) would increase accuracy and confidence in the diagnosis of pneumothorax, as well as normal cases and other forms of lung disease. Conventional radiographs were digitized with use of a laser reader and then reformatted as film hard copy. Eleven observers read 35 cases reformatted in three different ways (1.25 lp/mm, 2.5 lp/mm, 1.25 lp/mm unsharp mask). The images with finer resolution (2.5 lp/mm) and unsharp mask images were superior to those with coarser resolution (1.25 lp/mm) for the diagnosis of pneumothorax. There was no difference in diagnostic accuracy for normal patients. For abnormalities other than pneumothorax, the unsharp mask images were significantly worse. Confidence in the diagnosis of pneumothorax and other abnormalities was highest with the finest resolution (2.5 lp/mm).

Humans↗
PubMed1988

Bone marrow transplantation for chronic myelogenous leukemia in chronic phase. Increased risk for relapse associated with T-cell depletion.

Data on 405 patients with chronic myelogenous leukemia who received bone marrow transplants in chronic phase were analyzed for factors predictive of outcome. The 4-year actuarial probability of relapse was 19% (95% confidence interval [CI], 12% to 28%) and of survival, 55%. In multivariate analyses the probability of relapse was higher for recipients of T-cell-depleted bone marrow compared with recipients of non-T-cell-depleted bone marrow (relative risk, 5.4; P less than 0.0001) and for patients who did not develop chronic graft-versus-host disease (95% CI, 50% to 60%) with patients who did (relative risk, 3.1; P less than 0.01). The probability of survival was lower for patients who developed moderate to severe acute graft-versus-host disease than for patients with no or mild acute graft-versus-host disease (relative risk, 3.7; P less than 0.0001), and in patients aged 20 or older than in younger patients (relative risk, 2.6; P less than 0.0002). Duration of disease before transplant was not associated with outcome. Bone marrow transplantation done in the chronic phase of chronic myelogenous leukemia offers some patients prolonged leukemia-free survival. The T-cell-depleted grafts are associated with an increased probability of relapse.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed1988

Comparison of technetium-99m pyrophosphate and technetium-99m DTPA aerosols for SPECT ventilation lung imaging.

Although [99mTc] diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid (DTPA) is currently the most widely used radioaerosol, rapid alveolar clearance limits its usefulness for single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) ventilation lung imaging. Previous research has shown that [99mTc]phosphate compounds have high alveolar deposition and slow clearance and thus provide suitable aerosols for pulmonary ventilation studies. We have compared the pulmonary retention and blood levels of [99mTc]pyrophosphate (PYP) and [99mTc]DTPA in eight normal nonsmoking male volunteers. These two radioaerosols have comparable pulmonary deposition. Technetium-99m PYP, however, has a much slower pulmonary clearance which allows sufficient time (20 or more minutes) for SPECT data acquisition using a single-headed rotating gamma camera. While the radiation absorbed dose to the lungs for [99mTc]PYP (0.31 rad/mCi) is greater than for [99mTc]DTPA (0.11 rad/mCi), it is at a clinically acceptable and safe level.

Administration, Inhalation↗
PubMed1988

A history of hypercholesterolemia influences cholesterol measurements.

Elevated plasma cholesterol levels identified during cholesterol screening are often lower when repeated because of the regression to the mean effect. We evaluated the effect of the presence or absence of a history of hypercholesterolemia on the regression to the mean phenomenon. Of 564 volunteers undergoing cholesterol screening, 53 subjects between the ages of 20 and 65 years found to have total plasma cholesterol levels above the 90th percentile for age and sex returned for a second determination. No dietary or behavioral changes occurred during the study. Individuals with a history of hypercholesterolemia showed no change in plasma cholesterol level between the first and second visits; however, a net 13.1% reduction in mean plasma cholesterol level was observed in the group without this history, with 59% of subjects dropping below the 90th percentile level. These findings demonstrate that the regression to the mean effect is confined to those individuals who do not report a history of hyperlipidemia. Subjects with this history are more likely to have their initial cholesterol elevation confirmed when the test is repeated.

Adult↗
PubMed1987

Risk factors for acute graft-versus-host disease.

Acute graft-versus-host disease (GvHD) is an important complication of bone marrow transplantation in humans. Risk factors are imprecisely defined and controversial. We analysed data from 2036 recipients of HLA-identical sibling transplants for leukaemia or aplastic anaemia to identify risk factors for GvHD. Analyses indicate that grading of GvHD can be reproducibly divided into absent or mild versus moderate to severe; 2-year actuarial probability was 54% (95% confidence interval 52-56%) for absent or mild and 46% (44-48%) for moderate to severe. Factors predictive of development of moderate to severe GvHD include donor/recipient sex-match (female----male greater than others, relative risk 2.0, P less than 0.001). This risk was markedly increased if female donors for male recipients were previously pregnant or transfused (relative risk 2.9, P less than 0.0001). Older patients were at increased risk of GvHD (relative risk 1.6, P less than 0.001), but the age gradient was modest, even the youngest patients had a substantial risk of GvHD and, if parous or transfused female----male transplants were excluded, age was not a significant risk factor. Cyclosporine or methotrexate were equally effective at preventing GvHD and were superior to no prophylaxis (relative risk 2.3, P less than 0.01). These data should be useful in estimating the risk of acute GvHD in an individual patient and in designing clinical trials to investigate methods to modify or prevent GvHD.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed1987

Risk factors among patients undergoing repeat aorta-coronary bypass procedures.

It is estimated that as many as 7% of patients who have an aorta-coronary bypass operation will require a second bypass procedure within 10 to 12 years. Using information from the Milwaukee Cardiovascular Data Registry, we matched 166 men who underwent two coronary bypass operations at least 6 months apart, between 1968 and 1981, with 428 patients who had a single procedure. Patients were matched according to date of operation and left ventricular wall motility function for analysis of risk factors for repeat operation. Elevated triglyceride levels were found to be the strongest risk factors associated with reoperation. In addition, both younger age and less complete revascularization during the first operation were significant predictive factors of repeat operation. The results suggest that efforts to reduce plasma triglyceride levels and ensure adequate revascularization may significantly reduce the need for repeat coronary bypass.

Age Factors↗