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Biomedical subjects

W B Long

Publications and source records attributed to W B Long.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources

Healing of benign gastric ulcer: comparison of cimetidine and placebo in the United States.

Recently the Food and Drug Administration approved cimetidine for the treatment of benign gastric ulcer. Approval was based in part on the results of our large multicenter trial involving 172 patients with benign gastric ulcer between 0.5 and 2.5 cm in diameter: 87 were randomly assigned to receive cimetidine (300 mg four times daily) and 85 to receive placebo. Cimetidine treatment resulted in significantly more rapid healing than placebo; after 2 and 6 weeks of therapy, 10.0% and 44.8% of patients receiving placebo were healed, as compared to 22.6% and 65.1% receiving cimetidine. The results of our study were compared with the time-response curve previously published (0, 4, and 8 weeks of therapy). The combined data yielded linear healing rates for the first 8 weeks of therapy (r greater than 0.99 for both cimetidine and placebo). These studies can be used to define expectations for healing of benign gastric ulcer, and we recommend follow-up intervals of 8 and, if unhealed, 16 weeks.

Adult↗

Sonomicrometry: its application as a routine monitoring technique in cardiac surgery.

We utilized ultrasonic-dimension crystals in approximately 50 patients during a three-year period to evaluate clinical sonomicrometry as a routine monitoring tool in patients undergoing cardiac operations. Standard research piezoelectric pulse transit ultrasonic transducers were modified with a hooked attachment in a tethered configuration to facilitate accurate alignment and quick insertion for the measurement of myocardial segment length changes. These segment crystals were used both intraoperatively and postoperatively to evaluate the left ventricular pressure-geometry relationships and to serve as a continuous monitor of myocardial function. The left ventricular pressure-volume relationship was varied by temporarily reapproximating the pericardium (pericardial closure resulted in a 12% reduction in fractional shortening, a 5% decrease in end-diastolic segment length, and an 8% increase in pulmonary artery diastolic pressure). During both the intraoperative and postoperative periods, we found good correlation between thermodilution, stroke volume, and myocardial dimensions; no correlation was noted between pulmonary artery diastolic pressure and stroke volume. No bleeding or major complications resulted from the use of these sonomicrometry transducers. Our initial clinical experience with sonomicrometry seems to support its use as a potentially valuable monitoring tool.

Blood Pressure↗

Biliary stone removal: the interventional radiologist's role.

Despite the recent popularity of endoscopic techniques, the interventional radiologist retains an important role in the non-surgical management of biliary duct stones. In the cases where endoscopic sphincterotomy is difficult, the radiologist can be of great assistance to the endoscopist. When endoscopic stone removal is not feasible, the radiologist can treat patients percutaneously. When surgery is performed in patients with recurrent stone disease, the radiologist can maintain biliary toilet. The various approaches to biliary removal through non-surgical tracts are discussed.

Adult↗

Pulmonary endarterectomy for chronic thromboembolic obstruction: recent surgical experience.

Pulmonary thromboendarterectomy for chronic pulmonary emboli was performed on ten patients, ages 20 to 67 years, between July 1977 and June 1981. Five patients each were assigned to New York Heart Association functional classes III and IV. All patients had pulmonary hypertension and increased pulmonary vascular resistance. Obstruction beginning in the lobar arteries and involving more than 50% of the sequential arteries was present in all patients. Five patients had complete obstruction of a pulmonary artery. All patients had obstructive disease in both lungs. Pulmonary thromboendarterectomy was performed through central pulmonary arteriotomies and by use of deep hypothermia and circulatory arrest. Circulatory arrest was employed in one to four periods totaling up to 60 minutes. No neurologic deficit was observed. All patients developed reperfusion edema in the lungs. All patients had improvement in pulmonary hypertension and pulmonary vascular resistance. One patient died of lung failure in the late postoperative period. All survivors had improved lung function, with two functional classes in seven patients. Improvement in one equaled three functional classes and in one, by one functional class.

Adult↗

Choledochocele as a cause of recurrent pancreatitis.

A patient with recurrent episodes of acute pancreatitis found to be caused by the presence of a choledochocele is presented. Transhepatic cinecholangiography revealed a choledochocele receiving the terminations of the common bile duct and pancreatic duct, which emptied via a pinpoint opening into the duodenum. With duodenal peristalsis, the contrast material filling the choledochocele could be seen refluxing into the pancreatic duct. A discussion of the possible etiologies of choledochoceles and a review of the existing literature is presented.

Adolescent↗

Effect of cimetidine and pancreatic enzymes on serum and fecal bile acids and fat absorption in cystic fibrosis.

Steatorrhea persists in most cystic fibrosis patients with exocrine pancreatic insufficiency despite enzyme replacement, perhaps because gastric acid inactivates oral enzymes. Bile acid malabsorption may parallel steatorrhea. We studied the effect of adding cimetidine (300 mg a.c.) to pancreatic enzyme therapy in 8 patients with cystic fibrosis and steatorrhea. Fecal bile acid, weight and fat, and postprandial serum bile acids were measured with and without cimetidine. D-Xylose absorption was normal in all patients. On constant diets, 72-hr stools were collected during enzyme therapy and during a 5-day course of enzymes plus cimetidine. Addition of cimetidine to enzyme decreased fecal weight (257 +/- 32.6 to 198.6 +/- 32.5 g/day), increased the percent of dietary fat absorbed (75.0 +/- 4.9 to 80.1 +/- 4.1%, P less than 0.05), but had no effect on fecal bile acids (4.7 +/- 0.9 to 4.2 +/- 1.0 mmol/m2/day). Compared with no therapy, enzymes increased postprandial serum bile acid at 60 min (9.56 +/- 1.0 to 14.0 +/- 1.3 muM/liter, P less than 0.05) and at 120 min (9.4 +/- 1.2 to 12.4 +/- 1.6 muM/liter, P less than 0.02). The addition of cimetidine to enzymes abolished this postpranidial bile acid rise. In conclusion, addition of cimetidine to oral pancreatic enzyme therapy decreases stool weight and fat but perhaps not stool bile acids in cystic fibrosis. However, correction of fat absorption is incomplete. Enzyme therapy increases postprandial serum bile acids, and this increase is abolished with oral cimetidine. In view of the incomplete correction of steatorrhea and the alterations in serum bile acids induced by cimetidine, further research with this new medication is needed before it can be recommended for routine clinical use in patients with cystic fibrosis.

Adolescent↗

Effect of water and fat on gastric emptying of solid meals.

Gastric emptying of solid egg meals tagged with 99mtechnetium sulfur colloid was studied in 10 normal subjects and in 6 patients after truncal vagotomy, antrectomy, and gastrojejunostomy (Billroth II) for peptic ulcer disease. Technetium sulfur colloid was found to bind more firmly to cooked egg whites than did the water soluble marker DTPA. Water accelerated gastric emptying in Billroth II patients to a greater degree than in normal subjects, in whom the effect of water was minimal and transient. Fat inhibited solid emptying both in normals and in Billroth II patients. These findings suggest that in humans there are jejunal receptors for fat that may inhibit gastric emptying even following truncal vagotomy.

Eating↗

Effect of sugar and monoglyceride on fatty acid esterification.

The effect of hexose and monoolein on fatty acid esterification was studied in everted rings of rat jejunum. By use of [3H]oleic acid and [U-14C]glucose, esterification via both phosphatidic acid and monoglyceride pathways was quantified. Our results showed that 1) metabolizable sugars stimulate fatty acids esterification regardless of their mode of transport; 2) in the presence of glucose alone, in vitro fatty acid esterification is mediated entirely by the phosphatidic acid pathway; 3) glucose stimulates both esterification pathways in the presence of monoolein; 4) monoolein stimulates only the monoglyceride pathway and has no effect on the phosphatidic acid pathway; and 5) the rate-limiting factor in the presence of monoolein alone is the formation of acyl-CoA, whereas in the presence of glucose alone, the rate-limiting factor is the formation of alpha-glycerophosphate.

Acyl Coenzyme A↗

Steroid hypothermia.

A retrospective study of 17 episodes of septic shock was made. In most patients, intravenous treatment involving a 2 gram bolus of Solu-Medrol produced a precipitous fall in temperature within four hours. Accompanying the temperature change was an improvement in their general physical condition. The hypothermic effect usually lasted approximately 30 hours, after which the temperature would reach a level below the presteroid temperature or would return to the presteroid level. If the sepsis was overwhelming and the patient did not survive, thetemperature response was not as dramatic and lasted approximately eight to ten hours, with no clinical improvement.

Fever↗

Marlex mesh in gas gangrene.

Clostridial gas gangrene is a well recognized complication of traumatic and surgical wounds, and is associated with an overall mortality rate of 25% (5, 22). Gas gangrene of a limb results in a mortality rate approximately half that of gas gangrene of the trunk (4, 7, 8, 9, 11, 12, 13, 15, 16, 19, 24). Radical debridement and antibiotic therapy or high amputation of involved limbs are accepted traditional approaches to the problem. The role and value of hyperbaric oxygenation (OHP) remains controversial despite intense study over the past few decades. Patients with gas gangrene involving all layers of the abdominal wall as well as an extremity pose major resuscitative, operative, supportive, and rehabilitative problems. A report is presented of two such patients with comments on the therapeutic modalities employed.

Abdominal Injuries↗

Marked alkaline phosphatase elevation with partial common bile duct obstruction due to calcific pancreatitis.

This study characterizes a syndrome of partial common bile duct obstruction and marked elevation in serum alkaline phosphatase in 6 male alcoholic patients with calcific pancreatitis. In each patient, a marked elevation in serum alkaline phosphatase was associated with minimal, if any, elevation in serum bilirubin. In all cases, the alkaline phosphatase was hepatic in origin, and intravenous or operative cholangiography showed a dilated common bile duct. Liver biopsy showed canalicular bile stasis in 4 patients and bile duct proliferation in 2 patients. This study demonstrates that calcific pancreatitis may cause partial bile duct obstruction which differentially increases serum alkaline phosphatase without altering bilirubin or bromsulphthalein excretion.

Adult↗