Myocardial stunning and hibernation.
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Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to W van der Merwe.
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In a prospective study of 300 patients, 14 admissions (4,6%) were considered to be related to adverse drug reactions. A further 29 admissions (9,6%) were due to self-poisoning with drugs prescribed for therapeutic purposes. Agents causing adverse reactions were predominantly cardio-active drugs and anticoagulants. Mean duration of hospital stay in this group of patients was 8,3 days (range 2-18 days); there were no deaths. Tranquilizers and antidepressants were most commonly used for self-poisoning. Duration of admission in these patients was much shorter than in the previous group--mean 1,8 days (range 1-5 days), and there was 1 death. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first reported series of such cases in South Africa. It shows that drugs are an important cause of morbidity in hospital patients in the RSA.
Sixty-seven babies were utilized to (a) document the serum bilirubin lowering effect and safety of a phenobarbitone and nikethamide combination in neonatal hyperbilirubinaemia of non-hemolytic origin; (b) determine whether birthweight and/or SGOT, SGPT or SGGT activity on day one of life correlated with the maximum serum bilirubin level achieved; and (c) investigate the pattern of hepatic enzyme levels in serum under normal conditions anf following drug induction. Results indicate a significantly lower serum bilirubin level in the treated group of babies. Birthweight and day one SGGT levels, and SGGT/birthweight ratio correlated well with the maximum serum bilirubin reached, the latter ratio being particularly useful in predicting the degree of hyperbilirubinaemia.