Melricflash/CW_MedAbstractsAlt huggingface dataset:
Effects of renin inhibition in systemic hypertension. The effect of the direct renin inhibitor enalkiren (Abbott Laboratories) was examined in 8 healthy patients with essential hypertension. With an unrestricted sodium diet, plasma renin concentration was inhibited within 10 minutes by intravenous enalkiren and remained essentially undetectable for greater than or equal to 6 hours (11.9 +/- 4 to 1.0 +/- 0.6 ng angiotensin I/ml/hour, p less than 0.05). Mean arterial blood pressure declined gradually (108 +/- 5 to 84 +/- 4 mm Hg, p = 0.02), as did plasma aldosterone concentration (14.4 +/- 3.8 to 4.4 +/- 0.8 ng/dl, p = 0.03), whereas plasma immunoreactive active renin concentration increased progressively (35 +/- 14 to 160 +/- 60 pg/ml, p greater than 0.05). Urinary excretion of the stable metabolite of prostacyclin (6-keto-prostaglandin F1 alpha) decreased slightly, but not significantly (42 +/- 10 to 33 +/- 11 ng/g creatinine, p = 0.13). The addition of a diuretic decreased baseline blood pressure and increased baseline plasma renin and aldosterone values. Blood pressure responses to enalkiren were slightly (though not significantly) greater than those observed before diuretic administration. We conclude that enalkiren is effective in decreasing blood pressure and in inhibiting the renin system, without significantly altering urinary prostacyclin excretion, in patients with essential hypertension. These results suggest that the renin system contributes to the maintenance of elevated blood pressure in some patients with essential hypertension. 

Category: cardiovascular diseases
Asymptomatic rhabdomyolysis of unknown etiology. A 7-year-old boy developed rhabdomyolysis with a peak creatine phosphokinase level of 261,400 IU/L after his appendectomy. These abnormalities occurred following a 2-3-day illness consisting of upper respiratory tract symptoms, fever, and abdominal pain mimicking acute appendicitis. At the time of operation, a normal appendix was removed, and mesenteric lymphadenitis was noted. The myoglobinuria and elevation of creatine phosphokinase were transient, and the patient remained asymptomatic. We review various causes of right lower quadrant pain and rhabdomyolysis and address the roles of malignant hyperthermia and infectious agents. The possible cause of the phenomena observed in this patient is discussed. 

Category: general pathological conditions
Problems of resistant dermatophytes. Recalcitrant fungal infections are defined as infections that are difficult or impossible to eradicate despite seemingly adequate treatment with appropriate oral or parenteral antibiotics. Relative or absolute microbial resistance is only one of the many causes of recalcitrance. Others include failure of the patient to comply with the prescribed treatment regimen, drug degradation in the liver, drug-drug interactions, reabsorption or washout of the drug from the stratum corneum, and failure of the drug to reach the stratum corneum. Excretion in the eccrine sweat is the principal pathway by which griseofulvin and ketoconazole, the two currently available oral antifungal agents, are delivered to the stratum corneum. Measures that promote delivery of these drugs to this site by enhancing sweating and minimizing drug run-off and absorption onto clothing may aid in optimizing the therapeutic response to these agents. 

Category: general pathological conditions
Closure of refractory perineal Crohn's lesion. Integration of hyperbaric oxygen into case management. A case is reported in which a comprehensive program of hyperbaric oxygen (HBO), surgical debridement and reconstruction, and continuing medical management resulted in complete and sustained closure of an extensive perineal Crohn's lesion refractory to conventional medical and surgical management. It is emphasized that in this case healing occurred in the setting of previous removal of all diseased intestinal tissue and only with the combined use of all three treatment modalities. HBO may be a useful adjunct in the therapy of large nonhealing perineal lesions post-proctocolectomy in patients who are unresponsive to metronidazole or to immunosuppressant therapy or who experience limiting side effects from continued medical therapy. 

Category: digestive system diseases
A cost-minimization study of cancer patients requiring a narcotic infusion in hospital and at home. We conducted a retrospective, non-randomized, cost-minimization study, from the perspective of the Ministry of Health, to compare the cost of managing cancer patients who required narcotic infusions, in hospital and at home. Our medical costs averaged $369.72 per inpatient day and $150.24 per outpatient day (saving $219.48 per diem, 1988 Canadian dollars), while narcotic costs were the same for any given patient in both settings. Sensitivity analysis showed that no reasonable changes in the quantity and cost of services reduced our savings by more than 50%. During incremental analysis, savings increased as more outpatient days were managed by our centre, from $0.00 for 318 days, to more than $500,000 for over 2000 days per annum. As this program has been extremely cost effective and preferred by our patients, other hospitals and central funding agencies might consider establishing a regional outpatient narcotic infusion program to reduce their costs. 

Category: neoplasms
Evidence for platelet-activating factor as a novel mediator in experimental stroke in rabbits. Platelet-activating factor is a potent mediator of inflammation, which has untoward effects on cerebrovascular and neural elements. While several investigators have reported attenuation of ischemic damage after treatment with antagonists of platelet-activating factor, no study has proved endogenous production of platelet-activating factor in ischemia of the central nervous system. We hypothesized that endogenous production of platelet-activating factor participates in the early pathologic manifestations of deteriorating stroke. In 12 rabbits, we found tissue levels of platelet-activating factor measured by the release of serotonin from washed platelets to be elevated by approximately 20-fold in spinal cord injured by 25 minutes of ischemia and 2 hours of reperfusion (2.80 +/- 0.98 ng/g) compared with that in normal spinal cord (0.15 +/- 0.06 ng/g, p less than 0.01). Given during ischemia to seven rabbits, 10 mg/kg i.p. of a highly selective and potent antagonist of platelet-activating factor (BN 50739) accentuated the early postischemic hyperemia and prevented the delayed hypoperfusion measured by on-line laser-Doppler flowmetry (-35 +/- 7% of baseline [n = 7] without versus 33 +/- 14% with treatment, p less than 0.01) and the edema formation measured as the increase in tissue water content (4.4 +/- 0.7% without [n = 6] versus 2.1 +/- 0.6% with [n = 7]treatment, p less than 0.05) after 2 hours of reperfusion. This neurochemical and pharmacologic evidence emphasizes a new perspective of ischemia-induced phospholipid degradation and suggests an important role for platelet-activating factor in the early manifestations of stroke. 

Category: nervous system diseases
Prognosis of acute myocardial infarction complicated by primary ventricular fibrillation. Principal Investigators of the SPRINT Study. In 5,839 consecutive patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI), hospitalized between July 1981 and July 1983 in 14 coronary care units in Israel, the incidence of primary ventricular fibrillation (VF) was 2.1%. Patients with primary VF resembled counterparts without VF in terms of age, gender, frequency of previous AMI and past cigarette smoking habits. The hospital course of patients with primary VF revealed increased incidence of primary atrial fibrillation and atrioventricular block. Increased serum levels of glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase and lactic dehydrogenase were noted among the patients with primary VF. In-hospital mortality rate was 18.8% in 122 patients with primary VF compared with 8.5% in 3,707 patients forming the reference group (p less than 0.01). Adjustment by age using logistic function yielded an estimate of 2.86 for relative mortality odds associated with primary VF, and further adjustment by gender, history of AMI, systemic hypertension, and by enzymatically estimated infarct size slightly reduced the estimated odds, at 2.52 (95% confidence interval, 1.42 to 4.46). Prognosis after discharge from the hospital was independent of primary VF. In conclusion, primary VF exerts an independent, significant effect on in-hospital mortality. 

Category: general pathological conditions
Risk factors for white matter changes detected by magnetic resonance imaging in the elderly. We found increased age (p = 0.001) and history or evidence of stroke (p = 0.016) to be significant independent multivariate predictors of the presence and severity of leukoencephalopathy on magnetic resonance imaging brain scans in a mixed population of 35 elderly psychiatric patients and 25 neurologically healthy elderly volunteers. These results suggest that subcortical ischemia, as well as age-related changes that may not be vascular in origin, contribute to the emergence of periventricular and other deep white matter hyperintensities that are commonly seen on the magnetic resonance imaging brain scans of older adults. 

Category: nervous system diseases
Unusual haemostasis for an unusual tumour. Catastrophic bleeding from a tactile neurofibroma affecting the thoracic vertebrae. Case report. The symptomatology of a typical acute descending thoracic aorta dissection was imitated by profuse haemorrhage caused by a benign tumour composed almost exclusively of Wagner-Meissner like tactile corpuscles and fatty tissue. The tumour caused extensive destruction of the bodies of the fifth and sixth thoracic vertebrae at the level of the vertebro-costal articulation. Emergency cross clamping of the descending aorta and haemostasis of the bleeding from osteal defects by tamponade with bone polymethyl methacrylate appeared the only way to control the life threatening haemorrhage. It seems that an intrathoracic tactile neurofibroma with a similar case history has not been reported till now. 

Category: cardiovascular diseases
Autologous transplantation of adrenal medulla in Parkinson's disease. 18-month results. Eighteen of 19 patients who underwent autologous adrenal medullary transplantation to the right caudate nucleus have been followed up for 18 months. During the course of this study, a statistically significant improvement was noted in percent "on" time, percent "on" time without dyskinesia, activity of daily living (ADL) scores during the "on" stages, and ADL, motor, and Schwab-England scores during the "off" stages. Benefits tended to be maximal at 6 months and to gradually lessen thereafter, although statistically significant improvement in comparison with baseline was still present at 18 months for ADL, motor, and Hoehn-Yahr scores during the "off" stages. Almost all parameters had deteriorated by 18 months compared with 12 months, including those remaining significantly improved in comparison with baseline. These patterns were similar for each of the three participating centers. Complications were largely restricted to the perioperative period. 

Category: general pathological conditions
The mechanism of heart failure caused by cardiac allograft rejection. Rejection of the cardiac allograft is often associated with reversible myocardial failure, the mechanism of which is not understood. We have examined this phenomenon in a small animal model that provides the opportunity for multimodality study of the rejection process. Heterotopic cardiac transplantation was performed in the Lewis rat with Lewis X Brown-Norway (allografts) or Lewis (isografts) donors. Without immunosuppression, allografts are completely rejected in 6 to 8 days. At 3 days cardiac grafts were explanted and mounted on a modified Langendorff apparatus for functional measurements or submitted for pathologic examination and biochemical determination of high-energy phosphates. Three-day isografts (n = 9) had minimal histologic changes. Pathologic examination of 3-day allografts (n = 13) showed lymphocytic infiltrate and myocyte necrosis, histologic features for which antirejection treatment is usually given clinically. For grafts subjected to functional studies (n = 11), heart rate, cardiac output, coronary flow, and stroke work were determined at baseline and in response to isoproterenol (3 x 10(-8) mol/ml). Three-day allografts (n = 6) and isografts (n = 5) had similar baseline function. The chronotropic response to isoproterenol was similar in allografts and isografts, but allografts had diminished cardiac output and stroke work after isoproterenol. Adenosine triphosphate levels were normal (41.9 nmol/mg) in 3-day allografts (n = 4). We have evaluated functional, biochemical, and pathologic changes associated with myocardial dysfunction during heterotopic cardiac transplant rejection in a small animal. This model reproducibly demonstrates diminished contractile reserve in 3-day allografts with normal baseline function and high-energy stores but histologically significant rejection. 

Category: cardiovascular diseases
Use of recombinant human erythropoietin to enhance autologous blood donation in a patient with multiple red cell allo-antibodies and the anemia of chronic disease. We treated a patient with alcohol-induced cirrhosis, intractable pain from a defective hip prosthesis, and multiple red cell allo-antibodies with recombinant human erythropoietin (EPO) in order to facilitate collection of blood for autologous transfusion during an elective total hip revision. This patient had experienced a delayed transfusion reaction 4 months earlier after receiving least incompatible packed red cells for gastrointestinal bleeding. His blood could not be crossmatched because of the development of multiple antibodies to homologous blood given during previous surgery and several episodes of gastrointestinal hemorrhage. Following initiation of EPO therapy, there was a prompt and persistent increase in the reticulocyte count from a baseline of 1.6% to a maximum of 8.6%. This was accompanied by maintenance of the hematocrit between 32% and 38.5% despite withdrawal of seven units of autologous blood over the 45-day treatment period. Poor venous access and availability of blood bank personnel, not hematocrit level, were the limiting factors that determined how frequently blood could be collected. We conclude that EPO stimulated erythropoiesis in this patient with underlying anemia of chronic disease and facilitated harvest of autologous blood for elective surgery. 

Category: general pathological conditions
Spontaneous reactivation in chronic hepatitis B: patterns and natural history. We identified spontaneous reactivation of hepatitis B virus (HBV) retrospectively by utilizing serum alanine aminotransferase and HBV DNA in 19 men (79% homosexual), with an estimated annual incidence of 7.3%. In 11 patients, spontaneous reactivation occurred as a single episode and in eight patients, reactivation was recurrent, with two to five episodes each. The mean serum alanine aminotransferase level was elevated over 10-fold at the peak of reactivation. Serum anti-HBc IgM was detected during 73% of the reactivation episodes. Actuarial analysis revealed that reactivation was long lasting with 45% and nearly 20% of episodes continued after 6 and 24 months, respectively. The course of 24 chronic HBV carriers with a negative serum HBV DNA test and normal alanine aminotransferase levels at initial appearance was unremarkable. We could not identify clinical features predictive of reactivation or its resolution. Severe reactivation hepatitis occurred in three patients (10%), with two deaths (6%). None of the patients lost HBsAg. Spontaneous reactivation in chronic hepatitis B can appear variably, persist long term, recur, and be fatal. Therefore, accurate classification of chronic HBV infection requires prolonged observation, and spontaneous reactivation should be considered a variable in therapeutic trials for chronic hepatitis B. 

Category: digestive system diseases
Changing demographics in the United States. Implications for health professionals. The coming decade will bring dramatic changes in the composition of the American population. Changes in immigration laws, illegal and legal immigration into this country, and the aging of the "baby boomers" will all result in profound changes in the demographics of this country. These demographic changes will necessitate alterations in all aspects of the health care system. This article focuses on the projected changes that will occur in relation to the elderly, Hispanics, Asian Americans, and the economically disadvantaged, and on the related implications for health care professionals. The cancer incidence and mortality rates for each discussed minority group differ from the rates presently reported for white Americans. Thus, health professionals will have to be aware of the differences among these groups and tailor their primary and secondary prevention efforts accordingly. The future task for all health care providers serving minorities and the elderly will be to familiarize themselves with the special health problems of the population with whom they work and with the ethnocultural barriers that deter proper use and delivery of health services. 

Category: neoplasms
Treatment of chronic tinea pedis (athlete's foot type) with topical terbinafine. Twenty-seven patients with chronic tinea pedis, athlete's foot type, were enrolled in a randomized, double-blind trial of topical treatment with terbinafine 1% cream versus its vehicle (placebo). Patients were examined weekly during 4 weeks of twice-daily treatment and at follow-up 2 weeks after the conclusion of therapy. No adverse events were reported in either treatment group. Drug efficacy was evaluated in 22 patients, of whom nine (41%) were treated with terbinafine and 13 (59%) with placebo. Analysis of combined mycologic and clinical results showed that terbinafine was significantly more effective than placebo at the end of therapy (78% vs zero) and at the 2-week follow-up (89% vs zero) (p less than or equal to 0.001 at both intervals. 

Category: general pathological conditions
Substance P, acetylcholinesterase, and beta-endorphin levels in the plasma and pericardial fluid of patients with and without angina pectoris. We measured substance P-like immunoreactivity (SPLI), beta-endorphin-like immunoreactivity (BELI), acetylcholinesterase activity, and total protein content in pericardial fluid and plasma of patients with angina pectoris and patients with no angina pectoris. SPLI and BELI levels, acetylcholinesterase activity, and total protein content were determined by radioimmunoassay, a colorimetric method, and by the method of Lowry et al. (J Biol Chem 1951; 193:265-75), respectively. In the pericardial fluid, patients with angina had SPLI, BELI, acetylcholinesterase, and total protein values of 1.69 +/- 0.23 fmol/mg protein, 0.16 +/- 0.13 fmol/mg protein, 0.06 +/- 0.02 units, and 25.7 +/- 3.2 mg/ml, respectively. Patients with no angina had SPLI, BELI, acetylcholinesterase, and total protein values of 0.93 +/- 0.17 fmol/mg protein, 0.19 +/- 0.10 fmol/mg protein, 0.16 +/- 0.02 units, and 44.6 +/- 5.3 mg/ml, respectively. SPLI levels were significantly higher (p less than 0.03), and acetylcholinesterase (less than 0.002) and total protein content (less than 0.004) were significantly lower in the pericardial fluid of patients with angina when compared with those of patients with no angina. BELI levels were not significantly different between the two groups. In the plasma, no significant differences were found in SPLI, BELI, acetylcholinesterase, and total protein values between the two groups of patients. Patients with angina had SPLI, BELI, acetylcholinesterase, and total protein values of 0.47 +/- 0.26 fmol/mg protein, 0.06 +/- 0.06 fmol/mg protein, 0.29 +/- 0.15 units, and 68.2 +/- 8.7 mg/ml, respectively. 

Category: cardiovascular diseases
Benign thyroid adenoma causing recurrent laryngeal nerve palsy in a child. The standard teaching is that only malignant thyroid masses produce recurrent laryngeal nerve palsy. An unusual exception to this rule is reported. 

Category: general pathological conditions
Outcome of pregnancy in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus. A prospective study. A prospective study was performed to investigate the outcome and complications of pregnancy in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus. Twenty-nine pregnancies occurred in 22 patients. There were 12 abortions, two spontaneous and 10 induced. Fifteen women had 17 live-born neonates. Neonatal complications included nine premature deliveries, two cases of intrauterine growth retardation, and one of Treacher Collins syndrome. Obstetric complications included threatened abortion (two), placenta previa (two), and preeclampsia (three). Cesarean sections were necessary in five patients. There was no maternal or neonatal mortality. Thirteen episodes of systemic lupus erythematosus relapses were detected by incidents of increasing proteinuria (six), arthritis (four), and vasculitic rash (two). There were no statistical differences in changes in hemoglobin level, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, albumin level, antinuclear antibody titer, or C3 or C4 level between the patients who relapsed and those who did not. Pregnancy could induce a flare of systemic lupus erythematosus in previously normal patients or patients with previously inactive disease. The overall neonatal and maternal survival was good, even in patients who presented during pregnancy. Spontaneous fetal loss was low (2/29 [6.9%]); both cases occurred in mothers with inactive lupus. 

Category: general pathological conditions
Core temperature measurement in hypovolemic resuscitation. STUDY OBJECTIVES: Accurate core temperature measurement in severely hypovolemic patients can be difficult to achieve. We used a dog model to determine both a convenient method of measuring core temperature and the relative accuracy of the multiple sites. DESIGN: Prospective laboratory (animal model) study. SETTING: Operating suites in the Animal Care Department. PARTICIPANTS: Eight adult, anesthetized greyhound dogs. INTERVENTIONS: Continuous temperature monitoring by thermistors placed in the brain, central vein, tympanic membrane, bladder, rectum, esophagus, and subcutaneous tissue. Hemorrhage to 65% initial intravascular volume and autologous transfusion of cooled blood, during which serial temperature measurements were recorded. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: The readings were analyzed with Pearson's correlation coefficient. Brain temperature correlated very well with tympanic membrane temperature throughout the course (r = .869, P less than .0005). Rectum, bladder, and esophagus also correlated well with brain. Central venous temperature, however, correlated poorly with temperatures at all other sites, reflecting the marked swings in intravascular temperature caused by cold transfusion. These wide variations were damped at the other sites. The best correlation of central venous temperature was with brain and bladder, although tympanic membrane correlation was fair. CONCLUSIONS: Because intravascular hypothermia appears to be the source of the arrhythmias and hemostatic abnormalities often seen during the early resuscitation of hypovolemic patients, our results suggest bladder or tympanic membrane as the initial temperature site. After the initial resuscitation, end organ (eg, brain) temperature is the most important and is most accurately reflected by tympanic membrane temperature. 

Category: general pathological conditions