shukoor65/lab-rag-model huggingface dataset:
Practical considerations in treating the elderly hypertensive patient. More than half of all older Americans die of cardiovascular diseases. Hypertension is a major risk factor for cardiovascular diseases, and its prevalence increases with age. Older patients are both at higher risk for end-organ complications and less likely than younger ones to survive such complications as myocardial infarction and stroke. Clinical studies have shown that reduction of elevated blood pressure is beneficial in many older persons. Optimal selection of antihypertensive therapy requires consideration of the special characteristics of the elderly, who differ from their younger counterparts in physiology, response to therapy and frequency of concomitant illnesses and medications. Calcium antagonists are particularly effective in these patients; other agents are useful in selected situations. Drugs that are likely to cause central nervous system side effects or orthostatic hypotension generally should be avoided in this patient population. Therapy should begin with a low dose and be titrated upward slowly, thus avoiding excessive reduction of blood pressure and the development of orthostatic hypotension. Treatment should be altered as necessary to minimize side effects that may impair quality of life or lead to poor compliance.
Efficacy of dorsal longitudinal myelotomy in treating spinal spasticity: a review of 20 cases. The authors report their experience using dorsal longitudinal myelotomy in treating spasticity in 20 patients with complete spinal cord injuries. These patients suffered from severe painful flexor/extensor spasms that prevented them from wheelchair ambulation and/or their decubitus ulcers healing. All were receiving large doses of various oral drugs, including baclofen, which had failed to control their spasticity, and all underwent a modification of a posterior T-myelotomy as first described by Bischof. All 20 patients enjoyed immediate complete relief of their painful spasms, although two (10%) eventually experienced return of their spasms and are thus classified as long-term failures. Seventeen patients succeeded in markedly reducing, or being completely weaned from, their antispasmodic medications. In 11 of 14 patients, nonhealing decubitus ulcers subsequently healed with treatment. Bladder function was unchanged from the preoperative status in all patients. Chronic intrathecal baclofen infusion has recently been reported as an effective treatment of the spasticity of paraplegia. The results of this study, along with previous reports advocating dorsal longitudinal myelotomy, suggest that this approach is an efficacious alternative to chronic baclofen infusion in reducing spasticity for complete paraplegics. Considering the cost of the infusion pump, along with the fact that chronic intrathecal baclofen therapy necessitates long-term medical supervision, it appears that myelotomy is superior for this select group of patients who have no hope of regaining voluntary motor function.
Evidence for reduced fibrinolytic activity in unstable angina at rest. Clinical, biochemical, and angiographic correlates. BACKGROUND. The goal of this study was to evaluate the role of the fibrinolytic system in patients with unstable angina at rest associated with transient electrocardiographic changes. METHODS AND RESULTS. Tissue plasminogen activator activity in plasma was comparable among patients with unstable angina (n = 17), patients with stable exertional angina (n = 10), and control patients with normal coronary arteriograms (n = 8). In contrast, plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) activity in plasma was elevated in the unstable angina group (21.67 +/- 9.52 AU/ml) as compared with either the stable angina group (12.01 +/- 7.06 AU/ml, p less than 0.02) or the controls (12.49 +/- 8.54 AU/ml, p less than 0.02). Coronary angiography performed within 24 hours after the last anginal episode showed a similar extent of coronary artery disease in the unstable and stable angina groups. However, intracoronary thrombi were observed in eight patients in the unstable angina group while no thrombus was noted in the stable angina group (chi 2 = 7.22, p less than 0.01). CONCLUSIONS. We conclude that patients with unstable angina at rest have a reduced fibrinolytic activity and an increased incidence of intracoronary thrombi. It is postulated that elevated PAI-1 activity in the presence of coronary arterial wall injury may be an important factor leading to the development of acute coronary syndromes.
Results of multimodal therapy in Ewing's sarcoma: a retrospective analysis of 20 patients. A retrospective analysis was performed of 20 patients with Ewing's sarcoma treated by combined modality therapy, consisting of surgery, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy. Fourteen patients (70%) achieved complete remission and 5 patients (25%) were in partial remission at the end of treatment. One patient (5%) failed to respond to combined modality therapy. The overall 5 year actuarial survival was 64% and the disease free survival, 55%. Persistent or recurrent disease occurred in 8 patients (40%); one of them was salvaged by surgery and chemotherapy. Site and extent of primary lesion were prognosticators of patients' outcome. One patient developed radiation-related-sequelae. The efficacy of aggressive management consisting of wide surgery, radiotherapy and intermittent high dose chemotherapy is discussed.
In vitro activity of sparfloxacin (CI-978; AT-4140) against clinical isolates from cancer patients. The in vitro activity of sparfloxacin, a new quinolone, was compared with those of ciprofloxacin and fleroxacin against gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria, greater than 90% of which were isolated from blood culture specimens of cancer patients. Sparfloxacin was extremely active against Acinetobacter species, Aeromonas hydrophila, Citrobacter diversus, Enterobacter species, Escherichia coli, Klebsiella species, Proteus vulgaris, and Serratia marcescens (inhibiting greater than 90% of these isolates at a concentration of 0.5 microgram/ml) and moderately active against Pseudomonas species, other Proteus species, and Citrobacter freundii. Sparfloxacin inhibited greater than 90% of staphylococci (including methicillin-resistant and coagulase-negative strains) at a concentration of 0.12 microgram/ml and greater than 90% of streptococci (including Streptococcus pneumoniae) at a concentration of 1.0 microgram/ml. It was also active against Bacillus cereus, Enterococcus species, and Corynebacterium jeikeium, organisms that have become fairly common in cancer patients.
Femoropopliteal arterial occlusions: laser-assisted versus conventional percutaneous transluminal angioplasty. Recanalization of 75 femoropopliteal arterial occlusions was attempted with either conventional percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (n = 28; mean occlusion length, 5.5 cm) or percutaneous laser-assisted angioplasty (PLA) (n = 47; mean occlusion length, 11.6 cm). Conventional recanalization was technically successful in 21 patients (mean occlusion length, 4.4 cm +/- 3.9) and was a technical failure in seven (mean occlusion length, 8.7 cm +/- 6.2). The technical outcome was a function of the length of the occlusion (P = .04). The PLA procedure, performed with a laser with a sapphire probe, was a technical success in 32 patients (mean length, 10.7 cm +/- 6.5) and a technical failure in 15 (mean length, 13.6 cm +/- 8.2). With PLA, the length of the occlusion did not determine the technical (P = .20) or clinical (P = .12) outcome. In patients with gangrene, PLA of occlusions longer than 5 cm failed clinically (P = .02). This PLA method appeared to be safe and allowed passage through occlusions longer than 10 cm.
Mixed acid fermentation of glucose as a mechanism of emphysematous urinary tract infection. Emphysematous pyelonephritis is a severe necrotizing infection that usually occurs in patients with diabetes mellitus or obstructive uropathy. Although glucose fermentation has been considered as the main cause of gas production the actual mechanism remains controversial. Compositions of gas samples from 2 patients with emphysematous pyelonephritis recently encountered were analyzed, and showed 15% hydrogen, 4.8% carbon dioxide, 60% nitrogen, 6.7% oxygen and some unknown gases in case 1, and 3.4% hydrogen, 22% carbon dioxide, 66% nitrogen and 9.8% oxygen in case 2. These results tend to implicate mixed acid fermentation of glucose as the pathway by which emphysematous urinary tract infections develop.
Carboplatin, doxorubicin, and cyclophosphamide versus cisplatin, doxorubicin, and cyclophosphamide: a randomized trial in stage III-IV epithelial ovarian carcinoma. One hundred sixty-four patients with stage III-IV epithelial ovarian carcinoma were randomized to receive cisplatin (CDDP) 50 mg/mq, doxorubicin 45 mg/mq, and cyclophosphamide 600 mg/mq (PAC) or carboplatin 200 mg/mq, doxorubicin 45 mg/m2, and cyclophosphamide 600 mg/mq (CAC). To administer equitoxic doses at each cycle, the drug dosages were adjusted according to the hematologic toxicities experienced after the previous course; 44.7% of CAC and 21.1% of PAC patients required a dosage reduction at the second course (P = .002). Neither CAC nor PAC caused any clinically relevant neuro-nephrotoxicity; however, CDDP was administered with hydration and forced diuresis, while carboplatin was administered by rapid intravenous (IV) infusion. After six cycles, response rates were superimposable: 62.5% and 66.6% for CAC and PAC, respectively; pathologic complete responses (pCRs) were 16.7% for CAC and 23.2% for PAC; among patients with more than 2 cm residual disease, PAC induced more pCRs than CAC (eight of 52 or 15.4% v one of 42 or 2.4%, P = .07). Median survivals and progression-free survivals (PFSs) were 22.6 and 13.2 months for PAC, and 23.1 and 15.5 months for CAC, respectively; these differences are not significant. In conclusion, this trial demonstrates that equitoxic doses of PAC or CAC result in a similar response rate, PFS, and survival.
Marshall-Smith syndrome: new radiographic, clinical, and pathologic observations. Radiographic, clinical, and histologic findings in two infants and a neonate with a syndrome of profoundly accelerated skeletal maturation included features closely resembling those of Marshall-Smith (MS) syndrome, but patients had dysmorphic ears as well as distinctive generalized skeletal abnormalities suggestive of a bone dysplasia. Among these was an instability at the craniocervical junction with severe spinal stenosis. These previously unrecognized abnormalities may represent uncommon manifestations within the spectrum of MS syndrome or indicate the existence of a separate disorder.
Patient and technique survival among an urban population of peritoneal dialysis patients: an 8-year experience. Estimates of patient and technique survival are given for 146 peritoneal dialysis (PD) patients who underwent dialysis between January 1, 1981 through December 31, 1989. In all, 33 patients died and 44 patients changed treatment. Patient survival was 92% at 1 year, 80% at 2 years, and 55% at 4 years, while technique survival was 85% at 1 year, 74% at 2 years, and 47% at 4 years. Cox's proportional hazards regression model was used to assess the effects of sex, age, diabetes, cardiovascular disease (CVD), education, and training time on both patient and technique survival. Both patient age (P = 0.001) and CVD (P = 0.03) had a significant impact on patient survival. On the average, for every 10 years' increase in age, the risk of death increased by a factor of 1.71. Patients with CVD had a risk of death 2.57 times higher than the risk of death among patients without CVD. With respect to technique or method survival, black patients had a risk of changing treatment 2.24 times higher than that for white patients. Our patient and technique survivals are similar to that reported in the national CAPD registry over a comparable period (1981 to 1988).
Postoperative analgesia after triple nerve block for fractured neck of femur Fifty patients with fractured neck of femur that required surgical correction with either a compression screw or pin and plate device were randomly allocated to receive one of two anaesthetic techniques, general anaesthesia combined with either opioid supplementation or triple nerve block (three in one block) with subcostal nerve block. The nerve blocks significantly reduced the quantity of opioid administered after operation; 48% of these patients required no additional analgesia in the first 24 hours. Plasma prilocaine levels in these patients were well below the toxic threshold, and peak absorption occurred 20 minutes after the injection. No untoward sequelae were associated with the nerve blocks.
Limitations of faecal chymotrypsin as a screening test for chronic pancreatitis. Faecal chymotrypsin was measured in patients with chronic pancreatitis and in healthy black urban and rural control subjects. In the patients, significantly lower values of faecal chymotrypsin were obtained (mean (SD) 2.4 1.79 U/g stool) whereas in urban control subjects, values were within the normal range (mean (SD) 13.2 (11.9)). In rural black control subjects, however, the faecal chymotrypsin value was significantly lower (mean (SD) 7.1 (5.1)) than in urban black control subjects. It is suggested that faecal pH may influence faecal chymotrypsin values. The mean faecal pH in rural black subjects (pH 6.14) was significantly lower than that in urban control subjects (pH 6.77) and in patients with chronic pancreatitis (pH 6.61). Moreover, mean faecal chymotrypsin is high (20.0 U/g stool) at a pH greater than 7. Between pH 6 and 7 the mean value drops to 8.6 U/g stool and below pH 6 mean faecal chymotrypsin is in the abnormal range (4.4 U/g stool). Hence, low values for faecal chymotrypsin may be due to lower faecal pH (less than 6) in healthy control subjects. For diagnostic purposes, the faecal pH value should be determined if a low faecal chymotrypsin value is obtained.
The time course of acute psychiatric episodes in systemic lupus erythematosus. Acute psychotic manifestations in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) have been considered usually to occur early in the course of illness, although these findings are primarily based on studies with few patients and limited lengths of observation. To further investigate the chronology of acute psychiatric disturbances in SLE, the time course of these episodes was examined in 36 patients over a median duration of observation of 72 months. Twenty-two of 36 (61.1%) initial psychiatric episodes occurred within the first year of diagnosis of SLE, although several patients experienced the initial onset of psychiatric manifestations several years after the onset of SLE. Recurrent episodes occurred in 10 of 36 patients at a median of 8 months after the initial episode. Although tending to occur early in SLE, primary acute psychiatric events may first occur in patients with long durations of illness, and the time of onset of these episodes does not appear helpful in their differential diagnosis.
Leukaemia of novel gastrointestinal T-lymphocyte population infected with HTLV-I In a 72-year-old man with watery diarrhoea and leukocytosis the proliferation of abnormal cells was studied in specimens obtained by endoscopic biopsy of the gastrointestinal tract. Flow cytometry of leukaemia cells revealed a monoclonal expansion of "double-negative" (CD4-, CD8-) cells bearing T-cell receptor (TCR) alpha beta products. Southern blotting confirmed monoclonal integration of HTLV-I. A novel T-cell subset of double-negative TCR alpha beta cells in the gastrointestinal tract in adult man may be a target for HTLV-I infection.
Symptomatic subependymoma: a clinicopathological and flow cytometric study. Twenty-one intracranial subependymomas were reviewed with regard to presentation, diagnosis, operative findings, and long-term follow-up data. The histopathological features were critically reviewed, and deoxyribunucleic acid analysis was performed by flow cytometry. The patients' mean age was 48.5 years (range 32 to 72 years). In 14 cases the tumor was located in the fourth ventricle, in six within a lateral ventricle, and in one in the third ventricle with extension into the lateral ventricle. Radiographic characteristics included isodensity with minimal enhancement on computerized tomography, frequent dystrophic calcification, and isointensity on T1-weighted or slight hyperintensity on T2-weighted magnetic resonance images. The predominant histological features in all cases were those of classic subependymoma. Nonetheless, pathological examination showed a minor (less than 20%) ependymoma component in five cases, significant cytological atypia in seven, mitoses in 11, endothelial prominence in four, and focal hemorrhage-associated necrosis in two. Flow cytometry revealed a diploid pattern in 12 patients, tetraploidy in two, and aneuploidy in one. Two patients died in the perioperative period. Of the remaining 19, 12 underwent gross total resection (two of whom received postoperative irradiation) and seven underwent subtotal resection (five of whom received irradiation). None of the 12 non-irradiated patients developed tumor progression or died of direct tumor-related causes. Of the seven irradiated patients, follow-up imaging studies demonstrated their tumors to be radioresponsive, particularly with doses of 5000 cGy or greater. Despite the presence of cytological atypia and mitotic activity in the majority of cases, the prognostic effects of such factors as tumor location and the extent of surgical resection outweighed those of the standard histopathological parameters. Routine postoperative irradiation is not recommended, but should be reserved for cases with a symptomatic residual or recurrent subependymomas following surgery.
Effects of fibrin sealant on tubal anastomosis and adhesion formation. The results of the present study suggest that there is no difference in adhesion formation and PR after tubal anastomosis using sutures or fibrin sealant. It appears that the use of fibrin sealant is associated with decreased incidence of ectopic pregnancy.
Effect of positive end-expiratory pressure on intra-abdominal pressure. Massive elevation of intra-abdominal pressure (IAP) causes renal, cardiovascular, and respiratory dysfunction. Positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP) markedly increases the detrimental effect of IAP on the cardiovascular system. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of PEEP on IAP. In 15 patients requiring mechanical ventilation, IAP was measured, after 15-minute equilibration intervals, at PEEP levels of 0, 5, 10, and 15 cm H2O. Parametric analysis with multiple paired t tests and nonparametric analysis with Spearman's rho and Kendall's tau tests were used to determine correlation between PEEP and IAP. All patients were male. The mean age was 39 years (range, 18-77). Ten patients had just had laparotomy. No correlation was found between PEEP and IAP. We conclude that PEEP of 15 cm H2O or less has no effect on IAP, and we discuss the clinical implications.
Differing activities of medullary respiratory neurons in eupnea and gasping. Our purpose was to compare further eupneic ventilatory activity with that of gasping. Decerebrate, paralyzed, and ventilated cats were used; the vagi were sectioned within the thorax caudal to the laryngeal branches. Activities of the phrenic nerve and medullary respiratory neurons were recorded. Antidromic invasion was used to define bulbospinal, laryngeal, or not antidromically activated units. The ventilatory pattern was reversibly altered to gasping by exposure to 1% carbon monoxide in air. In eupnea, activities of inspiratory neurons commenced at various times during inspiration, and for most the discharge frequency gradually increased. In gasping, the peak discharge frequency of inspiratory neurons was unaltered. However, all commenced activities at the start of the phrenic burst and reached peak discharge almost immediately. The discharge frequencies of all groups of expiratory neurons fell in gasping, with many neurons ceasing activity entirely. These data are consistent with the hypothesis that brain stem mechanisms controlling eupnea and gasping differ fundamentally.
Long-term visual function in acute posterior multifocal placoid pigment epitheliopathy. Acute posterior multifocal placoid pigment epithellopathy is a chorioretinal inflammatory disease occurring in young, healthy adults. The long-term visual prognosis and recurrence rate is uncertain. We reexamined 28 patients (53 affected eyes) with acute posterior multifocal placoid pigment epitheliopathy (mean follow-up, 8 years) to obtain details on the long-term functional visual outcome. The final visual acuities were 20/25 or better in 48 eyes (90.6%), 20/30 to 20/100 in four eyes (7.5%), and 20/200 in one eye (1.9%). Although the final visual acuity was good, 33 eyes (62.3%) were symptomatic with blurred vision, metamorphopsia, or scotomas. Thirty-six eyes (67.9%) had significant central visual field defects on follow-up examination. There were no recurrences after the initial month of symptoms. The chorioretinal scars did not enlarge with time. Acute posterior multifocal placoid pigment epitheliopathy has a good longterm prognosis for visual acuity, although most patients have residual symptoms and paracentral scotomas.
Cytokine biology. Implications for transfusion medicine. The development and widespread availability of recombinant products will effect blood centers through reduced product use, replacement of current products, and novel applications of new products. The greatest amount of clinical experience to date has dealt with the use of recombinant human erythropoietin (r-HuEPO) in the treatment of anemia in end-stage renal failure. Data also support its use in anemia associated with acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS), cancer, and chronic inflammatory diseases. This article will focus on the effect of erythropoietin on the demand for erythrocyte use.
A multicenter, controlled trial of ursodiol for the treatment of primary biliary cirrhosis. UDCA-PBC Study Group. BACKGROUND. In primary biliary cirrhosis the hepatic lesions may result, at least in part, from the intracellular accumulation of potentially toxic endogenous bile acids. Preliminary work suggests that the administration of ursodiol (also called ursodeoxycholic acid), a hydrophilic bile acid without hepatotoxicity, leads to improvement in the condition of patients with primary biliary cirrhosis. METHODS. We conducted a two-year, multicenter, double-blind trial to compare the efficacy of ursodiol with that of placebo. Patients with biopsy-proved primary biliary cirrhosis were randomly assigned to receive either ursodiol (13 to 15 mg per kilogram of body weight per day) (n = 73) or placebo (n = 73). Treatment failure was defined as a doubling of bilirubin levels to more than 70 mumol per liter or the occurrence of a severe complication (ascites or variceal bleeding) or an adverse reaction. RESULTS. Treatment failed in 6 patients in the ursodiol group, as compared with 13 in the placebo group (P less than 0.01 by Cox regression model). A single patient in each group withdrew because of minor adverse effects. After two years of treatment, the proportion of patients with clinically overt disease decreased only in the ursodiol group (P less than 0.02). The patients treated with ursodiol had significant improvements in serum levels of bilirubin, alkaline phosphatase, alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, gamma-glutamyltransferase, cholesterol, and IgM (all P less than 0.001); the antimitochondrial-antibody titer (P less than 0.01); and the Mayo risk score (P less than 0.001). Follow-up analysis of 95 liver-biopsy specimens showed a significant improvement in the mean histologic score (P less than 0.002) and in all the characteristic histologic features except fibrosis only in the group given ursodiol. CONCLUSIONS. Ursodiol is a safe and effective treatment for primary biliary cirrhosis.