Bradycardia related to hypoglycaemia.

Alterations in blood glucose levels are known to be involved in electrocardiogram changes. Various types of arrhythmias have been reported. We present here the case of an 81-year-old woman presenting with transient atrial fibrillation while being treated for hypoglycaemia with dextrose infusion, and finally developing a sinus rhythm. The presence of alterations in glucose blood levels should always be considered as a potential cause of transient atrial fibrillation.     

Severe hypoxemia due to a right-left shunt at the level of the foramen ovale. A complication of right ventricular infarct]

A 76-year-old woman with an inferior wall myocardial infarction, with right ventricular involvement, developed severe arterial hypoxemia with neurological involvement. Pulmonary edema or embolism and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease were ruled-out, and a right-to-left shunt was demonstrated by contrast echocardiography at the level of the foramen ovale. After inotropic support and oxygen supplementation, the patient recovered, although with significant neurological sequelae. No focal lesions were detected in the central nervous system by computerized tomography. Hypoxemia improved, coinciding with the disappearance of right-to-left shunt by contrast echocardiography.     

Pulmonary valvuloplasty in children with cyanotic cardiopathy

We present 5 patients with cyanotic congenital heart disease in whom a pulmonary valvuloplasty was performed as palliative therapy. The patients symptoms were hypoxemic spells, very low oxygen saturation and no weight gain. The oxygenation improved and symptoms disappeared. We believe that in properly selected patients this technique represents a good therapeutic modality.     

Serum levels of alpha-tocopherol (vitamin E) in Parkinson's disease.

To elucidate the possible role of vitamin E in the pathogenesis of Parkinson's disease (PD), we compared serum levels of alpha-tocopherol (vitamin E), measured by high-performance liquid chromatography, and the vitamin E/cholesterol ratio of 42 Parkinson's disease (PD) patients using their spouses as the control group. The serum levels of vitamin E did not differ significantly between the groups (13.84 +/- 0.56 micrograms/ml for PD and 14.80 +/- 0.57 micrograms/ml for controls), nor did the vitamin E/cholesterol ratio (0.64 +/- 0.03 for both groups). There was no influence of antiparkinsonian therapy on vitamin E or the vitamin E/cholesterol ratio. Serum levels of the vitamin E and vitamin E/cholesterol ratio did not correlate with age, age at onset, scores of the Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale or the Hoehn and Yahr staging in the PD group. These results suggest that serum vitamin E concentrations do not play a role in the pathogenesis of PD.     

Food allergy as a cause of rhinitis and/or asthma.

We studied the histories of patients who had visited our Department during the last 5 years, presenting food allergy with exclusively respiratory symptoms (18.5%). We studied the correlation between IgE levels and the histamine release test and the type of food implicated. Seventy-seven percent of patients presented sensitization to one food, and 23% presented polysensitization. We found that foods such as snails and eggs have a strong predilection for the bronchial tree as the shock organ. High total IgE was found in 85.2% of patients. The histamine release test was positive in 66% of cases. We conclude that this is a highly sensitive method for the in vitro diagnosis of food allergy.     

Serum analysis for potassium ions using a fibre optic sensor.

A fibre optic potassium ion sensor has been developed based on reflectance measurements of the pH-dependent chromogenic crown ether 'Takagi reagent' immobilized on the non-ionic polymeric resin Amberlite XAD2. The sensor response is in the 1.5-100 mM range with a detection limit of 0.25 mM K+. The selectivity factor over sodium is 20. The proposed sensor works with a reproducibility of +/- 0.8% at the 5 mM K+ level. Advantageous design features include ease of construction, simplicity of use, reversibility, short response time (approximately 1 min) and an optimum working pH range (7.0-8.0) for biological fluids. This optical sensor was applied successfully to the direct determination of potassium in human serum. Aqueous potassium standards containing 0.13 M NaCl and a buffer of pH 8 were used for calibration.     

Solitary ileocolic arteriovenous malformation: spongostan and silk therapeutic embolisation.

A debilitated patient with liver cirrhosis and poor haemostasis had a severe lower gastrointestinal haemorrhage. A superior mesenteric arteriogram revealed an early persistent and promiment draining vein in the ileocolic artery. Two fragments of Spongostan and silk were used to embolise the bleeding artery and the haemorhage ceased immediately. No infarction of the embolised area was observed and the bleeding was controlled.     

Cross-correlation analysis of septohippocampal neurons during theta-rhythm

The activity from 55 septohippocampal neuron pairs was examined in rats anesthetized with urethane. In addition to the statistical characterization of the firing patterns of the recorded units, the functional interactions between pairs of neurons and between neurons and hippocampal theta (theta) waves were investigated with cross-correlation techniques. Pairs were classified according to the rhythmic or non-rhythmic discharge pattern of their neurons. (a) theta-Pairs were those in which both the medial septal (MS) and hippocampal (HPC) units were rhythmic (type 1 units). (b) Pairs with a rhythmic and a theta-related non-rhythmic unit (type 2 unit) were called mixed pairs. (c) Pairs composed of type 2 units were called type 2 pairs. theta-Pairs showed periodic cross-correlations and frequently fired with a phase difference which could change in different pairs. Mixed pairs also showed periodic cross-correlations although one of the units was non-rhythmic. Type 2 pairs showed non-periodic positive cross-correlations. Our data provide new information regarding the temporal relationship between MS and HPC rhythmic activities supporting the role of the MS in providing the afferent timing for the generation of theta-rhythm in the HPC.