Background:Cardiovascular diseases (CVD), particularly the ischemic heart disease, are a growing public health issue. In addition, the return to work after an acute cardiovascular attack represents a complex challenge.Objectives:To evaluate utility and safety of cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET), particularly performed “on site”, to promote a return to work in line with the residual working capacity.Methods:Fifty-nine workers affected by a major cardiovascular event, aged 18-63 years, have been enrolled between 2015 and 2018. All the patients underwent a CPET in outpatient clinic. Eleven workers also underwent the “on site” CPET, recorded during their working activities.Results:Outpatient clinic CPET outcomes (i.e. normal, mild impairment or moderate/severe impairment of cardiopulmonary function) were associated with the subjective perception of workers’ health status after returning to work. The “on site” CPET was found to be safe and reliable to promote a personalized return to work of patients. In 7 out of 11 patients, the values of O2consumption (VO2) during the working activity were higher than 40% of VO2max as obtained from laboratory CPET.Conclusions:This study provides evidence for safety and usefulness of “on site” CPET for a personalized statement of fitness for work. This may facilitate the job retention of patients characterized by a high risk of unnecessary job loss. The use of CPET represents a first step of energy expenditure evaluation associated with specific working tasks.Key words: Acute coronary syndrome, cardiopulmonary exercise testing, return to work相似文献
HIV-associated nephropathy (HIV-N) is considered a distinctive disease, the pathogenesis of which is still undefined. Direct virus-induced renal cell damage has been postulated. The numerous cytolytic ultrastructural changes and a few studies by immunoperoxidase support this hypothesis, but there has been no demonstration of virus by electron-microscopy (EM) or by tissue culture. In seven out of 12 cases with histological characteristics of HIV nephropathy, with proteinuria (five cases) or with nephrotic syndrome (two cases), we tested renal tissue for HIV antigens: core p18 and p25; envelope gp45 and gp110, by means of immunoperoxidase avidin-biotin complex monoclonal antibodies (MoAbs). Light-microscopy (LM) showed in five patients a focal and segmental glomerular sclerosis, and in two a mesangial hyperplasia with vacuolisation of visceral epithelium and protein inclusions. Electron-microscopy, performed in five of seven patients, showed several protein inclusions in podocyte cytoplasm, tubuloreticular inclusions in endothelial cell cytoplasm in all cases, nuclear degranulation of tubular cells in four cases and nuclear bodies in two. HIV antigens by MoAbs on renal tissue were negative in all cases, in both glomeruli and tubules. These results do not confirm the presence of HIV proteins in renal tissue of patients with HIV nephropathy. A possible explanation, apart from no direct HIV in the disease, may be the low viral load in tissues, because of the early phases of renal damage in most cases. 相似文献
Gardner's syndrome (GS) is a hereditary disorder inherited as autosomal dominant with complete penetrance and variable expression. GS is a variant of familial adenomatous polyposis characterized by extracolonic manifestations including osteomas, dental anomalies, and epidermoid cysts. The association between GS and endocrine abnormalities has been well documented but a direct pituitary involvement has never been reported. We present a case of oral and maxillofacial manifestations in an adult patient affected by GS associated with growth hormone deficiency, a hitherto unreported association. The possible pathogenic mechanisms are discussed. 相似文献
Introduction Amisulpride is a substituted benzamide that, at low doses, selectively blocks D2 and D3 presynaptic dopamine receptors, enhancing
dopaminergic transmission in frontal cortex and limbic areas. Many clinical studies versus placebo, tricyclic antidepressants
and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors showed amisulpride antidepressant effect, supporting its safety and rapid onset
of action. In oncological population, depression is quite frequent and difficult to treat because of the particular sensitivity
of cancer patients to the antidepressants’ side effects.
Goals of work The aims of this study were to evaluate efficacy, safety and tolerability of low doses of amisulpride (50 mg) in oncological,
depressed patients during chemotheraphy.
Materials and methods One hundred six consecutive cancer outpatients with depressive symptoms were treated in a prospective, intention to treat,
4-week study, and were evaluated in single-blind with Montgomery Asberg rating scale for depression (MADRS), clinical global
impression (CGI) and dosage record treatment emergent symptom scale (DOTES) to assess side effects of treatment.
Main results After 4 weeks of treatment, scores of MADRS and CGI significantly improved (p < 0.002; p < 0.001, respectively), with a reduction of depressive symptoms concerning both emotional (such as apparent sadness, reported
sadness, inner tension, etc.) and physical cluster (such as lack of appetite, reduction in weight, tiredness and insomnia)
with good tolerability (only two patients dropped out).
Conclusions This study is the first trial on the use of amisulpride in a cohort of oncological, depressed patients during chemotherapy.
Amisulpride demonstrated high efficacy and safety. Controlled studies are needed to confirm these preliminary data. 相似文献
Preparation of blood specimens is a major bottleneck in the laboratory throughput. Reliable strategies for reducing the time required for specimen processing without affecting quality should be acknowledged, especially for laboratories performing stat analyses. The present investigation was planned to establish a minimal suitable centrifuge time for primary samples collected for routine coagulation testing. Five sequential primary vacuum tubes containing 0.109 mol/l buffered trisodium citrate were collected from 10 volunteers and were immediately centrifuged on a conventional centrifuge at 1500 x g, at room temperature for 1, 2, 5, 10 and 15 min, respectively. Hematological and routine coagulation testing, including prothrombin time, activated partial thromboplastin time and fibrinogen, were performed. The centrifugation time was inversely associated with residual blood cell elements in plasma, especially platelets. Statistically significant variations from the reference 15-min centrifuge specimens were observed for fibrinogen in samples centrifuged for 5 min at most and for the activated partial thromboplastin time in samples centrifuged for 2 min at most. Meaningful biases related to the desirable bias were observed for fibrinogen in samples centrifuged for 2 min at most, and for the activated partial thromboplastin time in samples centrifuged for 1 min at most. According to our experimental conditions, a 5-10 min centrifuge time at 1500 x g may be suitable for primary tubes collected for routine coagulation testing. 相似文献
Objective: To evaluate the effects of a new timing strategy of band adjustment on the short-term outcome of obese women operated
with adjustable silicone gastric banding. Subjects: The outcome of 30 women without binge-eating disorder operated with laparoscopic
adjustable silicone gastric banding with a wider intraoperatory band calibration (LAP-BAND) was compared to that of 30 body
mass index-matched women without binge-eating disorder previously operated with adjustable silicone gastric banding (ASGB)
applied by laparotomy with the usual intraoperatory band calibration. The patients were evaluated 3, 6 and 12 months after
surgery. Measurements: (1) weight loss; (2) total daily energy intake; (3) percent as liquid, soft or solid food; (4) vomiting
frequency; (5) rate of postoperative percutaneous band adjustments; (6) rate of band-related complications. Results: Both
the weight loss and the daily energy intake did not differ between patients with LAP-BAND and patients with ASGB. After surgery,
the patients with LAP-BAND ate more solid food and less liquid food than the patients with ASGB. Vomiting frequency was higher
in patients with ASGB than in patients with LAP-BAND. The total number of percutaneous band adjustments was higher in women
with LAP-BAND than in women with ASGB. Band inflation because of weight stabilization was performed in six (20.0%) women with
ASGB and in 19 (63.3%) women with LAP-BAND. Neostoma stenosis occurred in one women with ASGB, but in none of the women with
LAP-BAND. One patient with LAP-BAND presented band slippage. Conclusions: The wider intraoperatory band calibration performed
in patients with LAP-BAND did not reduce the short-term efficacy of adjustable silicone gastric banding. This new timing strategy
of band adjustment required more postoperative percutaneous band inflations, but it improved the eating pattern of the patients
(low vomiting frequency and high intake of solid food). 相似文献
Isolated or combined labyrinthine, neural, and vascular damage account for failure to preserve hearing during removal of acoustic neuromas. However, the specific mechanisms of auditory impairment remain unclear unless surgical maneuvers can be related to peri- and postoperative hearing on the basis of intraoperative monitoring of auditory function.
Among the different auditory monitoring techniques, recording of cochlear nerve action potentials (CNAPs) from the intracranial portion of the nerve has proven particularly useful for identifying the mechanisms of iatrogenic auditory injury.
The present investigation analyzes intra- and postoperative auditory impairment in relation to surgical steps in a group of 38 subjects with acoustic neuroma (size ranging from 5 to 24 mm) undergoing removal via a retrosigmoid approach.
Coagulation close to the cochlear nerve, drilling of the internal auditory canal, and removal of the intrameatal portion of the acoustic neuroma have prove to be the most critical surgical steps in hearing preservation.
Changes were correlated with intra- and extrameatal tumor size, the relationship between the internal auditory canal and vestibule, and internal auditory canal enlargement, anatomic involvement of the cochlear nerve, preoperative auditory level, and ABR and ENG test findings.
Changes in CNAP morphology and latency are detailed, and mechanisms of injury are analyzed and discussed as a function of these variables.