Acute,sub-acute and general pharmacological evaluation of 5-(3,4-methylenedioxyphenyl)-4-ethyl-2E,4E-pentadienoic acid piperidide (SK-20): A novel drug bioavailability enhancer

An efflux pump inhibitor, SK-20 (5-(3,4-methylenedioxyphenyle)-4 ethyl-2E,4E-pentadienoic acid piperidide), was assessed for its toxicity at three different pharmacological profiles: acute, sub-acute and general pharmacology with pharmacokinetics. In acute study, the SK-20 was found safe up to a dose of 2000 mg/kg (b.wt.); and at sub-acute, dosages of 50 and 100 mg/kg (b.wt.) were found to be safe. However, dosages of 200 mg or above per kg (b.wt.) showed some morphological alterations in cellular architecture of both liver and kidneys in both sexes, viz., mild vascular congestion along with sporadic hemorrhages and infiltration into renal and hepatic parenchyma by mononucleate cell. General pharmacological studies did not result into any alterations in analgesic, convulsions, rectal temperatures and in the rhythm or the rate of the intestinal motility or the secretion of the bile. While the respiratory and the cardiac rate remained normal, the only parameter to show was the blood pressure, which at all the doses tested, showed a tendency toward reduction. Characteristically, the SK-20 at all doses influenced pentobarbital-induced hypnosis positively and negatively to spontaneous motor activity in a dose dependent manner. Pharmacokinetics of SK-20 revealed it to have retention time at 10.2 min and half life 2.47 h.     

A neglected case of rare palsy of the descending branch of the posterior interosseous nerve due to penetrating injury

Traumatic palsy of the descending branch of the posterior interosseous nerve (PIN) is rare. Traumatic palsy usually involves the entire PIN around the elbow, leading to finger drop with loss of extension of all fingers and thumb. In the literature, to the best of our knowledge, only one case of traumatic palsy of the descending branch of the PIN due to penetrating injury is reported [1]. We report a neglected, rare case with complete loss of thumb extension and weakness in index finger extension following penetrating injury to the forearm. Our report shows that to diagnose the lesion site in partial PIN palsy, detailed knowledge of the PIN branching pattern is necessary.     

Antimicrobial susceptibility pattern and prevalence of extended spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBLs) producing strains of Klebsiella pneumoniae from a major hospital in New Delhi

Extended spectrum beta-lactamases (ESBLs) are plasmid mediated enzymes capable of hydrolyzing penicillins, broad spectrum-cephalosporins and monobactams. The ESBL producing K. pneumoniae strains are being reported from around the world including India. The present study was taken up to evaluate the ESBL production and in-vitro susceptibility of K. pneumoniae isolates from a hospital. The bacterial isolates collected during 2003 included 51 K. pneumoniae biochemically confirmed isolates from 395 patients admitted in various wards of a major hospital in New Delhi. The isolates were from pus, wound, pleural fluid, urine and tracheal aspirate of patients attending respiratory, urology and burns wards. Antimicrobial susceptibility was carried out by Kirby Bauer's disc diffusion technique using NCCLS criteria. A screening of ESBL production was done by Double-disc synergy test (DDST) and using E-test ESBL strips. The frequency of resistance among K. pneumoniae for the cephalosporins (cefoxitin, cefuroxime, cefotaxime, ceftazidime, and cefepime) and non-cephalosporins (aztreonam, piperacillin, chloramphenicol and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole) were in the range of 39.2-88.0% and 51.0-90.2% respectively. 14 different antimicrobial resistance profiles were recognized ranging from resistance to only four (n=6, 11.7%) to as many as ten (n=9, 17.7%). Among the 51 isolates of K. pneumoniae strains, a total of 36 (70.6%) could be identified as ESBL producers, that correlates with the high frequency of multi-drug resistant K. pneumoniae The study shows alarming rise in ESBL production among K. pneumoniae strains and high rate of resistance to a wide range of cephalosporin and non-cephalosporin group of antimicrobials.     

Out-of-hospital automatic cardioversion of ventricular tachycardia

A 42 year old man who survived sudden cardiac death was treated with an automatic implantable cardioverter/defibrillator. After a 5 month symptom-free interval, the patient received two internal discharges in the conscious state while wearing an ambulatory electrocardiographic recorder. Analysis of the tape revealed that both discharges were activated by two bursts of polymorphous ventricular tachycardia, the first one occurring at the end and the second at the onset of episodes of slow, hemodynamically stable monomorphous ventricular tachycardia. This case illustrates the reliability of the automatic implantable cardioverter/defibrillator as an antiventricular tachycardia device and the problem posed by its exposure to nonsustained ventricular tachycardia.     

Carotid artery occlusive disease

Stroke is the third most common cause of death and the leading cause of disability in the United States. Management of identifiable risk factors and careful selection of patients for operative intervention constitute the current approach to reducing the morbidity and mortality associated with stroke. A carefully performed carotid endarterectomy (CEA), which has a low periprocedural complication rate, is the only form of mechanical cerebral revascularization for which definitive evidence of clinical effectiveness has been reported. Recently, retrospective case reports and case series have demonstrated the feasibility of carotid angioplasty and stenting as a possible alternative to CEA. In the tradition of the two previous National Institutes of Health (NIH)-sponsored trials--the North American Symptomatic Carotid Endarterectomy Trial (NASCET) and Asymptomatic Carotid Atherosclerosis Study (ACAS)--the National Institutes of Health has sponsored a clinical trial (CREST: Carotid Revascularization-Endarterectomy vs Stent Trial) that is currently under way to determine the efficacy and risks of carotid angioplasty and stenting compared with CEA.     

Safety and potential cost savings of same-setting electrophysiologic testing and placement of transvenous implantable cardioverter-defibrillators

BACKGROUND: Separately, electrophysiologic study (EPS) and placement of a transvenous implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) can be performed safely in the majority of patients. The safety and potential cost savings of same-setting procedures have not been evaluated. HYPOTHESIS: Electrophysiologic study and placement of transvenous ICDs can be performed safely in the same setting at reduced cost. METHODS: In all. 160 (mean age 65 +/- 10 years, 75% men) and 41 (mean age 66 +/- 11 years, 73% men) consecutive patients who underwent same- versus separate-setting procedures, respectively, were prospectively evaluated. RESULTS: The two groups had similar clinical characteristics and indications for EPS and ICD therapy. Complications occurred in eight patients (5.0%, 95% confidence interval [CI] 2.3-10.3) who had same-setting procedures (one hypotension during ICD testing, one pocket hematoma, two lead dislodgments, two pneumothoraces, one stroke, and one infection) and in two (4.9%, CI 0.60-16.5) who had separate-setting procedures (one pocket hematoma and one infection). There were no procedure-related deaths or long-term ICD-related complications in either group. The mean time from ICD implantation to hospital discharge was similar in the two groups (2.5 +/- 2.4 vs. 2.7 +/- 2.2 days, p = NS). The combined procedure cost was higher in patients who had separate-setting procedures ($12,403 +/- 1,386 vs. $10,242 +/- 2.256, p = < 0.001). who incurred an additional hospital cost of $2,121 +/- $2,125 for the waiting period (1.7 +/- 1.6 days) between EPS and ICD implantation. CONCLUSIONS: In patients deemed candidates for ICD therapy based on EPS results, placement of transvenous defibrillators in the same setting as EPS is as safe as separate-setting procedures and, if adopted, could further reduce the cost of providing ICD therapy.     

Neurological monitoring and sedation protocols in the Liver Intensive Care Unit

Metabolic Brain Disease - Patients with liver disease often have alteration of neurological status which requires admission to an intensive care unit. Patients with acute liver failure (ALF),...