Possible Response of Acute Psychosis in Hepatic Encephalopathy to Levodopa

A favorable response to levodopa in two episodes of hepatic encephalopathy, the latter presenting as acute psychosis, is described in a patient with Budd-Chiari syndrome.     

CLINICAL AND PHARMACOLOGICAL ACTIONS OF A BOLUS INJECTION OF SUXAMETHONIUM: TWO PHENOMENA OF DISTINCT DURATION

Twenty-five healthy adult patients undergoing general anaesthesiafor elective surgery were randomly allocated to five groups(n = 5) and their mechanical isometric adductor pollicis activity(twitch height (TH)), was monitored. The patients in groupsI, II and III received suxamethonium lmg kg^–1 followedby Org NC 45 40 µg kg^–1 5 min (group I), 15 min(group II) or 30 min (group III) after complete recovery frommuscle paralysis. The patients in groups IV and V received onlyOrg NC 45 40 and 80 µg kg^–, respectively. Mean maximumTH depression (about 42% of initial value in group IV and 5%in group V) decreased to less than 4% in groups I, II and IIIregardless of the time interval between the injections of suxamethoniumand Org NC 45. Mean duration to 90% recovery of Org NC 45-inducedblockade was prolonged in patients in groups I, II and III whencompared with the patients in group IV (28 min v. 12 min).