Cerebral hemorrhagic risk of aspirin or heparin therapy with thrombolytic treatment in rabbits

We studied the incidence of cerebral hemorrhage in an animal model of embolic stroke to determine the safety of aspirin, heparin, and tissue plasminogen activator therapies. We occluded the middle cerebral arteries of rabbits with labeled blood clots and administered either tissue plasminogen activator, heparin, aspirin, tissue plasminogen activator plus aspirin, tissue plasminogen activator plus heparin, or saline at various times after stroke. Compared to saline controls, both the aspirin-only and the tissue plasminogen activator-plus-aspirin groups had a significantly higher incidence of cerebral hemorrhage, whereas the heparin and tissue plasminogen activator combination groups did not. We conclude that aspirin antiplatelet therapy alone may increase the risk of hemorrhagic infarction, whereas heparin or tissue plasminogen activator therapy appears to be relatively safe.     

Cytologic criteria for the formation of a risk group in Barrett esophagus]

Oncologic screenings of the populations in the areas with increased incidence of esophageal cancer have revealed Barrett's ulcer in 1 percent of the examinees. Endoscopic and cytologic characteristics of this condition are presented. Precancer changes--severe dysplasia--are most frequent in male Kazakhs (14.1 percent) aged 50 to 59 (14.7 percent). Subjects with Barrett's ulcer developing severe dysplasia, as evidenced by cytograms, should be included in the group of subjects at risk for carcinoma of the lower third of the esophagus and cardia.     

Reference values of anthropometric measurements in Dutch children. The Oosterwolde Study

In the period 1979-1980 the following anthropometric measurements were recorded in 2351 healthy Dutch children from 0-17 years of age: height, weight, sitting height, arm span, lengths of upper-arm, lower-arm and hand, tibial length, foot length, biacromial diameter, biiliacal diameter, and head circumference. Corresponding percentile values were constructed on the basis of normality assumptions, the mean and standard deviation at age t being determined by a cubic spline approximation. The results are compared with other studies and given in the form of growth charts.     

In vitro/in vivo functionality of Catapres-TTS

The in vitro and in vivo functionality of Catapres-TTS, a transdermal therapeutic system that delivers the alpha adrenergic receptor agonist clonidine, is discussed in terms of the drug transport kinetics and resultant plasma drug concentration profiles. The design of Catapres-TTS is presented as an optimization by which the best combination of system performance characteristics is obtained within the inherent limitations of the transdermal drug transport properties and the known pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic properties of the drug. Clonidine is a potent antihypertensive agent with a relatively low therapeutic index. For Catapres-TTS, the majority of control over the drug input rate resides within the system, rather than within the skin, which significantly reduces the variability in drug input rate and resulting plasma drug concentration both within and between patients. Moreover, the presence of a rate-control element in the system allows for patterning of the drug release rate. An initial bolus of drug is placed in the contact adhesive layer, where its transport into the skin is not inhibited by the rate control element in the system, for reduction in the time needed to achieve steady state drug input. The selection of the loading dose of drug is described as an optimization between the minimization of the lag time and the maintenance of constant plasma drug concentrations during the crossover period between system applications in chronic therapy.     

Flecainide versus quinidine in the prevention of paroxysms of atrial fibrillation

We compared the efficacy of flecainide versus quinidine in preventing paroxysms of atrial fibrillation in a randomized open crossover study. Twenty-six patients with weekly attacks of atrial fibrillation during the last 3 months, objectified by 24-h holter monitoring or 12-lead electrocardiogram (ECG) were treated for a period of 3 months with flecainide 100 mg b.i.d. or quinidine 500 mg b.i.d. Efficacy was assessed by 24-h holter monitoring and a questionnaire at the end of each month. Dosage was adjusted to flecainide 100 mg t.i.d. or quinidine 500 mg t.i.d. if patients still had symptomatic paroxysms of atrial fibrillation according to a questionnaire or on holter monitoring. In 46% of the patients, flecainide 100 mg b.i.d. caused total abolition of supraventricular tachycardia; after dose adjustment it caused 50% total abolition. For quinidine, the figures are 16% (p less than 0.05) and 32% (NS), respectively. Side effects occurred with flecainide only after dose adjustment (23%), but on quinidine they occurred before (8%) and after dose adjustment (20%). We conclude that flecainide suppresses paroxysms of atrial fibrillation significantly more often as compared with quinidine in the lower dosage regimen. Optimal treatment dosage of flecainide is 100 mg b.i.d. After quinidine dose adjustment, the difference in efficacy is no longer significant. However, side effects necessitating discontinuation of quinidine developed in 20% of the patients as compared to none in patients treated with flecainide 100 mg b.i.d.     

Fortschritte bei der operativen Therapie der Divertikelerkrankung des Dickdarms

European Surgery - Es werden in einer retrospektiven Studies die Ergebnisse von 101 Patienten, welche wegen einer komplizierten Kolondivertikulitis in den Jahren 1965 bis 1978 operiert wurden, den...     

Enucleation combined with orbital implants for malignant melanoma of the uvea

Advanced malignant melanomas of the uvea unsuited for an eye salvaging approach require enucleation of the tumor containing eye. A series of 68 patients is reported who underwent enucleation combined with insertion of a spherical dura-encased implant after 30 Gray pre-irridiation therapy of the orbit. Postoperative results with special attention to cosmetic outcome and motility of the prosthesis suggest that the insertion of an orbital implant should be preferred to the enucleation with no implant.     

Zinc, calcium, and magnesium metabolism: effects on plasmacytomas in Balb/c mice

The effects of different amounts of dietary zinc on the Zn absorption rate and on Zn, calcium and magnesium concentrations in tissues of MOPC 104E tumor-bearing Balb/c mice were determined. The Zn absorption rate was inversely related to the amounts of Zn in their diets and was lower than that of nontumor-bearing control mice fed a laboratory mice chow. Zn concentrations of tumor-bearing mice were also low compared with control mice but tumor Zn concentrations, regardless of the concentrations of Zn in the diets, were higher than those of normal tissues of the host other than the pancreas. Ca concentrations in tumor and tissues of tumor-bearing mice were higher than in control animals but Mg concentrations in tissues of tumor-bearing mice appeared to be similar to those of control mice. Results suggest that tumor-bearing mice have a lower intestinal Zn absorption capacity and a higher Zn uptake rate causing other tissues to become hypozincemic and hypercalcemic.