Study of some official pharmaceutical preparations in the Sixth Edition of Formule Normales by thin-layer chromatography

Pharmaceutical preparations--containing aminophenazonum, noraminophenazonum sodium mesylicum, acidum acetylsalicylicum and aethylmorphinium chloratum--official in the VI. Edition of Formulae Normales have been investigated. Simple method for studying decomposition products--which can be carried out in pharmacies and can be followed the quality of products with during their usability--has been developed. The method proving and precluding the presence of decomposition products, respectively by means of preparing dilution sets has been capable of semiquantitative determination of decomposition products. DC Alufolien Kieselgel 60 F254 (Merck) layer was used. Temperature of laboratory was 22-26 degrees C and its relative humidity was 30-40%. Developing solvents were: acetone-ether-water (90:15:12) for aminophenazum; benzene-acetone-90% alcohol-wated (35: 33: 26: 11) for noraminophenazonum sodium mesylicum; methenol-glacial acetic acid-ether-benzene (1: 18: 60: 120) for acidum acetylsalicylicum; dichloromethane-methanol-concentrated ammonia (85: 15: 2) for aethylmorphinium chloratum. Detections were carried out under UV light and by using colour reagents (alcoholic ninhydrine solution for aminophenazonum, dimethylamino-benzaldehyde solution for noraminophenazonum sodium mesylicum). Rf-values of intact and decomposed compounds have been given in figures. Interfering effects of other components of preparations were studied too. These components had different Rf-values or did not react with the colour producing reagents in the applied systems.     

The use of endoprostheses (stents) in airway stenosis]

Six patients with obstruction of the trachea were treated with silicone rubber endothracheal stents implanted with flexible bronchoscope. In every case the stent caused significant clinical improvement of the ventilation. At the postintubation stenosis the stent can result a final recovery, at the malignant processes the implantation seems to be a new palliative method.     

Calciphylaxis – a topical overview

'Calciphylaxis', a calcification syndrome associated with ischaemic cutaneous necrosis, is acquired naturally in humans in disease states. It is a life and limb-threatening complication, usually observed in patients with renal disease and secondary hyperparathyroidism, but known to occur in the absence of renal or parathyroid disease. The reported mortality rate, which ranges from 60-80%, relates to wound infection, sepsis and organ failure. It is a small-vessel vasculopathy, which is estimated to occur in about 4% of haemodialysis patients. Clinically, violaceous, reticulate areas of cutaneous necrosis and eschar may be evident, particularly in the extremities. In addition to the clinical picture, a raised calcium phosphorous product, an elevated parathyroid hormone level, radiographic evidence of vessel and soft-tissue calcification and the finding of mural calcification affecting small arteries and arterioles on histopathology help to confirm the diagnosis of this entity which generally has a poor prognosis. A high index of suspicion and an active multidisciplinary management approach, with rigorous attention to wound care and prevention of sepsis, are vital in the management of these patients. In this overview, we discuss the pathophysiology, clinical features and associations, risk factors, diagnosis and management issues relating to calciphylaxis.     

The Sigma-trial protocol: a prospective double-blind multi-centre comparison of laparoscopic versus open elective sigmoid resection in patients with symptomatic diverticulitis

Backround  

Diverticulosis is a common disease in the western society with an incidence of 33–66%. 10–25% of these patients will develop diverticulitis. In order to prevent a high-risk acute operation it is advised to perform elective sigmoid resection after two episodes of diverticulitis in the elderly patient or after one episode in the younger (< 50 years) patient. Open sigmoid resection is still the gold standard, but laparoscopic colon resections seem to have certain advantages over open procedures. On the other hand, a double blind investigation has never been performed. The Sigma-trial is designed to evaluate the presumed advantages of laparoscopic over open sigmoid resections in patients with symptomatic diverticulitis.     

Attenuation of pathological tremors by functional electrical stimulation II: Clinical evaluation

In this study we evaluated a technique for tremor suppression with functional electrical stimulation (FES), the technical details of which were described in the previous paper. Three groups of patients were investigated: those with essential tremor, parkinsonian tremor, and cerebellar tremor associated with multiple sclerosis. In each group, tremor was attenuated by significant amounts (essential tremor: 73%; parkinsonian tremor: 62%; cerebellar tremor: 38%). These attenuations were in good accord with predictions based on the dynamic analyses and filter designs derived in the previous paper. With filters “tuned” to the lower mean tremor frequency encountered in the cerebellar patients, more attenuation was possible in this group as well. We identified some practical limitations in the clinical application of the technique in its present form. The most important was that in daily use, only one antagonist pair of muscles can realistically be controlled. At first sight, this restricts the usefulness of the system to patients with single-joint tremors. However, the concomitant use of mechanical orthoses may broaden the scope of application.