Effect of amiodarone on autonomic status and its efficacy in the treatment of different variants of paroxysmal atrial fibrillation

Association of autonomic status and efficacy of therapy with amiodarone was studied in 90 patients with paroxysmal atrial fibrillation of ischemic (n=45, mean age 62 years) and nonischemic (n=45, mean age 38 years) origin. Autonomic status was assessed by measurement of heart rate variability. Electrophysiological and echocardiographical studies were also conducted before and after 4 weeks of amiodarone therapy. Treatment with amiodarone was accompanied by substantial lowering of the tone of autonomic nervous system in patients with adrenergic type of paroxysmal atrial fibrillation while there was no dynamics of parasympathetic tone in patients with vagal or mixed types. Positive association between amiodarone therapy and decrease of left atrial dimension and improvement of left ventricular contractility was also observed. It was concluded that the use of amiodarone was justified in adrenergic but not in vagal or mixed variants of paroxysmal atrial fibrillation.     

Principles of predicting the density of rodent flea populations

The paper gives the indices of abundance of fleas of different species of rodents in their fur and in their burrows and lays emphasis on the general mechanisms by which the density of these blood-sucking insects is a species-specific (populational) sign and does not greatly differ from the mean many-year values. By using Citellophylus tesquorum and other specias as an example, the authors present the results of a study of natural mortality in fleas, which suggest that the mean longevity of imagoes and death in the preimaginal phases of development are a hereditary sign. An example of calculation of the death ratio "K" in the imaginal phases is given and evidence is provided for compiling the signs of the density of fleas in taking individual samples of a field material and calculating the abundance indices of specific species.     

One-Year Follow-up of Duodenal Ulcers after 1-Wk Triple Therapy for Helicobacter pylori

Objective : to study the ulcer recurrence rate of Helicobacter pylori-positive duodenal ulcers at 1 yr after eradication of the bacteria by triple therapy. Method : Patients with H. pylori-positive duodenal ulcers were randomized to receive either triple therapy for 1 wk plus omeprazole for 4 wk (THple+OMP) (n = 78), or omeprazole alone (OMP) for 4 wk (N = 77). Patients were followed up every 3 months for symptom enquiry. At 1 yr, all asymptomatic patients were invited to attend for gastroscopy. Results : At 8 wk, 16 patients in the OMP group and four in the Triple+OMP group had an ulcer. During the 1-yr period, 12 patients in the OMP group and no patient in the Triple+OMP group developed symptomatic ulcers. At follow-up endoscopy at 1 yr, another 10 ulcers were detected in the OMP group and two in the Triple+OMP group. Fifteen patients in the OMP group and 13 in the Triple+OMP group were lost to follow-up. In total, ulcers were de-tected in 39 of 61 (64%) assessahle patients in the OMP group, and in six of 65 (97o) assessahle patients in the Triple+OMP group after I yr (χ² test: p < 0.001). Of the patients whose H, pytori were successfully eradicated hy Triple+OMP at 8 wk, 90% remained H. pylori negative at 1 yr. Conclusion : Triple therapy for 1 wk eradicates H, pylori infection and significantly reduces duodenal ulcer relapses.