Successful treatment of chronic idiopathic urticaria and angioedema with cimetidine alone

We have studied a 50-year-old white man with chronic urticaria and angioedema who has responded to treatment with cimetidine alone for over 2 yr. In a double-blind, placebo-controlled study, cimetidine alone was at least as effective as chlorpheniramine in relief of urticaria and angioedema. Additionally, cimetidine significantly inhibited (p less than 0.01) the wheal response to histamine when it was compared to placebo. The inhibition of wheal response to histamine by cimetidine was significantly higher (p less than 0.05) than chlorpheniramine. The presence of predominantly H2- rather than H1-histamine receptors in the cutaneous blood vessels may be responsible for the therapeutic effects of cimetidine in this patient.     

Breathing pattern and ventilation during oral feeding in term newborn infants

The effect of oral feeding on breathing pattern and ventilation was studied in 19 healthy term neonates in the semiupright supine position. Ventilation was measured with a nasal flowmeter, and sucking pressure via a modified nipple that permitted milk delivery. The feeding pattern in these infants consisted of an initial period of continuous sucking followed by intermittent sucking for the remainder of the feed. A significant reduction in minute ventilation (P less than 0.01) was observed during continuous sucking, and resulted entirely from a reduction in breathing frequency (P less than 0.01). Tidal volume did not change (P greater than 0.05), but prolongation of expiration (P less than 0.01) and shortening of inspiration (P less than 0.05) were also observed. During intermittent sucking, the minute ventilation was similar to that of the control period. However, smaller but significant changes in breathing frequency and in duration of inspiration and expiration persisted during intermittent sucking. Our results document a significant reduction in ventilation during the initial part of oral feeding in term neonates, and subsequent recovery with continued feeding. Depending on the magnitude of this reduction in ventilation, cyanosis and bradycardia may develop in some infants during oral feeding.     

Treatment of advanced uterine sarcoma with adriamycin

Between 1971 and 1979, 39 patients with clearly measurable metastatic or advanced recurrent sarcoma of uterine origin were treated with Adriamycin, either alone or in combination with other chemotherapeutic drugs. The median survival was 7.2 months. No patient lived beyond 32 months from the start of chemotherapy. The response rate was 10.3% (10.3% partial responses and no complete responses). The median duration of a partial response was 4 months. There was no difference between the median survival of the responders and nonresponders.     

Neuropsychological patterns of presenile and senile dementia of the Alzheimer type

Thirty-seven patients with a presumptive diagnosis of dementia of the Alzheimer type were divided into presenile and senile groups according to the age at which they first received a clinical diagnosis. Although there were no differences in mental status, dementia rating, or chronicity of disease, multivariate analyses of WAIS subtests revealed the presenile subjects to be relatively impaired on Performance subtests. Univariate tests of Verbal, Performance, and Full Scale IQ measures were significantly lower in the presenile group. There was no group effect detected for Digits forward, adjusted for age differences based upon performance of 40 age-matched controls, while the presenile group performed significantly more poorly on backward span. Further, significant differences were detected for an embedded figure task, as well as graphomotor speed. These data suggest that patients who develop a degenerative dementia during the presenile period are more impaired than their senile counterparts on age-adjusted measures of sustained concentration and mental tracking.     

Prevention and management of contractures in patients with burns of the neck

Two hundred patients with neck burns were analyzed to determine the incidence of contractures. It was found that only 8 per cent of patients with second degree burns had contractures, all of which were mild. Both the overall incidence of cervical contractures in patients with third degree neck burns and their severity can be decreased by the use of a custom-formed isoprene splint. Splinting should begin as soon as possible after the burn and continue until scar maturation is complete.     

Depletion of antral gastrin after food in rats.

The results of these studies indicate that in fasting rats, there is an abrupt and prolonged rise in circulating gastrin after feeding. This increase in serum gastrin is accompanied by an early (five minutes) diminution in antral gastrin which is followed by slightly higher and more variable antral gastrin values. These findings suggest that feeding triggers the release of gastrin with early depletion of antral gastrin and that, subsequently, gastrin syhthesis and release interact cyclically to maintain antral and serum concentrations of gastrin. Antral, fundic, and duodenal gastrin values in rats are similar to those reported in dogs and cats. The jejunum of the rat contains little, if any, gastrin.