Platelet aggregation inhibitors, platelet function testing, and blood loss in hip fracture surgery.

Background: The purpose of our prospective study was to analyze how many patients with hip fractures are on treatment with platelet aggregation inhibitors (aspirin and clopidogrel), how many of these patients have impaired platelet function as measured by the PFA-100, and whether there is an association between perioperative blood loss and either intake of platelet inhibitors or platelet function.

Methods: Four hundred sixty-two patients with hip fractures were investigated. Surgery (most commonly dynamic screw fixation and hemiarthroplasty) was performed on day 1.

Bone matrix quality and plasma homocysteine levels.

It has recently been reported in the clinical literature that blood homocysteine levels correlate well with fracture risk, although a couple of reports exist to the opposite. Bone strength depends on both bone quantity and quality. The purpose of the present study was to investigate possible correlations between plasma homocysteine levels and bone material properties (Bone Mineral Density Distribution; BMDD, and collagen cross-link ratio).

Gamma-hydroxybutyric acid in the treatment of alcohol withdrawal syndrome in patients admitted to hospital.

Gamma-hydroxybutyric acid is a gamma-aminobutyric acid analogue which can be found in the human brain and is believed to be a neurotransmitter in the central nervous system. In animal experiments as well as in humans gamma-hydroxybutyric acid has been shown to alleviate the symptoms of the alcohol withdrawal syndrome. 299 patients, who were admitted to hospital for reasons primarily unrelated to their alcohol dependence, were treated with gamma-hydroxybutyric acid when symptoms of the alcohol withdrawal syndrome occurred.

Predicting the risk of restenosis after angioplasty in patients with peripheral arterial disease.

Restenosis is a serious therapeutic problem after percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PTA). Strategies for the prevention of late restenosis include the use of antiaggregatory and anticoagulant drugs, aggressive lipid-lowering, intravascular radiation and others. As some of these therapeutic options are not without side effects it is important to identify patients with an increased risk to develop restenosis.