[Various aspects of intensive therapy in myasthenia gravis].

Clinical experience acquired in the intensive treatment of 168 myasthenic patients after thymectomy, for respiratory insufficiency due to myasthenic or cholinergic crisis, after hormone treatment, or immediately after various forms of surgery is described. Particular attention is devoted to problems faced in respiratory care, anticholinesterasic and metabolic treatment, and in the prevention and treatment of infections.

[Cardiac contusion in closed injuries of the thorax].

Cardiac contusion is a fairly frequent clinical event in closed chest traumas. The diagnostic problems it involves influence prognosis in these patients and, in effect, prevention, speedy recognition and early treatment of the complications of cardiac contusion are essential for therapy. Here the incidence of cardiac contusion in a group of patients with closed chest trauma is analysed and the clinical, diagnostic and therapeutic aspects are examined.

Effect of respiratory acidosis on plasma and CSF free amino acids.

Acid-base data and levels of selected cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) free amino acids were analyzed in a series of 8 patients in acute respiratory failure. In these patients, there were increased CSF concentrations of methionine, phenylalanine, tyrosine, histidine, alpha-amino-N-butyric acid, glutamic acid, glutamine, glycine, alanine, and ammonia, while arginine decreased. Phenylalanine, tryosine, and alanine were correlated with CSF PCO2; and alpha-amino-N-butyric acid to the buffer capacity of CO2 and pH.