Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and productivity of schizophrenia trials: an ecological study.

Background: The 5000 randomised controlled trials (RCTs) in the Cochrane Schizophrenia Group's database affords an opportunity to research for variables related to the differences between nations of their output of schizophrenia trials.

Methods: Ecological study--investigating the relationship between four economic/demographic variables and number of schizophrenia RCTs per country. The variable with closest correlation was used to predict the expected number of studies.

Systolic time intervals before and after haemodialysis.

We investigated changes of haemodynamics during haemodialysis in 107 patients by noninvasive measurement of systolic time intervals. Heart rate and preejection period index increased and systolic and diastolic blood pressure, left ventricular ejection time and isovolumic contraction time decreased. We found, that if the pre-dialysis ejection fraction (EF) was more than 55 per cent, post-dialysis EF decreased by about 10 per cent.

Pharmacokinetics of tocainide in patients with severe renal failure.

The plasma levels of tocainide have been followed after oral administration of 600 mg p.o. to 20 patients with renal failure due to various causes, and to 8 healthy controls.

Experiences with Redy-dialysis on a camper.

In April 1976 a dialysis camper with Redy-dialysis equipment was put into service by the Institute of Nephrology of the 4th Department for Internal Medicine of the City Hospital Nürnberg. In the following six years of service the bus was rented 40 times by 20 different home dialysis patients and was driven more than 100 000 km in Europe on 700 days. Two hundred and eighty haemodialyses with the Redy-system showed that this kind of dialysis during the holidays can be carried out without running a greater risk than with home dialysis itself.

[Immunosuppressive therapy following kidney transplantation].

Immunosuppressive therapy is necessary after transplanting allogenous organs. Various methods of non-specific immunosuppression are discussed. It is usually achieved by combined administration of glucocorticosteroids, azathioprine and antilymphocyte globulin.

Subtypes of acute postinfectious glomerulonephritis. Synopsis of clinical and pathological features.

42 kidney biopsies from adults and children suffering from acute postinfectious glomerulonephritis were examined by light microscopy, immunofluorescence and electron microscopy. The biopsies were obtained within 9 weeks of the onset of the first clinical symptoms. The results show not only a range of variation in the histological picture (particularly in the accumulation of leukocytes in the capillary lumens, and in the degree of cell proliferation) but also different immunofluorescent patterns which we have called the "starry sky", "garland" and "mesangial" patterns.

[Water-, electrolyte- and acid-base equilibrium in the aged].

The functional capacity of the kidney decreases with advancing age. We not only find a reduced glomerular filtration rate but also disturbances in the functioning of the tubules which influence the capacity to dilute and concentrate the urine and the renal electrolyte excretion. In addition, the plasma-renin activity shows decreased response to stimulation; the aldosterone and vasopressin secretions are also decreased in old age.

[Embolization of renal artery -- an alternative in nephrectomy in the treatment of patients with dialysis and malignant hypertension (author's transl)].

Embolization of renal arteries (coil embolization by Gianturco) was performed in four patients with malignant renal hypertension as an alternative to bilateral nephrectomy. Three patients with successful renal transplantation developed intractable hypertension without arterial stenosis of the transplant. One patient treated with hemodialysis showed malignant hypertension refractory to volume depletion and antihypertensive therapy.

[Percutaneous transluminal catheter dilatation of kidney artery stenoses in patients with renovascular hypertension].

14 patients with severe hypertension showed unilateral (7) or bilateral (6) stenoses of renal artery due to arteriosclerosis (12) or fibromuscular hyperplasia (7); one stenosis appeared after renal transplantation. Successful application of percutaneous transluminal angioplasty of renal artery was performed in 14 stenoses. 4 of 10 patients showed normal values of blood-pressure, in 4 patients blood-pressure was improved, in 2 patients hypertension remained unchanged.

[Home dialysis (author's transl)].

100 patients requiring dialysis were trained between 1970 and 1975. Up to 31. 12.

[Kidney transplantation from a nephrological-urological viewpoint--results and problems. 2. Diagnosis and therapy after transplantation, complications, long-term results].

Indications, selection of donor and recipient, medical and surgical management and complications, problems of organ procurement. Renal transplantation has become routine therapy. Organs are predominantly obtained from cadavers, transplantations from living donors are rarely indicated.