[Ultrasound-guided synovial biopsy].

A 47-year-old female presented with arthritis in the left hand's PIP III. Her symptoms were negative for connective tissue disease or spondyloarthritis, but she had HIV and hepatitis B. Initial tests showed no systemic inflammation or abnormal antibodies, and radiology revealed no bony changes.

Comparative investigation of the influence of nizatidine, ranitidine, and cimetidine on the steady-state pharmacokinetics of theophylline in COPD patients.

The influence of usual regimens of the H2 blocking drugs, cimetidine, ranitidine, and nizatidine on the steady-state plasma concentrations and pharmacokinetic characteristics of theophylline was studied in seventeen patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Patients were dosed to steady-state with an oral, sustained-release formulation of theophylline given in therapeutic doses twice daily for 2 weeks. Over the next 4 weeks, each patient received a week-long regimen of each H2 blocker concomitantly with theophylline, and a week-long regimen of theophylline alone (control).

Accuracy of two equations in determining normalized phenytoin concentrations.

The accuracy of two equations in normalizing total phenytoin concentrations in the presence of renal failure or hypoalbuminemia was evaluated in 11 renal failure and 23 hypoalbuminemic patients. Blood samples were obtained from hospitalized patients receiving phenytoin and were assayed for free and total phenytoin concentrations. Estimated normalized phenytoin concentrations based on free drug concentration were compared statistically with normalized concentrations calculated from the two equations via Student's t-test.