Influence of dialysis procedure, membrane surface and membrane material on iopromide elimination in patients with reduced kidney function.

Haemodialysis for the elimination of contrast medium in patients with advanced renal failure is a common procedure. Even though sufficient elimination with the use of regular low-flux membranes is documented, large differences in results have been reported in prior investigations. We, therefore, compared Cuprophan and polysulfone dialysers with different surface areas to haemofiltration with different amounts of substitution fluid in 40 patients with compromised renal function after coronary angiography.

Extracorporal therapy with AN69 membranes in combination with ACE inhibition causing severe anaphylactoid reactions: still a current problem?

The negatively charged membrane AN69 is known to evoke anaphylactoid reactions both without and with concomitant ACE inhibition. Underlying reasons are mainly the induction of bradykinin release due to the negatively charged membrane and the reduced degradation of bradykinin due to ACE inhibition. This complication has been reported repeatedly, but anaphylactoid reactions still occur in clinical practice.

Prevalence of hepatitis G in patients on chronic hemodialysis.

Hepatitis G virus (HGV) is a newly described RNA virus from the family of flaviviridae. It is closely related to the hepatitis C Virus (HCV) but is more common than HCV among healthy blood donors. The pathogenicity of HGV in immunosuppressed patients such as those undergoing hemodialysis is unclear.

[Extracorporeal renal replacement therapies in acute renal failure].

The most serious forms of acute renal failure (ARF) are nowadays encountered in the intensive care unit (ICU), where up to 25% of new patients are reported to develop ARF. Lethality rates may reach 50 to 90% when the ARF is part of a multiple organ dysfunction syndrome. A multitude of extracorporeal procedures have been introduced into intensive care medicine.

Iron metabolism in rhEPO-treated hemodialysis patients.

A number of factors have been shown to limit the response to recombinant human erythropoietin (rhEPO). One major factor appears to be an inadequate iron supply to the bone marrow. Erythropoiesis is dependent upon a continuous supply of iron to the bone marrow.

Periosteal chondroma of the cuboid presenting in a 7-year-old-boy.

This case report discusses the finding of a periosteal (juxtacortical) chondroma of the cuboid in a 7-year-old male. While this lesion is well recognized in the tubular bones of adults, this case is unusual due to the child's age, the site of the lesion (cuboid), and the difficulty in establishing the diagnosis due to the cellular atypia. The child was treated with marginal resection and curettage with no evidence of local recurrence on follow-up.

Pharmacokinetics of 1M gadobutrol in patients with chronic renal failure.

Rationale And Objectives: To investigate the pharmacokinetics of 1M gadobutrol as a new neutral MR contrast agent in patients with impaired renal function.

Methods: Twenty-one patients with impaired renal function and any indication for a contrast-enhanced MRI were enrolled into this prospective study and classified in two subgroups according to their creatinine clearance (group 1, 30-80 mL/ min; group 2, 30 mL/min or less, not requiring dialysis). Eleven patients were assigned to the lower dose of 0.

Chronic intrathecal administration of dexamethasone sodium phosphate: pharmacokinetics and neurotoxicity in an animal model.

Objective: Although corticosteroids have been used intraspinally for many years, long-term intrathecal administration has not been examined. We have assessed the stability, bioavailability, and safety of continuously delivering the prodrug dexamethasone sodium phosphate into the lumbar subarachnoid space.

Methods: High-performance liquid chromatography studies were performed to determine whether dexamethasone sodium phosphate is degraded either in vials or in an infusion pump at 37 degrees C during a period of weeks.

Zinc protoporphyrin and percentage of hypochromic erythrocytes as markers of functional iron deficiency during therapy with erythropoietin in patients with advanced acquired immunodeficiency syndrome.

Background: We assessed zinc protoporphyrin (ZPP) and the percentage of hypochromic erythrocytes in patients with advanced acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) treated with recombinant erythropoietin (rhEPO).

Methods: Patients received 150 IU rhEPO subcutaneously every second day for 10 days, and 150 IU rhEPO plus 62.5 mg of intravenous iron every second day for an additional 10 days.

Proton radiation therapy (PRT) for pediatric optic pathway gliomas: comparison with 3D planned conventional photons and a standard photon technique.

Purpose: Following adequate therapy, excellent long-term survival rates can be achieved for patients with optic pathway gliomas. Therefore, avoidance of treatment-related functional long-term sequelae is of utmost importance. Optimized sparing of normal tissue is of primary concern in the development of new treatment modalities.

Irreducible dislocation of the knee.

Irreducible knee dislocation is a rare injury. This case report describes a knee dislocation in a 39-year-old male U.S.

Primary basal cell carcinoma of the middle ear presenting as recurrent cholesteatoma.

Objective: This study aimed to sensitize the practitioner to the unusual presentation of basal cell carcinoma in a recurrent cholesteatoma mass.

Study Design: The study design was a case report format.

Setting: The study was conducted at a tertiary referral hospital.

Proton radiation therapy for chordomas and chondrosarcomas of the skull base.

Object: Local tumor control, patient survival, and treatment failure outcomes were analyzed to assess treatment efficacy in 58 patients in whom fractionated proton radiation therapy (RT) was administered for skull base chordomas and chondrosarcomas.

Methods: Between March 1992 and January 1998, a total of 58 patients who could be evaluated were treated for skull base tumors, 33 for chordoma and 25 for chondrosarcoma. Following various surgical procedures, residual tumor was detected in 91% of patients; 59% demonstrated brainstem involvement.

Efficiency of 1-year treatment with fluvastatin in hyperlipidemic patients with nephrotic syndrome.

The influence of fluvastatin, a liver-selective, competitive inhibitor of the 3-hydroxymethyl-glutaryl-coenzyme A reductase, on the lipoprotein metabolism was investigated in 9 patients with nephrotic syndrome. All patients had biopsy-proven renal disease as cause of their nephrotic syndrome and exhibited severe hyperlipidemia [baseline: serum cholesterol 358 +/- 46 mg/dl (9.3 mmol/l), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol 236 +/- 18 mg/dl (6.

Suppressed activities of cathepsins and metalloproteinases in the chronic model of puromycin aminonucleoside nephrosis.

Glomerulosclerosis and tubulointerstitial fibrosis are the hallmarks of chronic renal diseases. In the present study, we have investigated the potential involvement of various proteinases in these alterations in the model of puromycin aminonucleoside (PAN) nephrosis. Two groups of male Wistar rats were given either three or seven injections of PAN (2.

Inhibitory effect of ondansetron on glycine response of dissociated rat hippocampal neurons.

We examined the effect of ondansetron, an antagonist of type 3 serotonin receptors, on the whole cell response of freshly isolated hippocampal CA1 pyramidal neurons of neonatal and "mature" rats to glycine using the gramicidin perforated patch technique. Ondansetron depressed the current induced by subsaturating concentrations of glycine (IGly) in a concentration-dependent manner. The ondansetron concentration needed to depress IGly induced by 30 microM glycine to half amplitude was 25 microM.

Automated prozone effect detection in ferritin homogeneous immunoassays using neural network classifiers.

The application of turbidimetric homogeneous immunoassays made the determination of several plasma components widely available. The sensitivity and accuracy of these assays are appropriate enough for routine laboratory use; however, in the case of many pathologically high concentration samples, prozone effect (high dose hook effect) can be observed, that leads to false-negative determination. Up to the present there are no cost-effective algorithms available for the safe detection of the prozone effect.

Hypochromic red cells and reticulocyte haemglobin content as markers of iron-deficient erythropoiesis in patients undergoing chronic haemodialysis.

Background: In patients on chronic haemodialysis, because of a non-specific increase in serum ferritin, iron deficiency may be overlooked leading to failure of erythropoietin treatment. A reticulocyte haemglobin content < 26 pg and a percentage of hypochromic red cells > 2.5 have been proposed as markers of iron-deficient erythropoiesis in such subjects, but it is unclear which parameter is superior.

Hypochromic red blood cells and reticulocytes.

The management of recombinant human erythropoietin (rHuEPO) treatment in hemodialysis patients requires close monitoring of iron status, because the pharmacologically stimulated erythropoiesis is particularly dependent on a continuous supply of iron. Parameters commonly measured to assess iron status are serum ferritin and the transferrin saturation. Both are indirect measures of iron availability for hemoglobin synthesis and frequently do not permit an assessment of the adequacy of iron supply to the erythron.

Clearance of iopromide during haemodialysis with high- and low-flux membranes.

Purpose: The present clinical trial addressed the clearance of the contrast medium iopromide, a middle-sized molecule, during dialysis with high- and low-flux membranes.

Material And Methods: Twenty chronic haemodialysis patients without residual renal function were dialysed either with low-flux haemophan or high-flux polyamide directly after application of the contrast medium. Iodine concentrations were determined by radiofluorescence methods.