Endoscopic therapy of a pancreatic effusion caused by chronic pancreatitis.

A 36-year-old patient was hospitalized because of an extensive right pleural effusion. He complained of increasing dyspnea, moderate weight loss and night sweats. The pleural aspirate was hemorrhagic and, surprisingly, excessively elevated lipase activity (57,000 U/L) was measured.

Exercise induced sympathetic influences do not change interatrial conduction times in VDD and DDD pacing.

Using telemetry, right atrial electrogram (RA), and marker channel of atrial sense events (MA) in combination with the left atrial electrogram (LA), recorded by a filtered bipolar esophageal lead, interatrial conduction during submaximal exercise and at rest was examined in 46 DDD pacemaker patients. The RA-LA and MA-LA conduction times measured in the presence of atrial sensing (VDD) as well as the conduction time SA-LA from atrial stimulus (SA) to LA, determined during atrial pacing (DDD) were found to be individual constants independent of exercise induced sympathetic influences. Thus, having determined an optimal mechanical interval (LA-LV)mech/opt from left atrium to ventricle by other methods, the optimal AV delay for DDD as well as for VDD operation can be calculated by the sum of the appropriate interatrial conduction time (SA-LA, respectively MA-LA) and the (LA-LV)mech/opt interval.

Effect of physical activity on serum concentrations of digoxin and digitoxin.

Objective: To study the influence of moderate physical activity on serum concentrations of digoxin, digitoxin and albumin.

Methods: Blood samples were drawn from 10 consecutive mobile patients on digoxin and 12 patients on digitoxin therapy before and following a 10-min walking period. Digitalis serum concentrations were determined by radioimmunoassay, and albumin serum concentrations by laser nephelometry.