[Clock drawing test: qualitative and quantitative evaluation methods].

Introduction: The interest about the Clock Drawing Test (CDT) is justified because the importance of praxic disorders and especially the constructive apraxias in demented patients. Generally, this kind of deficits or intellectual losses has been less studied than aphasisas and agnosias. Nevertheless, praxias are usually affected in demential processes, even in initial stages.

[Acute pelvic inflammatory disease].

Pelvic infections represent an important problem in gynecology and obstetric care for their frequency and, at times, their severity; P.I.D.

Cocaine administration enhances platelet reactivity to subendothelial components: studies in a pig model.

Myocardial infarction in cocaine abusers may be related to a direct platelet-activating effect. We analysed this possibility in an experimental model. Studies were carried out in eight normal, anaesthetized pigs with a weight of 30.

[Prostatic abscess: diagnosis and treatment].

Prostatic abscesses are an infrequent pathology, probably due to a better and early management of prostatic infections. Predisposing factors in this pathology are diabetes mellitus, urethral catheterism or manipulation, and immunodepressed states like AIDS. Nowadays, ultrasonography is an excellent diagnostic method of this pathology, and serves as a guidance of directed drainage.

[Acute poisoning caused by hydrogen sulphide: clinical features of 3 cases].

We describe three cases of acute intoxication by hydrogen sulphide which were produced after remaining between 50 and 60 minutes inside a cellulose tank. The three patients had loss of conscience. One of the patients developed a persistent vegetative state; another patient recovered although with neurological post-anoxic sequelas and the third case completely recovered one week after his hospitalization.

[Surgical management of congenital tracheal stenosis].

A six month old infant with dextrocardia, butterfly vertebrae and oesophageal atresia type I is reported. After surgical repair, she developed respiratory distress, needing ventilatory support. The bronchoscopy and bronchography demonstrated segmental tracheal stenosis.

Estimation of peripheral dose from two linacs: Mevatron MX6700 and Mevatron KDS.

An empirical calculation method for high-energy beam peripheral dose estimation is described. The peripheral dose has been measured for a Siemens Mevatron MX6700 (6 MV) and a Siemens Mevatron KDS (6 and 18 MV) linear accelerators. The dose distribution is parameterized for each beam energy as a function of depth, distance from the edge of the field, and field size.

[Immunophenotyping study of bone marrow fractions obtained by elutriation in allogeneic bone marrow transplantation].

Purpose: Bone marrow transplantation (BMT) is an effective treatment for acute and chronic leukaemias. Lymphocyte depletion of donor bone marrow for preventing GVHD has been associated with a higher incidence of relapse after allogeneic BMT. This association suggests an antileukaemic effect of donor lymphocytes.

[Transient appearance of anti-erythrocyte autoantibodies during Rh alloimmunization].

Transient appearance of anti-erythrocyte autoantibodies was demonstrated in two women in the first stages of Rh alloimmunization. Any mimicking antibodies, or concurrent autoimmune haemolytic anaemia could be reasonably discarded in both patients. These facts are discussed on the basis of polyclonal activation followed by clonal selection driven by the antigen, as a mechanism of the humoral immune response.

[The quality perceived by the consumers of the outpatient consultation services of a university hospital].

With the objective to know the perceived quality of the assistance by the customers of the outpatient facilities in a teaching hospital, the information gathered in 1,970 self-administered, volunteer, anonymous questionnaires was analyzed, being obtained from the 4,756 consultations done in the outpatients department during a one week period. Different aspects of the physician's visit are discussed, together with the attention received from the paramedic personnel and other viewpoints pertaining to the organization and conditions of the waiting area. There is a high level of satisfaction among the users of the outpatients department, more pronounced in the "medical" area, in relation with the physician's consultation as well as with the attention from paramedics or in the adherence to appointments.

A new theoretical formula for fractionated radiotherapy based on a saturable cellular repair mechanism.

Recently we have published a new model of survival cellular response to radiation based on the existence of a saturable cellular repair mechanism. In the present paper we extend the predictions of this model of calculating the change in total dose necessary to achieve an equal response in a tissue when the dose per fraction in a radiotherapy fractionation schedule is varied. The model provides a new explanation of the difference between late and early radiation reactions.

[The laryngeal involvement in Kaposi's sarcoma in the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome].

Kaposi's sarcoma (KS) is a malignant vascular neoplasm characterized, in its classical form, by a slow evolutive course, beginning in the lower extremities. Lately have been reported more and more cases of this entity associated with the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), running much more aggressively. In ENT-pathology are not uncommon this kind of neoplasm in the oral cavity and oropharynx.

[Congenital syphilis and syphilitic mothers. Survey of the past 10 years].

Two hundred and sixty-two newborn infants, born to mothers with a positive syphilis serology, have been studied. Twenty-six newborn infants had congenital syphilis and two hundred and thirty-six were considered as newborn infants from syphilitic mothers. This study has demonstrated that the newborn infants with congenital syphilis have been born to mothers with greatest risk factors.

[Marginality, ethnic groups and health].

Main marginated ethnic groups in Span are to be found among gypsies and 3rd world immigrants. The first group include about 250,000 persons and the second group more tan half a million people. Their origins and their being past of the less fortunate social layers made them a group of health risk.

A simple model of radiation action in cells based on a repair saturation mechanism.

This paper describes a new theoretical model for the response of cells to radiation. This model is based on the existence of a lesion interaction mechanism in the cell, along with processes of recovery and repair that are able to repair the damage produced by radiation in the cells. Such a mechanism makes the cells evolve from a sublethal state to a normal one.

Radioimmunoscintigraphy of colorectal carcinoma with a 99Tcm-labelled anti-CEA monoclonal antibody (BW 431/26).

Radioimmunoscintigraphy (RIS) with BW 431/26 monoclonal antibody (MoAb) labelled with 99Tcm (962 MBq) has been performed in 64 patients with colorectal carcinoma, one of them with two independent tumours. The group consisted of 46 primary lesions, 15 pelvic recurrences and four suspected recurrences which were shown to be liver metastases. Imaging of liver was obtained in all patients, but surgical liver examination was performed in only 56 of them.

An analysis of the factors affecting the average length of stay in the otolaryngology unit.

Specific factors which have an influence on the average length of stay in the otolaryngology unit of a University Hospital are studied; the patients are covered by some type of insurance and have no out-of-pocket expenses. The effect of the following variables on the average length of stay is evaluated: age, sex and type of pathology. The periods of hospitalisation are significantly longer (Mann-Whitney test) in males (p < 0.

[Thornwaldt's cyst. The experience of a decade].

The cyst of the Thornwaldt's bursa is a bulge on the postero-superior wall of the rhinopharynx, due to the closure of the sac's drainage duct. The bursa pharyngea being an embryologic remnant occurring in 3 percent of healthy adults. It is a process well known since a century, but only 11 cases (in 9 several publications) have been quoted in the last 20 years.

The modified distal splenorenal shunt in the elective treatment of variceal hemorrhage.

We report on our experience with a modified version of the distal splenorenal shunt (DSRS) initially described by Warren. Since 1976 more than 150 shunts have been done in the department. The first part of this study shows the long-term results of a series of 100 consecutive patients treated electively.

[Vascular injuries of the lower extremity].

Authors present their experience (32 patients affected by a traumatic femoropopliteal injury) with vascular traumatisms at the lower limb. Causes, treatment and successful results with the new technics and the early clinical management to the patients are commented.

Statistical modeling of prognostic indices for evaluation of critically ill patients.

Objective: To identify the most predictive association of variables from the usual indices of severity of illness by statistical objective analysis.

Design: Logistic regression analysis of the different variables of the most important indices.

Setting: A general critical care medicine group practice in a university hospital.

[Causes of death in chronic myeloid leukemia. Analysis of 109 patients].

The cause of death was revised in 109 cases of Ph'-positive chronic myelogenous leukaemia (CML) who died in a 15-year period. The median survival of the series, which included eight patients with initial criteria of blastic crisis, was 33.7 months (ranging between 2 and 192).

[Clinical evaluation of new antidepressive agents].

The second generation of antidepressants have been developed with the goal to reduce cardio-toxic effects and to further a more specific action on neurotransmitter systems. However some standardized actual parameters, clinical, biological and pharmacological may be accepted as reasonable elements in evaluating the therapeutic effects. Among them we will distinguish the diagnostic instruments which define categories of affective disorders; rating scales to assess gravity, the type of clinical test, duration of the test and finally those biological variables which should be an integral part of the evaluation of new antidepressants.