Pretreatment plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) levels and the outcome of thrombolysis with streptokinase in patients with acute myocardial infarction.

Background: The risk for reinfarctions and delays in reperfusion after streptokinase therapy may be caused by the antifibrinolytic effect of platelet-derived type 1 plasminogen activator inhibitor (PAI-1). This study aims to show the relation of pretreatment PAI-1 levels of patients with acute myocardial infarction treated with streptokinase therapy and the outcome of fibrinolysis, with the emphasis on reperfusion and reinfarction.

Methods: Pretreatment PAI-1 levels of 60 patients with acute myocardial infarction, treated with streptokinase, were determined by the chromogenic method.

Visual field loss following blunt ocular trauma.

14 patients (14 eyes) who sustained hyphema after blunt ocular trauma underwent visual field testing on a Humphrey field analyzer. The severity of field defects based on mean deviation (MD) and corrected-pattern standard deviation (CPSD) p values was correlated with age, presence of hyphema and the extent of angle recession. Over 60% of eyes with blunt ocular trauma suffer from a significant visual field loss (MD < 5%).

Automated static perimetry as a screening method for evaluation of retinal perfusion in diabetic retinopathy.

The aim of our study was firstly to assess whether areas of capillary non-perfusion in diabetic retinopathy are associated with reduction of retinal light sensitivity and secondly to assess whether automated perimetry can serve as a screening method for evaluation of retinal perfusion. 32 eyes with diabetic retinopathy and 30 eyes of controls underwent visual field testing on the 30-2 program of the Humphrey field analyser and fluorescein angiography. The results are compared with the 'superimposition technique'.

Intraocular pressure in chronic renal failure patients treated with maintenance hemodialysis.

Ocular complications are frequent in chronic renal failure patients treated with maintenance hemodialysis (HD) and in renal allograft recipients. Headache, nausea and fatigue sometimes develop in combination with a rise in intraocular pressure (IOP). We did not find statistically significant differences in IOP before and after HD.

Rhabdomyolysis and acute renal failure following cardioversion and cardiopulmonary resuscitation.

A 39-year-old male suffered a myocardial infarction at work and cardiopulmonary resuscitation was initiated immediately. After 15 cardioversions, ventricular fibrillation converted to sinus rhythm. Rhabdomyolysis with a 100-fold increase of serum creatine kinase level and myoglobinuria with acute renal failure ensued, requiring hemodialysis treatment.

Conjunctival and corneal changes in chronic renal failure patients treated with maintenance hemodialysis.

Conjunctival and corneal depositions of calcium salts are common complications in hemodialysis (HD) patients. We examined 14 HD patients; in 11 (79%), typical conjunctival and corneal calcifications were found. Patients with calcifications were older than those without.

Low doses of heparin and heparin dihydergot in postoperative thromboprophylaxis in gynaecological patients.

A prospective study of postoperative thromboembolic prophylaxis involving 500 gynaecological patients was performed to compare the effectiveness and safety of low doses of heparin (LDH) and heparin-dihydergot (HDHE). In the LDH group 255 patients (51%) aged 26-84 were included, in the HDHE group there were 245 patients (49%) aged 34-86. Both groups were well matched with respect to risk factors, duration of surgery, type of operation, volume of blood transfused and duration of prophylaxis.

Selective reduction after gamete intrafallopian transfer.

Selective reduction was performed in a patient with triplet pregnancy in the 9th week of gestation. Selective reduction of the fetuses to two was performed by puncture using vaginal ultrasound probe. No complications occurred and the patient was delivered of healthy twins.

Psoriasis in the third age.

This study was performed during a 10-year period at several hospitalization centres from various districts in Slovenia and Croatia. The number of elderly patients, above 65 years, compared with the total number of inpatients in the aforementioned departments and clinics in the course of 10 years ranged from 12% to 25%. The percentage of psoriatics, according to the total number of elderly in-patients was 1.

Differentiation of solid breast tumors on the basis of their primary echographic characteristics as revealed by real-time scanning of the uncompressed breast.

The visualization of 144 clinically manifest or mammographically visible solid breast tumors was achieved with a hand-held, real-time linear array scanner (5MHz) and open water bath technique. On the basis of descriptive echographic signs and their combination, all 60 patients with benign tumors and 84 patients with malignant tumors were divided into three groups. Each of these groups was based on the combination of the most typical signs for benign or malignant tumors.