Hematologic aspects of end-stage renal failure.

Renal dysfunction may give rise to a variety of hematologic disturbances, including anemia, leukocyte dysfunction, and coagulopathy. The anemia of renal failure has been attributed to a relative deficiency of erythropoietin, but absolute deficiencies of iron or folate may also play a role. Other contributing factors include heavy-metal toxicity, blood loss, and a reduction in red cell survival induced by toxic radicals.

Shunt properties of large intrathoracic airways.

The impedance of the wall of human intrathoracic trachea and central airways was measured by submitting preparations of excised airways to forced oscillations at various frequencies from 2 to 32 Hz. Both real (resistance) and imaginary (reactance) parts of wall impedance demonstrate a marked frequency dependence, varying with transmural pressure. These variations of resistance and reactance are related and are linked to the static elastic properties of the airways.

Different perceptual tasks performed with the same visual stimulus attribute activate different regions of the human brain: a positron emission tomography study.

To investigate the processing of visual form in human cerebral cortex, we used the PET (positron emission tomography) activation technique to compare the human brain regions that are involved in a visual detection task and two orientation discrimination tasks: the temporal same-different (TSD) task, which includes a short-term memory component, and the identification (ID) task, which is without this component. As a control task we used passive viewing. Stimuli were identical in all four tasks.

Nitrendipine in older patients with isolated systolic hypertension: second progress report on the SYST-EUR trial.

This report from the double-blind placebo-controlled SYST-EUR trial investigated whether modern antihypertensive drugs are suitable for maintaining long-term BP control in older (> or = 60 years of age) subjects with isolated systolic hypertension (SBP 160-219 mmHg and DBP < 95 mmHg). Active treatment consisted of nitredipine (10-40 mg/day) with the possible addition of enalapril (5-20 mg/day) and hydrochlorothiazide (12.5-25 mg/day), if necessary to reduce SBP to < 150 mmHg and by > or = 20 mmHg.

Nailfold capillaroscopy in connective tissue disorders and in Raynaud's phenomenon.

This article focuses on the value and the limitations of nailfold capillaroscopy in the differential diagnosis of certain connective tissue diseases and in the early recognition of secondary Raynaud's phenomenon. The finding of a "scleroderma-pattern" (apical enlargement and drop-out of capillaries) points almost certainly to an underlying progressive systemic sclerosis, mixed connective tissue disease or dermatomyositis.

Changes of respiratory input impedance during breathing in humans.

Changes of total respiratory resistance (Rrs) and reactance (Xrs) were studied between 8 and 32 Hz at five moments during the respiratory cycle in healthy adults (group A) and children (group B) and in patients with chronic obstructive lung disease (group C) and with upper airway obstruction (group D). Two forced oscillation techniques were used: the conventional one and the head generator, with the oscillations applied at the mouth and around the head of the subject, respectively. Both techniques yielded similar results.

[Functional sequelae in tibial shaft fractures with compartment syndrome following primary treatment with urgent fasciotomy].

In a retrospective study on 28 patients, the incidence, nature and severity of the sequelae after severe lower leg trauma were studied. All patients had a tibial shaft fracture with a complete or impending compartment syndrome, treated with an urgent stabilisation and an adequate decompressive fasciotomy. In a thorough clinical examination, performed 17 months after trauma, the mobility of the knee and ankle joint, the perimetry of the lower leg and foot, and the muscle strength of all lower leg muscles were measured.

[Stridor in infants: sometimes not so innocent].

Stridor is a frequent symptom in the neonate. Often it consists of a discrete inspiratory stridor in an alert child or of a transient symptom of a viral respiratory infection. In both cases no specific therapy is required.

[Neonatal listeriosis].

During the period november 1988-december 1989 eight cases of early onset neonatal Listeria monocytogenes infection were registered in the 'Neonatal Intensive Care Unit' of the University Hospital in Leuven (Belgium). Before bacteriological proof was available, diagnosis could be made in 7 cases, based on a characteristic clinical picture: a maternal flu-like syndrome leading to preterm labour with intact membranes, meconium stained amniotic fluid, perinatal asphyxia and respiratory distress of the neonate. In 5 infants a maculopapulovesicular skin eruption was present.

[External fixation of distal radius fractures: indication, technique and functional results].

A series of 56 consecutive patients with 59 fractures of the distal end of the radius, treated with an unilateral external fixator of Hoffmann between 1980 and 1988, is presented, 47 of these patients were examined clinically at home in the last months of 1989. We can distinguish two different groups of patients: the older females with an average of 59.2 years and the younger males with an average of 40.

Syst-Eur--a multicenter trial on the treatment of isolated systolic hypertension in the elderly: first interim report.

Syst-Eur is a multicenter placebo-controlled outcome trial designed by the European Working Party on High Blood Pressure in the Elderly to investigate the effect of antihypertensive treatment on the incidence of stroke in elderly patients with isolated systolic hypertension (ISH). Eligible patients must be at least 60 years old and have a systolic blood pressure averaging 160-219 mm Hg with a diastolic blood pressure less than 95 mm Hg. The present paper is an interim report on the first 316 patients randomized into this trial.

Influence of posture on lung volumes and impedance of respiratory system in healthy smokers and nonsmokers.

In 105 adults we investigated the influence of the body positions, sitting with respect to supine, on lung volumes and on the input resistance, (Rrs) and reactance (Xrs) of the respiratory system. Rrs and Xrs were measured between 2 and 26 Hz by means of a forced oscillation technique. Vital capacity (VC) and expiratory reserve volume (ERV) are smaller in the supine position; this reduction decreases with age and is less for ERV in male smokers than in nonsmokers.

Prevalence and significance of anti-HCV antibodies.

The actual ELISA test for anti-HCV defects an antibody to a non-structural part of the virus. It is present in 0.3 to 1.

Angiotensin-converting-enzyme inhibitors and anaphylactoid reactions to high-flux membrane dialysis.

In a retrospective study, 9 of 236 haemodialysis patients treated with high-flux polyacrylonitrile 'AN 69' membranes were found to have had anaphylactoid reactions. Treatment with angiotensin-converting-enzyme (ACE) inhibitors had been recently started in all 9 affected patients; only 5 of 227 unaffected patients had been treated with ACE inhibitors, and anaphylactoid reactions disappeared after discontinuation of ACE inhibitors.

High ejaculate volume: a distinct entity?

In this study clinical, andrological and endocrinological data of a group of 101 patients with ejaculate volume of at least 8.0 ml are compared with data of 100 consecutive patients attending our infertility clinic. Within both groups correlations between different parameters are observed.

[Hip fractures in the elderly; mortality, functional results and probability of returning home].

767 patients over the age of 70 with a fracture of one hip were studied prospectively. The results were compared with the literature. The overall mortality rate within 3 months was 24%.

[Positive Romberg test and the probability of falls in the aged].

Very little objective data are available on the subject of falling in the elderly. Yet there is an urgent need for simple tests to help identify those patients at risk. The predictive value of the Romberg-test was investigated with a group of 199 inhabitants of four homes for the elderly (76 had fallen three times in a period of six months and 123 never fell in a period of one year).

Infant feeding and cardiorespiratory maturation.

134 preterm infants were investigated in their ability to coordinate sucking and breathing. Of those infants who did not coordinate, 79% showed immature cardiorespiratory control whereas of those who suck and breathe simultaneously only 12% had poor cardiorespiratory control. This finding suggests that in infants with poor coordination of sucking and breathing an investigation of cardiorespiratory control might be indicated.

Pyoderma gangrenosum in a patient with chronic myeloid leukemia.

We report a case of pyoderma gangrenosum in association with chronic myeloid leukemia. The clinical and pathological features are reviewed and the relationship with hematological disorders is discussed.