A randomized trial of fluoxetine versus amitriptyline in musculo-skeletal pain.

In a preclinical study we found fluoxetine alone to induce a serotonin-mediated, dose-dependent antinociceptive effect in the mouse hot plate assay. In the present study we evaluated the clinical implication of these findings, comparing the efficacy of fluoxetine with that of amitriptyline for musculo-skeletal pain. Forty non-depressed patients, suffering from low back pain and whiplash associated cervical pain were enrolled in a randomized, six-week, "blind-rater" study, comparing the analgesic effect of amitriptyline (50-75 mgs/day) with that of fluoxetine (20 mgs/day).

Clinical and immunological characteristics of elderly onset Sjögren's syndrome: a comparison with younger onset disease.

Objective: To compare the clinical and laboratory characteristics of patients with primary Sjögren's syndrome (SS) with an elderly onset to those with a younger onset.

Methods: The study group comprised 85 consecutive patients (79 women and 6 men) attending the Sjögren's clinic. Primary SS was diagnosed according to the San Diego criteria.

An open trial of plant-source derived phosphatydilserine for treatment of age-related cognitive decline.

We assessed whether the efficacy of plant-source derived phosphatydilserine (one of the phospholipids which play an important functional role in membrane-related processes in the brain) for treatment of age related cognitive decline is consistent with previous (placebo controlled) positive findings with bovine derivative of PS (BC-PS). Eighteen healthy elderly volunteers meeting Age Associated Memory Impairment inclusion and exclusion criteria were treated for 12 weeks with plant-source derived phosphatydilserine (PS) (100 mg x 3/day p.o.

Late complications of ureteral stents.

Objective: To review morbidity and late complications of ureteral stent insertion and to specifically evaluate hydronephrosis as a radiologic finding of obstruction in the presence of an indwelling ureteral stent.

Methods: In this prospective study, we evaluated 110 stented kidneys in a group of 90 patients. Of 110 stents, 52 were left in place for 3 months, 23 for 6 months, 11 for 9 months, and 24 for up to 12 months.

Nephrovesical subcutaneous stent: an alternative to permanent nephrostomy.

Purpose: We studied whether a subcutaneous ureteral bypass may be an alternative to a permanent nephrostomy tube in patients with ureteral obstruction caused by pelvic malignancy.

Materials And Methods: Using local anesthesia we inserted an especially designed nephrovesical stent into subcutaneous tissue. The stent consists of 2 J stents that are joined by a connector after insertion into the renal pelvis and bladder.

Subclavian artery aneurysms. A report of 2 cases and a review of the literature.

True aneurysm of the subclavian artery is extremely rare and atherosclerosis is the most common cause. Syphilis, tuberculosis, and cystic medial necrosis are less often the cause. Their exact prevalence in the general population is unknown.

Corrosive gastritis: sonographic findings in the acute phase and follow-up.

This paper reports our experience with transabdominal ultrasound in both the acute phase and follow-up in a patient with corrosive gastritis. The case presented demonstrates that serial sonography can localise the injury, demonstrate its depth and reveal the presence of peristalsis, thereby reducing the radiation exposure resulting from barium studies.

Suspended pubovaginal fascial sling for the correction of complicated stress urinary incontinence.

Objectives: Our experience with a modification of the pubovaginal fascial sling technique for the treatment of complicated stress urinary incontinence is reviewed.

Methods: 20 women with complicated stress urinary incontinence underwent suspended pubovaginal fascial sling procedure, with which the sling tension is balanced by combining it with No. 1 Prolene suspension sutures placed at the bladder neck.

Indomethacin and amniocentesis-induced changes in fetal flow velocity waveforms.

The effect of genetic amniocentesis on flow velocity waveforms in the fetal aorta and the umbilical artery, and fetal heart rate and their correlation with uterine contractions was examined in 75 pregnant women who underwent this procedure. Forty-three were untreated and 32 were pretreated with indomethacin. Median maternal age was 36 years and median gestational age was 18 weeks.

Toxicological mass disaster management - a hospital deployment scheme.

Toxicological mass disasters have occurred frequently in past years and constitute a permanent threat in urban areas. From the standpoint of hospital planning, special consideration is required to treat a large number of poisoned casualties in a relatively short period. Several unique medical aspects characterize toxicological mass disasters: casualties present a single disease entity with many "borderline" cases, most medical personnel are unfamiliar with the problem and casualties present a potential contamination hazard to the hospital.