Biomedical subjects

A Della Vedova

Publications and source records attributed to A Della Vedova.

5 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2006

Acute effects of force and vibration on finger blood flow.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the effects of contact force at the finger on acute changes in finger circulation during exposure to vibration. METHODS: Each of 10 subjects attended 11 sessions in which they experienced five successive experimental 5-minute periods: (i) no force and no vibration; (ii) force and no vibration; (iii) force and vibration; (iv) force and no vibration; (v) no force and no vibration. During periods (ii) to (iv), the intermediate phalanx of the right middle finger applied one of two forces (2 N or 5 N) on a platform that vibrated during period (iii) at one of two frequencies: 31.5 Hz (at 4 or 16 ms(-2) r.m.s.) or 125 Hz (at 16 or 64 ms(-2) r.m.s.). Finger blood flow was measured in the exposed right middle finger, the unexposed right little finger, and the unexposed left middle fingers throughout the 25 minutes of each session. RESULTS: The application of force alone caused a reduction in finger blood flow in the exposed finger, but not other fingers. There were additional reductions in finger blood flow caused by vibration, with greater reductions at the higher vibration magnitudes at both frequencies but no difference between the two frequencies when using unweighted acceleration. The vibration caused a similar vasoconstriction in vibrated and non-vibrated fingers. CONCLUSIONS: Modest levels of force applied by a finger can have a large effect on the finger blood flow, possibly due to the constriction of local blood vessels. The acute vascular effects of vibration cause additional reductions in finger blood flow that are not limited to the finger experiencing force and vibration. In all fingers (exposed and not exposed to vibration), the greater the magnitude of vibration, the greater the reduction in finger blood flow. In all fingers (exposed and not exposed to vibration), when the vibration was frequency weighted according to current standards, 125 Hz vibration caused greater reductions in finger blood flow than 31.5 Hz vibration.

Adult↗

PubMed2005

A follow up study of vibration induced white finger in compensation claimants.

AIMS: To follow up vibration induced white finger (VWF) in a selected group of 73 vibration exposed workers who claimed unsuccessfully for VWF compensation at a first examination. METHODS: The VWF claimants were sent to our unit by the National Insurance Institute. The basic compensatory criteria included a positive history of VWF and abnormal cold response of the digital arteries. Following the first unsuccessful examination, over a mean time period of 4.1 (range 1-11) years the National Insurance Institute requested a second examination for all 73 claimants and a third examination for 29. During the follow up period, all subjects continued to work with vibratory tools. RESULTS: There were 14 new cases who reported white finger during the follow up period. In the new VWF cases, finger blanching attacks became visible after about 3.5 years since the first examination. All incident cases of anamnestic VWF showed an abnormal cold response in the digital arteries and obtained compensation according to the basic compensatory criteria. In the entire sample of VWF claimants, there was a discrepancy between positive history of VWF symptoms at medical interview (55%) and abnormal cold provocation outcomes (19%). Digital arterial hyperresponsiveness to cold was associated with both VWF symptoms and the duration of vibration exposure since the first examination. Over the follow up period, a significant increase in the vasoconstrictor response to cold was observed in the vibration exposed workers with no symptoms of finger whiteness. Abnormal cold response was not associated with either age or smoking habit. CONCLUSIONS: Cold test measuring finger systolic blood pressure may be considered a useful laboratory method to confirm objectively VWF symptoms and to disclose abnormal cold induced vasoconstrictor response in vibration exposed workers with a negative history of VWF. Medical interview outcomes should be interpreted with caution in medicolegal situations involving VWF claimants.

Adult↗

PubMed1995

[The neuroglycopenic syndrome due to insulinoma. A clinical case report].

The authors report a case of a woman affected by pancreatic insulinoma who had been suffering from recurrent and misdiagnosed hypoglycemic attacks since 3 years. The total loss of warning neurogenic symptoms replaced by sudden onset of neuroglycopenic symptoms had delayed the proper and early diagnosis because of repeated and useless cardiovascular and neurological investigations. Moreover, it is stressed how difficult is to reveal such neoplasia that, despite the severe symptoms, are usually small in size and often undetectable even with TC scan. Therefore, when clinical pattern is strongly suggestive for insulinoma the use of invasive angiography or other techniques is mandatory and often conclusive. Actually clinical data have the priority in whole diagnostic pathway.

Chronic Disease↗

PubMed1994

[Immunological indices in myelodysplastic syndromes].

Several studies aiming to describe the immunological abnormalities occurring in patients affected by myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) have been carried out in recent years. We report on the immunological abnormalities found in 22 myelodysplastic patients at the time of diagnosis (RA: 2 cases; ASIA: 4 cases; AREB: 6 cases; AREB-T: 6 cases. LMMC: 4 cases). Matched with similarly aged healthy people (controls) all our patients revealed a significant lymphocytopenia mainly due to a reduction both in number and percentage of T-helper series with decreased OK T4/OK T8 ratio as a result; even B-cells were reduced in number but their percentage still overlapped with the controls. Out of 22 patients, 13 showed hypergammaglobulinemia (polyclonal in 12 cases, monoclonal in the one left) and 2 read positive for Coomb's and Ana-test respectively. The involvement of T-cell immunity in the course of MDS can be explained if we consider the clonal origin of such diseases. Among myelodysplastic patients the ones affected by LMMC, AREB and AREB-T show the heaviest immunological abnormalities: in these cases the whole of T-cells subsets and NK cells as well are affected. Eventually, the mentioned abnormalities are of paramount importance to explain how easily these patients can develop both severe infectious diseases and abrupt acute leukemia.

Aged↗

PubMedDate not supplied

[Scleroderma and occupational risk factors: a case-control study].

In a hospital-based case-referent study of systemic sclerosis (SSc) and occupational risk factors (55 cases and 171 referents), an excess risk for SSc was observed in men with previous occupational exposure to solvents and certain chemicals (vinyl chloride, formaldehyde). SSc was associated, even though not significantly, with occupational exposure to solvents and silica among women. The possible role of occupational exposures in the etiology of SSc, as well as the methodological limitations of the present study, are discussed.

Case-Control Studies↗