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Biomedical subjects

A Frei

Publications and source records attributed to A Frei.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1995

[Disulfiram in the treatment of alcoholic patients].

In a retrospective investigation we report our experience with alcohol-dependent patients who were hospitalized between 1987 and 1990. There were 58 patients, 29% of them were hospitalized several times. In the middle of 1991 and 1992 we interviewed the family doctors and the social workers who cared for the patients. In 48% of the patients there was improvement, in 24% there was a stabilization, and in 28% we noted a deterioration. There was no difference in patients treated by the family doctor alone or in patients treated by the social workers. Comparing patients taking Disulfiram with patients taking no drug, there was no difference in improvement (48% versus 50%). But the good results in patients not taking disulfiram were nearly exclusively noted for those who had been hospitalized in a special clinic for alcohol-dependent persons. Patients who were hospitalized several times for alcohol withdrawal had a worse chance to improve their situation (-20%). The therapy with disulfiram in alcohol-dependent patients is helpful to cure chronic alcoholics. Programs in a specialized clinic improve also the chance to be cured of the addiction.

Adult↗
PubMed1990

[Catamnesis of psychiatrically evaluated automobile drivers].

The present catamnestic study covers 100 petitioners, who either applied for the first time for a driving licence or for readmission to traffic after confiscation of their license by the police. 99 of them were former inpatients or still inpatients at the time of judgement. For all of them, the decision of the police depended upon our expertise. For the judgement we considered our psychiatric investigation, the clinical report and the police traffic record. Normally, our mode of admission was quite generous. The duration of catamnesis lasted at least two years. Our of the 100 petitioners, 88 were considered to be fit for driving; 67 unconditionally and 21 under the condition of regular survey or treatment. Subsequently seven of the petitioners showed a poor probation, i.e. their licenses were taken away by the police, one due to a severe and two due to minor accidents. Nobody was injured. In comparison to the experience of other authors about probation in traffic of former psychiatric inpatients, we think we can report a favourable result. A rather generous mode of admission to traffic seems to be justified in these patients.

Accidents, Traffic↗
PubMed1987

Bolus injection of cimetidine and hypotension in patients in the intensive care unit. Incidence and mechanisms.

Incidence and mechanisms of cimetidine-induced hypotension were investigated during the first intravenous injection of cimetidine (200 mg over three minutes) in 68 consecutive patients in the intensive care unit. Systolic pressure decreased more than 5 mm Hg (average, 14 mm Hg) in 50 patients, exceeding 30 mm Hg in nine (13%), while heart rate and pulmonary artery pressure (seven patients) did not change. Blood pressure decreased significantly more in patients requiring vasoconstrictor drug support. The arterial vasodilator properties of cimetidine were demonstrated in 12 normal volunteers in whom brachial artery cimetidine infusions caused a significant decrease of forearm vascular resistance. This effect was more pronounced when forearm vessels were preconstricted with dopamine hydrochloride (n = 6) or norepinephrine (n = 6), pointing toward an interference of cimetidine with sympathetically mediated vasoconstriction. Thus, intravenous injection of cimetidine in critically ill patients, presumably through arterial vasodilatation, is frequently associated with decreases of blood pressure, particularly in patients requiring vasoconstrictor drug support.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1986

Diffuse peritonitis and chronic ascites due to infection with Chlamydia trachomatis in patients without liver disease: new presentation of the Fitz-Hugh-Curtis syndrome.

Two women were admitted for increasing abdominal pain, vaginal discharge, and severe or moderate chronic ascites. Diffuse peritonitis without evidence of liver disease was found in both cases, and in one the ascites and vaginal discharge contained Chlamydia trachomatis. Both patients responded to doxycycline, and this and the laboratory findings pointed strongly to C trachomatis as the aetiological agent. C trachomatis may cause severe peritoneal infections with chronic ascites formation in the absence of liver disease in women with the Fitz-Hugh-Curtis syndrome. Prompt diagnosis and antibiotics lead to rapid cure.

Adult↗
PubMed1986

Cerebral blood flow and antihypertensive treatment with enalapril.

The intravenous 133Xenon method was used to measure regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) in 20 patients with moderate hypertension. Regional cerebral blood flow under pretreatment, in the placebo period and after 8 weeks of enalapril treatment were compared. The rCBF values [(F1), and initial slope, (IS)] showed no statistical difference during the three periods in spite of significantly higher blood pressure values in the placebo period. It is concluded, that with enalapril good blood pressure control is achieved without any adverse effect on rCBF.

Adrenergic beta-Antagonists↗
PubMed1984

[Quality control of liver diagnosis in newly admitted patients].

The evaluation of pathological clinical findings or abnormal laboratory tests in the liver was prospectively investigated. Pathological findings were used for diagnosis or differential diagnosis in only 40% of 102 patients investigated. Further investigations, mainly laboratory tests, resulted in definitive diagnosis only in 20%. The yield of pathological results when routinely ordering liver-specific tests is not more than 20%. Fewer, but perhaps more invasive, investigations would lower costs and improve the diagnostic yield.

Diagnosis, Differential↗
PubMed1983

[Intensive surveillance in poisoning caused by tricyclic antidepressive agents].

Monitoring in an intensive care unit after intoxication with tricyclic antidepressants for 48-72 hours was reevaluated in a retrospective study of 57 patients. As described in the recent literature, severe neurologic (coma grade III and IV, seizure or respiratory insufficiency) or cardiovascular complications (bradycardia, ventricular tachycardia, hypotension, were not found after 24 hours of intensive monitoring. More prolonged monitoring control no longer appears necessary.

Antidepressive Agents, Tricyclic↗
PubMed1982

[Use of physical therapy and ergotherapy in the day hospital].

The therapeutic possibilities of a day hospital orientated towards active rehabilitation are described. A survey revealed that 11 of the 34 patients were treated with active individual physiotherapy, 8 were attending remedial therapy and 5 regular individual speech therapy. The remaining patients followed physical or occupational therapy in groups. The patients receiving intensive individual procedures were mostly stroke patients with a history of less than two years or patients with chronic joint diseases. The accurate indication for the use of a staff- and time-consuming individual therapy is of great importance both in physiotherapy and occupational therapy. Treatment should be programmed for a carefully defined purpose and has to be adjusted continuously to the changing functional status of the patient.

Aged↗
PubMed1981

Influence of antisera, purification procedures, and tracers on validity of a testosterone radioimmunoassay.

The levels of testosterone in pooled plasma from men and from women were measured by radioimmunoassay. Testosterone was isolated from plasma either by ether extraction (direct procedure) or by chromatography of the ether extract (chromatographic procedure). Three different antisera (all raised against testosterone-3-oxime albumin) were employed. An additional variable was the use of two tracers, [3H] testosterone and [125I] histamine testosterone. The latter tracer was employed in both a freshly prepared form and two months after labelling. The old tracer was used both in a nonpurified and repurified form. The results were compared with those given by one of the antisera using the assay with chromatography. The validity of this assay was verified earlier using a test of radiochemical purity. In the statistical evaluation of the data, it was found that the assays of both plasma pools gave the same results as the validated assay, even with two other antisera, but only when the chromatographic purification was used. The direct assays gave significantly increased values for testosterone in the male plasma pool with one antiserum, and in the female plasma pool with all three antisera. It is concluded that those assays maybe considered valid which give results statistically indistinguishable from those obtained by the valid assay. These were all chromatographic assays and, in the man, also two direct assays. The comparison of [3H] testosterone and [125I] histamine testosterone as tracers did not indicate any major differences in the validity of the assays. When the 125I-tracer was employed, a moderate (1.5-2 fold) increase of sensitivity was seen with all three antisera, and the antisera could be used in a 10-40 times higher dilution. Furthermore, it was possible to use [125I] histamine testosterone and obtain practically the same results after two months, whether repurified or not.

Adult↗