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Biomedical subjects

A Knudsen

Publications and source records attributed to A Knudsen.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources
PubMed1989

[Chlamydia trachomatis in at-risk groups in legal abortion in the first trimester].

Examination for the presence of C. Trachomatis in the cervix and urethra and bacteriological examination of the cervix were performed in a material of 224 patients for legal abortion in the first trimester of pregnancy. Chlamydia was demonstrated in 8.9% of the patients, Neisseria gonorrhoeae in 0.5% and, in 41%, growth of Gardnerella vaginalis predominated. It proved possible to define a group at risk for the presence of Chlamydia consisting of all the patients under the age of 25 years and nulliparae aged 25-29 years. 17% in this group had positive Chlamydia tests as compared with 1.7% in the patients in other groups. Patients in the above mentioned risk group should be examined for C. trachomatis in cases of legal termination of pregnancy so that appropriate treatment can be administered prior to evacuation.

Abortion, Induced↗
PubMed1989

Prediction of the development of neonatal jaundice by increased umbilical cord blood bilirubin.

Umbilical cord serum bilirubin concentration as a predictor of subsequent jaundice was studied in 291 newborns. It was possible to define subgroups of infants with significantly higher or lower risks of developing jaundice. If cord bilirubin was below 20 mumol/l, 2.9% became jaundiced as opposed to 85% if cord bilirubin was above 40 mumol/l. Furthermore, 57% of jaundiced infants with cord bilirubin above 40 mumol/l required phototherapy, but only 9% if cord bilirubin was 40 mumol/l or lower (p less than 0.003). Knowledge of infants at risk of developing jaundice allows simple bilirubin reducing methods to be implemented before jaundice is present and could influence a decision regarding early discharge from hospital. Since the ability of plasma to bind bilirubin in cord blood from jaundiced and non-jaundiced infants showed no significant differences, the increased cord bilirubin among infants who later became jaundiced is presumably caused by increased fetal bilirubin production or decreased removal of bilirubin from the fetal circulation.

Bilirubin↗
PubMed1989

Skin colour and bilirubin in neonates.

The correlation between the yellow colour of the skin and serum bilirubin concentration, reserve albumin concentration, and pH was investigated in 76 icteric neonates. Significant linear correlation existed between yellow colour of the skin and serum bilirubin concentration, reciprocal of the reserve albumin concentration, and the squared hydrogen ion concentration. Furthermore, the basic yellowness of the skin at birth correlated linearily with the yellow colour of the skin measured when the child became jaundiced. The results support the proposed hypothesis that bilirubin is transferred from plasma to skin through two different mechanisms: (a) leakage of bilirubin-albumin complexes into extravascular spaces and (b) precipitation of bilirubin acid in phospholipid membranes. The latter mechanism suggests that measurement of the yellow colour of the skin may be a better predictor of brain damage than the serum bilirubin concentration and thus be of clinical utility. Measurement of the yellow colour of the skin as a method of obtaining serum bilirubin concentration is unreliable.

Bilirubin↗
PubMed1989

Maternal bilirubin, cord bilirubin, and placenta function at delivery and the development of jaundice in mature newborns.

The study material comprised 213 newborns with a birth weight above 2000 g, and their mothers. At delivery, blood samples were obtained from the umbilical cord and the mother's cubital vein for determination of the transplacental bilirubin gradient and assessment of placental function by means of the HPL concentration in the maternal blood. The HPL concentration showed no relation to the transplacental bilirubin gradient or the umbilical cord bilirubin concentration. Therefore, to the extent that the HPL concentration reflects the rate constants for bilirubin transfer, an increased transplacental bilirubin gradient or an increased cord bilirubin concentration could not be explained by an impaired ability of the placenta to transfer bilirubin. When the infants who became jaundiced were compared with the non-jaundiced, significantly higher transplacental bilirubin gradient (p less than 0.00001), cord bilirubin (p less than 0.00001) and maternal bilirubin values at the time of delivery (p less than 0.03) were found among the jaundiced infants. On the basis of the results it was possible to define subgroups of infants with significantly higher/lower risk of subsequent jaundice.

Bilirubin↗
PubMed1989

The clinical significance of the genital microbiologic flora at vacuum aspiration following miscarriage.

85 women undergoing vacuum aspiration following miscarriage were studied. At the time of vacuum aspiration, immunofluorescent stainings for detection of C. trachomatis proved positive in 5.9% of the patients. Group B streptococci were isolated in 7.5%, coliforms in 3.5%, and Gardnerella vaginalis in 51% of the patients. The overall frequency of postabortal pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) was 3.5%, whereas 40% of chlamydia-positive women contracted postabortal PID (p less than 0.05). No significant relation between other microorganisms and postabortal PID was observed. The duration of postabortal bleeding was unrelated to the genital microbiologic flora. Based on anamnestic information about previous pregnancies and duration of preoperative bleeding it was possible to define subgroups at risk of harboring C. trachomatis and coliforms. The clinical significance of this is unknown.

Abortion, Spontaneous↗
PubMed1988

Outbreak of infection with Achromobacter xylosoxidans from contaminated intravascular pressure transducers.

Achromobacter xylosoxidans contaminating transducers caused 15 cases of hospital infection. In the eight patients with bacteraemia the interval from inoculation to fever was an average of 6.6 days. All the infected patients recovered. Computerization of laboratory records allowed retrieval of previous isolates, and review of clinical records focused the problem on patients with cardiac and aortic diseases. The problem arose from the re-use of disposable equipment after disinfection with a benzalcone.

Aged↗
PubMed1987

Cobinding of bilirubin and sulfonamide and of two bilirubin molecules to human serum albumin: a site model.

Differential light absorption spectra of the bilirubin-albumin 1:1 complex, obtained on addition of 20 different sulfonamides, differ with respect to shape and amplitude. This finding seems to indicate that the sulfonamide molecule is bound in direct touch with the bilirubin. The light absorption spectrum of bilirubin-albumin 1:1 undergoes changes on cobinding of a fatty acid anion, laurate, and on variation of pH, previously explained by a change of dihedral angle between the two chromophores of the bilirubin molecule. In bilirubin-albumin 2:1, binding of laurate and variation of pH cause little change of the spectrum. This is best explained by binding of the two bilirubin molecules in close proximity, preventing conformational changes in the complex. From measurements of fluorescence of the lone tryptophan group in albumin and quenching on binding of bilirubin, we calculated the distance of 22 A from tryptophan to the first bound bilirubin molecule, and of 18 A to the second. Mutual quenching of the bilirubin fluorescence from two bound bilirubin molecules seemed to indicate that the two are bound closely together. A model of bilirubin-albumin with a binding site capable of accommodating one bilirubin and one sulfonamide molecule, or two molecules of bilirubin, is compatible with our findings.

Bilirubin↗
PubMed1986

Spectroscopic properties of bilirubin-human serum albumin complexes: a stoichiometric analysis.

Light absorption spectra, fluorescence of bound bilirubin, fluorescence of albumin as quenched by bilirubin, and circular dichroism spectra have been studied in mixtures of bilirubin and defatted human serum albumin in variable proportions at 25 degrees C and at pH 7.4, 8.2, and 9.0. Corresponding spectral data have been calculated for the stoichiometric bilirubin-albumin complexes, 1:1, 2:1, and 3:1. Light absorption spectra as well as the bound bilirubin fluorescence indicate that all three bound bilirubin dianions are internalized. These data were obtained by curve fitting to least sum of squared deviations. In addition to the best fit we obtained 30 acceptable curves, located within an F contour, thus producing a rough estimate of the variation of the resulting spectral data.

Bilirubin↗
PubMed1985

Plasma tyrosine/neutral amino acid ratio correlated with clinical response to nortriptyline in endogenously depressed patients.

Ratios in plasma of tryptophan (Trp) and tyrosine (Tyr) to other large neutral amino acids were determined in 26 endogenous depressives before and after treatment with nortriptyline in doses adequate to achieve a steady-state serum level between 70 and 130 ng/ml, i.e., within the recommended therapeutic range. Pretreatment plasma Trp ratio and Tyr ratio were normal and did not change significantly during treatment. The plasma Trp and Tyr concentrations and the plasma Trp ratio showed no significant association with the therapeutic response. However, the pretreatment plasma Tyr ratio correlated significantly and directly with the final Hamilton rating score, and inversely with the per cent reduction of Hamilton rating score. Moreover, depressives with plasma Tyr ratio below the normal mean showed significantly greater clinical improvement than patients with higher plasma Tyr ratio with comparable serum nortriptyline levels. Evidence has been presented that biochemical variables in depressed patients are important determinants of clinical improvement following pharmacotherapeutic treatment. Moreover, the results suggest that the plasma Tyr ratio may be a guideline for antidepressant response to nortriptyline.

Adult↗
PubMed1985

Epidemic spread of Acinetobacter calcoaceticus in a neurosurgical department analyzed by electronic data processing.

An epidemic spread of Acinetobacter calcoaceticus var. anitratus in two neurosurgical wards is described retrospectively and prospectively using electronic data processing. Isolation of the species from sputum preceded the isolation from CSF by 1/2-1 year. Control measures directed against spread by air and indirect contact controlled the epidemic. Reexamination of 20 selected strains from the epidemic revealed two distinct resistance patterns.

Acinetobacter↗
PubMed1979

Surgical correction of severe hammer digit syndrome: a case report.

Survivors of a stroke are forever in a battle for complete recovery. Signs and symptoms of the initial stroke may remain. Patients who has had a stroke may retain some of their initial manifestations, e.g., hemiparesis. Limbs that were initially paralyzed will usually retain signs of upper motor neuron damage. This patient demonstrated such a situation, and we felt that the proper treatment in this case of severe hammer digit syndrome was modified Lambrinudi fusions.

Adult↗
PubMed1976

Gastric mucosa after partial gastrectomy.

A partial gastrectomy of Billroth I or II type was performed in a series of 146 patients with peptic ulcer. Gastric biopsy was carried out two years later and the histology of the specimens compared with that of the body mucosa at the time of operation. In 138 patients without body atrophic gastritis (AG) before operation this condition was found in 74 (54%) two years after (46% of DU patients and 73% of GU patients). Those with antral or pyloric canal ulcers were particularly liable to develop AG (81%). Apart from site of ulcer various other factors possibly associated with the development of AG were examined: no positive correlations were found with the possible exception of anaemia. Gastric parietal cell antibodies were not found in any patient with AG tested. The cause of gastritis after partial gastrectomy and its possible relationship with gastric carcinoma are discussed.

Age Factors↗