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Biomedical subjects

A M Ortega

Publications and source records attributed to A M Ortega.

4 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1996

Atypical pneumonia. Extrapulmonary clues guide the way to diagnosis.

In atypical pneumonia, causative organisms are difficult to isolate, so careful clinical assessment is essential in arriving at a working diagnosis. Definitive diagnosis through serologic testing is usually retrospective. Either a high initial titer or a fourfold or greater rise between the acute and convalescent titer is considered diagnostic in a patient with compatible illness. Legionella and mycoplasma organisms may be cultured from respiratory secretions if plated on appropriate culture media. Using a syndromic approach, physicians can almost always differentiate typical from atypical community-acquired pneumonia and narrow diagnostic possibilities among the atypical pathogens, making possible institution of early, possibly lifesaving, empirical therapy.

Anti-Bacterial Agents↗
PubMed1995

Antibiotic failure.

There are many possible causes of antibiotic drug failure, but the most common are drug fevers, untreatable infectious diseases, noninfectious diseases, or problems with incorrect or inadequate spectrum. Failure to respond to antibiotics includes the emergence of resistant organisms, superinfections, and drug interactions. The most common mistake made with apparent antibiotic failure is to change or add additional antibiotics. The most important strategy is to analyze the cause of the antibiotic failure by careful evaluation and use of appropriate diagnostic tests to avoid needless, expensive, and potentially dangerous antimicrobial therapy.

Anti-Bacterial Agents↗
PubMed1993

[Platelet hyperactivity in diabetic retinopathy: etiologic factor or epiphenomenon of microangiopathy?].

In order to analyze the etiologic and pathogenic meaning of platelet activity in diabetic retinopathy, Plasmatic Beta-Thromboglobulin (BTG) has been determined in 42 diabetics without retinopathy, 14 diabetics with non proliferative retinopathy and in 29 health controls. BTG showed higher values in diabetic patients with retinopathy in comparison with diabetics with no retinopathy (46.4 +/- 10.7 versus 37.6 +/- 13.4 ng/ml; p < 0.05 and with controls (31 +/- 18.8; p < 0.005). There were no differences between diabetics with no retinopathy and controls. No relation was found between BTG and the glycemic control grade, neither with lipoproteic profile. In resume, platelet hyperactivity found in patients with retinopathy seems to be an epiphenomenon of the microangiopathic lesion and not an etiologic factor, however this not precludes that it can play a role in the progression on retinal lesions.

Adult↗