PubMed HealthSearch

Biomedical subjects

B T Brown

Publications and source records attributed to B T Brown.

8 recordsLinked to original sources

Guanethidine sulfate in the prevention of autonomic hyperreflexia.

Autonomic hyperreflexia constitutes the only medical emergency seen in spinal cord injury patients. Uncontrolled hypertension and bradycardia can result in seizures and death. The acute treatment of the syndrome has ranged from medical ganglionic blockers to topical anesthetic agents to surgical procedures. The oral use of 10 mg. guanethidine sulfate 3 times daily successfully prevented the major symptoms of the syndrome in 200 spinal cord injury patients with lesions above T5. Toxicity has been mild and the drug is recommended until the patients are voiding and are capable of self-care.

Autonomic Nervous System

External sphincterotomy at the 12 o'clock position.

Transurethral resection of the external sphincter was done at the 12 o'clock position 61 times in 60 men. There was a 2.8 per cent incidence of postoperative impotence and a 75 per cent cure of vesicoureteral reflux but there was only a 65 per cent success rate of decreasing post-voiding residual urine after 6 months. The techniques and applications of the procedure are discussed.

Adult

Pentolinium for control of reflex hypertension in spinal cord injured patients.

Ganglioplegia was produced by intravenous infusion of pentolinium tartrate 5 mg to control reflex hypertension in 29 patients with chronic spinal cord injuries undergoing 32 elective surgical procedures. The patient group with lesions above the first thoracic segment (T1) demonstrated significant but moderate intraoperative elevation of both systolic and diastolic pressure whether pentolinium was given prior to or during surgical stimulation. Patients with lesions below T1 had no significant pressure elevations with either mode of therapy. Pentolinium ganglioplegia can safely maintain blood pressure within reasonable limits in these patients; some increase in dosage may be required in patients with lesions above T1.

Adolescent

Agranulocytosis associated with procainamide therapy--report of a case.

The case of a 69-year-old woman with procainamide-induced agranulocytosis is reported, and literature reports of 14 other such cases are reviewed. The patients was exposed to procainamide, prescribed for atrial fibrillation, for 26 days, with a daily dose of 1.5 to 4 g and a total dose of 57.5 g. She recovered from agranulocytosis after discontinuation of the drug and hospital treatment for 16 days. Among the reported cases of procainamide-induced agranulocytosis, the daily dosage ranged from 750 mg to 4.5 g; the total ingested dose before agranulocytosis was observed ranged from 36.5 to 316.3 g. Patients treated with procainamide should be instructed to report any soreness of the mouth, throat or gums; unexplained fever; or any symptoms of upper respiratory tract infection. If white blood cell counts indicate bone marrow depression, the drug should be withdrawn and appropriate evaluation begun at once.

Aged