C Bellamy — Page 2 | PubMed Health

PubMed1977

Studies of endocrine activity, plasma tryptophan and catecholamine excretion on psychosurgical patients.

The Geoffrey Knight Psychosurgical Unit admits patients on a regular basis and thus offers special opportunities for studying severely ill psychiatric cases, all having one particular treatment under relatively controlled conditions. The opportunity has been taken to repeat various metabolic studies previously reported to be abnormal in some psychiatric illnesses. In the present investigation several measures of endocrinological activity were studied, as was plasma tryptophan, both free and bound. None of these data confirmed reports of abnormalities and neither did the values found at operation help to predict clinical outcome 1 year later, which was another possibility. Urinary catecholamines were also measured and 2 weeks after operation. Male patients, regardless of diagnosis, showed a mean increase in adrenaline output after operation compared with the pre-operative value and this was significantly different from the females, who showed a small mean decrease. The depressed patients showed a significant reduction in noradrenaline excretion after operation compared with before operation and this trend was enhanced in those of good outcome at 1 year, the difference from those who responded poorly being significant. It could be that the ventromedial lesion that is produced alters noradrenaline metabolism or autonomic activity in depression and this possibility merits further study.

Adult↗

PubMedDate not supplied

[Therapeutic high-doses of digoxin with blood level determinations in 31 out of 150 elderly hospitalized patients treated over a year].

The assay by immunoenzymatic method of the blood level of digoxine in 150 old people, (m = 79 years), hospitalized during one year shows a level of more than 2 ng/ml in 31 of them, (m = 2.91 ng/ml). However, the dosage is normal or low, m = 0.206 mg/j. A renal impairment often discussed is not the mechanism: 17 patients with a blood creatinine over 135 mumol/l have a mean blood level of digoxine of 2.98 ng/ml for 2.91 in the 14 another ones without renal impairment. Physicians should be still more cautious when prescribing digoxin.

Aged↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Occupationally induced psoriasis.

Psoriasis of the hands may be triggered by work, especially in occupations involving physical trauma or contact with irritants. When limited to the hands and in absence of other typical lesions, diagnosis can be difficult particularly when coexisting with contact eczema. It is necessary to establish diagnostic criteria which help to establish a relationship between clinical manifestations and noxious stimuli at work. Prevention should be directed to early identification of cases and adequate preemployment physical examinations in order to avoid permanent disability.

Dermatitis, Occupational↗