Biomedical subjects

D Dávila

Publications and source records attributed to D Dávila.

14 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed1992

Concentration changes of electrolytes in serum of chronic chagasic myocardiopathic patients. Sodium, potassium, chloride, calcium, inorganic phosphorus and magnesium.

Sodium, potassium, chloride, calcium, inorganic phosphorus (Pi) and magnesium contents in the serum of 75 myocardiopathic chagasic patients together with that in 29 healthy controls were determined. Blood samples were taken by catheterization from the superior cava vein (SCV), coronary sinus (CS), pulmonary artery (PA) and a peripheral artery, usually the femoral (FA). The results show that the average serum sodium, potassium, chloride, calcium and PI were invariably different in most samples, except the levels of potassium in SCV and Pi levels in FA. The serum concentration of magnesium was significantly different only in the blood of CS. In general one can observe that in the chagasic patients the serum sodium, chloride and calcium tend to diminish while serum potassium, Pi and magnesium tend to increase, especially in CS blood. The coronary gradient indicates that sodium, chloride and calcium tend to deposit in heart tissues, whereas the other elements (potassium, magnesium and Pi) tend to be released from this tissue. The systemic and peripheric gradients suggest that the chemical elements under study tend either to deposit in/or be released from different tissues depending on the course of development of the chagasic myocardiopathy.

Adult↗

PubMed1989

[Hernial strangulation of Meckel's diverticulum: Littre's hernia. Apropos of 4 cases].

Hernial strangulation of Meckel's diverticulum (Littre's hernia) is a rare anatomoclinical form. It represents 10% of all complications of Meckel's diverticulum (8.8% of our cases), and complications like hemorrhage, perforation and diverticulitis are fairly frequent. Four cases of Littre's hernia are presented: two males and two females, with an average age of 67 years (range 50-83 years), representing 0.08% of all the inguinal-crural hernias operated in the department. The clinical manifestations were those of intestinal obstruction because a mixed type Littre's hernia was involved, with compromise of the diverticulum and its intestinal loop. Preoperative diagnosis is unlikely in strangulation without disturbances in the intestinal transit and, in fact, is even less likely if it is accompanied by obstruction. The diagnosis is thus almost always intraoperative. The correct treatment is surgery after restoring the patient's hemodynamic equilibrium. Simple and/or loop diverticulectomy via herniotomy, herniolaparotomy or laparotomy are debated. We think that this disorder can generally be resolved using the inguinal approach, as in any strangled hernia, with the technical option of using a larger, more comfortable and safer approach in cases of important obesity and/or deterioration of the loop (necrosis, perforation). In elderly patients with uncomplicated Littre's hernia and Meckel's diverticulum, abstention from diverticular exeresis may be justifiable. Of the four patients, the first two died from cardiogenic shock and pulmonary embolism, respectively; the last two evolved well (except for a wound abscess).

Aged↗

PubMed1988

Valsalva maneuver: a test of the functional state of cardiac innervation in Chagasic myocarditis.

The ratio between maximal and minimal R-R intervals measured during the Valsalva maneuver is an adequate means of studying the functional state of the cardiac parasympathetic nervous system. We studied the changes in heart rate evoked during the Valsalva maneuver in 49 asymptomatic Chagasic patients with different degrees of myocardial involvement. The Chagasic patients were divided in three groups. Twelve patients had no evidence of heart disease except for an abnormal myocardial biopsy. Sixteen patients had a normal electrocardiogram but revealed evidence of localized myocardial damage as shown by left ventricular cineangiography. Twenty-one patients had abnormal electrocardiograms and revealed multiple areas of abnormal left ventricular wall motion. The Valsalva ratio (mean +/- standard error) was 1.62 +/- 0.12 for controls, 1.52 +/- 0.10 for those with an abnormal biopsy, 1.48 +/- 0.06 for those with localized myocardial damage, and 1.31 +/- 0.04 for those with an abnormal electrocardiogram. There were no statistically significant differences between the control group (normal sero-negative subjects) and those patients with normal electrocardiograms. Results in those with an abnormal electrocardiogram, however, were statistically different (P less than 0.05) from the other groups. These results are in discordance with the commonly accepted hypothesis that cardiac parasympathetic denervation causes a dilated myocardiopathy in patients with chronic Chagasic myocarditis.

Adult↗

PubMed1988

Concentration changes of zinc, copper and iron in serum of chronic chagasic myocardiopathic patients.

Zinc, iron and copper content in serum of 75 myocardiopathic chagasic patients together with that in 29 healthy controls were determined. Blood samples were taken by catheterization from the superior cava vein, coronary sinus, pulmonary artery and a peripheral artery, usually the femoral. In general, serum zinc and iron levels tend to diminish in chagasic patients, while serum copper levels tend to increase. The coronary, systemic and peripheric gradients indicate that all these metal elements tend to deposit in heart tissue. Although zinc and iron tend to be deposited also in liver and other tissues, copper is released from them into the blood stream. Further studies should determine the requirement of these metal species in heart and other tissues of experimental animals in order to obtain more conclusive information about the cause of the serum metal impairment observed here.

Adult↗

PubMed1988