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Biomedical subjects

D Hoch

Publications and source records attributed to D Hoch.

14 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1996

Implantable cardioverter defibrillator: use in patients with no symptoms and at high risk.

Twenty-seven patients with asymptomatic, nonsustained ventricular tachycardia whose evaluation suggested they were at high risk for sustained ventricular arrhythmias were treated with implantable cardioverter defibrillators. The option of conventional therapy (including the option of no therapy) was presented to each patient and rejected in favor of defibrillator implantation on an experimental basis. Eighteen patients had coronary artery disease and inducible sustained ventricular tachycardia, 8 had idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy, and 1 had hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and a strong family history of sudden cardiac death. The mean ejection fraction was 27% +/- 10%. Operative morbidity (3%) and mortality (3%) were low. Mean overall survival was 92% and 88% at 1 and 2 years, respectively. Sixteen (59%) of the 27 patients had appropriate defibrillator discharges during a mean follow-up of 35 +/- 15 months. The mean time to first appropriate discharge was 18 +/- 17 months, and mean follow-up after first discharge was 17 +/- 20 months. In conclusion, implantable cardioverter defibrillator placement in high-risk patients without symptoms is a feasible approach that may have resulted in benefit in selected patients. Large-scale randomized trials currently under way will determine the risk/benefit ratio of this management approach.

Actuarial Analysis↗
PubMed1996

Outbreak of histoplasmosis among employees in a paper factory--Michigan, 1993.

In December 1993, four reported cases of histoplasmosis among employees in a Michigan pulp paper factory prompted an investigation. A cohort of employees was surveyed to identify additional cases. A case of acute histoplasmosis was defined as an influenza-like illness in a plant employee with the onset of illness during October or November 1993 and laboratory evidence of recent infection with Histoplasma capsulatum. Among the 96 employees surveyed, 18 persons met the case definition; all of these had illness onset during the last week of October in 1993. The attack rate among maintenance employees (16 of 53 [30%]) was much greater than that among nonmaintenance employees (2 of 43 [5%]) (relative risk = 6.5; 95% confidence interval = 1.6 to 26.7; P = 0.003). On October 22, a dry, windy day, one maintenance worker swept bird guano, approximately 10 cm deep, from an adjacent roof < 20 m from the maintenance building. The disturbance of the bird guano was the likely event which caused this outbreak. H. capsulatum remains an important pathogen among immunocompetent hosts. We recommended that the plant authorities (i) discourage birds from roosting at the facility and (ii) use safe procedures for the cleanup and disposal of soil contaminated with bird droppings.

Adult↗
PubMed1993

Monitoring carotid test occlusions with continuous EEG and clinical examination.

We routinely monitor invasive neuroradiologic carotid balloon test occlusions with continuous polygraph and quantitative EEG along with repeated detailed clinical examinations. Four of 17 consecutive cases showed changes during carotid occlusion. In one instance, an immediate delta increase was accompanied by slurred speech and aphasia. Another showed alpha attenuation without clinical change. A third patient had significant clinical change without EEG change. Nine of the 17 cases underwent permanent therapeutic carotid occlusion as treatment of an intracerebral vascular abnormality. Seven of these nine had no EEG or clinical changes during monitoring and have had no functional abnormalities on follow-up. The patient with focal alpha attenuation had an accidental balloon detachment but has had no functional or structural neurologic abnormalities. The patient with minor regional increased delta received a permanent carotid occlusion and went on to develop clinical signs 24 h later. We believe that continuous EEG monitoring and repeated clinical examinations provide useful ways of evaluating cerebral circulation during carotid test occlusions.

Adult↗
PubMed1987

[Pollen counts (from Ambrosia and Artemisia) in Lyon-Bron from 1982 to 1985].

The purpose of this work is to distinguish the broad outlines of the pollen calendar in the Lyons area for the 5th year, using the same method (P. COUR) and the same location--Lyon-Bron weather station. Weekly data is given for 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985 (1986 data was not complete at the time of the conference, October 1986). This work is the fruit of numerical counts integrated into a data processing program which enables pollens tested and not tested in allergology to be identified. In Lyon, we observe 3 pollen seasons: early Spring (TREES), Spring (TREES and GRAMINEAE) and Summer-Autumn (TREES, GRAMINEAE, and COMPOSITAE). During the late the following are present: Artemisia vulgaris (last 10 days of July), RAGWEED (mid-August-1st fortnight of October), Artemisia annua (end September-early October). The particularity of our region is that not only ragweed pollen is collected but also two categories of Mugwort pollen, at different periods.

Air Pollutants↗
PubMed1987

The influence of ketanserin, droperidol and hydergine on postoperative hypertension during early recovery following major abdominal surgery.

Forty adult patients, who developed postoperative hypertension (greater than 160/90 mm Hg) following major abdominal surgery were given double-blind, randomized either ketanserin 10 mg i.v. (n = 10), droperidol 5 mg i.v. (n = 10), hydergine 0.9 mg i.v. (n = 10) or placebo solution (n = 10). Following the injection of ketanserin or droperidol systolic and diastolic blood pressure decreased significantly (p less than 0.001 and p less than 0.01), but were no longer significantly lowered 30 minutes following the injection in 5 out of 10 ketanserin treated and in 8 out of ten droperidol treated patients. Neither hydergine nor placebo had a significant effect on blood pressure. It is concluded, that both ketanserin and droperidol have a moderate and short acting antihypertensive effect.

Abdomen↗
PubMed1986

Hematocrit and hemoglobin concentration in four chromosomal species and some isolated populations of actively speciating subterranean mole rats in Israel.

Hematocrit (HCT) and hemoglobin (Hb) concentration were measured in four chromosomal species and some peripherally semi-isolated and isolated populations of the mole rat superspecies Spalax ehrenbergi in Israel. HCT was 52.0, 51.4, 50.9, and 47.8%, and Hb was 16.0, 16.6, 16.3, and 14.7 g/100 ml for 2n = 52, 58, 54, and 60, respectively. The species 2n = 60, which lives in arid habitats, had lower HCT and Hb than the other three species. HCT decreased as aridity increased between the species and within the species 2n = 60. Changes in HCT probably reflect clinal changes in both soil permeability to gases and ambient temperature.

Animals↗