PubMed Health⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

E Hjortsø

Publications and source records attributed to E Hjortsø.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1992

The nursing care recording system. A preliminary study of a system for assessment of nursing care demands in the ICU.

A new system, Nursing Care Recording (NCR), for the recording of nursing care in a general ICU is presented. NCR classifies ICU patients according to their need for intensive nursing care. Comparing the NCR with the Therapeutic Intervention Scoring System (TISS), a correlation coefficient of 0.60 was found. The main difference between the two systems was related to recording procedures allowing changes in nursing intensity within a 24-h period, reflecting patient improvement due to therapy, which was detected by NCR but not by TISS. NCR can be used to estimate nursing capacity during different shifts and may be useful in the assessment of the total nursing staff necessary for a given ICU. It is suggested that NCR will allow detection of changes in the nursing care work load, whether this change is due to new activities in the unit or to alterations in the individual patient care.

Adult↗
PubMed1992

Ambulatory strain-gauge plethysmography and blood volume scintimetry for quantitative assessment of venous insufficiency.

In the present study, a strain-guage plethysmographic method (ASGP) is compared to an isotope plethysmographic method (ABVS), in order to evaluate how an externally recorded volume change corresponds to blood displacement within the leg during exercise. The coefficient of correlation for RT (venous return time) was 0.67 (P less than 0.001) and for EV (expelled volume) it was 0.61 (P less than 0.001). The RT values were similar by the two methods both in healthy controls and in patients with Chronic Venous Insufficiency (CVI). The corresponding EV values showed the same pattern in controls and patients but the values differed substantially. By ASGP the value was approximately 2 ml per 100 ml tissue compared to 33 ml per 100 ml blood by the ABVS method. Both methods could clearly distinguish normal controls from patients with chronic deep venous insufficiency, but ABVS could only make this distinction when the ankle area of measurement was applied.

Adult↗
PubMed1991

Pulmonary vasodilatation and augmentation of right ventricular function following terbutaline infusion in severe chronic pulmonary disease.

Twenty patients with a median age of 61 years and a median forced expired volume in 1 s (FEV1) after bronchodilating therapy of 0.55 l were studied in order to measure the effect of intravenous terbutaline on bronchial tone, cardiac function, pulmonary haemodynamics, gas exchange, and oxygen transport capacity during rest and in 10 patients during exercise. Terbutaline infusion during rest resulted in an increase in heart rate from 84 to 103 beats min-1 (P less than 0.01), a decrease in mean systemic arterial pressure from 95 to 80 mmHg (P less than 0.02), an unchanged mean pulmonary arterial pressure (18 mmHg), an increase in cardiac index from 2.89 to 3.86 l min-1 m-2 (P less than 0.01), an increase in right ventricular ejection fraction from 45 to 53% (P less than 0.01), an increase in left ventricular ejection fraction from 63 to 67% (NS), an unchanged arterial oxygen tension, and an increase in calculated oxygen delivery from 533 to 638 ml O2 min-1 m-2 (P less than 0.01). During exercise terbutaline infusion resulted in an increase in heart rate from 108 to 120 beats min-1 (P less than 0.05), a decrease in mean systemic arterial pressure from 117 to 106 mmHg (P less than 0.01), a decrease in mean pulmonary arterial pressure from 29 to 22 mmHg (P less than 0.01), an increase in cardiac index from 4.53 to 4.64 min-1 m-2 (NS), an unchanged arterial oxygen tension, and an increase in the calculated oxygen delivery from 834 to 856 ml O2 min-1 m-2 (NS). It was concluded that terbutaline augments right ventricular function: increases right ventricular ejection fraction and decreases right ventricular end-diastolic volume, and further decreases pulmonary vascular resistance without decreasing arterial oxygen tension, and increases oxygen delivery in patients with chronic pulmonary disease during rest and exercise.

Aged↗
PubMed1990

Does N-acetylcysteine increase the excretion of trace metals (calcium, magnesium, iron, zinc and copper) when given orally?

N-Acetylcysteine (NAC) is known to decrease the exacerbation rate in patients with chronic bronchitis. It has also been shown that NAC has both an oxygen-radical scavenger and a heavy-metal chelating effect in high intravenous doses. In a study lasting 5 weeks, 10 healthy volunteers were treated with NAC 200 mg t.d.s. for two weeks. The concentrations of trace metals (Ca, Mg, Fe, Zn & Cu) in plasma were measured weekly and daily in a morning spot urine during the investigation. No significant change in plasma concentration or excretion was found during the two weeks of treatment, implying that additional administration of trace metals is unnecessary for patients treated perorally with a therapeutic dose of NAC.

Acetylcysteine↗
PubMed1989

Pain relief following herniotomy: a double-blind randomized comparison between naproxen and placebo.

Sixty consecutive out-patients were randomly assigned to have either a non-steroid anti-inflammatory drug (naproxen 500 mg) or an identical placebo administered as suppositories half an hour before unilateral herniotomy. Within 1.5 h after the end of surgery, pain scores were significantly improved in patients receiving naproxen (P less than 0.02). The long-term analgesic effect was measured indirectly by registering the postoperative requirement for supplementary analgesic doses of acetylsalicylic acid 1 g plus codeine 20 mg. The time elapsing before the first demand for additional analgesics was prolonged by median 1.5 h, and the need for further analgesic treatment during 24 h was significantly reduced (P less than 0.003) in the naproxen group (median, 2 doses) compared to the placebo group (median, 4 doses). No statistically significant difference was found between the groups with regard to the occurrence of side-effects.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1988

ARDS after accidental inhalation of zinc chloride smoke.

Five soldiers were injured by inhalation of hexite smoke (ZnCl2) during military training. Two soldiers, not wearing gas masks breathed hexite for 1 or 2 min, they slowly developed severe adult respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) over the ensuing 2 weeks. This slow, progressive clinical course has not been previously described. In both patients, an increased plasma zinc concentration was measured 3 weeks after the incident. Intravenous and nebulized acetylcysteine increased the urinary excretion of zinc, and briefly decreased the plasma levels. In an attempt to arrest collagen deposition in the lungs, L-3,4 dehydroproline was administered. Both patients died of severe respiratory failure (25 and 32 days after inhalation). At autopsy diffuse microvascular obliteration, widespread occlusion of the pulmonary arteries and extensive interstitial and intra-alveolar fibrosis was observed. Three soldiers wearing ill fitting gas masks, immediately developed severe coughing and dyspnea. They improved, and 12 months after exposure their lung function tests were nearly normal, but they still had slight dyspnea on exercise.

Acetylcysteine↗
PubMed1988

Diuresis renography in patients with reduced renal function.

Diuresis renography was performed twice at an interval of one week in 13 uraemic patients without hydronephrosis. In five of the patients, the 51Cr-EDTA clearance was below 10 ml/min x 1.73 m2 for the individual kidney, in eight of the patients between 10 and 25. During the renographies, respectively, 0.5 and 7.5 mg/kg of frusemide was given I.V. at 20 min. Compared with the data from eight normal control patients, the effect of frusemide on the renography curve was very poor and varied much in both groups. Our results suggest that diuresis renography gives no conclusive information about the upper urinary tract in kidneys with a 51Cr-EDTA clearance below 25 ml/min x 1.73 m2, even when the dose of frusemide is increased to 7.5 mg/kg.

Diuresis↗
PubMed1986

Increased hepatic microsomal activity after halothane anaesthesia in children.

The effect of anaesthesia and surgery on microsomal enzyme activity was studied in 19 children aged 4-9 years, scheduled for tonsillectomy. The children were randomly allocated to either halothane or ketamine anaesthesia. Antipyrine clearance was measured before and 4 days after surgery by a salivary one-sample technique. Statistically significant (p less than 0.001) increases in antipyrine clearance was found in children who received halothane anaesthesia. The antipyrine clearance was increased by a mean of 26% 4 days after surgery, compared with a pre-operative control measurement. No significant change in antipyrine clearance was observed in children who received ketamine anaesthesia. There was also a significant difference in antipyrine clearance changes after surgery between the two groups (p less than 0.05). Halothane has enzyme-inducing properties after a single exposure in children, while a single dose of ketamine does not.

Anesthesia, Inhalation↗
PubMed1986

The influence of a background correction that considers the heart volume on radionuclide left ventricular ejection fraction determination.

A correction of background activity that considers the heart volume is introduced in radionuclide equilibrium cardiography. Left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) was determined in 19 patients with ischaemic heart disease by multigated equilibrium scan with 99Tcm-labelled red blood cells (99Tcm-RBC). Assuming that the majority of background activity in the ventricular and periventricular regions of interest arises from 99Tcm-RBC in lung tissue, a ventricular/periventricular background ratio was calculated from the distribution of 99Tcm-labelled macroaggregated albumin. The mean relative distribution of pulmonary 99Tcm-RBC activity in the ventricular region of interest was 0.590 (range 0.279-1.061) compared with the periventricular region. The modified background correction resulted in a mean LVEF of 43.0% (range 12.9-67.6%) compared with 46.8% (range 10.9-67.8%) with the standard correction, p less than 0.005. Since no attempt was made to calculate the proportion of 99Tcm-RBC activity arising from the myocardium and thoracic wall, this difference represents an upper limit of the general overestimation of LVEF obtained by the standard calculation. A further decrease in LVEF was seen when no background correction was applied. The present results suggest that standard LVEF calculation, by neglecting the background volume displaced by the cardiac blood pool, results in a slight overestimation of LVEF.

Background Radiation↗
PubMed1984

The modifying effect of spinal anaesthesia on intra- and postoperative adrenocortical and hyperglycaemic response to surgery.

Plasma cortisol and glucose were measured in 24 patients undergoing abdominal hysterectomy during spinal anaesthesia with 0.5% hyperbaric tetracaine or neurolept anaesthesia. The sensory level of analgesia to pinprick extended to at least T4 before skin incision in the spinal group. The mean sensory analgesic level regressed almost linearly, reaching the fourth lumbar segment 4 h after incision. Plasma cortisol and glucose measurements from before to 9 h after skin incision showed significant increases in both parameters during and after surgery. Plasma cortisol and glucose levels were significantly lower during and immediately after surgery in the spinal group, but later postoperatively the mean levels were similar in the two groups. The increase in plasma cortisol 1 h after skin incision in the spinal group correlated to the segmental level of analgesia at that time (r = 0.77, P less than 0.01) and a similar correlation was found with regard to plasma glucose changes (r = 0.60, P less than 0.05). The regression lines showed that maintenance of a sensory analgesic level about the fourth thoracic segment prevented the adrenocortical and hyperglycaemic response to surgery. These findings are in accordance with the anatomical assumption that the upper segmental level of visceral afferent input to the spinal cord is about the fourth thoracic segment. Our results further demonstrate that the inhibitory effect of spinal anaesthesia on the stress response to surgery is transient, and correlates to the regression of sensory analgesia.

Adult↗
PubMed1982

Respiratory depression and morphine concentration in serum after epidural and intramuscular administration of morphine.

The ventilatory response to carbon dioxide and the serum level of free morphine were measured in six adult patients scheduled for operation under lumbar epidural analgesia. The investigation was performed on 2 consecutive days before the operation. The measurements were performed before, and 30 and 90 min after the intramuscular administration of morphine chloride (0.15 mg/kg body weight) as well as lumbar epidural administration of morphine chloride (5 mg morphine chloride diluted in 10 ml isotonic saline). The ventilatory response to carbon dioxide was depressed significantly both 30 and 90 min after epidurally administered morphine compared to the control value, while the depression of the ventilatory response was demonstrated in only five of six patients 30 min after intramuscularly administered morphine. The peak serum levels of free morphine were reached within 20 min of administration and it seemed that the injected quantity of morphine and not the method of administration determined the serum level.

Aged↗
PubMed1982

Does oral premedication increase the risk of gastric aspiration? A study to compare the effect of diazepam given orally and intramuscularly on the volume and acidity of gastric aspirate.

In a clinical study including 40 patients, who all underwent elective gynaecological surgery, the quantity and acidity of the gastric contents were compared for patients premedicated with diazepam (Apozepam) intramuscularly and orally, respectively. A significant difference was found with regard to both the quantity and acidity of the gastric fluid. The volume of gastric fluid was smaller after oral than after intramuscular premedication with diazepam (1.5 ml and 20 ml, respectively). The acidity of the gastric fluid was also less after oral than after intramuscular premedication (pH 2.4 and 1.8, respectively).

Administration, Oral↗
PubMed1982

Epidural morphine for postoperative pain relief.

In a clinical, double-blind study including 45 patients, who all underwent lower abdominal or urological surgery, the analgesic effect, latency and duration of epidural application of morphine were investigated in doses of 2 and 4 mg, respectively, compared to placebo. No significant difference was found in the effect of 2 mg morphine, compared to placebo. A significant decrease in pain score was found in the group of patients who received 4 mg morphine administered epidurally; however, this effect did not occur until 60 min after epidural administration. The effect of 4 mg morphine was found to be of long duration, as eight out of 15 patients did not require any supplementary analgesics within the first 24 h, compared to two out of 14 and three out of 15 patients, respectively, in the placebo and 2-mg groups.

Adolescent↗