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Biomedical subjects

E Molini

Publications and source records attributed to E Molini.

34 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

[Short-term reproducibility of acoustic oto-emissions induced by clicks in adults].

Otoacoustic emissions (OAE) are sounds emitted by the cochlea and recordable in the external ear canal by a miniature microphone. The OAE reflect the existence of an active mechanism within the cochlea. Development of the OAE has spurred much interest because they may used as a valid test for screening and monitoring cochlear changes. The OAE were recorded in 8 normal hearing subjects (15 ears) during nine test sessions under similar conditions. The aim of this work was to study the short-term variability in the amplitude of the emissions. Results of the study indicate that response levels are stable over time in the same ear therefore changes in the response level can be associated with changes in the cochlea.

Acoustic Stimulation↗

[Evoked acoustic oto-emissions in patients with diabetes mellitus].

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the cochlear function in patients with diabetes mellitus by analysis of evoked otoacoustic emissions (EOAE). EOAE were studied in 20 diabetic patients with normal hearing. The parameters used for analysis were the EOAE intensity and amplitude measured per 100 Hz frequency bands between 700 and 4000 Hz These data were compared to the data obtained in a group of non-diabetic control subjects with normal hearing using a Student's t test. The mean EOAE intensity and amplitude by 100 Hz frequency band was significantly lower in diabetic patients than in the control group. This seems to indicate the existence of an alteration in cochlear micromechanics in diabetic patients possibly due to changes in the functioning of the hair cells.

Adult↗

[Evoked otoacoustic emissions in diagnosis of cochlear hearing disorders].

The authors consider the possibility of routine use of evoked otoacoustic emissions (EOE) in diagnosis of sensory hearing loss by comparison of EOE curves with relative curves obtained by pure tone audiometry. 180 ears with sensory hearing loss of different aetiologies were examined. EOE were obtained by application of Bray and Kemp's Evoked Otoacustic Measurement Package (ILO88). The results obtained show a close correlation between presence of EOE and real hearing losses of different frequencies obtained by pure tone audiometric evaluation. We could detect no EOE with hearing losses over 50 dB HL at 500 Hz, 40 dB HL at 1000 Hz, 50 dB HL at 2000 Hz and 85 dB HL at 4000 Hz. With a rate of middle hearing loss over 45 dB HL we also did not find EOE for the whole frequency range. On the base of this study, the authors conclude that EOE explore the functional integrity of those parts of the cochlea that correspond to the middle frequencies of hearing range. If EOE are not detectable, statements on the nature and extent of hearing loss on the base of this examination are not valid.

Adolescent↗

[Results of audiometric and vestibular tests in Cogan syndrome: apropos of a case].

The authors report on a case of Cogan's syndrome pointing out that hearing loss is due both to cochlear lesions from likely immunitary origin as well as to widespread alterations of auditory central nervous structures. This interpretation allows to explain the apparent discrepancy of the found clinical and instrumental data. From a therapeutic point of view, the authors assert the necessity of an early corticosteroid therapy to obtain some appreciable result. Anyway, they point out how prognosis for auditory function in Cogan's syndrome is often very poor.

Adult↗

[Evoked oto-acoustic potentials in the first 60 hours of life].

In order to verify how age influences in the first days of life the presence of Evoked Otoacoustic Emissions (EOAE), the authors tested 52 newborns. They conclude that EOAE is a reliable technique as an early detection test of hearing loss in children. However, a high percentage of false positive cases during the very first days of life advises against its too early utilization.

Evoked Potentials, Auditory, Brain Stem↗

[Bacteriology of chronic maxillary sinusitis].

132 patients with chronic maxillary sinusitis were included in this bacteriological study of the intrasinus exudate obtained by a radical antrostomy or antral puncture. We found 78.3% aerobes, 21.7% anaerobes, 51.5% gram positive and 48.5% gram negative micro-organisms, but no fungi in 120 cultures. The commonest aerobic species was Haemophylus (20%), whereas Peptococcus and Bacteroides were the commonest anaerobes (10%).

Adolescent↗

[Evoked oto-acoustic emissions (EOE) as screening method in infants].

The authors consider the problems of the early diagnosis of paediatric hypoacusis, presenting a study done on twenty audiological high risk children that were subjected to audiometric screening by delayed cochlear otoacoustic emissions (EOE) and brainstem auditory evoked potentials (BEAPs). Eighteen of twenty children that were examined were normal, while two had bilateral sensorineural hearing loss. EOE were evoked in all patients that presented normal BAEP thresholds, while they were absent in deaf subjects. Evoked otoacoustic emissions research allows us to identify two groups of subjects: those with normal EOE who can be considered normal hearing subjects, and those without EOE who may present a disturbed auditory system. Nevertheless, EOE testing does not allow us to judge the type of hearing loss. The time for EOE testing is approximately five minutes for each subject. On the grounds of their experience, the authors conclude that EOE testing represents a useful and reliable test which differentiates normal auditory function subjects from hypoacoustic ones. Compared to other techniques used in audiological paediatric diagnosis, such as reactometry, BOEL test and Crib. O. Gram, which present the possibility of false positive and false negative results, and BSERA, which even if reliable, must be limited to few selected audiological high-risk subjects, EOE is easy to implement and readily available. Major limitations of this technique seem to be the possibility of false positives, and the impossibility to specify localisation and type of the hearing loss by EOE only.

Cochlear Microphonic Potentials↗

Pharmacokinetics and tolerability of teicoplanin in healthy volunteers after single increasing doses.

In this double-blind, randomized study, five healthy subjects per group received doses of 15, 20, or 25 mg of teicoplanin per kg of body weight, and one subject per group received a 0.9% NaCl placebo as single intravenous infusion over 30 min. Serial blood samples and urine were collected for 13 days postadministration, and concentrations of teicoplanin were determined by microbiological assay. The pharmacokinetic data were analyzed by noncompartmental and compartmental analyses. Laboratory safety tests, audiometry, and serum creatinine clearance measurements were done prior to day 1 and on days 2 and 14. In the three groups, peak levels at the end of the infusion averaged 194, 197, and 253 mg/liter, respectively. Mean concentrations in plasma 24 h after the administration were 10.5, 13.6, and 19.8 mg/liter, respectively. Mean values of volume of distribution at steady state were 0.80, 0.87, and 0.87 liters/kg, respectively. Terminal half-lives averaged 88, 83, and 92 h. Mean total clearance values were 10.9, 11.0, and 11.3 mg/h/kg, respectively, with renal clearance accounting for 75, 81, and 78%, respectively, of the total. The 13-day cumulative mean urinary recovery ranged from 71 to 78% of the dose within the groups. The pharmacokinetics of teicoplanin appears to be linear in the range of administered doses. Teicoplanin was generally well tolerated. Side effects, appearing in five subjects, were represented by fevers, chills, and skin reactions; these adverse reactions were mild, but one episode of rash necessitated the interruption of infusion, and one episode of chills necessitated treatment with corticosteroids. There was no indication of drug-related modifications of laboratory test results.

Adult↗

[Submaxillary gland excisions: a retrospective investigation].

Swellings of the submaxillary region are very frequent in otorhinolaryngology clinical practice. The authors of this study analyzed 106 cases of submaxillary gland excision under their observation, emphasizing their epidemiological, clinical and anatomopathological aspects which could be useful during the diagnostic and therapeutic phase of the submaxillary gland affections. They also made a comparison with the data already published on the same subject.

Adult↗

[Treatment of recurrent supraventricular tachyarrhythmias with flecainide or a flecainide and amiodarone combination].

The acute electrophysiologic effects and therapeutic efficacy of intravenous and oral flecainide were assessed in 18 patients with recurrent supraventricular tachyarrhythmias, resistant to conventional antiarrhythmic agents. They were 22 to 76 years old (mean 50). Twelve patients underwent electrophysiologic study for the investigation of tachyarrhythmias. Of the whole four patients had functional longitudinal AH dissociation (dual AV pathways). These patients had provocable intra-AV nodal reentrant tachycardia (Group I). Six patients had a direct accessory AV pathway, that showed bidirectional conduction in 5 and retrograde conduction alone in 1 (Group II). These patients had provocable atrioventricular reentrant tachycardia using the accessory pathway as the retrograde limb of the tachycardia circuit. Two patients suffered from automatic supraventricular tachycardia (Group III). Group IV included patients with paroxysmal atrial flutter or fibrillation. The patients of this group did not discontinue chronic treatment with amiodarone. After baseline electrophysiologic evaluation, intravenous flecainide (2 mg/Kg body weight over 5 minutes) was given to patients of I and II group during induced reentrant tachycardia. Flecainide was administered to other patients during spontaneous episodes of tachyarrhythmias. Flecainide resulted in tachycardia termination in all patients of group I and in 4 patients of group II (66%). Tachycardia termination was due to block in the retrograde limb of the circuit. Before termination tachycardia cycle length increased significantly, mainly as the result of an increase in ventriculo-atrial conduction time. After intravenous flecainide therapy, reentrant SVT was non inducible in the patients of group I and in 4 patients of group II. Flecainide was successful in the acute termination of 100% of automatic supraventricular tachycardia and 75% of fibrillation. The patients with atrial flutter developed a faster ventricular rate.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Administration, Oral↗

Auditory brainstem responses in the full-term newborn: changes in the first 58 hours of life.

The authors have studied auditory brainstem responses (ABR) in 33 full-term newborns at 0-9, 10-30, 31-58 h, in order to evaluate changes in the first hours after birth, particularly in relation to different repetition rates and recording procedures. The data obtained show that the characteristic newborn 3-peak tracing is observed in almost all the cases at the third recording session while, at the first, wave I is absent in two-thirds of the cases. The most reliable waves at birth are waves III, V and N II, which is often present even when other vertex-positive peaks are absent. Latency values of the considered peaks tend to decrease in a statistically significant way and this decrease is almost complete at the second recording session (30 h), while V-I interval values decrease, especially when the 9 stimuli/s repetition is employed. Stimulus repetition rate affects ABR replicability and synchronization, but it hardly influences latency values. Contralaterally recorded potentials are often absent at birth and become evident 58 h later. The authors conclude that the maturational processes probably affect both peripheral and central auditory structures in the first hours after birth. In this period, increasing repetition rates seem to have a greater effect on wave replicability than on latency values.

Brain Stem↗

P 300 latency, age and cognitive styles.

20 normal subjects were submitted to seven auditory ERP paradigms in which they were required to count regularly presented cliks (A1, A2, A3), cliks presented in pseudorandom order (B) and in which they had to discriminate relevant from non relevant stimuli characterized by side of provenience (C1, C2) or intensity difference (D). In paradigms C and D a P 300 component was evoked. Age was significantly correlated with P 300 latency only in paradigm D. There was a significant relationship between differences in subjective feelings of difficulty or engagement in performing the counting tasks in C and D and P 300 latency.

Adult↗

[Epicardial lipoma. Report of a surgical case and review of the literature].

A case of massive epicardial lipoma in an asymptomatic patient is presented. The diagnosis of solid intrapericardial mass was achieved by two-dimensional echocardiography without cardiac catheterization. The complications of postoperative course, which included myocardial infarction, cerebral embolism, and the patient's late sudden death, suggest that the cardiopulmonary bypass should be used in similar circumstances. Lipomas of the heart should be kept in mind in patients with unexplained enlargement of the cardiac silhouette whenever pericardial effusion and heart disease may be excluded.

Electrocardiography↗

[Echocardiographic diagnosis of the dissection of the thoracic aorta].

Nine patients with aortic root dilatation without dissection and four patients with a dissecting aneurysm of the ascending aorta were studied with single-plane echocardiography. Previously reported echocardiographic findings, which have been shown to be similar in these two groups of patients, are confirmed. In addition to (a) aortic root dilatation, (b) thickening of the anterior and/or the posterior aortic wall, and (c) the multiple parallel echoes within the widened aortic walls, which are all considered to be not specific signs of dissection, the authors outline the presence of some specific echocardiographic patterns in patients with a dissecting hematoma of the ascending aorta. These include: 1) the loss of contiguity between the inner borders of the anterior aortic wall and the interventricular septum when the dissection is confined to the anterior wall of the aorta; 2) the loss of contiguity between the inner and/or outer borders of the posterior aortic wall and the mitral anulus if the hematoma extends to the posterior wall of the aorta.

Adult↗

[Evoked oto-acoustic emissions in patients with retinitis pigmentosa].

Evoked otoacoustic emissions (EOE) offer a unique opportunity to measure objectively the function of outer hair cells in human beings. In this paper the Authors report a study carried out employing EOE evaluation on cochlear function in subjects with retinitis pigmentosa. Nine patients with retinitis pigmentosa with normal hearing in both ears upon traditional audiometric evaluation were studied. The frequency spectrum of the EOE was taken into consideration, evaluated in frequency bands of 50 Hz, in order to ascertain the presence or absence of the emissions and, when present, their amplitude. These data were compared statistically, using the Student's T Test, to those obtained in a homogeneous control group of normal subjects. In subjects with retinitis pigmentosa, average EOE intensity values were statistically lower than those found in normal subjects. In fact, the Student's T Test evaluation revealed significant differences in EOE intensity in 64 of the 127 frequency bands examined. Moreover, the distribution of the EOE in patients with retinitis pigmentosa proved to be more discontinuous than that observed in the normal subjects. These data appear to indicate authentic alterations in the cochlear mechanics in patients with retinitis pigmentosa. Such alterations may well be related to outer hair cell lesions. It seems likely that the auditory system is involved in retinitis pigmentosa degenerative processes more frequently than traditional audiometric tests have been able to show.

Adolescent↗