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Biomedical subjects

F Courvoisier

Publications and source records attributed to F Courvoisier.

10 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2005

Deciphering output coupling mechanisms in spiral microcavities with femtosecond light bullets.

A pump-probe two-photon-excited fluorescence technique deciphers in space and time the propagation of ballistic wave packets sustained by whispering-gallery modes (WGMs) in a spiral-shaped microcavity. Diffraction on the spiral discontinuity does not prevent the WGMs from closing. The resultant average Q of the resonator is 3 x 10(4) +/- 50%. Experimental results are compared with numerical simulations, providing evidence of a new contribution to output coupling: Part of the WGM evanescent wave is reflected at the spiral notch and leads to a propagating wave at an angle that matches the previously observed laser emission direction in 4-dicyanomethylene-2-methyl-6-(p-dimethylaminostyryl)-4H-pyran-doped poly(methyl methacrylate) and InGaN spiral lasers.

Journal Article↗
PubMed1992

[Teaching the patient to comply with his treatment. A training course for physicians].

A teaching programme on verbal doctor-patient interaction is presented, an often neglected topic. Based on taped recordings of their own consultations the participants discussed in seminars of some ten hours the problems that arose during the conversation with patients. Difficulties were noted with listening to the patient, to the understanding of his real needs, to the use of adequate language and the evaluation of the patients' perception. A guideline lists all points to be considered in a conversation about a prescription of medication. The review of ones own conversations is an extremely efficacious stimulus for education pointing out deviations from the prescription scheme to the doctor concerned that he has himself elaborated.

Communication↗
PubMed1992

[The dialogue of prescribing. Gaps and possibilities for improvement with a brief interactive seminar].

The recordings of 24 medical consultations at an outpatient clinic show that residents can explain quite well the rationale and modalities of treatment. While being founded on secure knowledge in the biomedical domain fewer bases were encountered regarding the affective side of doctor-patient interactions. In this respect residents often neglect important elements for a prescription during consultation such as reiterations of complaints, mention of the diagnosis, explanation of the patients' role for control of therapy and repetition of specific points of the conversation in order to check the patients' understanding. Control tests three months after a special training seminar revealed that important progress was realized in all deficient domains.

Communication↗
PubMed1983

[Pharmacokinetic and clinical consequences of the genetic polymorphism of oxidation].

Bufuralol is a beta-adrenoceptor blocking drug whose metabolism is under the same genetic control as debrisoquine. Bufuralol appears to be a sensitive tool for characterization of this pharmacogenetic variation. After test drug absorption, one single blood collection allows separation between extensive and poor metabolizers. In Switzerland, the poor metabolizer status has a prevalence of 8%. In poor metabolizers bufuralol plasma concentrations are very high, an observation of interest when considering the occurrence of side effects of the drug. In addition to disease-induced variability in drug response, oxidation polymorphism is a major source of interindividual variations in drug effect. As the metabolism of numerous drugs is affected by this pharmacogenetic variation, the question arises whether systematic screening should not be considered.

Adrenergic beta-Antagonists↗
PubMed1983

Contribution of the genetic status of oxidative metabolism to variability in the plasma concentrations of beta-adrenoceptor blocking agents.

The oxidative metabolism of bufuralol is under the same genetic control as that of debrisoquine and sparteine. 154 fasting volunteers received a 30 mg tablet of bufuralol and a blood sample was taken 3 h later. In poor metabolizers (8% of the sample) the plasma bufuralol concentrations were very high and the metabolite concentrations were low. The genetic oxidative status is a major source of interindividual variation in the plasma concentration of drugs that undergo oxidative metabolism.

Adrenergic beta-Antagonists↗
PubMedDate not supplied

The genetic control of bufuralol metabolism in man.

Bufuralol (Ro 3 - 4787, Angium) is a non selective beta-adrenoceptor blocking drug with some degree of sympathomimetic action and a longer duration of action than propranolol. Plasma concentrations of bufuralol and 1'-hydroxybufuralol, its main blood derivative which shows similar beta-adrenoceptor blocking properties, were determined in healthy volunteers after a 60 mg oral and a 20 mg intravenous dose. Peak plasma concentrations were higher for the parent drug but due to a longer elimination half-life, the metabolite concentrations became higher after a few hours (bufuralol t 1/2 = 2.7 +/- 0.9 h, metabolite t 1/2 = 6.1 +/- 1.5h). The bioavailability of the tablet tested was 46 +/- 15%. The occurrence of side-effects in a subject with abnormal pharmacokinetics of the drug in this study and in a previous study with this drug suggested the possibility of a pharmacogenetic anomaly. Determination of the plasma metabolic ratio in the family of this subject and in a larger population confirmed that aliphatic hydroxylation of bufuralol is under polymorphic control. Phenotyping of our volunteers with debrisoquine showed the present pharmacogenetic anomaly to be the same as the one reported for debrisoquine alicyclic hydroxylation. The occurrence of side-effects in poor metabolizers as seen with bufuralol illustrates the clinical relevance of the hydroxylation polymorphism. In Switzerland the frequency of poor metabolizers is about 9% as previously reported for caucasian British subjects.

Adrenergic beta-Antagonists↗