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F Lithner

Publications and source records attributed to F Lithner.

122 records · Page 7Linked to original sources

Cutaneous reactions of the extremities of diabetics to local thermal trauma.

An earlier report described cutaneous lesions, consisting of erythema with or without necrosis, on the legs and/or feet of elderly diabetics and the cause was suggested to be an altered reaction to precipitating factors such as cardiac decompensation. The present investigation concerns the cutaneous reactions to traumatization with local heat or cold to the skin of legs and forearms of 35 diabetics and 25 controls. Petechiae within the area of traumatization with either heat or cold were observed more often in diabetics than in controls. They occurred more frequently on the legs than on the forearms. Among the controls, petechiae were observed only in those over 50 years of age and only on the legs. In the diabetics under 50, petechiae were almost always observed when the duration of diabetes was 10 years or more but seldom in young patients with diabetes of short duration. The duration of diabetes was not significantly related to the occurrence of petechiae in diabetics over 50. In these diabetics, moreover, petechiae developed after traumatization with heat of a lower temperature than that which caused petechiae to appear in corresponding controls. The initial skin lesions in dermopathia diabetica (Melin) have a reddened border. The skin of the legs of some of the diabetics developed an intensely reddened border round the area of experimental heat or cold traumatization. These patients were either elderly diabetics or younger patients with diabetes of long duration. Each of them had dermopathia diabetica and each developed atrophic circumscribed skin lesions on the site of traumatization. Nineteen diabetics had dermopathia diabetica and 16 of them developed atrophic circumscribed skin lesions on the site of traumatization, lesions which were never seen in the controls. Thus, diabetics differ from controls in their reaction to a certain thermal trauma. The possible reasons for this altered reaction are discussed.

Adult↗

Cutaneous reactions of alloxan diabetic rats to local thermal trauma.

Thermal injury was induced on the external ears of nondiabetic and untreated alloxan diabetic rats of various ages. The skin reaction (erythema and necrosis) was assessed by naked eye inspection, 1, 7, 14 and 21 days after injury. Erythema was found to be more intense in young than in old controls after 1 and 7 days. The late erythematous reaction was more pronounced in short-term diabetic animals than in controls of the same age, indicating that the diabetic metabolic derangement per se alters the reaction. In addition, long-term diabetic rats had a markedly increased skin redness after 1, 7, 14 and 21 days when compared with controls of the same age. Thus, long-term diabetes enhances the erythematous reaction. As to the extent of necrosis, there was no significant differences between the experimental groups. There was, however, a tendency for an increased amount in the long-term when compared with the short-term diabetic rats.

Age Factors↗

Difficulties in classifying diabetes at presentation in the young adult.

All newly diagnosed diabetic patients in Sweden aged 15-34 years have been registered since 1983. In this study the clinical characteristics initially and after 2.5-3 years were evaluated by a questionnaire to the patient's physician and by non-fasting C-peptide. The study comprised patients registered 1983-84, and for 281 patients (37%), complete information was obtained. At diagnosis 75% were classified as Type 1, 19% as Type 2, and 6% as secondary diabetes or as uncertain by their physician. Twenty patients (7.1%) were reported to have ketoacidosis. Seventy-five percent were treated with insulin, 7% with oral hypoglycaemic agents (OHG), and 18% with diet alone. At follow-up 71% were classified as Type 1, 21% as Type 2, and 8% as secondary or uncertain while treatment was 82% insulin, 8% OHG, and 9% diet. During the follow-up period 42% of the initially non-insulin-treated patients were put on insulin whereas only a few stopped insulin treatment. Patients treated with diet or OHG at follow-up were older, had higher percent desirable weight, and lower blood glucose at diagnosis than patients treated with insulin. All except one patient had measurable random C-peptide at follow-up and mean values were for patients treated with insulin 0.55, OHG 1.41 and diet alone 1.29 nmol l-1. Random blood glucose results were similar. In conclusion the majority of newly diagnosed patients in the age group 15-34 years have the characteristics of Type 1 diabetes and Type 2 diabetes is rare before 25-30 years of age.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adolescent↗

A randomized controlled trial of hemodilution therapy in acute ischemic stroke.

Rapid hemodilution in the early phase of ischemic stroke by the combination of venesection (250-650 ml during the first 2 days) and administration of low-molecular weight dextran was evaluated in a prospective controlled trial. Fifty-two patients were randomized to hemodilution therapy and 50 to a control group; the two groups were comparable in important prognostic variables. Mean hemoglobin was reduced from 147 to 127 g/l, hematocrit from 43 to 37% and, in a subsample of patients, whole-blood viscosity at a shear rate of 23 sec-1 from 7.0 to 4.3 cps over the first 2 days. Hemodilution was then maintained by repeated dextran infusions. Of the hemodiluted patients, 85% improved in neurological scoring over the first 10 days as compared to 64% of the control patients (p less than 0.025). The case fatality rate during the first 3 months was little affected by hemodilution. Among the survivors, 8% of the hemodiluted and 31% of the non-hemodiluted patients were unable to walk at 3 months. The proportion of surviving patients still hospitalized at the 3-month follow-up was 13% in the hemodilution group and 39% in the control group (p less than 0.01). The combination of venesection and dextran 40 administration is thus an unsophisticated but effective way to achieve rapid hemodilution in patients with acute cerebral infarction, and it improves the overall clinical outcome over the first 3 months.

Aged↗

A non-intensive stroke unit reduces functional disability and the need for long-term hospitalization.

In a prospective controlled trial we compared the clinical outcome for unselected acute stroke patients in a non-intensive stroke unit (n = 110) and in general medical wards (n = 183). The patients were comparable in age, marital state and functional impairment on admission. Case fatality rates over the first year after the stroke were similar in the two groups. By three months after the stroke, 15% of the survivors initially admitted to the stroke unit and 39% of those admitted to general medical wards remained hospitalized (p less than 0.001). The corresponding figures by one year after the cerebrovascular accident were 12% and 28%, respectively (p less than 0.05). A greater proportion of surviving stroke unit patients was independent in walking (0.10 greater than p greater than 0.05), personal hygiene (p less than 0.05) and dressing (p less than 0.001). Essential features of the stroke unit are team work headed by a stroke nurse, staff, patient and family education and very early onset of rehabilitation. We conclude that this strategy improves functional outcome and reduces the need for long-term hospital care.

Aged↗

Stroke unit care--who benefits? Comparisons with general medical care in relation to prognostic indicators on admission.

The clinical outcome in 110 patients admitted to a non-intensive stroke unit was compared to that in 183 patients treated for acute stroke in general medical wards. At entry, the two groups of patients were closely similar in all prognostic indicators. Subsets of patients were analyzed in an attempt to identify groups that benefit more than others from stroke unit care. The stroke unit regime had little effect on short-term and long-term mortality rates in the entire stroke population as well as in subgroups. But after the care in the stroke unit, the need for long-term hospitalization in survivors was reduced (p = 0.0001). This difference in favour of the stroke unit was independent of the patients' age, the extent of neurological deficit on admission and previous history. In subgroups where the general prognosis is fair or good (minor neurological deficits and less than 75 yrs), SU care accelerated the process of rehabilitation, but the need for institutional care very late after the stroke was influenced only little. In groups with a poor general prognosis (major deficits and greater than or equal to 75 yrs), the ultimate proportion of patients able to return home was enhanced by SU care. It is concluded that care in a stroke unit benefits the great majority of stroke patients and that such a unit should be designed to admit all acute stroke patients without selection.

Actuarial Analysis↗

Negative association between type 1 diabetes and HLA DQB1*0602-DQA1*0102 is attenuated with age at onset. Swedish Childhood Diabetes Study Group.

HLA-associated relative risks of type 1 (insulin-dependent) diabetes mellitus were analysed in population-based Swedish patients and controls aged 0-34 years. The age dependence of HLA-associated relative risks was assessed by likelihood ratio tests of regression parameters in separate logistic regression models for each HLA category. The analyses demonstrated an attenuation with increasing age at onset in the relative risk for the positively associated DQB1*0201-A1*0502/B1*0302-A1*0301 (DQ2/8) genotype (P = 0.02) and the negatively associated DQB1*0602-A1*0102 (DQ6.2) haplotype (P = 0.004). At birth, DQ6.2-positive individuals had an estimated relative risk of 0.03, but this increased to 1.1 at age 35 years. Relative risks for individuals with DQ genotype 8/8 or 8/X or DQ genotype 2/2 or 2/X, where X is any DQ haplotype other than 2, 8 or 6.2, were not significantly age-dependent. An exploratory analysis of DQ haplotypes other than 2, 8 and 6.2 suggested that the risk of type 1 diabetes increases with age for DQB1*0604-A1*0102 (DQ6.4) and that the peak risk for the negatively associated DQB1*0301-A1*0501 haplotype is at age 18 years. There was also weak evidence that the risk for DQB1*0303-A1*0301 (DQ9), which has a positive association in the Japanese population, may decrease with age. We speculate that HLA-DQ alleles have a significant effect on the rate of beta cell destruction, which is accelerated in DQ2/8-positive individuals and inhibited, but not completely blocked, in DQ6.2-positive individuals.

Adolescent↗

Nephrotoxicity of contrast media in patients with diabetes mellitus. A comparative urographic and angiographic study with iohexol and metrizoate.

A double-blind urographic and angiographic study was done with the ionic contrast medium meglumine metrizoate and the non-ionic iohexol in 90 patients with diabetes mellitus. Twenty patients were insulin dependent, and 70 non-insulin dependent diabetics. Diabetic patients with decreased as well as normal renal function prior to the examination sustained a reversible and small increase in the plasma creatinine level postexamination. The small increase caused by meglumine metrizoate was significantly higher than the increase caused by iohexol. There was also a significantly higher increase in plasma creatinine among the patients with diabetic nephropathy compared with those without nephropathy.

Adult↗

Muscle magnesium and capillary basement membrane thickness in diabetes mellitus.

To evaluate a possible relationship between Mg deficiency and the development of microvascular disease in diabetes mellitus, quadriceps muscle biopsies for estimating Mg content and capillary basement membrane thickness, were studied in 16 patients with type I diabetes. The diabetic individuals had a slightly but significantly reduced muscle Mg content as compared with 13 healthy controls. There was a significant, positive correlation between capillary basement membrane width and age in the diabetic group, but no relationship between membrane thickness and muscle or serum concentration of Mg. However, diabetic patients with retinopathy (n = 6) showed a nonsignificant inverse correlation between basement membrane thickness and Mg parameters. The opposite tendency was found in patients without retinal lesions.

Adult↗

Clinical characteristics in diabetic stroke patients.

The impact of diabetes was prospectively studied during a 5-year period in 428 unselected and consecutive patients with acute cerebrovascular disease of whom 18% were diabetic. Cerebral infarction was more frequent in diabetics (81 vs 70%, p less than 0.02) whereas transient cerebral ischaemia was less frequent (4 vs 14%, p less than 0.01). Case fatality rate during hospitalization was higher in the diabetic than in the non-diabetic patients (28 vs 15%, p less than 0.02). Patients who died during hospitalization, diabetic as well as non-diabetic, had significantly higher blood glucose concentrations on admission compared with patients who survived. Hematocrit values were higher in the diabetic than in the non-diabetic patients (p less than 0.02). Diabetics had higher systolic blood pressure levels than the non-diabetics in the acute phase (p less than 0.005). The diabetic stroke patients more often had a history of hypertension, atrial fibrillation, heart failure and angina pectoris than non-diabetics stroke patients and diabetic control patients without stroke. Stroke patients, not known to be diabetic, had larger mean oral glucose tolerance test curve areas when compared with healthy controls but not when compared with hospitalized controls. We propose that diabetes increases the risk for stroke through other concurrent risk factors, cardiac disorders in particular.

Aged↗