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Biomedical subjects

G Bertini

Publications and source records attributed to G Bertini.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1995

Skin-prick-test-induced anaphylaxis.

An anaphylactic reaction occurred in a 57-year-old man after a prick by prick test with fresh kiwi and in a 29-year-old man after prick tests with some species of fish. Both patients had a history of anaphylaxis after ingestion of kiwi and fish, respectively. These cases suggest that, especially in patients with a history of anaphylaxis, all efforts should be made to minimize the risk of systemic reactions, and skin prick testing should be performed only in places equipped to treat anaphylaxis.

Adult↗
PubMed1994

Co-localization of nitric oxide synthase and NGF receptor in neurons in the medial septal and diagonal band nuclei of the rat.

The relationship of neurons that express nitric oxide synthase type I (NOS-I), the synthetic enzyme of the free radical nitric oxide (NO), with cells that contain the low affinity p75 nerve growth factor receptor (NGFr) was examined in the basal forebrain region of the rat using double immunohistofluorescence. NOS and NGFr were found to be co-localized in a neuronal population that displayed a selective distribution. Double immunopositive neurons were evident in the medial septum and in rostral levels of the diagonal band nuclei where the vast majority (more than 80%) of NOS-immunoreactive cells were also NGFr-positive; the two cell populations were separate at more caudal levels of the basal forebrain. These findings support the chemical heterogeneity of septal and basal forebrain neurons which contain NGFr and indicate that in the rat a subset of neurons of the septum-diagonal band complex may release NO.

Amino Acid Oxidoreductases↗
PubMed1994

Neural substrate of a cerebellar movement disorder induced by intracerebroventricular injection of propidium iodide in the rat: a Fos immunocytochemical study.

Intracerebroventricular (icv) injection of propidium iodide (PI) in the rat results in a transient movement disorder characterized by nystagmus, ataxia, and shaking. In the present study we used c-Fos as a marker for neuronal activation to investigate the neural substrate underlying this movement disorder. PI was injected into the lateral cerebral ventricle of freely moving rats through a previously implanted cannula. Animals were perfused 3 h after the injection and the brains were processed for c-Fos immunocytochemistry. Paired control animals were injected with saline. After PI injection, a significant Fos expression was seen in the cerebral cortex, thalamic midline nuclei, thalamic intralaminar nuclei, hypothalamus, central gray, pontine nuclei, locus coeruleus, vestibular complex, inferior olive, ventrolateral medulla, nucleus of solitary tract, and deep cerebellar nuclei. Few or no Fos immunoreactive cells were seen in the above structures of the control animals. The present study indicates that a large number of neurons located in many different neural structures are activated following icv injection of PI. Second, consistent with the cerebellar feature of the movement disorder, a major Fos expression was found in the cerebellar circuitry (deep cerebellar nuclei, pontine nuclei, vestibular complex, and inferior olive). It reinforces further the assumption that the movement disorder is due to cerebellar dysfunction caused by PI.

Animals↗
PubMed1992

Role of a prehospital medical system in reducing heroin-related deaths.

OBJECTIVE: The mortality rate from heroin overdose in Italy between 1977 and 1987 increased significantly. However, in the same period, a significant increase was not observed in Tuscany, an administrative region in Italy. This study was performed to determine if the prehospital emergency medical system of Florence, the capital of Tuscany (the only one operating in Italy during the study period), affected this lower mortality rate. DESIGN: Retrospective study. SETTING: The Florence system consists of 17 mobile ICUs, each of which is staffed by a physician and three paramedics. These units are able to carry out advanced cardiopulmonary resuscitation with equipment transported to the scene of an emergency. PATIENTS: A total of 126 consecutive patients with heroin overdose, assisted by four mobile ICUs from January 1, 1984 through December 31, 1987. INTERVENTIONS: Common therapeutic protocol in the treatment of heroin overdose and of cardiac arrest. RESULTS: Fifty-two (41.3%) patients were in respiratory arrest, and seven (5.6%) patients were in cardiorespiratory arrest. The prehospital mortality rate was 1.6%, the inhospital mortality rate was 0.8%, and the overall mortality rate was 2.4%. During the period considered, the number of heroin overdose-related interventions increased significantly, as did the number of heroin overdoses complicated by respiratory arrest or by cardiorespiratory arrest, but the mortality rate remained low. CONCLUSION: We suggest that an emergency medical system can play an important role in reducing the mortality rate from heroin overdose.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1992

Immunochemical and immunohistochemical detection of S-100-like immunoreactivity in spinach tissues.

S-100 proteins represent a group of closely related acidic, calcium binding proteins originally isolated from the mammalian nervous system and later detected in non-neural cell types and in a wide variety of vertebrate and invertebrate species. The present study used immunochemical and immunohistochemical methods to extend the investigation of S-100 during phylogenesis to plant tissues. The presence of S-100-like immunoreactive material was detected in extracts of spinach (Spinacia oleracea L.) terminal buds and young leaves by the ELISA method and by Western blotting using different anti-S-100 rabbit antisera. Using the PAP method, serial sections of young spinach leaves treated with the same antisera exhibited an immunoreaction product that was confined to the cytoplasm and nucleus (but absent from the vacuoles) in meristematic, epidermal, and parenchymal cells. The present data enlarge the field of investigation of S-100 proteins in the search of the function(s) of S-100 in biological organisms.

Animals↗
PubMed1991

Evaluation of a mobile coronary care unit protocol in patients with acute onset chest pain.

This study was designed to assess the accuracy of a diagnostic protocol of the mobile coronary care unit (MCCU) of Florence for acute chest discomfort. During 1986, 706 patients with chest pain were seen by the MCCU. Of these, 324 of 376 (95.2%) of those hospitalized and 247 of 324 (76.2%) of the nonhospitalized patients were entered in the study. The MCCU diagnosis of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) was confirmed in 120 patients (80.3%). A false positive diagnosis of AMI was made in 27 patients (6.9%), while in 37 patients AMI was not diagnosed at the first MCCU clinical examination (false negative). The sensitivity in the diagnosis of AMI was 80.5%, the specificity 91.8%, and the diagnostic accuracy 89.1%. In the recognition of acute coronary syndromes (AMI + unstable angina), sensitivity and specificity were, respectively, 94.0% and 94.4%. The protocol of the Florence MCCU provides high accuracy in the diagnosis of AMI and acute coronary insufficiency; close adherence to the protocol can decrease the number and the costs of undue hospital admissions while protecting the safety of patients.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed1991

[The mobile coronary unit of Florence: an evaluation of 10 years of prehospital cardiac care].

In order to reduce the high mortality from ischemic heart disease, a mobile coronary care unit manned by a cardiologist has been operating in Florence since 1979. From 1980 to 1989 there were 13,029 interventions, 8,718 (66.9%) of which were cardiac emergencies. 1,718 (19.7%) patients showed acute myocardial infarction while in 2,274 angina was diagnosed (26.1%). Acute pulmonary edema and paroxysmal supraventricular tachyarrhythmias accounted, respectively, for 6.2% and 18.3% of total cardiac emergencies; moreover there were 753 (5.8%) attempted resuscitations in sudden cardiorespiratory arrest from cardiac causes. In acute myocardial infarction, the median time between the onset of symptoms and mobile coronary care unit arrival was 85 minutes, and 69.9% of patients were reached within 3 hours from the onset of symptoms. Ventricular fibrillation, ventricular tachycardia and asystole were observed respectively in 80 (4.6%), 42 (2.4%) and 50 (2.9%) patients. Success rate of emergency treatment was 81.3% for ventricular fibrillation, 88.1% for ventricular tachycardia and 18% for asystole. Prehospital mortality was 4.06%. The ECG picture of the 753 patients found in cardiac arrest showed sustained ventricular tachycardia in 12 (1.6%), ventricular fibrillation in 198 (26.3%), bradyarrhythmia in 28 (3.7%), and asystole in 431 (57.2%). Cardiopulmonary resuscitation was successfully performed in 230 patients (30.5%). Finally, more than 50% of the patients with angina, 20% of the patients with acute pulmonary edema, and 70% of the patients with paroxysmal supraventricular tachyarrhythmia were adequately treated at home and needed no hospitalization. The ten years experience of Florence Mobile Coronary Care Unit suggests that a community wide emergency cardiac care system can significantly reduce the pre-hospital mortality and the time delays preceding thrombolysis and intensive care in acute myocardial infarction. Moreover, the cardiac "sudden death" can often be successfully treated. Most other cardiac emergencies may be adequately treated at home and unnecessary hospitalizations can be avoided.

Arrhythmias, Cardiac↗
PubMed1991

Osseous anomalies of the craniovertebral junction: a case report.

The authors describe the principal anomalies of the craniovertebral junction with particular reference to atlantooccipital fusion. They discuss the case of a female patient with pain and cervical contracture in whom a paracondylar process was revealed. Unless trauma brings it out, this abnormality can go unnoticed. CT scan is the only examination useful for diagnosis.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1990

[Methodologic and therapeutic approach to patients in shock].

The authors extensively review pathophysiology and clinical aspects of the several forms of shock. Then they report a statistical evaluation of the incidence of the different shocks in the Campania area and an analysis of the therapeutic protocols used in several medical centers. From January 1983 to May 1986, 212 patients in shock have been followed: 90 patients with hypovolemic shock; 81 patients with cardiac shock; 24 patients with shock caused by abnormal peripheral distribution; 17 patients with obstructive shock; Furthermore, from January to May 1986, in a multicenter cooperative study (69 medical centers evenly distributed all over Italy) operational factors that could be considered prognostic factors have been investigated utilizing a questionnaire. Finally the authors extensively discuss the therapeutic management of shock proposing new therapeutic protocols based on recent knowledge concerning the pathophysiology of the several clinical features investigated.

Anaphylaxis↗
PubMed1989

Prognostic significance of early clinical manifestations in postanoxic coma: a retrospective study of 58 patients resuscitated after prehospital cardiac arrest.

The neurologic progress for 58 patients resuscitated after prehospital cardiac arrest was analyzed in order to evaluate their prognostic significance. Twenty-four patients were conscious on admission; their inhospital mortality rate was 4%. Thirty-four patients showed alterations of their state of consciousness; their inhospital mortality rate was 53%. On admission, only the absence of spontaneous breathing was significantly predictive of an unfavorable outcome. The failure of response to painful stimulation and pupillary light reflex became significantly predictive of an unfavorable outcome only in the late inhospital course. The time delay before onset of CPR was significantly longer in unconscious patients, but in this group no difference was observed between survivors and nonsurvivors. At discharge, no patient was in a comatose or vegetative state; three patients showed severe neurologic impairment. These data indicate that, in patients with postanoxic coma, early clinical evidence of severe neurologic dysfunction is predictive of neither inhospital death nor neurologic sequelae.

Aged↗
PubMed1989

Clinical, controlled trial of somatostatin with ranitidine and placebo in the control of peptic hemorrhage of the upper gastrointestinal tract.

There are many controversies concerning the treatment of hemorrhages of the upper gastrointestinal tract. In order to determine whether some currently used drugs, such as somatostatin (SST) and ranitidine, may be useful in the control of hemorrhages, we have conducted a controlled (not blind) study with alternate assignment in 220 accurately selected patients affected with hemorrhage secondary to acute peptic ulcer disease. We divided the patients into three groups on the basis of the severity of disease (moderate, serious, massive); a subgroup of each group underwent one of the three studied treatments (SST, ranitidine, placebo). After careful clinical and laboratory assessment, we followed the patients over a period of 72 h. The criteria to assess the efficacy of the treatment were: number of patients who had stopped bleeding; time needed to stop the hemorrhage, and the number of recurrences of bleeding in every group and subgroup. At the end of the study, SST and ranitidine were more effective in the control of hemorrhage than placebo. SST was more effective than ranitidine, especially in patients with moderate and serious hemorrhages; it achieved a recovery of nearly 100% in the group with moderate bleeding.

Adult↗
PubMed1989

[Demonstration of an acute myocardial infarction by nuclear magnetic resonance: comparison with 2-dimensional echocardiography in localization of the necrotic area].

In order to evaluate the ability of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to detect acute myocardial infarction (AMI) in man, we studied 15 normal volunteers and 22 patients with a recent AMI (13.5 +/- 7.7 days, range 4-28). To establish the ability of MRI in localizing the site of infarction we also performed a comparison between the segments of the left ventricle showing evidence of AMI by MRI and those presenting wall motion abnormalities by 2-dimensional echocardiography. By using strict criteria and 2 imaging planes MRI proved to be a reliable technique for the detection of AMI. MRI correctly identified AMI in 20 out of 22 subjects (90.9%). The site of AMI appeared as an area of increased signal intensity on spin echo images, particularly evident on late echoes: 15 patients had MRI findings compatible with transmural AMI and 5 patients with non-transmural AMI. The site of AMI as detected by MRI closely correlated with that indicated by 2-dimensional echocardiography, thus showing that MRI is a reliable tool for AMI localization. We also observed that the number of left ventricular segments judged as infarcted by MRI was significantly higher than that showing wall motion abnormalities. As MRI correctly identified the presence of 2 subendocardial lesions, not detected by echocardiography, it is suggested that MRI may be superior to echocardiography in detecting non-transmural lesions and the lateral extension of a transmural infarct. Our data show that MRI is a reliable tool for the detection and location of recent AMI in man. In particular MRI can locate AMI with a precision similar to that offered by 2-dimensional echocardiography.

Adult↗
PubMed1988

[Tunnel syndromes of the upper limb].

The main canalicular syndromes affecting the upper extremities are reviewed with a description of their aetiopathogenesis. Particular emphasis is placed on the need for early diagnosis and microsurgical treatment that on the basis of personal experience is held to guarantee early recovery.

Arm↗