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Biomedical subjects

G E McElwain

Publications and source records attributed to G E McElwain.

4 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1984

Immobilization hypercalcemia in acute spinal cord injury treated with etidronate.

Hypercalcemia developed in a 30-year-old C5 quadriplegic six months after he received a gunshot wound in the cervical spine. Short-term treatment consisted of fluids and diuretics, but conventional drug therapy for long-term maintenance of normocalcemia was not effective. A regimen of etidronate disodium was then instituted, which resulted in normocalcemia. When use of this drug was discontinued at intervals during the therapy, the hypercalcemia recurred. The patient's condition was maintained on the etidronate regimen until full mobilization occurred, at which time the drug therapy was discontinued and normocalcemia persisted. This case represents, to our knowledge, the first reported success with the use of etidronate in the treatment of hypercalcemia in the immobilized patient with acute spinal injury.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed1981

Captopril withdrawal after chronic therapy.

Sudden symptomatic increases in blood pressure may result from withdrawal of antihypertensive drug therapy. Captopril, an orally active angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor, was abruptly withdrawn from the antihypertensive regimen of 6 patients (5 males; aged 31 to 58) with moderate to severe hypertension. The patients had received captopril (50-450 mg/day), diuretics, and in 2 cases, propranolol for 3-13 months; all drugs other than captopril were continued during the study. Blood pressure increased gradually in all patients from a mean (+/- SEM) of 135/92 +/- 5/2 mm Hg to 164/111 +/- 8/3 mm Hg in the 14 to 156 hours following captopril withdrawal, without the occurrence of symptoms. No "rebound" increase in blood pressure was noted. Plasma renin activity decreased, plasma aldosterone and serum angiotensin II concentrations increased and plasma catecholamine concentrations did not change during this time. These changes are consistent with the cessation of angiotensin converting enzyme inhibition. Reinstitution of captopril reduced blood pressure to the previous nadir suggesting a lack of tolerance to its effects after chronic therapy.

Adult↗