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Biomedical subjects

G M Fullarton

Publications and source records attributed to G M Fullarton.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

Plasma gastrin, daytime intragastric pH, and nocturnal acid output before and at 1 and 7 months after eradication of Helicobacter pylori in duodenal ulcer subjects.

Nine patients with Helicobacter pylori-related antral gastritis and history of duodenal ulceration were studied before and at 1 and 7 months after eradication of the infection by a 4-week course of tripotassium dicitrato bismuthate, metronidazole, and amoxycillin. The median basal gastrin concentration before eradication was 30 ng/l (range, 20-60) and fell to 20 ng/l (5-20) at 1 month (p less than 0.02) and 15 ng/l (5-20) at 7 months (p less than 0.01) after eradication. The integrated gastrin response to a peptide meal was 3650 ng/l.min (range, 1875-6025) before treatment compared with 1800 ng/l.min (range, 1200-3075) at 1 month (p less than 0.01) and 1312 ng/l.min (875-2625) at 7 months (p less than 0.03). Daytime intragastric pH (0900-2100 h) was similar before treatment (median, 1.4; range, 1.1-2.1) and at 1 month (1.4; 1.1-2.3) and 7 months (1.4; 1-2.2) after eradication. In five of the patients nighttime acid output (2300-0900 h) was also studied and was similar before (median, 86 mmol/10 h; range, 52-114) and at 1 month (76 mmol/10 h; 50-143) and 7 months (94 mmol/10 h; 63-106) after eradication. In conclusion, eradication of H. pylori is accompanied by a sustained fall in serum gastrin concentrations but is not accompanied by an early or late reduction of daytime intragastric acidity or nighttime acid output.

Adult↗

Prediction of rebleeding in peptic ulcers by visual stigmata and endoscopic Doppler ultrasound criteria.

Following peptic ulcer hemorrhage, the ability to accurately determine those patients at highest risk of rebleeding relies on clinical and endoscopic criteria which are accurate in only a variable proportion of cases. In this study we have assessed prediction of rebleeding in peptic ulcers using a transendoscopic vascular detector (TVD) to compare the presence of a positive Doppler signal in relation to an ulcer base with visual stigmata of recent hemorrhage (SRH). Of 711 patients endoscoped for upper GI hemorrhage over an 18-month period 180 (25%) were found to have a peptic ulcer. One hundred and twenty-four had either minor or no SRH at the time of endoscopy, and none of these patients rebled. Fifty-six patients had a single peptic ulcer with either active hemorrhage, a visible vessel or adherent clot, and 22 were entered into the trial. Overall, 9 patients (41%) in this group rebled. Considering prediction of rebleeding, visible vessels had a sensitivity of 89% and specificity of 92% compared with a positive Doppler signal sensitivity of 87% and specificity of 86%. These results suggest that the TVD can predict rebleeding in peptic ulcers with an accuracy similar to that of endoscopic identification of a visible vessel.

Duodenal Ulcer↗

The effect of introducing endoscopic therapy on surgery and mortality rates for peptic ulcer hemorrhage. A single center analysis of 1,125 cases.

The introduction of early endoscopic diagnosis has not been associated with a reduction in either surgical intervention or overall mortality for peptic ulcer hemorrhage. Recent studies have suggested that endoscopic therapy can reduce rebleeding rates from peptic ulceration. We report a 2-year experience of the influence of endoscopic heater probe (HP) (Olympus CD 10Z) therapy on the outcome of patients admitted with peptic ulcer hemorrhage. Eight hundred and sixty-two patients admitted with peptic ulcer hemorrhage over a 5-year period (1978/9 and 1983/5) before endoscopic therapy (PRE-HP), and 263 patients admitted with peptic ulcer hemorrhage after introduction of endoscopic therapy (POST-HP: 1986-1988) were assessed. All 1,125 patients were managed by a joint physician/surgeon team. The introduction of HP therapy was associated with a reduction in surgical intervention and overall mortality rates for gastric ulceration from 16% and 8.9% PRE-HP to 7% and 2.6% POST-HP respectively (p less than 0.05). A similar but non-significant trend was noted for duodenal ulceration. The beneficial effects of HP therapy appear to be due to a reduction in the need for surgical hemostasis in patients with an ulcer base visible vessel. Our results suggest that a more widespread use of endoscopic therapy may result in an improved outcome from peptic ulcer hemorrhage.

Endoscopy↗

Clinical and scintigraphic assessment of the role of endoscopic sphincterotomy in the treatment of sphincter of Oddi dysfunction.

Postcholecystectomy pain caused by sphincter of Oddi dysfunction remains a difficult condition to treat. Endoscopic sphincterotomy has been recommended for those patients with confirmed sphincter of Oddi motor abnormalities. We have studied sphincter of Oddi dysfunction patients to evaluate the effects of endoscopic sphincterotomy on both clinical symptoms and previously reported scintigraphic parameters to determine the efficacy of this method of treatment. Nine postcholecystectomy patients (seven women: two men, median age 59 years) with clinical and manometric evidence of sphincter of Oddi dysfunction underwent endoscopic sphincterotomy for persisting biliary type pain. Each patient had scintigraphy before and eight weeks after endoscopic sphincterotomy. The patients symptomatic response was assessed independently at three monthly intervals after endoscopic sphincterotomy. Scintigraphic analysis showed that the TMAX (time in minutes to maximum counts) was significantly reduced from 25.0 (20-36) (median [range]) before endoscopic sphincterotomy to 15.0 (13-25) after endoscopic sphincterotomy (p less than 0.01). Seven of nine (78%) sphincter of Oddi dysfunction patients had significant improvement in their symptoms after a mean follow up period of 12 months (range 6-19) although only six of nine were totally pain free. These results suggest that endoscopic sphincterotomy in manometrically confirmed sphincter of Oddi dysfunction improves bile drainage as measured by quantitative cholescintigraphy and is associated with at least short term symptom relief in the majority of patients.

Adult↗

Effect of simulated intragastric haemorrhage on gastric acid secretion, gastric motility, and serum gastrin.

The majority of upper gastrointestinal bleeds stop spontaneously despite the low pH and proteolytic activity of gastric juice which inhibit coagulation and platelet aggregation. In order to investigate this paradox six healthy male volunteers received intragastric infusions of 160 ml autologous venous blood or 160 ml egg white acting as control in random order on separate days. Basal acid output was calculated before infusion, net acid secretion and gastric volume emptied were calculated after intragastric infusions. Serum gastrin concentrations were also measured before and after intragastric infusions and expressed as the integrated gastrin response. Basal acid output (mmol/h) was 4.7 (1.9) (mean (SEM)) before egg white infusion and 5.9 (2.6) before venous blood infusion. After egg white infusion net acid secretion (mmol/20 min) increased to 5.6 (3.1) compared with 2.3 (1.3) after venous blood infusion (p less than 0.05). The gastric volume emptied (ml/20 min) was less after venous blood infusion at 105 (28) compared with 321 (66) after egg white infusion (p less than 0.03). Integrated gastrin response was similar after venous blood and egg white infusion. When compared with an equivalent protein meal intragastric blood stimulates less acid secretion and delays gastric emptying. This effect may facilitate haemostasis after gastric bleeding.

Adult↗

Gallbladder emptying following cholecystokinin and fatty meal in normal subjects.

A quantitative study of gallbladder emptying using 99mTc-HIDA as a bile tracer was performed with either CCK or a fatty meal as gallbladder stimulant. Its aims were to establish; (1) the reproducibility of CCK- and fatty-meal-induced gallbladder contraction, and (2) temporal patterns of gallbladder emptying following a physiological meal. Nineteen healthy, fasted volunteers were selected for 3-minute CCK administration (IV Boots Pancreozymin 2CHR units/kg) or a 40 g fatty meal. Each underwent repeat scans not less than 14 days after the first. Quantitative activity/time curves were drawn with computer analysis establishing gallbladder ejection fractions (GBEF) for each stimulus. Our results demonstrated: (1) poor reproducibility of CCK-induced gallbladder contraction precluding its diagnostic use, (2) improved but still variable meal-induced gallbladder contraction, and (3) evidence for a neurocephalic emptying response with a fatty meal stimulus.

Adult↗

Controlled trial of heater probe treatment in bleeding peptic ulcers.

A prospective randomized controlled trial of endoscopic heater probe therapy in bleeding peptic ulcers was performed to determine whether probe therapy can reduce rebleeding rates. Of 630 patients endoscoped for suspected upper gastrointestinal haemorrhage over a 16-month period, 166 (26 per cent) were found to have a peptic ulcer. Either minor or no stigmata of recent haemorrhage were found in 115 patients at the time of endoscopy. A single peptic ulcer with either active haemorrhage or a visible vessel was found in 51 patients, 43 of whom were entered into the trial. There were eight exclusions: four were inaccessible, one was a torrential haemorrhage and three were excluded for non-technical reasons. Patients were randomized to receive either heater probe (n = 20) or sham (n = 23) therapy. In actively bleeding ulcers, immediate haemostasis was achieved following probe therapy in 14 of 18 patients (78 per cent) compared with none of 21 having sham treatment (P less than 0.002). No rebleeding occurred in the probe therapy group (n = 20) compared with rebleeding in five of 23 sham treated patients (P = 0.05). Urgent surgery for haemostasis was required in three of the five sham treated patients who rebled. It is concluded that heater probe therapy may be effective in reducing rebleeding rates in peptic ulcers accessible to the endoscope.

Clinical Trials as Topic↗

Inhibition of gastric secretion and motility by simulated upper gastrointestinal haemorrhage: a response to facilitate haemostasis?

As gastric acid and pepsin inhibit blood coagulation and platelet aggregation it is surprising that most upper GI haemorrhages stop spontaneously. To investigate this paradox we have studied acid and pepsin secretion, gastric motility and GI hormones after simulated upper GI haemorrhage. In seven healthy volunteers intraduodenal infusion of 160 ml autologous blood decreased pentagastrin stimulated submaximal acid secretion (mmol/h) from 30.0 (3.2) (mean (SE] in the hour preceding infusion to 21.4 (3.7) in the hour following infusion (p less than 0.02), representing a mean reduction in acid output of 30%. Pepsin output (mg/h) was also decreased from 207.5 (67.7) (mean (SE] in the hour preceding blood infusion to 135.7 (54.7) in the hour after infusion (p less than 0.02) representing a mean reduction in pepsin output of 43%. In six volunteers gastric emptying of a liquid meal was delayed after intraduodenal blood infusion compared with intubation alone with the emptying time (min) to half volume (t 1/2) being prolonged at 75.0 (8.2) (mean (SE] after blood infusion compared with 35.5 (6.6) after intubation alone (p less than 0.02). Plasma GIP concentrations (ng/l) increased to peak levels of 127.9 (62.7) (mean (SE] after intraduodenal blood infusion compared with the pre-infusion value of 58.3 (2.3) (p less than 0.02). These changes may represent protective physiological responses to facilitate haemostasis.

Adult↗

Rebound nocturnal hypersecretion after four weeks treatment with an H2 receptor antagonist.

Daytime intragastric pH, fasting and meal stimulated serum gastrin and nocturnal acid output were studied in eight male duodenal ulcer patients before, during and two days after completing nizatidine 300 mg nocte (20:00 h) for four weeks. Median nocturnal acid output (mmol/10 h) decreased during treatment to 11.6 (range 0.4-26.7) compared with pretreatment value of 39.4 (9.8-91.2); median acid inhibition 77% (p less than 0.01) which was strongest between 24:00 and 04:00 h. Two days after discontinuing treatment, nocturnal acid output increased to 74.1 (11-181). Compared with the pretreatment value this represents median rebound hypersecretion of 77% (p less than 0.05), caused by increased H+ concentration and volume of secretion. Overall median daytime intragastric pH (09:00-21:00 h) was unchanged on the final day of treatment and two days after completing therapy, compared with the pretreatment values. Fasting serum gastrin measured between 09:30 and 10:00 h and the integrated gastrin response to an OXO breakfast taken out at 10:00 h were also similar during and after treatment, compared with pretreatment values. The rebound nocturnal hypersecretion may be relevant to the high ulcer relapse rates after stopping H2 receptor antagonists.

Adult↗

Comparison of gastric body and antral pH: a 24 hour ambulatory study in healthy volunteers.

Simultaneous ambulatory records of gastric antral and body pH were made over 24 hours in nine healthy volunteers by means of endoscopically positioned and anchored glass electrodes. Intragastric pH was temporarily raised after the endoscopy with the median pH value 30 minutes after the procedure being 3.9 (range 1.5-7.0) for the antrum and 4.1 (range 1.5-7.0) for the body. Daytime pH (median pH value between 12 00 h and 23 00 h) was lower in the antrum (median = 1.9, range 1.6-2.6) than in the body (median = 2.7, range 1.8-4.5) (p less than 0.05) and this was because of the rise in pH on eating being less marked in the antrum than in the body. The median peak pH recorded during the evening meal was only 4.1 (range 2.4-6.2) in the antrum compared with 6.3 (range 4.4-6.7) in the body (p less than 0.01). Preprandial pH (median value over the hour prior to the evening meal) was similar in the antrum (median = 1.9, range 1.2-2.5) and body (median = 1.9, range 1.3-2.8). Night-time pH (median pH value between 23 00 h and 05 00 h) in six subjects remained low and was similar in the antrum (median = 1.4, range 1.2-1.7) and body (median = 1.3, range 1.1-1.7). In two subjects, however, there were episodes of raised night-time pH which were more marked in the antrum than in the body. Antral biopsies showed gastritis in four of the nine normal volunteers, which in three was associated with the presence of campylobacter-like organisms. This study shows the significant regional variations in day and night-time intragastric pH.

Adult↗

A comparison of the effects of treatment with either famotidine 40 mg or cimetidine 800 mg nocte on gastric acid secretion and serum gastrin.

The effects on gastric acid secretion and serum gastrin of 4 weeks treatment with famotidine 40 mg nocte or cimetidine 800 mg nocte (at 2200 h) were studied in 16 patients with previous duodenal ulcer. Patients were studied before commencing therapy, on days 5, 12 and 26 of treatment, and on days 3, 10 and 24 after completion of therapy. In contrast to cimetidine, basal and pentagastrin-stimulated gastric acid secretion measured 12 h after dosing was significantly inhibited during treatment with famotidine. In addition, with famotidine there was inhibition of stimulated gastric acid secretion at 3 and 24 days after completion of treatment. Fasting serum gastrin measured 12 h after dosing was not significantly altered by either drug.

Adult↗

Quantitative 99mTc-DISIDA scanning and endoscopic biliary manometry in sphincter of Oddi dysfunction.

Sphincter of Oddi (SO) dysfunction is a recognised cause of postcholecystectomy pain, but a difficult condition to diagnose, requiring endoscopic biliary manometry (EBM) to confirm sphincter motor abnormalities. We have assessed quantitative cholescintigraphy in 10 postcholecystectomy (PC) patients with clinical and manometric evidence of SO dysfunction, 10 PC patients with non-biliary type abdominal pain and 10 asymptomatic PC volunteers acting as controls to determine its value as a non-invasive screening test. Quantitative 99mTc-DISIDA scans lasted 60 minutes, activity/time curves being created by computer analysis using the entire hepatobiliary system as region-of-interest (ROI). Scintigraphic analysis demonstrated that the time in minutes to maximum counts (Tmax) was significantly increased in the SO dysfunction group compared with the non-biliary pain group and the asymptomatic volunteers (p less than 0.001). The per cent of biliary tracer emptied was also significantly less in the SO dysfunction group than either of the other groups at both 45 minutes (p less than 0.01) and 60 minutes (p less than 0.02). We conclude that quantitative cholescintigraphy may be a valuable non-invasive screening test in clinically suspected SO dysfunction.

Adult↗

Choledocholithiasis--in vivo stone dissolution using methyl tertiary butyl ether (MTBE).

We report a series of 10 elderly patients with large bile duct calculi refractory to standard endoscopic extraction techniques who were treated by gall stone dissolution using methyl tertiary butyl ether (MTBE) instilled through a nasobiliary catheter. In eight patients complete bile duct clearance was achieved after an average of eight hours MTBE instillation. In two patients gall stone size did not change. Both underwent operative gall stone removal and subsequent stone analysis showed low cholesterol content, which is unlikely to respond to MTBE. Apart from occasional transient nausea and drowsiness, no adverse reactions were noted. Methyl tertiary butyl ether appears to be a powerful in vivo gall stone dissolution agent which, from preliminary studies, is not associated with serious toxicity.

Aged↗

An evaluation of open scalp wounds.

A retrospective study of 661 adult patients with open scalp wounds attending the Accident and Emergency Department of Glasgow Royal Infirmary, Glasgow, Scotland, was performed. Detailed information was recorded about history, nature of open wounds ('contused' or 'incised'), wound exploration and radiological findings. The commonest cause of injury was assault (40%), followed by falls (34%). Half of the patients had been drinking alcohol. The majority of scalp wounds were 'contused' (84%) resulting equally from assaults and falls; 'incised' wounds (16%) were more commonly due to assault. Although division of the occipitofrontalis aponeurosis was infrequent (18%), most (78%) of the skull fractures occurred in this group. Wound exploration detected nine fractures not evident on skull X-rays. To maximise fracture detection rate, careful wound exploration should be an important adjunct to skull radiography and, in particular, division of the occipitofrontalis aponeurosis should alert the casualty officer to the likelihood of a skull fracture.

Adolescent↗