Biomedical subjects

G Perna

Publications and source records attributed to G Perna.

82 records · Page 5Linked to original sources

PubMedDate not supplied

The 35% CO2 challenge in panic disorder: optimization by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis.

To test the power of the 35% CO2 test as a challenge for panic disorder (PD), and to set an ideal threshold of discrimination between patients and controls, we analysed by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis the responses of 91 out-patients with PD and 46 controls who inhaled a 35% CO2/65% O2 gas mixture. ROC analysis confirmed that the CO2 challenge discriminates well between PD patients and controls, with 86% probability to classify them correctly on the basis of subjective anxiety after the test. A relatively modest increment in subjective anxiety (i.e. an absolute increment of 20 units, or a relative increment of 26% of subjective anxiety) proved to be the ideal threshold to separate the two groups of our sample.

Adolescent↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Panic disorder: the role of the balance system.

Experimental evidences suggest that Panic Disorder (PD) is characterized by abnormalities in respiratory and vestibular functions. We studied balance system function in patients with PD and its relationships with CO(2) reactivity and clinical characteristics. Nineteen patients with PD with/without agoraphobia underwent static posturography and the 35% CO(2) challenge. The severity of clinical symptomatology was measured by standardized psychometric scales. Patients were free of psychotropic medications during the 2 weeks before the study. Different investigators blind to each other carried out the CO(2) challenge, static posturography and clinical assessment. Nineteen age and sex-matched healthy controls underwent static posturography. Body sway velocity and length were significantly higher in panic patients than in controls and patients showed high percentages of abnormal scores. Patients with two or more abnormal scores on static posturography were significantly more agoraphobic than those with less than two. Abnormal posturography scores under the eyes-opened was related to high anticipatory anxiety, whereas those under eyes-closed was related to phobic avoidance. Symptomatological reactivity to CO(2) was significantly correlated to abnormal functions of the balance system in the eyes-closed condition. Our findings suggest that (1) many patients with PD (5-42%) have abnormalities in their balance system function compared with healthy controls (0-5%), (2) symptomatological reactivity to CO(2) and balance system function in patients with PD are correlated only in the eyes-closed condition and (3) there is a significant link between agoraphobic avoidance and subclinical abnormal function of the balance system network.

Administration, Inhalation↗

PubMedDate not supplied

[Ambulatory therapy with fosfomycin in dentistry and stomatology].

1-2 g/day or 3-4 g/day phosphomycin were administered per os to children and adults respectively for an average of 5.2 days in the outpatient treatment of 28 males and 18 females with parodontitis, gingivitis and dysodontiasis of bacterial origin. All patients presented swelling of the soft parts and 34 (74%) had hyperpyrexia. A clinical cure was obtained after 9 days in all cases. Fever lasted an average of 2.4 days and disappeared after 6 days. Swelling lasted an average of 3.6 days and disappeared after 8 days. Tolerance was excellent. Two patients (4.3%) displayed diarrhoea and nausea and one (2.2%) pruritus. These side-effects did not necessitate the suspension of treatment. It is felt that phosphomycin may be regarded as a drug of choice in the treatment of odontostomatological infection of bacterial origin.

Adolescent↗

PubMedDate not supplied

[The use of different liver-protective substances in the course of antitubercular chemotherapy and their effectiveness in preventing and countering the appearance of metabolic and functional liver changes Clinico-statistical studies].

An open study was run on three groups of hospitalised 40 patients with medium to serious lung TB to evaluate the effectiveness of generic liver protector drugs, UDPG, and an association of UDPG-GSH in the prevention a nd hindrance of organic and metabolic-functional liver alterations in the course of chemotherapy. It was found that UDPG--particularly in association with GSH--gave highly significant results by comparison with generic protector drugs.

Amino Acids↗

PubMedDate not supplied