PubMed Health⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

H A Falcao

Publications and source records attributed to H A Falcao.

4 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1981

Gastrin and gastric acid secretion in renal failure.

In 10 anephric patients awaiting transplantation, 15 patients with chronic renal failure and 30 patients with acute renal failure, daily basal plasma gastrin levels and basal and stimulated gastric acid secretion were measured. Significant elevated plasma gastrin levels were found in all of the anephric patients and in 50 percent of the patients with acute and 55 percent of those with chronic renal failure. Elevated plasma gastrin levels decreased to normal after kidney transplantation or when kidney function returned to normal in the patients with acute renal failure. Gastric acid secretion studies showed a consistent pattern in all three groups of patients with a low basal acid output, a high basal intragastric pH and a very significant peak acid output, perhaps secondary to elevated plasma gastrin levels due to inadequate renal inactivation of gastrin. This may partly explain the increased incidence of gastrointestinal bleeding and gastritis seen in patients with different degrees of renal failure.

Acute Kidney Injury↗
PubMed1976

L-dopa in hepatic coma.

The use of L-Dopa in hepatic coma has been the subject of numerous reports since 1970. The following represents our experience with a rather heterogenous group of patients treated at the Massachusetts General Hospital over the past 4 years. Thirty-five patients with severe liver disease, a mean age of 53 +/- 3.5 years, including nutritional cirrhosis with acute coma and acute hepatitis were treated. Four patients were judged grade III, 31 patients grade IV. All patients had previously been treated with protein restriction, orally administered non-absorbable antibiotics, fluid and electrolytes, and in some cases, steroids. L-Dopa was given orally in 21 patients, and as a retention enema in 14. Thirteen of the 35 patients did not respond to therapy. Seventeen responded, but did not survive, and 5 patients responded and survived. There was no difference between any of the groups as far as dosage of L-Dopa and clinical features. The one striking finding as the differences between groups was the time of initiation of L-Dopa therapy. In Group I, the survivors, therapy was started within 1.4 +/- 0.8 days after the onset of coma. In Group II, there was an initiation of therapy at 6.7 +/- 1.6 days, and in the non-responders 9.5 +/- 1.6 days. These differences are highly significant. The results suggest that coma may pass from a reversible to an irreversible stage, and that L-Dopa therapy initiated early in the course of hepatic coma, may be of some benefit.

Alcoholism↗
PubMed1976

[Behavior of gastrin and gastric juice secretion in acute and chronic kidney failure before and after kidney transplantation].

In 50 patients (10 anephric, 10 with chronic renal failure, and 30 with acute renal failure) the correlation was studied between basal PG levels and basal and stimulated gastric acid secretion. a) The mean PG level in all 3 groups was significantly higher than in the control group, with the highest values in the anephric, which decreased to normal after kidney transplantation. b) In the patients with ARF and after transplantation there was a very positive correlation between PG levels and kidney function. c) Hemodialysis decreased PG levels moderately but significantly. d) Gastric acid studies showed in all groups a very low BAO and basal intragastric pH, with a significant release of gastric acid after pentagastrin stimulation, especially in the anephric.

Acute Kidney Injury↗