PubMed Health⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

H Puhakka

Publications and source records attributed to H Puhakka.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2002

Post-intervention vessel remodeling.

By-pass surgery and percutaneous transluminal (coronary) angioplasty, PT(C)A, are standard techniques for the treatment of vascular occlusions. Their usefulness is limited by by-pass graft failure and restenosis occurring after the procedures. Twenty percent of patients treated with PTCA/PTA need a new revascularization procedure within 6 months, despite a successful procedure. Stents are used to prevent restenosis in selected lesions, but in-stent restenosis also remains an important clinical problem. In this review we discuss progress of gene therapy for the treatment of post-PT(C)A restenosis, in-stent restenosis and by-pass graft stenosis over the last 2 years (2000-2002).

Animals↗
PubMed2001

Negative pressure tympanograms in children less than 2 years of age--different bacterial findings in otitis media by tympanometric results.

OBJECTIVE: The interpretation of negative pressure tympanograms as indicators of the presence of middle ear fluid has been ambiguous. Our purpose was to assess the occurrence and implications of negative pressure tympanograms and to study their association with bacterial pathogens in otitis media. METHODS: Altogether 329 infants were enrolled at a well-baby clinic for the Finnish Otitis Media Cohort Study, a longitudinal prospective cohort study. The children were closely followed in a special study clinic from 2 to 24 months of age for respiratory diseases, especially acute otitis media. Children were examined at the study clinic with tympanometry and pneumatic otoscopy whenever visiting the study clinic for respiratory disease. Myringotomy with aspiration was performed if middle ear fluid was suspected in otoscopy. Occurrence of middle ear fluid in ears with negative pressure tympanograms (less than -100 daPa) was assessed. Nested case control design matched by visit type (acute or follow-up visit) and month of visit was used for analysis of association of bacterial pathogens and tympanometric results. RESULTS: Middle ear fluid was encountered in 15% of ears with negative tympanometric peak pressure, a lower proportion than described previously. In otitis media with a negative tympanometric peak pressure, 71% of bacterial cultures remained negative for the main pathogens, compared to 36% in matched controls (P<0.001). Especially Streptococcus pneumoniae but also Haemophilus influenzae were rarely found in samples from negative pressure ears. Moraxella catarrhalis was equally often found. CONCLUSIONS: Negative pressure tympanogram is a poor indicator for the presence of middle ear fluid. Furthermore, if otitis media is diagnosed with negative tympanometric peak pressure negative middle ear bacterial culture for the main pathogens is highly probable. Expectant follow-up might be more appropriate than routine antibiotic treatment.

Acoustic Impedance Tests↗
PubMed2000

Interrater agreement on tympanometry in infants.

Two-hundred and forty-two tympanograms of infants were interpreted according to a standard operating procedure independently by an audiologist and ten study doctors from the Finnish Otitis Media Vaccine Trial. The interrater agreement among the study doctors according to Kappa index was excellent (kappa = 0.80). The agreement was significantly better on curves taken during pre-scheduled healthy visits than during sick visits due to respiratory infection (p < 0.001). In addition concurrent knowledge of the clinical ear status significantly improved the agreement on abnormal curves (flat B-curves and failed F-curves, p < 0.001). The clinical differences between the groups were minor. The age of the infant had no effect on interpretation. The agreement between the audiologist and the study doctors was also excellent (kappa = 0.77). Excellent agreement can be achieved in infant tympanometry through adequate instruction and training.

Acoustic Impedance Tests↗
PubMed1999

Diagnostic value of tympanometry in infants in clinical practice.

One hundred and twenty-one visits of 58 infants (2-11 months of age) were evaluated in the Finnish Otitis Media Vaccine Trial. Infants were examined with tympanometry (Grason-Stadler GSI 38 Autotymp) and pneumatic otoscopy by one study doctor. Diagnosis of otitis media was verified by myringotomy in 74% of cases. Tympanometry was technically successful in 94% of ears. The success rate was statistically significantly higher (P < 0.05) among infants less than 7 months of age than those above 7 months. The sensitivity of tympanometry (type B) to detect ears with middle ear fluid was 0.70 and the specificity 0.98 with a positive predictive value of 0.93 and negative predictive value of 0.94. The sensitivity was somewhat lower in the younger age group (0.61); specificity and positive and negative predictive values were good in both age groups. The high success rate and high negative and positive predictive values of tympanometry make it a useful aid for assuring the correct diagnosis of otitis media in infants in routine clinical practice.

Acoustic Impedance Tests↗
PubMed1998

Changes in day care attendance rates and in the occurrence of adenoidectomies and tympanostomies.

The care of a child in a day care center is a marked risk factor for acute otitis media. In a nationwide questionnaire survey we found that the rate of tympanostomies and adenoidectomies was 59-67% higher for the children cared for at a day care center before the age of 3 y. When the local authorities in Finland at the beginning of 1990 were obliged by law to arrange day care for all children under 3 y, the number of adenoidectomies performed on children at this age increased by 30%.

Adenoidectomy↗
PubMed1997

Early post-tympanostomy otorrhea in children under 17 months of age.

A total number of 281 consecutive children with recurrent acute otitis media (RAOM) or otitis media with effusion (OME) was treated with ventilation tubes (VT), inserted under local anesthesia. Patients were prospectively followed-up for post-tympanostomy otorrhea, classified as "early" if observed within 7 days of the tympanostomy procedure. The age of children ranged from 5 to 16 months (average 10.1 months). VT were placed bilaterally in 279 of 281 children. The average length of otitis media (OM) history prior to tympanostomy was 3.4 months. An episode of OM had been diagnosed 1-2 times in 18.9%, 3-4 times in 68.0%, and at least 5 times in 13.1% of the children. Middle ear effusion (MEE), most often classified as mucoid was present in 65.8% of the ears. Cultures were positive for bacteria in 41 of the 185 ears with MEE (22.2%). The mastoid air cell system was radiographically normal in 9.6% and markedly clouded in 56.6%. Early post-tympanostomy otorrhea was observed in 16.0% of ears, occurring more often when MEE, especially mucopurulent, was present at tympanostomy (p < 0.01). The risk of otorrhea was significantly increased by a positive culture for pathogenic bacteria in MEE (p < 0.01) and highly significantly by the advanced opacification of the mastoid air cell system (p < 0.001). It is concluded that early post-tympanostomy otorrhea in young children is caused by the advanced infectious process in the middle ear cleft, including mastoid cell system rather than by the tympanostomy procedure itself. It may indicate the need for more active treatment in this age group.

Cerebrospinal Fluid Otorrhea↗
PubMed1997

Pharyngeal patency caused by stimulation of the hypoglossal nerve in anaesthesia-relaxed patients.

Impaired function of the genioglossal muscle is the most frequent reason for upper airway obstruction during sleep. Functional electrical stimulation (FES) of the hypoglossal nerve may be used to push the tongue forward to release the obstruction. Anaesthesia-induced upper airway obstruction resembles the situation during obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) syndrome. In order to develop an implantable FES system for treatment of OSA, we stimulated the exposed hypoglossal nerve in 6 patients undergoing radical cancer surgery of the head and neck region. Tongue movements during stimulation were video filmed and the amount of unobstructed airway achieved with stimulation was estimated using the adjacent intubation tube as reference. In every case, stimulation created an unobstructed airway, larger than the intubation tube.

Anesthesia, General↗
PubMed1995

Short-term use of amoxicillin-clavulanate during upper respiratory tract infection for prevention of acute otitis media.

We performed a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study to determine whether acute otitis media could be prevented by antibiotic therapy initiated promptly after the appearance of symptoms of upper respiratory tract infection. One hundred four children aged 1 to 4 years received a 7-day course of either amoxicillin-clavulanate or placebo. Acute otitis media developed in 9 (18%) of the 50 children receiving amoxicillin clavulanate and in 12 (22%) of the 54 children receiving placebo (p = 0.59).

Acute Disease↗
PubMed1992

Few surgical complications after 5,000 to 6,500 cGy pre-operative irradiation for carcinoma of the tongue.

Twenty-four patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the tongue were treated with 5,000 cGy to 6,500 cGy pre-operative irradiation. Surgery usually consisted of resection of the tongue, possibly the floor of mouth, and modified or radical neck dissection. Musculocutaneous flaps for reconstruction were used in three cases and a forearm flap in one case. Despite the high radiation dose, no major difficulties were encountered at surgery or during the convalescence period, except for one osteoradionecrosis of the mandible, which was successfully treated by microvascular osteomyocutaneous grafting. Residual carcinoma was seen on histological examination of the excised tissue in 9 out of 18 (50 per cent) patients who received > or = 6,000 cGy, and in 4 out of 6 (67 per cent) patients who received about 5,000 cGy tumour dose. The 2-year crude survival rate was 65 per cent. The data suggest that high dose pre-operative irradiation is feasible and does not compromise surgical treatment.

Adult↗
PubMed1990

Coincidental radiographic findings in severe external otitis in nonimmunocompromised patients.

We present the cases of 3 previously healthy patients who became ill with a very sudden and painful external otitis due to Pseudomonas aeruginosa. At the acute stage, diagnosis was difficult in all these patients because of marked periauricular swelling and radiological mastoiditis. The latter sign has not been reported earlier in association with external otitis in nonimmunocompromised patients. All patients made a full recovery with appropriate treatment.

Adult↗
PubMed1990

Rhinovirus in otitis media with effusion.

We studied rhinovirus in the middle ear fluid of 61 children with subacute or chronic otitis media with effusion. Rhinovirus was recovered from the middle ear fluid of 5 children with subacute otitis media with effusion. The minimum duration of effusion was 32 to 60 days. Additionally, 1 patient had middle ear fluid that was positive for adenovirus. Bacterial pathogens were cultured from the middle ear fluid of 20 of 61 patients. Our finding that rhinovirus can be isolated from middle ear fluid after an asymptomatic period of several weeks suggests its possible role in the development of otitis media with effusion.

Bacteria↗
PubMed1989

How accurate is chest radiography in the diagnosis of tracheobronchial foreign bodies in children?

The radiographic and endoscopic findings of 83 consecutive patients with suspected foreign body (FB) inhalation into the tracheobronchial tree were compared and the accuracy of chest radiography was estimated. Typical radiologic signs of FB aspiration, such as localized air trapping, atelectasis and infection occurred on radiographs of patients with and without FB. Twenty-four percent of patients with endoscopically verified FB had no abnormalities on chest radiography. In an analysis of radiographs of 83 consecutive patients, in which the prevalence of FB aspiration was 41%, the diagnostic accuracy was 67%, sensitivity 68% and specificity 67%. Plain film radiology alone is not a sufficiently sensitive nor specific method for the diagnosis of FB aspiration.

Bronchi↗