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Biomedical subjects

I Potasman

Publications and source records attributed to I Potasman.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1997

Effect of ranitidine on the urea breath test: a controlled trial.

Because Helicobacter pylori is an acid-sensitive organism, an elevation of the gastric pH by H2 inhibitors might improve the intragastric conditions for the development of this organism. We tested this hypothesis in a prospective and controlled trial including 43 patients positive for H. pylori using the rapid urease test. Twenty-six patients received 150 mg ranitidine twice daily and 17 patients received no treatment. The 14C-urea breath test was performed in both groups at the beginning of the study and 2 weeks later. Radioactive 14C in exhaled carbon dioxide was significantly increased (p = 0.045) in the patients treated with ranitidine, compared with the patients in the control group. Administration of this drug to patients infected with H. pylori is associated with an increase in the bacterial load after 2 weeks of treatment. This phenomenon might be attributed to increased bacterial growth due to the H2 blocker.

Anti-Ulcer Agents↗
PubMed1997

Oral fluconazole for Candida urinary tract infection.

Fungal urinary tract infections are increasingly prevalent in hospitalized patients. This trial compares the efficacy of oral fluconazole along with catheter replacement to that of catheter replacement alone for treatment of funguria. The study group patients (n = 30) were given 100 mg of fluconazole followed by 50 mg/day for 14 days and had their catheters replaced on day one. The control group, randomized on a 1:1 basis (n = 30) had only a catheter replacement. Seventeen and 21 patients in the study and control groups, respectively, had Candida albicans, 8 and 5 had Candida tropicalis, and 5 and 4 had Candida glabrata. The MICs of the organisms were determined by the E test. The MIC90 of the C. albicans, C. tropicalis, and C. glabrata were 12, 16, and 64 micrograms/ml, respectively. Funguria disappeared in all study group patients within a week but recurred in only 1 patient 8 weeks after enrollment in the study. Although fluconazole caused a more rapid and an almost complete eradication of funguria and urinary WBCs, catheter replacement alone was followed by an 87-93% clearance of urinary findings at 8 weeks of follow-up. These results suggest that in patients with funguria low-dose fluconazole induces a more rapid clearance of urinary findings than does catheter replacement alone.

Administration, Oral↗
PubMed1996

[Diagnostic and therapeutic approach to sexually transmitted diseases].

In an ongoing study we evaluated 71 males and 32 females attending our sexually transmitted diseases (STD) clinic. Intraurethral or endocervical swab specimens were cultured for Neisseria gonorrhea (NG), Ureaplasma urealyticum (UU), Mycoplasma homines (MH), Herpes simplex virus (HSV) and Chlamydia trachomatis (CT), using an ELISA technique and the polymerase chain reaction (PCR). HIV antigen, hepatitis B (HBV) and Treponema pallidum (TP) seropositivity were tested by ELISA. Mean age was 33.4 and range 15-72 years. 83 patients (81%) used condoms only rarely, 35 (35%) had multiple sexual partners and 83 (81%) were treated empirically prior to evaluation. Dysuria and urethral discharge were found in 47 (45.6%), of whom 34 (33%) were males; the majority of females were asymptomatic. A specific etiology for STD was found in 53 patients (51.4%) and 1/3 had more than 1 pathogen. CT, UU, MH, HSV, NG and TV were found in 27, 24, 5, 3, 2 and 1, respectively. 8 patients were seropositive for HBV and 1 for TP; all were seronegative for HIV. CT was the most prevalent pathogen found. All patients with STD symptoms should be screened for all sexually transmitted pathogens, since many of them have more than 1 pathogen. STD clinics in Israel should be developed in conjunction with microbiology laboratories for better management of STD in the community.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1996

Schistosomiasis Acquired in Lake Malawi.

Background: Schistosomiasis is second only to Malaria in its prevalence in the tropics. The mode of transmission of this disease is unknown to many travelers, whereas other travelers consciously choose to ignore recommendations offered by travel clinics. Methods: We present a descriptive analysis of 22 patients who presented with S. haematobium (SH) infection to two travel clinics in Israel during 1993 and 1994. Results: All 22 patients (mean age 24.2 yrs) apparently acquired SH in lake Malawi. The group contained seven couples, which indicates a very high attack rate. Three of the cases were asymptomatic, thereby causing a diagnostic delay of up to 52 weeks. Diagnosis was established in 18 cases by finding eggs in the urine, and in eight cases, by serology. Conclusion: All cases of SH diagnosed at two medical centers in Israel in 1993 and 1994 were acquired in Lake Malawi. A few of the cases were totally asymptomatic, which raises the question of routine screening. Travel clinics should warn travelers to the Lake Malawi region of this specific hazard.

Journal Article↗
PubMed1996

In vitro inhibition of Helicobacter pylori by extracts of thyme.

Extracts of several plants were tested for inhibitory activity against Helicobacter pylori. Among these plants thyme (aqueous extract) and cinnamon (alcoholic extract) were the most effective. Since aqueous extract of thyme is easier to produce and consume, it was further investigated. Compared with several antibacterials, the thyme extract had a significant inhibitory effect on H. pylori, reducing both its growth and potent urease activity. From the results of this study, the aqueous extract of thyme possesses a therapeutic potential which merits validation by clinical studies.

Anti-Bacterial Agents↗
PubMed1995

[Schistosomiasis imported from Africa].

We present 5 cases of Schistosoma hematobium infestation recently acquired during travel to Lake Malawi. Clinical presentations ranged from asymptomatic to prolonged pneumonitis. The laboratory diagnosis in suspected cases rests on both searching for ova in the urine, and on serological tests which may become positive before the appearance of ova. One of the returning travelers also acquired trichinosis and another amebiasis. Because of the sharp increase in those traveling to the tropics, especially young people, physicians should be aware of the possibilities of their acquiring schistosomiasis.

Adult↗
PubMed1995

Congenital toxoplasmosis: a significant cause of neurological morbidity in Israel?

The incidence of congenital toxoplasmosis in Israel is largely unknown, as is the impact of this condition on the neurological diseases of childhood. We examined the association between toxoplasmosis and three neurological disorders: epilepsy, cerebral palsy, and nerve deafness. Ninety-five children 1-15 years of age who had one of these three diagnoses but who had not had perinatal meningitis or anoxia and had no genetic predisposition for the documented neurological disorder were eligible for the study; 109 children hospitalized for elective surgery served as age-matched controls. Demographic and serological data were analyzed by logistic regression. The prevalences of serum antibodies to Toxoplasma gondii in the study and control groups were 22% and 9%, respectively. Children with one of the three neurological disorders were significantly more likely to have IgG antibodies to T. gondii (relative risk, 2.5; P = .03). The relative risk of seropositivity was remarkably high (7.1) among children with nerve deafness (P = .01). Large-scale prospective cohort studies of pregnant women are needed to substantiate the impact of congenital toxoplasmosis on the neurological diseases of childhood in Israel.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1995

[Dengue fever].

Dengue fever is a viral disease, transmitted to man via mosquito bites. It is endemic in tropical regions (10 million infected annually) and is characterized by high fever, headache, myalgia, lethargy, vomiting, rash and neutropenia. The upward trend in the number of young Israelis visiting tropical countries increases the number of those potentially exposed to this disease. We present 4 Israelis who returned with dengue fever from Thailand.

Adult↗
PubMed1992

Failure of ceftriaxone in the treatment of acute brucellosis.

In an open, multicenter study conducted in Israel in 1989, 18 patients with acute brucellosis were randomized to receive either less than or equal to 2 g of intramuscularly administered ceftriaxone daily for at least 2 weeks or doxycycline for 4 weeks plus streptomycin for 2 weeks. All 10 patients treated with the combination of doxycycline plus streptomycin responded promptly, and their infections did not relapse during 6 months of follow-up. Of eight patients treated with ceftriaxone, six did not respond initially; when ceftriaxone was replaced by the combination of doxycycline and streptomycin, patients responded immediately. No relapses of infection were observed in these patients during follow-up. One patient who received ceftriaxone responded and remained well at the end of 6 months of follow-up, and one patient who initially responded to therapy with this drug experienced relapse of infection within 3 weeks but recovered when the doxycycline/streptomycin regimen was initiated. We conclude that despite encouraging data from in vitro studies and promising clinical studies, 2 g of ceftriaxone administered im daily should not be considered appropriate therapy for brucellosis.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed1991

[Tuberculosis of the middle ear].

Tuberculosis is rare in Israel, especially that of the middle ear. Its rarity leads to both underdiagnosis and misdiagnosis. Since tuberculosis is treatable, diagnosis is of the utmost importance. The recent wave of immigration from countries in which tuberculosis is endemic may confront us with more cases of tuberculosis of this type.

Ear Diseases↗
PubMed1991

[Cutaneous myiasis].

Modern air travel facilitates the importation of tropical diseases. We saw a 24-year-old man who returned from South America with cutaneous myiasis caused by larvae of the human botfly Dermatobia hominis. The larvae were expressed by pressure from 2 lesions, on the neck and the loin, and the pockets were disinfected with alcohol. They closed and healed completely with a day.

Adult↗
PubMed1991

[Antimicrobial susceptibility of organisms infecting the urinary tract in northern Israel].

Urinary tract infections (UTI), especially in women, are very frequent and require antimicrobial treatment. The choice of drug depends on the susceptibility of the infecting organism. In many cases treatment is begun before the identity and susceptibility of the organism/s cultured are known. Knowledge of the profile of the infecting organisms and their drug susceptibility can improve the treatment of community-acquired UTI. We recorded the distribution and susceptibility of 50,699 positive UTI cultures, during the years 1986-7, in 2 community laboratories in northern Israel serving a population of about 830,000. The sensitivity of organisms to ampicillin was only 32 in the Haifa region and 42 in the Afula region and, respectively, to cotrimoxazole 51 and 76, to cephalexin 60 and 77, to nitrofurantoin 83 and 89, and to nalidixic acid 80 and 92. The differences between the regions were statistically significant. As a result of this study, we suggest that ampicillin should not be used empirically in UTI in these these 2 regions, nor cotrimoxazole in the Haifa region. All women with uncomplicated UTI should be treated with nitrofurantoin or nalidixic acid, provided they are not sensitive to these drugs and tolerate them well. The use of new drugs such as the quinolones and amoxicillin/clavulanic acid must be controlled and monitored to avoid rapid development of resistant strains.

Anti-Bacterial Agents↗
PubMed1991

Comparison of single-dose administration and three-day course of amoxicillin with those of clavulanic acid for treatment of uncomplicated urinary tract infection in women.

In a double-blind randomized study we compared a single-dose amoxicillin-clavulanate combination with a regular 3-day regimen in 109 women with cystitis. Clinical cure rates at 7 and 28 days posttreatment were 78 versus 87% and 67 versus 78%, respectively. The 3-day regimen was significantly better (P less than 0.001) only in women with recurrent urinary tract infections.

Adolescent↗