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Biomedical subjects

J Ardura

Publications and source records attributed to J Ardura.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Circadian changes of heart rate in West syndrome.

Patterns of circadian and ultradian rhythms in the heart rate (HR) are described in a full-term baby with birth asphyxia and convulsions. A 24h HR recording was carried out at the age of 1, 15, 56, 289, and 295 days; West syndrome diagnosis was made when the patient was 3 months old. The HR showed no circadian rhythm in the follow-up, whereas it is known that the circadian rhythm appears in healthy infants at the age of 1 month and remains thereafter. This observation may be an indirect indicator of the interference of West syndrome with centers of neurological maturity.

Activity Cycles↗

Computer analysis of environmental temperature, light and noise in intensive care: chaos or chronome nurseries?

Lighting, noise and temperature were monitored in two perinatal nurseries. Rhythms of several frequencies were found, including prominent 24-hour rhythms with acrophases around 13:00 (light intensity) and 16:00 (noise). For light and noise, the ratio formed by dividing the amplitude of a 1-week (circaseptan) or half-week (circasemiseptan) fitted cosine curve by the amplitude of a 24-hour fitted cosine curve is smaller than unity, since 24-hour rhythms are prominent for these variables. The amplitude ratios are larger than unity for temperature in the newborns' unit but not in the infants' unit. Earlier, the origin of the about-7-day rhythms of neonatal physiologic variables was demonstrated to have, in addition to a major endogenous, also a minor exogenous component. Hence, the possibility of optimizing maturation by manipulating environmental changes can be considered, using, as gauges of development, previously mapped chronomes (time structures of biologic multifrequency rhythms, trends and noise).

Circadian Rhythm↗

Heart rate biorhythm changes during the first three months of life.

UNLABELLED: Heart rate (HR) was recorded in healthy full-term newborns aged 1-90 days. The aim of this study was to study the existence of circadian and/or ultradian rhythms in HR to determine maturity. HR was recorded during 24 h, at 30-min intervals, at different postnatal ages. Six-groups were investigated: day 1 (group 1); day 7 (group 7); day 15 (group 15); day 30 (group 30); day 60 (group 60), and day 90 (group 90). The chronograms for HR showed peaks and nadirs along the 24-hour periods, and the cosinor analysis proved the existence of 3-hour ultradian rhythm in groups 1, 7 and 30, and a 12-hour ultradian rhythm in group 90 (p < 0.01 in all cases). The same type of analysis confirmed the existence of a circadian rhythm in group 30. Similar results were obtained for groups 60 and 90 (p < 0.05). IN CONCLUSION: at birth, newborns have an endogenous ultradian period of 3 h. A circadian rhythm appears within 15-30 days of postnatal life.

Aging↗

Development of sleep-wakefulness rhythm in premature babies.

The aims of this study were: (1) to investigate the evolution of the sleep pattern in preterm newborns during their first month of life; (2) to assess the influence of light-dark on the sleep pattern; and (3) to compare this pattern with that of full-term newborns. The population consisted of 60 healthy, preterm newborns and 63 full-term newborns, divided into four age groups, 1 week apart, throughout the first month of life. Preterm newborns were further divided into five groups according to conceptional (corrected) age. An observer took note every 30 min, for 24 h, of sleep or wakefulness in every case. The average sleeping time in preterm groups according to postnatal age remained unchanged during the first month of life: 17.57 h on day 1 and 17.15 h on day 28. When the preterm infants were re-grouped according to conceptional age, average daily sleep was 17.86 h at 32 weeks and 15.22 h at 37 weeks. The full-term newborns had an average daily sleep of 14.78 h on day 1 and 11.94 h on day 28, with a decrease throughout week 4 of life (p < 0.001). The decrease in daily sleeping time in the full-term groups, took place at the expense of the daylight span, where there was a decrease throughout the first month of life (p < 0.01). There were no differences in preterm newborns during the light and dark phases. A progressive synchronization of sleep to the light-dark was seen in the control group.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Circadian Rhythm↗

[Tissue concentrations of beta-methyl-digoxin in children].

Beta-methyl-digoxin concentrations in adipose, skeletal muscle and myocardial tissues, were studied in 8 patients undergoing by-pass surgery because of congenital heart disease. Correlation between doses/kg, plasmatic and tissue concentrations were analysed. We found statistically correlation between doses/kg and plasmatic concentrations; doses/kg and skeletal muscle concentrations (p less than 0.01); plasmatic and skeletal muscle concentrations (p less than 0.05). Concentrations was significantly greater in myocardial than adipose tissue before extracorporeal circulation (p less than 0.01); and significantly greater than adipose (p less than 0.01) and skeletal muscle (p less than 0.05) tissues after extracorporeal circulation. Extracorporeal circulation lessens adipose and skeletal muscle concentrations, but increases myocardial concentrations significantly (p less than 0.05). It is concluded, that the behaviour of beta-methyl-digoxin, in relation with tissue concentrations, is similar to digoxin.

Adipose Tissue↗

Effect on growth of children with cardiac dysrhythmias treated with amiodarone.

We report the results of treatment with amiodarone in nine children with dysrhythmias resistant to conventional drugs, namely, one with ventricular tachycardia, two with atrial tachycardia, one with junctional tachycardia, three with reciprocal rhythm tachycardia, and two with Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome. The initial dose was 800 mg/1.73 m2, administered for two weeks, followed by half the dose for five days a week. The duration of the treatment varied from nine months to 19 months (mean duration, 13 months). Patients were followed up for a period ranging between nine and 33 months (mean period, 17 months). A complete remission was obtained in 56% of patients and partial success in 46%. The following side effects were detected: photosensitization in two; effect on weight, height, growth velocity, and thyroid hormones in three, six, five, and six, respectively; and acceleration in bone age in three. These effects were observed from two to nine months after the beginning of treatment. They persisted for 5-18 months after treatment had been suspended. The main side effect of amiodarone in children is presumably initial hypothyroidism, followed by a biological hyperthyroid reaction. For these reasons we suggest that amiodarone should be restricted as an alternative drug for resistant critical dysrhythmias and be used only for a limited period of two years.

Adolescent↗

[Amiodarone in children. Impact on growth].

In this work, we report the results of the treatment with amiodarone applied to 9 children suffering from dysrhythmia resistant to conventional drugs. The initial dose was 800 mg/1,73 m2, administered for two weeks, followed by a 50% dose administered 5 days a week. The duration of the treatment oscillated from 9 months to 15 months (average duration: 13 months). Patients were kept under control for a period ranging between 9 and 33 months (average period: 17 months). A complete remission was obtained in 56% of the cases and partial success in 46%. The following side effects were detected: photosensitization in 2 cases; repercussion on weight, height, growth velocity, thyroid hormones and acceleration in skeletal age in 44% and 66% of them. These effects could be observed from 2 to 8 months after the beginning of the treatment. They persisted for 5 to 18 months after the treatment was arrested. The main side effect of amiodarone in children is presumably an initial effect of hypothyroidism, followed by a biological hyperthyroidism reaction. For these reasons we suggest that amiodarone should be restricted as an alternative product for resistant critical dysrhythmias and be used for a limited period of two years only.

Amiodarone↗

[Bannayan syndrome with intracranial arteriovenous malformations].

Bannayan syndrome is a inheritable autosomal dominant association of hamartoma (usually hemangioma and lipoma) and macrocephaly with other inconstant features. Authors report a new family joining known criteria, with a complex intracranial arteriovenous malformation, previously not reported in the literature, conditioning outlook and treatment.

Abdominal Muscles↗

[Innocent murmurs].

Explore the source record for details and available documents.

Diagnosis, Differential↗

[Ventricular tachycardia in a healthy child. Electrophysiological study and review of the literature].

Report of a healthy child with ventricular tachycardia is the reason for a review on the literature on this subject. Diagnosis can be made with usual electrocardiographic criteria and surely by electrophysiologic studies. Latter technique allows to study the origin, mechanism, efficiency of drugs and the type of pace-maker in case of drug treatment failure. Case report exemplifies all these aspects, and the essentials about etiology, symptoms, diagnosis and treatment are mentioned in the literature review.

Anti-Arrhythmia Agents↗

[Continuous Holter electrocardiogram in children. Analysis of 100 traces].

Authors analyse the value of the Holter system for diagnosis and follow-up of cardiac dysrhythmias. They report their experience from 100 records performed to 87 patients, who were between one day and 14 years old. Among them, 58 were male and 42 female. The recorder and analyser were automatics holter II/Quickscan, and the program was 24 hours in all cases. For the study of results, patients were divided in five groups (34 dysrhythmias; 18 neurologic; 10 were normal control; 20 newborns between 1 and 7 days; and 17 in a miscellaneous group). They emphasized on the possibility of the system to be performed in pediatric patients, even in the youngest; on the worth of records from neurologic with normal clinical examinations; on diagnostic aspects of undetected dysrhythmias by ECG (30%), and to know the normal values from the control group. Tables and figures show rhythm types and quantitative values; finally they comment on artifacts and indications.

Adolescent↗

[Ventricular septal defect: Prognosis of spontaneous closure (author's transl)].

In a series of 150 cases of isolated ventricular septal defect (VSD), the authors have found 25 cases (16%) of spontaneous closure over an average period of observation of 20 months. The closure was observed in 32% of the cases before 6 months and in 60% before 12 months, with a range between 1 month and 8 years. The number of out patient with was 7 per case on average. A large group of parameters was taken into account in every case; from some of them, indicators of prognosis of closure were obtained, among them: early appearance of the murmur, descending shape, muscular character of the VSD, absence of symptoms and diastolic rumble, presence of ejection clic and normality in ECG and XRay.

Age Factors↗