Biomedical subjects

J Viitanen

Publications and source records attributed to J Viitanen.

14 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed1994

X window system based user interface in radiology.

A teleradiology system was designed for image transfer between two hospitals. One of the main challenges of the work was the user interface, which was to be easy to operate and to learn, and was equipped with useful functions for image manipulation and diagnosing. The software tools used were the Unix operating system (HP-UX v.7.0), C programming language and the X Window System (or simply X). The graphical user interface (GUI) was based on OSF-Motif standard, and it was developed by using the HP-Interface Architect. Both OSF-Motif and HP-Interface Architect are based on X. The results of the development project were installed for clinical use in the Turku University Central Hospital. The work demonstrates, that the X Window System has useful and advantageous features for radiology department's computer network environment.

Computer Communication Networks↗

PubMed1993

Randomized controlled study of chemoprophylaxis in transurethral prostatectomy.

We studied 599 evaluable patients with benign prostatic hypertrophy at 7 urological units. Before transurethral prostatectomy the patients were randomized into 3 groups: group 1--197 patients given single-dose ceftriaxone (2 gm.), group 2--203 patients given 160/800 mg. trimethoprimsulfamethoxazole and group 3--199 controls given no antimicrobial prophylaxis. Patients with a preoperative indwelling catheter, positive urine culture, signs of active infection or preoperative antibiotic treatment were excluded. Postoperative infectious complications were demonstrated in 15 of 197 (7.6%), 25 of 203 (12.3%) and 43 of 199 (21.6%) patients in the study groups, respectively. The difference in infectious complications between groups 1 and 3 was statistically highly significant (p < 0.01) and between groups 2 and 3 it was significant (p < 0.05). Single-dose antibiotic prophylaxis proved to be useful in the prevention of serious infectious complications after transurethral prostatectomy.

Aged↗

PubMed1992

Effect of oral clodronate on bone pain. A controlled study in patients with metastic prostatic cancer.

Although osteosclerotic metastases are characteristic of prostatic carcinoma, bone resorption is also accelerated. Since clodronate inhibits bone resorption and relieves bone pain, we have given it to patients with painful bone disease from prostatic cancer after failure of hormonal therapy. All patients received estramustine phosphate orally. Simultaneously they were randomly allocated to clodronate (36) and placebo (39) groups. Clodronate was given by mouth. The dose was 3.2 g for the first month, thereafter 1.6 g. Pain relief was more distinct in the clodronate group where one third of patients were totally free of bone pain. The use of analgesics stopped in 38% of patients on clodronate and in 18% on placebo which effect probably belongs to estramustine phosphate. Serum calcium concentration decreased more markedly in the clodronate group. Clodronate dose of 3.2 g seemed to be more potent than that of 1.6 g. Side effects were uncommon and occurred equally in both groups. No significant differences were seen in median survival or survival rates between the groups.

Administration, Oral↗

PubMed1992

User requirements and standards for PACS. 2nd Japan-Nordic PACS Symposium.

PACS has been regarded as a system which will bring a new era to image handling, radiology departments and its services to other departments of the hospital. However, many recently held international conferences indicate that a worldwide consensus on 'what is PACS, why is PACS needed and who is PACS for' has not been established. Although the actual PACS implementation will vary among the countries and according to each situation, a worldwide consensus of PACS should be possible. This would help those involved to speed up the implementation of PACS. It is suggested that this consensus needs to be developed by convergence of three points of view; the availability, maturity and cost of the technologies on which PACS is built, the user requirements for PACS and standardization in PACS. These themes were the topics of the 2nd Japan-Nordic PACS Symposium which was arranged in Tampere, Finland, June 9-11th 1991. A summary of the papers and discussions of the symposium is produced in this paper.

Cost-Benefit Analysis↗

PubMed1992

Nordic teleradiology development.

In the Nordic countries there are several reasons why teleradiology has been an interesting topic of research during the last years. The distances in rural areas are long, and radiology expert service is not available in every health centre which is able to provide X-rays. Also, the telecommunication network is on a very advanced level in the Nordic countries. The staff is well educated and they are used to operating with computers. This all means that the infrastructure to develop and use systems like teleradiology exists. This paper describes two separate systems developed in Norway and Finland. Their development has been in many respects the same. The common hardware and software features, as well as the differences and the clinical experiences, are discussed in this paper.

Computer Systems↗

PubMed1991

Orchiectomy versus oestrogen in the treatment of advanced prostatic cancer.

The primary clinical efficacy of orchiectomy and the combination therapy of intramuscular polyoestradiol phosphate 80 mg monthly and oral ethinyl oestradiol 0.15 mg daily was evaluated by progression and cancer mortality rates in a series of 277 prostatic cancer patients representing part of the Finnprostate study. After a follow-up of 5 years there was a significant difference between the groups in terms of progression rate and prostatic cancer deaths. The oestrogen combination was more effective in delaying progression of the disease. The overall mortality rate was similar in both groups. About one-third of the patients were alive after 5 years.

Administration, Oral↗

PubMed1991

Piperacillin compared with cefuroxime plus metronidazole in diffuse peritonitis.

Eighty-five patients were randomly allocated to receive either piperacillin (n = 38) or cefuroxime plus metronidazole (n = 45) after surgical treatment of diffuse peritonitis; 78 were evaluable. A mean of 1.5 (piperacillin group) and 1.7 (cefuroxime/metronidazole group) pathogens/patient were identified. Twenty-seven patients (71%) were successfully treated in the piperacillin group compared with 29 (64%) in the cefuroxime/metronidazole group. These data suggest that piperacillin was neither better nor worse than cefuroxime/metronidazole in diffuse, secondary peritonitis.

Acute Disease↗

PubMed1990

Ceftazidime vs. tobramycin for serious infections in urological patients.

A prospective, randomized study was undertaken to compare the efficacy and safety of tobramycin and ceftazidime in the treatment of serious infections in 77 urological patients. Of the 39 tobramycin-treated and 38 ceftazidime-treated patients, 74% and 82%, respectively, were cured clinically. Microbiological cure rates were 72% and 79%, respectively. Three patients treated with tobramycin and two treated with ceftazidime developed a significant superinfection. Both drugs were tolerated well. Because of potential ototoxicity and nephrotoxicity the use of aminoglycosides is less advantageous than ceftazidime for seriously infected urological patients.

Adult↗

PubMed1985

Concentrations of metronidazole and tinidazole in male genital tissues.

The steady-state concentrations of metronidazole and tinidazole in male genital tissues were analyzed in patients subjected to elective gonadal surgery. The nitroimidazoles were administered orally at 500 mg every 8 h, beginning 5 days before the operation. Eight hours after the last dose, the concentrations of tinidazole were 24.1 +/- 2.5 micrograms (mean +/- standard error of the mean)/g of prostatic tissue, 29.1 +/- 2.9 micrograms/g of vas deferens, 22.1 +/- 2.1 micrograms/g of epididymis, and 18.6 +/- 2.3 micrograms/g of testis. The corresponding values of metronidazole were 14.3 +/- 1.8 micrograms/g, 15.9 +/- 1.2 micrograms/g, 14.0 +/- 1.2 micrograms/g, and 12.5 +/- 1.7 micrograms/g, respectively.

Aged↗

PubMed1984

Concentrations of metronidazole and tinidazole in abdominal tissues after a single intravenous infusion and repetitive oral administration.

Concentrations of metronidazole and tinidazole in serum and abdominal tissues were determined after a single 500-mg intravenous infusion or after a 5-day oral dosage of 500 mg three times daily in groups of 10 patients each. In the patients who got the single infusions, the concentrations in tissues (except fat) reached almost the serum levels 10 min after the infusion. At 24 h, the tinidazole concentrations in serum averaged 3.2 micrograms/ml and those of metronidazole 1.3 micrograms/ml. In the patients who got the 5-day oral dosages, the steady-state levels of tinidazole in both serum and tissues were twice as high as those of metronidazole.

Abdomen↗

PubMed1984

Tinidazole prophylaxis in appendicectomies. A controlled study of single-dose versus 3-day therapy.

The 588 consecutive patients who were operated on on suspicion of appendicitis were randomized into three groups: the control group (no prophylaxis); the single-dose group (preoperatively 500 mg of tinidazole intravenously); and the 3-day group (in addition to the former, a 3-day tinidazole treatment). To discover any postoperative infectious complications, the patients' follow-up study was extended for at least 1 month. Such complications emerged in 12% of the patients in the control group, in 7% of those in the single-dose group, and in 5% of those in the 3-day group. A statistically significant difference in the incidence of infectious complications was established between the control group and the prophylaxis groups. The 3-day tinidazole treatment, as compared with the single-dose prophylaxis, did not further improve the outcome. On the basis of these results the authors recommend that all patients subjected to an appendicectomy be given an intravenous tinidazole prophylaxis.

Abscess↗

PubMed1983

Serum and tissue tinidazole concentrations after intravenous infusion.

Before appendectomy 36 adult patients were given an intravenous infusion of 500 mg of tinidazole. In the operation tissue samples were taken (blood, base of appendix vermiformis, muscle, fat) either 10, 20, 30, 60, or 120 min after cessation of infusion. The tinidazole concentrations were determined by liquid chromatography. The weight-standardized tinidazole concentrations in the serum, muscle tissue and appendix in all specimens were higher than the minimal inhibitory concentration (2 micrograms/g) of Bacteroides fragilis. The tinidazole concentrations of adipose tissue exceeded the limit of 1 microgram/g in all samples. The concentrations were high already in the 10-min patient group. The authors consider a tinidazole infusion started half an hour before the operation at a dose of 10 mg/kg of the patient's body weight to be a reliable procedure if the objective is to acquire a sufficient tissue concentration of tinidazole (2 micrograms/g) to prevent infection complications caused by anaerobic bacteria.

Adipose Tissue↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Finnish PACS project.

A Finnish PACS project has been set up with the participation and financing of 13 university and central hospitals, the Medical Board of Finland, the Hospital League of Finland, the Post and Teleoffice of Finland and the Helsinki Telephone Company with the Medical Engineering Laboratory of the Technical Research Centre of Finland as the principal investigator. The project started in December 1988 and ended in December 1990. The project focused on the functional needs for PACS. The image production, archive sizes, network capacity and workstation requirements have been studied in a big university hospital. The results show that without compression the image archive size needs to be at least 10 TB. The network capacity requirement depends very much on the interactivity requirements. In normal situations less than 1 Mbit/s is needed, if the network is configured in an efficient way. In some cases, however, the speed requirement can be of the order of 100 Mbit/s. A proposal for a hospital-wide PACS network was made. Simple calculation rules to estimate the needed capacities were also developed.

Computer Systems↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Transurethral prostatectomy in patients with preoperative bacteriuria: double-blind study with oral fleroxacin and cefalexin.

We compared oral fleroxacin and cefalexin in the prevention of postoperative infectious complications after transurethral prostatectomy (TURP) in patients with preoperative bacteriuria. 95 patients underwent TURP due to benign prostatic hyperplasia with preoperative bacteriuria. The therapy consisted of 7 days of oral fleroxacin 400 mg once a day or cefalexin 500 mg three times daily. After 2 weeks, 62% of the urine samples were sterile in the fleroxacin groups but only 37% in the cefalexin group (p = 0.047). Patients in the cefalexin group had also statistically significantly more symptoms of urinary tract infections. After 6 weeks, the bacterial eradication rate was 53% in the fleroxacin group and 37% in the cefalexin group. There were no septicemias. TURP can be performed with reasonable safety with this oral antibiotic therapy.

Administration, Oral↗