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K Fritsche

Publications and source records attributed to K Fritsche.

13 recordsLinked to original sources

[The phantom and stump phenomena interview (PSPI)].

RESEARCH QUESTION: A structured German-language interview was developed for the assessment of painful and non-painful phantom and stump phenomena after amputation. The aim was a thorough assessment of the quality, quantity and time course of these phenomena, which is of scientific as well as therapeutic relevance. METHODS: Each phenomenon was assessed using visual analogue scales as well as qualitative descriptors adapted from the McGill Pain Inventory and from literature reports. The factor structure and psychometric properties of the interview were evaluated in a sample of 139 upper and lower limb amputees. Test-retest coefficients were obtained in a subset of 20 amputees. RESULTS: As expected, all pain-related scales showed a two-dimensional internal structure with the factors "affective pain" and "sensory pain". For the non-painful phantom sensations, three factors "general/kinesthetic phantom sensations", "phantom movements" and "paresthesias" were obtained, while for non-painful stump sensations only one general factor emerged. The internal consistency was high with respect to the pain-related scales and was still satisfying for the scales that cover nonpainful phantom and stump phenomena. All scales have sufficient validity. Test-retest coefficients suggest a satisfactory stability of all scales that assess present phenomena, while the stability of the retrospective scales is markedly lower and in some cases insufficient. CONCLUSIONS: The phantom and stump phenomena interview is a highly reliable and valid instrument to assess present perceptual phenomena after amputation. Only the included retrospective scales apparently show low stability scores over time. This raises the more general question of the validity of retrospective pain reports.

Adult↗

Isolation and characterization of a calendic acid producing (8,11)-linoleoyl desaturase.

For the biosynthesis of calendic acid a (8,11)-linoleoyl desaturase activity has been proposed. To isolate this desaturase, PCR-based cloning was used. The open reading frame of the isolated full-length cDNA is a 1131 bp sequence encoding a protein of 377 amino acids. For functional identification the cDNA was expressed in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, and formation of calendic acid was analyzed by RP-HPLC. The expression of the heterologous enzyme resulted in a significant amount of calendic acid presumably esterified within phospholipids. The results presented here identify a gene encoding a new type of (1,4)-acyl lipid desaturase.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Defluvibacter lusatiae gen. nov., sp. nov., a new chlorohenol-degrading member of the alpha-2 subgroup of proteobacteria.

The two Gram-negative bacterial strains S1 and S4 were isolated from activated sludge of an industrial waste water treatment plant and exhibited a stable capability to degrade 2,4-dichlorophenol, 4-chloro-2-methylphenol, 4-chlorophenol and phenol. The cells were short rods with a polar flagellum, being mesophilic, strictly aerobic, oxidase-positive, and chemoorganotrophic. They utilized a range of amino acids, but only a restricted number of carbohydrates. Reassociation experiments with DNA from strains S1 and S4 revealed high interstrain similarity, indicating, that both strains belong to the same species. The phylogenetic position was determined by comparison of the almost complete 16S rDNA sequence of strain S1 with sequences of related bacteria. Strain S1 clustered with members of the alpha-2 subgroup of the Proteobacteria by forming a separate lineage within the radiation of Mesorhizobium, Phyllobacterium and Sinorhizobium. Both strains can be differentiated from members of related taxa by a set of physiological and chemotaxonomic properties including the ability to grow with norvaline, L-tryptophan, putrescine, glutarate and malonate, and by the presence of spermidine as major polyamine and of 12:0 3OH as fatty acid. Strain S1 is described as type strain of a new species and assigned to a new genus with the proposed name Defluvibacter lusatiae.

Base Sequence↗

[Digoxin-like immunoreactivity in newborn infants--a pitfall of digoxin therapy?].

Endogenous digoxin-like immunoreactive substances (DLIS) show crossreactions with different immunoassays used for digoxin drug monitoring. In 61 blood samples of 47 eutrophic healthy newborns with jaundice, digoxin serum concentrations were measured during examination of serum bilirubin using a digoxin polarisation immunoassay. Although there was no digoxin therapy in any case, we found positive serum digoxin immunoreactivity (> or = 0.2 ng/ml) in 86% of serum samples. The mean DLIS-concentration was 0.43 +/- 0.19 ng/ml with a maximum of 0.9 ng/ml. We found a significant indirect correlation (rs = -0.34; p = 0.05) between age and serum DLIS concentration. A case report demonstrates the possibility of DLIS interference on digoxin drug monitoring.

Blood Proteins↗

[Experiences with combined catheter-peridural anesthesia and nitrous oxide-oxygen ventilation in patients at risk in gynecology and obstetrics].

In 271 gynaecological or obstetrical patients a "combined anaesthesia method" was applied, consisting of lumbar catheter epidural analgesia and controlled ventilation with nitrous oxide/oxygen. We aim to show that by mere interaction of the local anaesthetic, with nitrous oxide, and the drugs used for premedication and during induction of anaesthesia a stage of sleep can be achieved, which, on the patient's behalf is identical with his idea of "full anaesthesia", while at the same time the use of centrally acting agents can be kept at a minimum. In incidents of sympatho-adrenergic-stimulation due to insufficient cephalad spread of the blockade and not amenable to additional doses of local anaesthetic, i.v. fentanyl or low concentrations of volatile anaesthetics were added. In the postoperative phase the patients showed a high degree of vigilance. Epidural morphine offered best pain relief with full mobility maintained. In cases with postoperative hypertensive crises, morphine was combined with bupivacaine injections. Even marked obesity or senile degenerative changes in the vertebral column proved not to constitute contraindications for this method.

Adult↗

[Electrostimulation anesthesia in comparison with enflurane-nitrous-oxide anesthesia during gynecologic operations. 1. Clinical experiences].

Concerning twenty-two gynaecological abdomen laparotomies, electrostimulation anaesthesia was opposed to inhalation anaesthesia with nitrous oxide-enflurane. Electrostimulation anaesthesia (ESA) was compared to a nitrous oxide-enflurane technique among two groups of eleven patients each scheduled for gynecological abdominal surgery. The present part of this communication concerns the description of the anesthetic techniques, reactions of the cardiocirculatory system, consumption of muscular relaxants and of analgetics supplementation intraoperatively and during recovery. While heart rate remained fairly normal in both groups, mean arterial pressure in the ESA group increased by 20% of the preanesthetic level as compared to a 10% increase in the enflurane group. It is felt that electrostimulation anaesthesia can be effectively employed even in abdominal surgery. However in cardiac risk patients this technique should not be considered.

Adult↗

[Electrostimulation anesthesia in comparison with enflurane-nitrous-oxide inhalation anesthesia during gynecologic operations. 2. Hormonal reactions in the pre-, intra- and postoperative course].

This study describes the secretion of cortisol, growth hormone, prolactin and catecholamines before, under, and following gynaecological surgery in electrostimulation anaesthesia combined with nitrous oxide (ESA). The hormonal stress reactions of ESA were compared to inhalation anaesthesia with enflurane-nitrous oxide ( EFL ). Twenty-two patients undergoing laparotomy were allocated evenly to one of these procedures. In both groups serum levels for cortisol, growth hormone, and prolactin increased during surgery. Growth hormone showed a considerably higher increase during ESA at the end of the operation, whereas prolactin was higher at all periods of surgery during EFL . Cortisol, however, was identical for both groups. Renal excretion rates of adrenaline and noradrenaline were not significantly different. During surgery more metanephrine and normetanephrine were excreted in the urine under ESA than under EFL . There is no advantage with ESA intra- or postoperatively as compared to other routine procedures of anaesthesia for abdominal gynaecological surgery with regard to the so-called stress hormones or sympathetic activity.

Anesthesia, Inhalation↗