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Biomedical subjects

L Baute

Publications and source records attributed to L Baute.

18 recordsLinked to original sources

Granulomatous mastitis in pregnancy.

BACKGROUND: Granulomatous mastitis, a rare, benign breast condition characterized by granulomas and abscess formation, is mistaken frequently for inflammatory breast carcinoma. Although it has been reported in reproductive-age women, it is unusual in pregnancy. CASE: A 25-year-old black gravida 4 para 2 developed a tender, indurated 20 x 15 x 15 cm multilobulated breast mass at 17 weeks' gestation. After not responding to antibiotics and incisional drainage, the biopsy-proved granulomatous mastitis improved with corticosteroid treatment. A postpartum recurrence also responded to steroid therapy. CONCLUSION: Granulomatous mastitis is diagnosed clinically and histologically. Early recognition and initiation of steroid treatment might prevent repetitive, deforming breast biopsies.

Adult↗

Emergency medical assistance during a mass gathering.

The Thunderdome-party was a mass gathering of 14000 young people. Many of them were under influence of drugs (amphetamine and ecstasy (MDMA)). The organization of on-site emergency medical assistance was essential in order to avoid overload at the local emergency department and to avoid a disequilibrium of the local emergency medical system, the 'call 100' system in Belgium. The benefit of a prehospital medical team at the event is illustrated by the description of the population treated on-site. Toxicological screening of blood and urine was not necessary to safely treat drug intoxication during the Thunderdome-party.

Adolescent↗

[Serum levels of prealbumin in undernourished children and controls with or without associated clinical infection].

Due to its short half life and high tryptophan content, prealbumin has been considered a sensitive indicator of protein and/or energy deficiency. In addition, prealbumin diminishes during the acute phase response elicited by either infection or tissue injury. Serum levels of prealbumin were determined in undernourished children with or without associated clinical infection and in their infected or non-infected controls matched for age, sex, race and socioeconomical conditions. Serum levels of prealbumin were significantly lower in undernourished than in control children without overt infections. On the other hand, the concentrations of serum prealbumin diminished significantly and to similar levels both in undernourished and control children with associated clinical infection as compared with those observed in non infected children belonging to the similar nutritional status. A positive correlation was found between prealbumin level and the Z-scores of weight-for-age, height-for-age and weight-for height in children without associated infections, which disappeared in clinically infected patients. Thus, prealbumin is a marker of undernutrition in the absence of infection and could be an earlier and more sensitive indicator of actual undernutrition caused by the metabolic effects of acute phase cytokines, than the anthropometrical measurements used here.

Child, Preschool↗

Long-term sedation in the ICU: enteral versus parenteral feeding.

An open, prospective study was carried out on 45 patients with multiple injuries to compare the mortality and incidence of sepsis between those given early total enteral nutrition (TEN) when sedated with propofol and historical controls who had been given total parenteral nutrition (TPN) and sedated with midazolam. TEN was instituted immediately after surgery via gastrostomy and/or jejunostomy tube inserted during laparotomy or via an endoscope and was continued for the whole stay in the intensive care unit (ICU). Dramatic reductions in both mortality (24.4% vs 35.1% in the controls; p = 0.025) and the incidence of sepsis (8.9% vs 23.8% in the controls; p = 0.025) were found when early enteral feeding was given. The absence of pressure sores and gastro-intestinal bleeding (for example, stress ulcus), which had previously been a common occurrence in this intensive care unit, was remarkable with the introduction of TEN and propofol sedation. Tolerance problems (mainly diarrhoea) arose in only 17% of patients in the study group.

APACHE↗

Mitogenic effect of zinc on lymphocytes from strains of mice that are either high or low-responder to T-cell mitogens.

We have studied the in vitro mitogenic effect of ZnCl2 in cultures of lymphocytes from Balb/c or C57BL/6 mice which are high-responder or low-responder to T-cell mitogens respectively. Zn induced proliferation of spleen cells from Balb/c mice cultured without 2-ME. Higher levels of proliferation were observed in cultures with 2-ME. In contrast, Zn only induced proliferation of spleen cells from C57BL/6 mice in the presence of 2-ME. No response to Zn was observed in cultures without 2-ME, of spleen cells from either Balb/c or C57BL/6 mice depleted of plastic adherent cells. However, in cultures with 2-ME, Zn induced proliferation of non-adherent as well as plastic adherent cells from either strain of mice. In cultures without 2-ME, Zn induced proliferation of thymocytes from Balb/c mice, whereas did not show constant mitogenic effect on thymocytes from C57BL/6 mice. In contrast, Zn determined higher levels of proliferation of thymocytes from either strain of mice when cultured with 2-ME. Zn had earlier and stronger mitogenic effect on mature thymocytes of either strain of mice than in total thymocytes, both in cultures with or without 2-ME. However, Zn did not induced proliferation in cultures of immature thymocytes of either strain of mice.

Animals↗

Influence of the oral administration of excess copper on the immune response.

We have studied the influence of the oral administration of excess copper (Cu) on the immune response. With this aim, mice maintained on standard laboratory diet received 50, 100, 200, or 300 ppm of Cu as copper sulfate in the drinking water during 3 to 10 weeks. Inhibition of the proliferative response to concanavalin A was observed in mice exposed to 100 ppm of Cu for 8 weeks and to 200 ppm of Cu for either 3 or 8 weeks. Conversely, a significant increase in the proliferative response to Escherichia coli lipopolysaccharide (LPS) was observed in mice exposed to 50 or 100 ppm of Cu for 3 weeks. However, the response to LPS was also significantly inhibited following prolonged Cu administration. In contrast, mice exposed to low or high Cu doses during short or long periods showed increased production of autoantibodies directed to bromelain-treated mouse erythrocytes. The DTH response to sheep red blood cells was not modified following short-term administration of 100 ppm of Cu, but was depressed after prolonged exposure to this dose of the metal. Significant inhibition of the DTH response was observed in mice exposed to 300 ppm of Cu for 5 or 10 weeks. Thus, oral administration of excess Cu altered the immune response in a fashion related to the dose and duration of treatment.

Administration, Oral↗

Oral antimony intoxications in man.

Four cases of acute oral antimony intoxication are reported. Three patients survived without sequelae. One patient, a 93-yr-old male, died from multiple organ failure. Toxicological analysis of blood, urine, and tissues revealed a severe intoxication.

Adult↗

Zinc administration restores the impaired immune response observed in mice receiving excess copper by oral route.

To study if treatment with zinc (Zn) was able to restore to normal levels the depressed immune response determined by oral administration of excess copper (Cu), groups of mice receiving 100 ppm or 200 ppm of Cu in the drinking water for 8 weeks, were injected ip once a week with Zn (1.14 mg/kg of body weight), throughout the experimental period. Administration of Zn restored to normal levels the proliferative response to mitogens and the antibody response to sheep red blood cells in the group of mice receiving 100 ppm of Cu in the drinking water. Similarly, the treatment with Zn significantly enhanced the depressed proliferative response to mitogens and the antibody response to sheep red blood cells of mice receiving 200 ppm of Cu in the drinking water. By contrast, increment in Zn supply was not able to modify the high production of auto-antibodies observed in animals receiving excess Cu. The results suggest that the impairment of the immune response observed in animals receiving excess Cu could be in part due to antagonistic interactions between this cation and Zn.

Administration, Oral↗

Calorie restriction modifies the delayed-type hypersensitivity response to the hapten trinitrobenzenesulfonic acid and to hapten-modified syngeneic spleen cells.

We have studied the influence of different degrees of calorie restriction on the induction and the regulation of the delayed type hypersensitivity (DTH) response to trinitrobenzenesulfonic acid (TNBS) and TNBS-modified spleen cells (TNBS-SC), injected by the sc or the iv route. Immediately after weaning, BALB/c mice were placed on restricted diets for either 2 or 4 weeks and then the DTH response was induced. The results showed that a 37.5% restriction in the food supply significantly depressed the level of the DTH response induced by the sc injection of TNBS-SC. In contrast, a 25% restriction in the food supply was insufficient to depress the response. Calorie restriction did not modify the inhibitory influence of an iv injection of TNBS-SC on the DTH response. However, iv presensitization with free hapten or the simultaneous injection of TNBS-SC by the iv and the sc routes did not significantly depress the DTH response in calorie-restricted mice, indicating a defect in the inhibitory regulation of the DTH response in these dietary groups.

Animals↗

A retrospective study of 130 consecutive multiple trauma patients in an intensive care unit.

A retrospective study of 130 multiple trauma patients admitted to an intensive care unit is presented. Overall mortality was 33% for a mean ISS of 39.4. Craniocerebral trauma, multiple organ failure, sepsis and ARDS are the main causes of death, although there is no statistical difference for these between survivors and non-survivors. There is a good correlation between ISS and mortality (r = 0.86). Patients developing MOF, sepsis and ARDS have significantly higher ISS. Mortality from complications such as sepsis, MOF, ARDS and aspiration pneumonia seems more related to age.

Adolescent↗

Halothane treatment in life-threatening asthma.

We analysed the case histories of 22 patients with life threatening asthma retrospectively. Fifteen patients needed mechanical ventilation. Three patients, all of them in cardiac arrest before or at the moment of admission, died. In five patients, halothane therapy was successfully used as a last resort. No major complications occurred. Two case-reports are presented.

Adolescent↗

A hemodynamic study of epidural versus intravenous anesthesia for aortofemoral bypass surgery.

The hemodynamic effects of two types of anesthesia on aortofemoral bypass surgery were studied in a randomised prospective trial. Epidural anesthesia supplemented with nitrous oxide (group I) and total intravenous anesthesia combining fentanyl and a continuous infusion of etomidate (group II) were compared. A high incidence of preoperative disease was found and all 18 patients were classified in ASA classes III-IV. It is concluded that epidural anesthesia provides excellent anesthetic and hemodynamic stability provided that an optimal filling pressure is maintained. Total intravenous anesthesia resulted in significant hypertensive reactions during surgery, which were not specifically related to crossclamping. Decreasing the high SVRI with vasodilatory treatment was necessary to treat hypertension in all those patients with preoperative hypertensive disease. No problems were seen in the intravenous group patients without preoperative hypertension. Cardiac work was higher in the intravenous group due to the high impedance of the cardiovascular system provoked by the absence of vasodilatory properties with this type of intravenous anesthesia. Monitoring of PWP and CI by Swan-Ganz catheter is shown to be very useful for optimalization of hemodynamics and fluid management especially during crossclamping, when normal Frank-Starling relationships might not be valid anymore. The effect of vasodilatory treatment, crossclamping and declamping could be carefully evaluated.

Aged↗

Scopolamine intoxications.

Pure scopolamine intoxications are extremely rare. We treated a series of severe intoxications exclusively caused by scopolamine and due to the intentional mixing of pure scopolamine into drinks. The clinical course and therapy are reported. On the basis of our experience and a survey of literature, we found physostigmine to be an excellent antidote. The symptomatology of the patients confirms that scopolamine has a dose-related stimulant effect on the central nervous system.

Adult↗

Influence of dietary protein restriction on the delayed-type hypersensitivity response to sheep red blood cells in mice.

Delayed-type hypersensitivity responses to sheep erythrocytes were studied in inbred C57BL/6 and outbred NMRI mice fed either protein-deficient diets containing 8% and 4% casein or a normal diet with 27% casein. Following sensitization with optimal doses of antigen, the magnitude of the response was similar in mice fed the 8% protein and the normal diet. Large numbers of sheep red blood cells which suppressed the delayed hypersensitivity response in normal mice, failed to inhibit this response in animals fed the 8% casein diet. However, the titres of serum haemagglutinins were similar in mice of either dietary group immunized with high doses of antigen. Sensitized spleen cells from deficient mice kept on the 8% casein diet, had lower suppressor capacity than those from normal mice upon transfer into syngeneic hosts. Delayed-type hypersensitivity was significantly depressed in mice fed the 4% protein diet whereas the titres of serum antibodies to sheep erythrocytes were not diminished.

Animals↗

Clinical trial with lorazepam in pre-operative anxiety.

An important part of the pre-operative preparation of a patient consists in the treatment of his anxiety. One hundred eighty-two patients (varying in age from 17 to 80 years) were sedated for surgery with lorazepam. The evening before intervention, each patient received 1 tablet of lorazepam (2.5 mg) and on the day of operation (90 minutes before induction of the anesthesia), each patient received an I.M. injection of lorazepam and atropine, the dosage being adjusted to body weight. The prior administration of lorazepam usually gives very good results with only slight risk of side-effects and without unhappy recollections of the pre- and post-operative periods. Most of the patients were very calm, being well rested, conscious and capable of conversation. In our experience the sedation of anxious patients with lorazepam would seem to be a very good and safe procedure.

Adolescent↗