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Biomedical subjects

M Capuzzo

Publications and source records attributed to M Capuzzo.

32 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1990

[Microbiologic flora in two different periods in intensive care units].

Bacterial examinations performed in two periods (Nov. 1985-Feb. 1986) and Nov. 1988-Feb. 1989) on materials taken from patients admitted into two similar Intensive Care Units (ICU) of the same hospital were evaluated. Excluding oropharyngeal swab cultures, which were performed only in the second period, Gram positive bacteria were 45.3% in 1985-1986 and 62.3% in 1988-1989 and Gram negative fell from 41.9% to 29%. The percentage of fungi remained unchanged. Microorganisms did not grow in 33.3% of tracheal aspirate specimens in 1985-1986 and in 54.3% in 1988-1989, probably depending on the larger number of patients with decompensated chronic respiratory failure treated in the second period. Usually the microorganisms found in the trachea was also in the oropharynx; Gram negative were only 5.1% of the microorganism collected in the oropharinx. The authors emphasize the increase of Gram positive bacteria in ICUs and suggest that the low rate of pneumonia observed in this study depends mostly on the good neurologic state of their patients.

Bacteria↗
PubMed1981

[Cases of acute poisoning hospitalized in the Veneto region. Preliminary results in 1721 cases].

An epidemiological study has been made of acute poisoning cases hospitalised in the Veneto region in 1978 and 1979 and the present paper reports an initial sizeable group of 1721 cases. Young people are most affected (60% of cases below the age of 30), particularly in the first decade of life. The male sex is mainly involved in poisoning due to voluntary substances (alcohol, heroin) while females are most affected by psychoactive drugs. The commonest toxic substances are: psychoactive drugs (26%), alcohol (20%), domestic products (19%), heroin (10%), non-narcotic analgesics (4%), agricultural products (3%) and cardiovascular drugs (2%). In 3% of cases it proved impossible to identify the compound in question and in 13% of poisonings different drugs and substances were involved. The average duration of admission was 41/2 days and support treatment was carried out regularly. Mortality was 0.4% (7 cases), 4 of them due to poisoning by domestic products.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1981

Sample research of hospitalized acute intoxication cases using an epidemiological form.

A form for recording acute toxicological cases has been preliminarily applied to a sample of 436 subjects admitted during 1978 into the hospitals of two districts of the Venetian Region. One was predominately manufacture and industry, and the other a mountain-agricultural area. The latter had medical facilities less uniformly distributed. Through epidemiological analysis, the acute poisoning cases from psychoactive drugs (benzodiazepines, barbiturates, antipsychotic agents, and tricyclic antidepressants) prevailed (37.9%). They were followed by acute cases from street heroin or other opiates in addicts (25.7%) that only occurred in the main town of the more industrialized district. The incidence of the other poisoning cases were in the following decreasing order: household poisons (9.8%), nonnarcotic analgesics (5.1%), agricultural poisons (4.1%), cardiovascular drugs (3.7%), miscellaneous drugs (1.4%), food and plants (1.4%), oral contraceptives (1.0%), viper envenomization (0.7%), and insect bites (0.7%). A rate of 8.5% was due to unidentified compounds. Mortality was 0.9% and death occurred after exposure to corrosives, carbon monoxide, or undetermined substances. Between the two districts there were no marked differences in emergency and general measures that mainly consisted in supportive treatment with forced diuresis (13.9%) and gastric lavage (only 21.4%).

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Presumptive delayed gas embolism after laparoscopic cholecystectomy.

A 50-year-old woman, with a history of arterial hypertension treated with beta-blocker and Ca-antagonist, presented cardiac arrest 6 hours after elective laparoscopic cholecystectomy. During surgical intervention, arterial hypotension without any respiratory change was observed. Dyspnea, asthenia and anxiety were the clinical signs appearing approximately 2 hours before cardiac arrest. After resuscitation, myocardial infarction, dissecting thoracic aortic aneurysm and major pulmonary thromboembolism were excluded. The signs of increased resistance to the right ventricular outflow and the relevant alteration of coagulation tests, lasting only a few hours, suggested venous gas embolism. Subsequently, the patient presented a cortical blindness, persisting at hospital discharge. The anesthetists should be aware about the complication that we observed after laparoscopic surgery. The least sign of cardiorespiratory instability appearing in the postoperative period must be taken into account and signal the need for increased monitoring.

Cholecystectomy, Laparoscopic↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Intraoperative fluid administration and severity of the clinical condition].

Fluid overload has been recently suggested to influence morbidity. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between the amount of fluid given in the operative room and the severity of illness, which is known to be different in scheduled and emergency surgery. We prospectively studied 78 surgical patients consecutively admitted to our Intensive Care Unit (ICU). We collected the following information: age and weight of the patient, amount of crystalloids, colloids and blood given in the operative room, length of the surgical procedure, SAPS, APACHE II, serum albumin, IUC length of stay, ICU and hospital mortality rate. The anaesthetist, who was responsible for the clinical decision in the operative room, was unaware of the study. The patients were divided in two groups: ELE, 59 patients admitted to ICU after scheduled surgery, and URG, 19 patients admitted after emergency surgery. Age, weight, number of patients operated on abdomen, length of surgical procedure were similar in both groups, but also the amount of fluid given in the operative room were the same (crystalloids 10.1 +/- 4.3 ml/kg/h in ELE vs 10.7 +/- 3.9 ml/kg/h in URG and total amount of fluid 12.1 +/- 5.5 ml/kg/h in ELE vs 14.5 +/- 5.7 ml/kg/h in URG).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Aged↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Memory for postoperative pain six months after discharge from the hospital].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate memory for postoperative pain in Intensive Care Unit (ICU) admitted patients after hospital discharge. DESIGN: Prospective study by direct interviews. METHODS: Six months after hospital discharge, we interviewed adult, postoperative, co-operative patients consecutively admitted to ICU for more than 24 hrs, resident near the hospital, who gave informed consent. We investigated intensity of postoperative pain and recollections of critical care reported by patients. The following data were collected from medical records: type and duration of surgical intervention, type of anaesthesia and fentanyl dose, severity of illness at ICU admission, ICU and hospital (after ICU) length of stay and postoperative administration of morphine. RESULTS: Of 130 patients interviewed, 82 (63%) reported no pain, 27 (21%) low and 21 (16%) more than low pain. Among these 3 groups of patients, there was no statistically significant difference in all the variables collected from medical records. Patients who remembered more than low pain recorded emotional distress more frequently (p < 0.001) and physical discomfort less frequently (p < 0.01) than patients whose pain was absent or low. CONCLUSIONS: Most patients report that postoperative pain, during their ICU stay, was absent or low. Emotional distress seems to be related to memory for postoperative pain.

Adult↗