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Biomedical subjects

M Farinelli

Publications and source records attributed to M Farinelli.

16 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2006

Physical rehabilitation and burnout: different aspects of the syndrome and comparison between healthcare professionals involved.

AIM: The aim of this study is to investigate burnout syndrome among physical rehabilitation professionals focusing on the differences between 4 categories of healthcare professionals involved. METHODS: The experimental group consisted of 124 physiotherapy workers chosen among physicians, nurses, therapists, and technicians. The variables we chose to measure were: the presence of burnout (emotional exhaustion, depersonalization and lack of personal accomplishment), feelings of depression and anger, symptoms of psychological uneasiness and the level of perceived stress. RESULTS: Overall the level of burnout experienced was medium-low. Emotional exhaustion was more prevalent among physiotherapists, while depersonalization was higher among physicians. Moreover mild feelings of depression emerged among technicians. No differences were found among the 4 categories when feelings of anger were considered, although anger was present at different levels (and more or less expressed) throughout the working environment. CONCLUSIONS: Some considerations on the nature and possible causes of psychological distress emerged from the work carried out with the groups of healthcare professionals and some possible areas of intervention are suggested.

Adult↗
PubMed2004

Very low level laser therapy attenuates edema and pain in experimental models.

In this study, we tested a new square wave microprocessor-controlled red laser with an extremely low peak power output (<3 mW; very low level laser therapy [vLLLT]) in experimental pain in the rat. Acute inflammation was induced by intraplantar injection of carrageenan, chronic inflammation was induced by complete Freund's adjuvant (CFA) and neuropathic pain was produced by sciatic nerve chronic constriction injury (CCI). In our study vLLLT was effective in reducing edema and hyperalgesia in acute and chronic inflammation if administered at the points usually selected for acupuncture. Moreover, spontaneous pain and thermal hyperalgesia were reduced in CCI rats treated with vLLLT In conclusion, vLLLT reduced edema and induced analgesia in experimental plantar pain in rats. We interpret this to mean that enkephalin mRNA level was strongly upregulated in the external layers of the dorsal horn of the spinal cord in CFA and CCI animals, and that vLLLT further increased the mRNA level in single neurons.

Animals↗
PubMed2000

A new type of very low-power modulated laser: soft-tissue changes induced in osteoarthritic patients revealed by sonography.

Patients with symptomatic osteoarthritis of the cervical spine were studied by ultrasound examination. The region of interest was the soft connective tissue layer above the right and the left superior trapezium that revealed a significant difference in thickness between the left and right side. The aching side was treated with a new type of very low-power, modulated laser for 3 min. Immediately after application, the sonographic examination revealed a significant symmetrization of the subcutaneous tissue.

Aged↗
PubMed1989

Functional study of T lymphocyte responsiveness in patients with dementia of the Alzheimer type.

The autologous mixed lymphocyte reaction (AMLR) was used to study T lymphocytes in a group of patients with dementia of the Alzheimer type (DAT) in order to confirm the observation that their T cell proliferation in AMLR was greater than in age-matched controls, and to investigate other pathways of T cell activation, searching for correlations between immunologic and clinical findings in DAT. The mean proliferative response in AMLR was increased in patients with DAT. No differences between patients and age-matched controls were detected when other pathways of T cell activation were investigated. The degree of response in the AMLR varied among patients with DAT. This fits with the suggestion that the disorder may be a heterogeneous syndrome.

Aged↗
PubMed1989

IgG paraproteinemias: a comparative CSF and serum study.

In 10 neurologic patients routine isoelectric focusing of CSF and serum revealed monoclonal IgG paraproteinemia (3 multiple myelomas and 7 benign monoclonal gammopathies). Quantitative protein study showed blood-brain barrier damage in 7 out of 10 patients; 2 patients had intrathecal synthesis of IgG measurable by Reiber's formula. Each case showed identical monoclonal IgG pattern in CSF and serum at isoelectric focusing and immunofixation. We suppose that monoclonal IgG detectable in the CSF usually derive from the serum across the intact or damaged barrier. The occurrence of quantifiable intrathecally synthesized IgG in 2 patients, both with skeletal lesions close to the subarachnoid spaces, and the identical patterns of IgG in CSF and serum suggest that tumoral plasma cells secrete monoclonal IgG into blood and CSF from the bone location.

Aged↗
PubMed1989

Intragastric pH monitoring during antisecretory therapy in patient with gastrointestinal bleeding.

This study was undertaken to evaluate the effect of various cimetidine and ranitidine administration schedules on intragastric pH in patients with recent episodes of hematemesis. The investigation was performed on 10 subjects whose hemorrhage had ceased either spontaneously or after pharmacological treatment for at least 24-36 h. The following therapeutic regimens were randomly evaluated: bolus infusions of ranitidine (100 mg/6 h and 50 mg/4 h) and cimetidine (400 mg/6 h and 200 mg/4 h) and continuous infusions of ranitidine (0.2 and 0.4 mg/kg/h) and cimetidine (100 mg/h). Each study evaluated at least two consecutive boli or an 8-h continuous infusion. All treatments produced significant elevations in the basal intragastric pH (p less than 0.001). With bolus administrations, however, the pH displayed consistent oscillations. The pH fell below 4 approximately 6 h after the administration in all the patients treated with 400 mg of cimetidine and in three treated with 50 mg of ranitidine. The administration of histamine H2-receptor antagonists every 4 h allowed better control of intragastric acidity. The pH dropped below 4 in seven of the 10 patients in the 4-h period after the administration of 200 mg cimetidine, and in one of the 10 patients treated with 50 mg of ranitidine/4 h. Increasing bolus dose did not reduce the time lapse or increase the inhibition of intragastric acidity. Continuous infusions were efficacious in maintaining pH values constantly above 6. Ranitidine (0.2 mg/kg/h) achieved the same inhibitory efficiency as cimetidine (100 mg/h). These data indicate that continuous venous infusion of both ranitidine and cimetidine is significantly more efficacious than repeated single bolus administrations.

Adult↗
PubMed1988

Do anticholinergics interact with histamine H2 receptor antagonists on night intragastric acidity in active duodenal ulcer patients?

The effect of administering low doses of famotidine or ranitidine alone or in combination with an M1-receptor-selective antagonist, pirenzepine, on night intragastric acidity was evaluated in 16 active duodenal ulcer patients to verify 1) whether anticholinergics and H2-antagonists have a synergic effect on inhibition of night gastric acidity, and 2) whether patients with vagal hypertone are more sensitive to anticholinergics than the remainder of the duodenal ulcer population. The endogastric pH was continuously recorded for 12 h (8 PM-8 AM) after random, single-blind administration of one of the following drug regimens: 20 mg famotidine, 150 mg ranitidine, 50 mg pirenzepine, 20 mg famotidine plus 50 mg pirenzepine, and 150 mg ranitidine plus 50 mg pirenzepine. Six patients with a basal acid output:peak acid output BAO:PAO greater than 0.3 were considered "vagal hypertone" subjects. Night gastric acidity inhibition was -39.6% with pirenzepine (p less than 0.001) and -73.7% and -71.5% with famotidine or ranitidine (p less than 0.001 vs. pirenzepine). The simultaneous administration of pirenzepine with famotidine or ranitidine provoked only a slight, insignificant increase in percent suppression, 5.1% and 6.3%, respectively, and did not modify either the time lag to onset of anti-H2 action or the duration of action. Patients with a BAO:PAO greater than 0.3 were not more sensitive to anticholinergic treatment than other duodenal ulcer patients. Our study furnishes evidence that combined administration of anti-H2 and anticholinergics is not significantly better than anti-H2 alone, in active duodenal ulcer patients.

Adult↗
PubMed1987

Zoster sine herpete causing encephalomyelitis.

The case of a patient with encephalomyelitis and laboratory signs of a central nervous system herpes zoster infection without cutaneous lesions is reported. The diagnosis was supported by the serological evidence of intrathecal synthesis of specific antibodies against Varicella-zoster virus (VZV).

Acyclovir↗
PubMed1987

Cerebrospinal fluid and neuropathological study in Devic's syndrome. Evidence of intrathecal immune activation.

Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) was studied in 2 cases of Devic's syndrome (DS). In one of these cases autopsy was carried out. The main CSF feature in DS is the association of blood-brain barrier damage and intrathecal IgG synthesis. These findings are in keeping with our neuropathological observation of diffuse central nervous system vasculitis and leptomeningitis. As a whole, our CSF and neuropathological findings in DS are consistently different from those in multiple sclerosis.

Albumins↗
PubMedDate not supplied

"Pure" meningeal carcinomatosis as the autopsy-proven sole manifestation of an undetected cancer.

Meningeal carcinomatosis (MC) was diagnosed in a 37-year-old woman, based on the finding of neoplastic cells in the cerebrospinal fluid. The patient had no relevant antecedent except the resection of a breast "nodule" at the age of 20. No primary cancer nor other metastases were detected, even at autopsy. Histopathology, immunocytochemistry and electron microscopy confirmed pure leptomeningeal infiltration by poorly differentiated adenoepithelial cancer. This case includes several unusual features and raises the possibility of an extremely long-lasting interval between an unrecognized primary (breast?) carcinoma and MC.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Hypoglycorrhachia as an early sign of central nervous system infection caused by HIV].

Cerebrospinal fluid (CSP) glucose values were measured in 37 HIV-positive patients with neurologic symptoms and in 35 HIV-negative controls affected by bacterial or viral meningo-encephalitis (ME). Low CSF glucose values were found more frequently in HIV+ patients (49% of cases) than in ME patients (14%). CSF/serum ratios for glucose were also significantly lower in HIV +. Mean serum glucose did not differ between the two groups. Since HIV is a strongly neurotropic and infects early the endothelial cells of the brain capillaris, where glucose is actively carried from plasma to CSP, it is hypothesized that low CSF glucose in HIV-infected patients with neurological symptoms might be an early sign of CNS invasion by the virus.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗