Biomedical subjects

M Gappa

Publications and source records attributed to M Gappa.

22 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

PubMed1993

Comparison of nitrogen washout and plethysmographic measurements of lung volume in healthy infants.

Functional residual capacity (FRC), the only lung volume to be assessed routinely in infants, can be measured using plethysmography or gas dilution. Although it is well recognized that both methods yield similar FRC values in healthy adults, gas dilution techniques have consistently produced lower values in healthy infants when compared with plethysmography. However, interpretation of this difference is difficult since data comparing the different techniques within the same infants have rarely been reported. We performed paired measurements of FRC using an automated open-circuit nitrogen washout technique (FRCN2) and whole-body plethysmography (FRCpleth) in 11 healthy infants with a median age of 12 months (range, 2 to 18 months). The mean (SD) FRC was 21.7 (4.0) ml/kg for the N2 washout and 25.6 (4.9) ml/kg for plethysmography. The mean within-subject difference between FRCN2 and FRCpleth was 3.9 (range, -0.3 to 7.2) ml/kg (p = 0.001). Both N2 washout and plethysmography yielded reproducible results, with the mean of the coefficients of variation (CV) being 3.6 and 3.9%, respectively. The results from these paired measurements support previously reported data from separate populations of infants which suggest that gas dilution techniques consistently yield smaller values for FRC than do those measured by plethysmography.

Female↗

PubMed1991

[Juvenile laryngeal papillomatosis--a case report].

Juvenile papillomatosis of the larynx is a disease of viral origin and is a rare cause of hoarseness and stridor in childhood. Although the tumours are basically benign, they may present problems in therapy due to their localisation and marked tendency to recur. According to the present state of knowledge, a combination of laser coagulation and alpha-interferon therapy is the treatment of choice. It can be applied on a long-term basis effectively and with few side effects due to individualised dosage determination. We report on a girl patient of 2 1/2 years of age with recurrent juvenile papillomatosis of the larynx. Long-term alpha-interferon therapy was so far successful in preventing progress of the pattern of findings. Treatment is well tolerated after the most suitable dose has been found for a particular patient. No side effects were seen that would have compelled us to discontinue the treatment. We are planning to continue interferon therapy for at least 1 to 2 years with regular endoscopic control.

Child, Preschool↗

PubMed1989

Long-term tobramycin aerosol therapy in cystic fibrosis.

The long-term efficacy and safety of aminoglycoside aerosol therapy for Pseudomonas aeruginosa colonization/infection in cystic fibrosis has not been fully investigated. In the present study, 14 patients with cystic fibrosis, ages 8-19 years (mean: 13.3 years), received tobramycin aerosol therapy for a mean duration of 20 months. Eighty milligrams of a tobramycin solution were inhaled twice daily after physiotherapy via a jet nebulizer. After 1 year, weight for height increased significantly by 2.9% of the predicted normal, and the Kraemer clinical score increased by 2.1 points (P less than 0.05). The frequency of hospital admissions decreased from 2.0 to 1.3 per patient, respectively, during the years before and after the study onset. The antibody response to P. aeruginosa elastase, exotoxin A, and alkaline phosphatase showed a reduction in serum titers against one or more enzymes in eight patients. The best long-term results after 12-38 months of treatment were obtained in moderately ill children. No evidence of ototoxicity or renal damage was observed. Although intermittent bacterial resistance occurred in five patients after 10-21 months of tobramycin inhalation, this was not associated with clinical deterioration. The study demonstrates the safety and clinical efficacy of long-term tobramycin aerosol therapy. Double-blind studies with larger patient cohorts are required to determine the value of aminoglycoside inhalation as an adjunct to the established therapeutic regimens.

Administration, Inhalation↗

PubMed1988

Long-term tobramycin aerosol therapy of chronic Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection in patients with cystic fibrosis.

Fourteen cystic fibrosis patients (aged 9 to 20 years), chronically infected with Pseudomonas aeruginosa (PA), inhaled 80 mg (2 ml) tobramycin twice daily, because a significant clinical deterioration had occurred. Mean duration of aerosol therapy was 20.3 months (range, 11 to 38 months). There were no toxic side effects and no significant systemic absorption, 50 of 70 tobramycin serum levels being below the minimal detectable value of 0.1 mg/l. After 12 months of therapy there was an improvement of lung function, Po2, and weight. The frequency of intravenous therapy was reduced. Tobramycin resistance occurred in 5.8% of all PA strains after 10 to 29 months and did not represent a clinical problem. In a few patients PA was eradicated from sputum.

Administration, Inhalation↗