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Biomedical subjects

M Kramer

Publications and source records attributed to M Kramer.

At least 199 records · Page 11Linked to original sources

Problems in the use of long-acting hypnotics in older patients.

Insomnia and the use of long-acting hypnotic drugs are prevalent in geriatric populations. These drugs have been shown in the laboratory to adversely affect motor performance in the elderly. To examine the clinical significance of these findings, comparisons were made between patients who experienced a fall during their hospital stay and those who did not fall. It was found that patients over 70 years of age who experienced a fall in the hospital were more likely to be receiving flurazepam than the patients who did not fall.

Age Factors↗

Nocturnal oxygen desaturation in patients with sickle cell anemia.

The sleep of two patients with sickle cell disease was punctuated by periods with notably reduced arterial O2 saturation despite simultaneous normal respiratory rates. The O2 levels returned to baseline during intermittent wakefulness. Gas exchange patterns during sleep may contribute to the morbidity of sickle cell disease.

Adult↗

Regulation of plasminogen-activator in mastocytoma cells by lymphokines.

Culture supernatants from mitogen-stimulated splenocytes were found to stimulate protease production in P815Y mastocytoma cells. Such supernatants increased cell-associated plasminogen activator levels in a dose-dependent fashion, and under serum-free conditions. In contrast to peritoneal exudate cells, tumor-cell plasminogen activator was not enhanced by the mitogen ConA alone. The tumor cell line P815Y may, thus, be used as a homogeneous cell source for the quantitation of lymphocyte factors which activate or inhibit plasminogen activator activity.

Animals↗

[Alfentanil, a new, short-acting opioid. Hemodynamic and respiratory aspects].

The haemodynamic and respiratory-depressive effects of 20 micrograms/kg and 40 micrograms/kg of alfentanil in 54 patients with coronary bypass operation were compared with a control group (n = 36). The measurements were carried out at 3 different times, each lasting over a 10 min period: 1. Before induction of anaesthesia but after premedication with flunitrazepam. 2. During anaesthesia and 3. during extracorporeal circulation (standardized conditions).--The preoperative as well as the intraoperative investigations showed a reduction in pulse rate, mean arterial pressure, left ventricular pressure and arterial perfusion pressure during extracorporeal circulation. As cardiac output remained constant in the awake patient, peripheral vasodilatation was predominant. Aside from this during anaesthesia reduction in cardiac output may have been responsible for the decrease in pressure although the cause of this could be the nitrous oxide as well. During the preoperative period a clear increase in wedge pressure, mean pulmonary artery pressure, right atrial pressure and pulmonary vascular resistance occurred from the 3rd minute after the injection. The cause is a vasoconstriction during apnoea. In the intraoperative period this did not occur. The respiratory depression(paO2: -34%, paCO2: +29%) resembles that after fentanyl, except that it starts earlier and lasts for a shorter time. In summary, it can be stated that all effects after alfentanil are similar to those of fentanyl.

Adult↗

Phenotypic and genotypic differences between high- and low-metastatic related tumor lines and the problem of tumor progression and variant generation.

We have described a number of phenotypic and genotypic differences between defined tumor sublines from the Eb/ESb model system that differ greatly in metastatic capacity. Some of these differences are summarized in Figure 5. It can be seen that the differences are both structural and functional. They include differences in the glycosylation of membrane glycoproteins as well as differences in total membrane protein composition. The functional differences refer particularly to enzymatic activities, cell motility, and invasive capacity. In addition, a change in membrane fluidity and membrane dynamics was seen when we investigated membrane vesicles shed spontaneously from these tumor lines. ESb type cells were found to shed about three times as much membrane material as the low-metastatic, Eb cells. Since such vesicles carried degradative enzyme activity, they could play a role in the invasion process. The vesicles also carried TATA and thus could also play a role in preventing immunological attack against these tumor cells. Another immunological escape mechanism was found to be based on the ability of the high-metastatic cells to generate immunoresistant variants that no longer expressed the respective TATA. A cytogenetic comparison of such immunoresistant variants with the TATA+ line revealed several chromosomal changes. The contribution of chromosomal rearrangements to the ability of malignant cells to generate variants was discussed.

Animals↗

Pulmonary cryptococcosis and Cushing's syndrome.

Pulmonary cryptococcosis occurred in two patients with Cushing's syndrome, both of whom were successfully treated with amphotericin B and flucytosine. Excessive endogenous production of corticosteroids may have predisposed these patients to the development of opportunistic infection. Persons with Cushing's syndrome and a pulmonary infiltrate should be examined for infection with Cryptococcus neoformans in addition to an examination for ectopic adrenocorticotropic hormone production.

Adult↗

[Hemodynamic changes following the injection of lormetazepam under premedication and anesthesia conditions in coronary surgery patients].

Lormetazepam, a new short-acting benzodiazepine, was studied in 30 patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting (10 patients before induction of anaesthesia, 8 patients before extracorporeal circulation, 12 patients during extracorporeal circulation). Before induction of anaesthesia lormetazepam caused only a small reduction in CI, heart rate and a moderate hypoventilation. During anaesthesia (fentanyl, pancuronium bromide, ventilation with N2O/O2 1: 1) there was a decrease in CI (26%), SI (18%), HR (5,7%), dp/dt (15%) and an increase in TSR (25%) and TPR (32%); Part, PAP, PCWP and PRA remained unchanged. There was a small decrease in myocardial oxygen consumption. During ECC lormetazepam increased the arterial perfusion pressure (20%); the priming volume of the oxygenator decreased by 48% at the same time, indicating venous pooling.

Anesthesia, General↗

Susceptibility of dermatiaceous fungi to amphotericin B, miconazole, ketoconazole, flucytosine and rifampin alone and in combination.

The dematiaceous fungi comprise a group of organisms that are deeply pigmented and found in soil or on decaying organic material, such as wood. The majority of infections with these fungi presumably results from traumatic inoculation. Although various forms of infection have been appreciated for some time, none of the presently available antifungal drugs have been shown to have predictable activity against these organisms. We report on the activity in vitro of various antifungal agents alone and in combination against various dematiaceous fungi.

Amphotericin B↗

Distribution of focal signs in a group of demented men.

The distribution of signs indicative of localized brain damage important in the diagnosis of multi-infarct dementia (MD) has not been specified. The demented members of a longitudinally examined research panel (n = 519) were identified. Differential diagnosis of the probable causes of the dementias was made. Focal signs were found to occur in both the cases diagnosed as MID (n = 13) and the case diagnosed as senile dementia - Alzheimer's type (n = 27). It is important for the clinician in the evaluation of focal signs in dementing illness to consider the developmental sequence and the total clinical context of the disorder.

Alzheimer Disease↗