PubMed Health⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

M Michalodimitrakis

Publications and source records attributed to M Michalodimitrakis.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2002

Left side right ventricular cardiomyopathy.

Arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy or dysplasia, a heart muscle disease of unknown cause, is anatomically characterized by variable replacement of myocardial muscle with adipose or fibroadipose tissue. It is usually considered a selective disorder whereas concomitant left ventricular involvement has been noted in a few cases. Two cases of the disease with evidence of extensive left ventricular involvement at pathologic examination are described. Hearts from two patients who died suddenly showed extensive biventricular infiltration by fibrofatty tissue in the first case and exclusively in the wall of the left ventricle the localization of the fatty and fibrotic lesions. These findings might suggest that the various localizations of the fibroadipose tissue are rather different expressions of the same disease and it is preferable to be termed 'arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy' as other studies also indicate.

Adult↗
PubMed2001

Evaluation of the addiction history of a dead woman after exhumation and sectional hair testing.

In Greece, sectional hair analysis, in addition to clinical examination, has been used as a valuable tool for the confirmation of a person's history of drug use. The present report concerns the toxicologic analysis of the exhumed remains and hair samples of an 18-year-old woman. Postmortem toxicologic analysis of blood and urine confirmed recent opiate and cannabis use and indicated that death was associated with heroin abuse. Several months later, the woman's family asked for exhumation and reexamination of the body, insisting that the cause of death was homicide. The investigating judge ordered exhumation and new medicolegal examination of the body. The investigation of the drug profile along the hair shaft was undertaken by analyzing hair sections 1 cm from the hair root for morphine, 6-monoacetylmorphine, heroin, and cannabinoids. The total lengths of the hair samples ranged from 8 to 11 cm. The total morphine levels in the hair sections corresponding to the 3-month period before death were significantly lower (1.5-2.85 ng/mg) than those of the 4- to 10-month period before death (7.4-14.8 ng/mg). An interpretation of these results may be occasional drug use (with considerable attenuation of use during the last 3 months before death). Decrease of tolerance to heroin caused by abstinence and relapse in use could have been the cause of death.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2000

Analysis of eight polymorphic human genetic markers in a well-defined Greek population.

The use of DNA in forensic science has become a basic tool for person identification or parentage testing. The use of polymorphic markers permits the formation of a unique profile for each individual. The knowledge of allele frequencies in a given population allows the scientist to estimate the probability of a particular allele combination. For this task, allele databanks are essential. In this report, the authors estimate the frequencies of eight polymorphic markers (namely, HumFES, HumF13A1, HumTHO1, HumVWA, HumFABP2, HumLIPOL, D1S80, and D17S5) in a randomly selected sample from Crete, Greece. The allele profile of all markers, with the exception of D17S5 and HumFABP2, concurs with previous reports and international data.

Alleles↗
PubMed1999

Death related to midazolam overdose during endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography.

We report a midazolam-related death that occurred during endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP). The acute intoxication due to midazolam overdose was confirmed by high-pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis of the blood samples taken from the patient in the intensive care unit (2.8 microg/ml) and postmortem (2.4 microg/ml). The case strongly emphasizes the necessity of the precautions that should be taken when midazolam is intravenously administered.

Anti-Anxiety Agents↗
PubMed1999

Carbamazepine levels in head hair of patients under long-term treatment: a method to evaluate the history of drug use.

Carbamazepine (CBZ) concentrations were determined in the sections of head hair from 40 patients (22 males and 18 females), ages 5 to 81, who were receiving this drug systemically. Hair treatment included dissolution, liquid phase extraction procedures, and immunoassay (Abbott TDx) or high-pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC) analytical techniques. The mean values of CBZ levels in the hair from the 1st section (close to hair root) to the 5th section for female patients were 26.82, 19.18, 17.28, 15.09, and 14.62 micrograms/g according to HPLC measurements. Immunoassay gave generally slightly higher results. The mean values of CBZ in the hair sections according to the immunoassay technique were 30.53, 21.90, 19.83, 17.45, and 16.99 micrograms/g, respectively, from the 1st to the 5th sections. The corresponding mean values for male patients by HPLC and immunoassay techniques were 21.97, 17.30, 15.03, 13.02, and 11.21 micrograms/g and 25.98, 20.52, 17.15, 14.87, and 12.31 micrograms/g. Generally, a reduction of drug concentrations in hair from the first to the subsequent segments was observed. Higher amounts of CBZ were deposited in black, untreated hair (e.g., not dyed or permed). CBZ concentrations in hair sections were found to be dependent on the dosage (r = 0.979, p < or = 0.001) but not on the gender. The data indicate the possible use of hair section testing as a marker of the dosage history and the compliance of patients under long-term treatment with CBZ.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1998

Massive pulmonary embolism by liver tissue.

An unusual accidental death due to acute massive occlusion of the right pulmonary arteries by liver tissue is reported. A 17-year-old motorcyclist was run over by a heavy truck, resulting in multiple injuries. Multiple lacerations of the liver and tears in the wall of the inferior vena cava resulted in the complete occlusion of the right pulmonary artery by liver tissue. Although the victim sustained other potentially lethal injuries, the final mechanism of death is attributed to pulmonary embolism.

Accidents, Traffic↗
PubMed1997

The changing status of forensic medicine in Greece.

The practice of forensic medicine in Greece is similar to that in other European countries. That is Greece follows the continental model of sudden death investigations, whose norms govern the exercise of forensic medicine through Greek criminal procedure law. In Greece, a university and Government system of forensic medicine exist and occasionally work side-by-side. University departments are strategically placed in all districts of the country. State forensic medicine services are located in Athens, Piraeus and Crete and function in parallel with the local University departments of forensic medicine. Forensic examinations on the living are also exclusively performed by the University and State Legal Medicine services. The cases are simply divided according to the countries of these areas. A recent regulation by the Supreme Court eliminated the overlapping of jurisdictions emphasizing the role of the University departments, and finally establishing a new University-oriented medico-legal system throughout Greece.

Journal Article↗
PubMed1995

Preincisional single-dose ceftriaxone for the prophylaxis of surgical wound infection.

BACKGROUND: Preincisional intraparietal injection of antibiotics is used for the prophylaxis of postoperative surgical infections. Whether topically injected antibiotics remain primarily in the surgical wound or are systematically absorbed is uncertain, however. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The pharmacokinetics of preincisional injection of 2 g ceftriaxone were studied in 20 patients who have undergone abdominal surgery, with determination of serum, wound tissue, and wound fluid antibiotic concentrations. RESULTS: Preincisional injection of ceftriaxone resulted in high antibiotic concentrations in the wound tissue and wound fluid. The highest plasma concentrations were achieved at 1.50 hours (99.47 +/- 14.67 micrograms/mL). Plasma concentrations exceeded the minimal inhibitory concentrations of most aerobic gram-positive and gram-negative organisms with the exception of Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Acinetobacter species, and Streptococcus faecalis for 24 hours (10.42 +/- 4.12). No local or general complications arose in any of the patients. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that preincisional administration of ceftriaxone for prophylaxis is very effective.

Adult↗
PubMed1989

L-glutamate binding sites of normal and atrophic human cerebellum.

The binding kinetics, pharmacologic properties, ontogeny and localization of L-glutamate binding sites were studied in membrane preparations and sections of normal and olivopontocerebellar atrophy (OPCA) human cerebellum. One binding component was found with a Kd value in the order of 150 x 10(-9) M. No significant changes of Kd values were observed with age, whereas the highest Bmax value was observed at the age of 1 year. L-Aspartate, ibotenate, quisqualate and L-homocysteic acid were potent inhibitors of L-[3H]glutamate binding. Quantitative densitometric measurements indicated the presence of L-glutamate sites in both the molecular and granule cell layer. In OPCA cerebella a very significant decrease of L-[3H]glutamate specific binding (Bmax) was observed, whereas Kd values were found unchanged. The pharmacologic properties of L-[3H]glutamate binding sites of OPCA cerebellar tissues were similar to those of normal cerebellum. [3H]quinuclidinyl benzylate binding, expressed in fmol/mg protein, did not show significant differences between normal and OPCA cerebella.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1986

Accidental sexual strangulation.

Accidental death by manual strangulation among homosexuals during the act of sodomy is an uncommon event. In our recent case, the pattern of injuries indicates that strangulation resulted from the forearm application on the neck in a manner better known as "choke holding."

Accidents↗