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Biomedical subjects

M Odeh

Publications and source records attributed to M Odeh.

At least 73 records · Page 4Linked to original sources
PubMed1995

Dependency of upper airway patency on head position: the effect of muscle contraction.

In the present study we examined the effect of flexion and extension of the head on upper airway (UAW) patency in anesthetized dogs, and compared the dilatory and stabilizing effects of electrically stimulated UAW muscles at the different head positions. Flexion of the head increased UAW resistance (Ruaw) and reduced maximal flow (Vmax), but had little effect on the negative pressure at which UAW collapse occurred (Pcrit). Extension of the head, on the other hand, resulted in more negative Pcrit values and increased Vmax without significantly affecting Ruaw. Electrically induced UAW muscle contraction affected the pressure-flow curve and Ruaw, as well as Pcrit. Changing head position had a substantial effect on the dilatory and stabilizing effect of the various UAW muscles. However, independent of head position, genioglossus stimulation was most effective in reducing Ruaw and increasing Pcrit. We conclude that in the anesthetized, supine dog, head position affects the mechanical properties of the UAW and the effects of UAW muscle contraction.

Airway Resistance↗
PubMed1995

Cutaneous eruption in a patient with cardiac myxoma.

Atrial myxoma was diagnosed in a young woman who had cutaneous and constitutional manifestations clinically suggestive of cutaneous vasculitis without cardiac signs or symptoms. Scrupulous physical and laboratory examinations excluded additional medical disorders. The patient was totally cured by surgical removal of the tumor. Various aspects of the association of cardiac myxoma with dermatological findings are discussed, emphasizing the importance of echocardiography in the diagnostic workup of various skin abnormalities, including unexplained vasculitis, even in the absence of cardiac findings.

Adult↗
PubMed1995

Is removal of the tube mandatory after coagulation in ectopic pregnancies.

Laparoscopic treatment of ectopic pregnancy is gaining wide acceptance. We report a new simple laparoscopic technique involving grasping the tube with forceps and coagulating on both sides of the ectopic pregnancy site, leaving the fertilized ovum in situ. This method is suitable for multiparous women and women who request tubal sterilization. Sixteen patients (mean age 32.6 +/- 4.4 years) were treated by using this method. The mean duration of hospitalization was 1.94 +/- 1.12 days. No complications occurred.

Adult↗
PubMed1995

The acoustic properties of snores.

This study was undertaken in an attempt to characterize the acoustic properties of snoring sounds in the time and frequency domains, and to correlate between these properties and the mechanical events underlying their production. Three experimental set-ups were used: 1) Dog model--six mongrel dogs, in which partial upper airway obstruction was created by an implanted supraglottic balloon. Flow, supraglottic pressure, and snoring sounds were recorded during different degrees of obstruction. Fifteen to 20 snores from each dog (total 100 snores) were analysed. 2) Simulated human snores--Six simulated snores from each of four subjects were recorded in two locations (trachea and ambient) with simultaneous airflow, and their correlations examined. 3) Snoring patients--snores were recorded with an ambient microphone from nine subjects with "heavy" snoring and no obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA). Forty to 50 snores from each subject were analysed (total of 400 snores). The snoring sound was analysed in the time (time-expanded waveform) and frequency (power spectrum) domains. After analysing these snores, we were able to identify two dominant patterns which are distinctly different from each other: the "simple-waveform" and the "complex-waveform". The complex-waveform snore is characterized by repetitive, equally-spaced, train of sound structures, starting with a large deflection followed by a decaying amplitude wave. In the frequency domain, it is characterized by multiple, equally-spaced peaks of power (comb-like spectrum). Simple-waveform snores have a quasi-sinusoidal waveform, with a range of variants, and almost no secondary internal oscillations. Their power spectrum contains only 1-3 peaks, of which the first is the most prominent. We developed a mathematical representation of these waveforms, which is presented along with its implications. The complex-waveform snores result from colliding of the airway walls and represent actual brief airway closure. Simple-waveform snores are of higher frequency and probably result from oscillation around a neutral position without actual closure of the lumen.

Acoustics↗
PubMed1995

Beta-HCG concentration in peritoneal fluid and serum in ectopic and intrauterine pregnancy.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the significance of beta-HCG levels in peritoneal fluid and serum in the diagnosis of ectopic pregnancy. STUDY DESIGN SETTING: Obstetrics and Gynecology department of a regional general hospital. SUBJECTS: Sixty-two women who presented with a differential diagnosis of ectopic pregnancy vs. nonviable intrauterine pregnancy. INTERVENTIONS: All patients underwent D & C and culdocentesis. beta-HCG was measured in simultaneously obtained peritoneal fluid (PF) and serum (S), and the PF/S ratio calculated. RESULTS: Twenty-three patients had an ectopic pregnancy (Group I). All 23 had higher beta-HCG concentrations in the PF than in the serum, with a mean PF/S ratio of 19.1 +/- 16.9. Twenty-four patients had an intrauterine pregnancy (Group II). The beta-HCG levels in the PF and serum were similar (mean PF/S 1.1 +/- 0.2). The difference in PF/S ratio between groups I and II was statistically significant (p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: The measurement of beta-HCG in peritoneal fluid and serum is a useful diagnostic tool in differentiating ectopic from intrauterine pregnancy.

Ascitic Fluid↗
PubMed1995

Small intestinal carcinoma with osteoclast-like giant cells.

An elderly woman underwent jejunectomy for a large, stenosing neoplasm. Histologically, we found an undifferentiated carcinoma with scattered mononuclear and multinuclear macrophages in the intestine and lymph node metastases. The multinuclear cells, being acid phosphatase-positive and CD68-immunoreactive, are referred to as osteoclast-like giant cells. Hepatic secondaries were discovered 6 months postoperatively. The patient succumbed to a chemotherapy-related septic event. We suggest that intratumoral infiltration by mononuclear and multinuclear macrophages expresses one of the body's defense mechanisms against cancer.

Carcinoma↗
PubMed1995

Electrically-activated dilator muscles reduce pharyngeal resistance in anaesthetized dogs with upper airway obstruction.

There is current controversy as to whether electrical stimulation of upper airway musculature can be used us a beneficial treatment modality in patients with obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome. Increased upper airway (UAW) muscle activity decreases UAW resistance (Ruaw) in isolated UAW of dogs. In the present study, we evaluated the effect of UAW muscle contraction on UAW patency in anaesthetized dogs in vivo breathing spontaneously through partially and completely obstructed UAW. Airflow and supraglottic pressure were measured to obtain Ruaw. Ruaw could be regulated by inhalation of a rubber balloon implanted transcutaneously in the pharyngeal submucosa to produce partial or complete obstruction. Wire electrodes were implanted bilaterally into the genioglossus (GG), geniohyoid (GH), sternothyroid (ST), and sternohyoid (SH) muscles for electrical stimulation (ES), and into the alae nasi for electromyographic (EMG) recording. Three levels of electrical stimulation were delivered to each muscle before and during partial or complete UAW obstruction. Genioglossus and geniohyoid stimulation both resulted in a significant reduction in Ruaw, which was most pronounced during partial obstruction, reducing Ruaw from 54 +/- 11 to 14 +/- 3 and from 74 +/- 12 to 31 +/- 5 cmH2O.L-1.s, respectively. At low voltage, stimulation of the genioglossus was more effective than stimulation of the geniohyoid in reducing Ruaw. Furthermore, electrical stimulation of the genioglossus but not of the geniohyoid released total obstruction. In contrast, electrical stimulation of the sternohyoid and sternothyroid produced no significant change in Ruaw. These findings demonstrate that selective UAW dilatory muscle contraction in spontaneously breathing anaesthetized dogs reduces Ruaw in the presence of UAW obstruction and releases UAW occlusion, with the genioglossus being the most effective muscle. This favours further attempts to investigate the benefits of electrical stimulation of selected upper airway muscles in the treatment of obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome.

Airway Obstruction↗
PubMed1994

Glossopharyngeal neuralgia associated with cardiac syncope and weight loss.

Glossopharyngeal neuralgia is an uncommon condition that has rarely been described in association with syncope and never with significant weight loss. A 50-year-old previously healthy woman presented with a 3-month history of episodic brief attacks of pain in the left side of her throat that were precipitated by swallowing. The spells gradually became more severe and progressed to loss of consciousness several times a day. Because of the severe pain and the recurrent episodes of syncope, the patient refused to eat and drink almost everything and thus she lost 6 kg in 2 weeks. During a typical episode of attacks, electrocardiographic monitoring demonstrated severe bradycardia and asystole for 4 second. Carbamazepine therapy (600 mg/d) completely abolished the pharyngeal pain and the associated cardiac manifestations for at least 12 months, thereby enabling rapid restoration of the lost weight.

Cranial Nerve Diseases↗
PubMed1994

Endotoxin and tumor necrosis factor-alpha in the pathogenesis of hepatic encephalopathy.

Hepatic encephalopathy (HE) is a complex neuropsychiatric syndrome characterized predominantly by augmented neuronal inhibition and probably neuronal damage. Several theories concerning the pathogenesis of HE have been proposed; none of these theories is necessarily exclusive. Furthermore, the validity of none of them has been definitively proved experimentally. In this review article an important role of endotoxin and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF) in the pathogenesis of HE is suggested. The involvement of endotoxin and TNF in the pathogenesis of HE seems to be very convincing; it may explain many of the derangements seen in HE. It also seems to be in strong relation to the main theories about HE, the ammonia theory, the GABAergic theory, the benzodiazepine theory, and the AAA/false neurotransmitter theory, where these theories may represent some of the mechanisms whereby TNF may cause inhibition and damage to the CNS in HE, or may represent accompanying features to elevated levels of endotoxin and TNF, with no important role in the pathogenesis of HE. The possible involvement of endotoxin and TNF in the pathogenesis of HE may possess an important clinical application, for serum LPS and TNF concentrations may be of important diagnostic and prognostic value in HE, and treatment with antibodies against endotoxin and against TNF may have potentially beneficial therapeutic effects in this serious and potentially fatal disease.

Amino Acids↗
PubMed1994

Temporal arteritis associated with acute Q fever. A case report.

The authors describe the case of a sixty-four-year-old man who presented with clinical and histopathologic evidence of temporal arteritis associated with acute Q fever. This association, which has not been previously reported, supports the possible infectious etiology in temporal arteritis.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed1993

Tumor necrosis factor-alpha as a myocardial depressant substance.

Most patient with sepsis and septic shock develop significant derangements of myocardial function. The presence of a circulating myocardial depressant substance (MDS) has been suggested to be the major cause of myocardial depression in sepsis and septic shock. MDS is still not fully characterized by chemical means, and there is no consensus regarding its identity. Nevertheless, high levels of MDS activity can be found in sera from patients with sepsis and septic shock. Furthermore, MDS has been shown to have a number of specific characteristics. These characteristics have also been described with tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF), a cytokine that is well recognized to be a primary mediator in the pathogenesis of infection, tissue injury, inflammation and shock. In this review it is suggested that TNF is an MDS, and that the cardiovascular injury and myocardial depression during sepsis and septic shock involve a final common pathway, where TNF may have an important role in this common pathway.

Anti-Arrhythmia Agents↗