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M Pitzalis

Publications and source records attributed to M Pitzalis.

6 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2003

Oral beclometasone dipropionate in the treatment of extensive and left-sided active ulcerative colitis: a multicentre randomised study.

AIM: To explore the efficacy and safety of the topically acting steroid beclometasone dipropionate (BDP) in an oral controlled release formulation in the treatment of extensive or left-sided ulcerative colitis. METHODS: In a multicentre, randomised, parallel-group, single-blind study, patients with active mild to moderate ulcerative colitis were randomised to a 4-week treatment with BDP 5 mg/day o.d. vs. 5-ASA 0.8 g t.d.s. The primary efficacy variable was the decrease of Disease Activity Index (DAI) (clinical symptoms and endoscopic appearance of mucosa). Safety was evaluated by monitoring adverse events, vital signs, haematochemical parameters and adrenal function. RESULTS: One hundred and seventy-seven patients were enrolled and randomly treated with BDP (n = 90) or 5-ASA (n = 87). Mean DAI score decreased in both treatments groups (P < 0.0001 vs. baseline for both groups). Clinical remission was achieved in 63.0% of patients in the BDP group vs. 62.5% in the 5-ASA group. A significant DAI score improvement (P < 0.05) in favour of BDP was observed in patients with extensive disease. Both treatments were well tolerated. Mean plasma cortisol levels were significantly reduced vs. baseline in BDP recipients, but without signs of pituitary-adrenal function depletion. CONCLUSION: Oral BDP gave an overall treatment result in patients with active ulcerative colitis without signs of systemic side-effects.

Administration, Oral↗
PubMed1992

[Is it possible to predict the anti-arrhythmic effect of beta blockers based on various relations between premature ventricular beat and the preceding cardiac cycle?].

The aim of our study was to correlate betablocker effects on premature ventricular beats (PVBs) with different patterns between PVB frequency and cardiac cycle. The computer program we used correlates each PVB to the preceding cycle length in a 24-hour electrocardiogram recording. The arrhythmic patterns obtained were defined as tachycardia-dependent, indifferent and bradycardia-dependent. We selected 51 patients (39 males, 12 females, mean age 52 years) with different cardiac diseases, all in sinus rhythm, with > 25 PVBs/h, characterized by PVB stability and reproducible pattern in 2 Holter monitoring recorded at a 3-5 day interval. A tachycardia-dependent pattern (TDP) was demonstrated in 20 patients; 22 patients showed an indifferent pattern (IP) and 9 a bradycardia-dependent pattern (BDP). A third Holter monitoring was performed 4-5 days after nadolol administration (80 mg/day). Nadolol caused a 87.7% PVB suppression in TDP patients (p < 0.001), a 34.8% PVB reduction in IP patients (p < 0.01) and a 36.3% increase in BDP patients (NS). The different effect of nadolol on these groups was highly significant (chi 2 30.9; p < 0.0001). These results indicate that pattern definitions is useful in identifying PVB subsets which are likely to be improved, or not, by betablockers.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Epistaxis and climatic events].

Data concerning daily climatic conditions in the area of Perugia during 1987-1990 have been gathered and correlated to daily incidence of idiopathic nose-bleeding observed in the same area and during the same period (1064 patients on the whole). The aim was to verify the relation between climatic events and "epistaxis" phenomenon, relation that has been assumed since a long time but has never been scientifically demonstrated before. Following factors have been estimated: highest and lowest daily temperature, thermal gradient, atmospheric pressure and pressure gradient, relative humidity. Results of statistic correlations show that every climatic factors has a narrow range related to higher incidence of epistaxis and that nose-bleeding is likely conditioned by combination of critical values, as a low temperature with 4 degrees C daily gradient, a 716 mm Hg atmospheric pressure with 2 mm Hg negative gradient, a close to 100% relative humidity.

Adolescent↗