A study of 6,400 cases of Emergency Laparascopy (E.L.) was made in the Instituto de Gastroenterología de Habana, Cuba. The objective of the E.L. is to provide a diagnosis when other methods have been unable to do so. The most frequent diseases found were: gynecological problems, acute appendicities, and acute cholecystopathies. The E.L. is of great usefulness as in many cases an exact diagnosis is possible thus avoiding unnecessary surgery. The reliability of the method is good, permitting an exact diagnosis in 98% of the cases. In all the authors' cases the diagnosis was confirmed by either surgery or the evolution of the disease. The authors recommend the creation of emergency laparascopy services in which all the resources would be centralized: sufficient medical staff to ensure 24-hour service, specialized technicians, and the necessary material. They add that even though in their country it is of little importance, their experience leads to the conclusion that this type of organization is medically profitable.

Abdomen, Acute↗

PubMedDate not supplied

[Clinical trials of cimetidine and metronidazole in gastroduodenal ulcers].

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Cimetidine↗

PubMedDate not supplied

[Cellular aspects of the aging of articular cartilage. I. Condylar cartilage with a normal surface sampled from normal knees].

The authors studied the cellular density of articular cartilage taken from the femoral condyles of 77 autopsy subjects at Hôpital Lariboisière in Paris. This study showed a decrease in the cellular density (number of chondrocytes per mm2) going from the superficial zone towards the calcified zone of the cartilage in all layers, as a function of the age of the subjects. The decrease in cellular density is in the order of about 50% of the total chondrocyte number when subjects younger than 40 are compared with those older than 80. The demonstration of a regular increase in the number of empty lacunae per mm2 with the age of the subjects, i.e. lacunae without chondrocytes, suggest that the cause of this decrease in cellular density of the cartilage with age could be a physiological necrosis due to "exhaustion" of the chondrocytes. The metabolic activity of the chondrocytes may also decrease with age, as suggested by the increasing proportion of alcianophobic cells, cells which are weakly or not at all labeled by radioactive sulfates which indicate the sites of biosynthesis of proteoglycans. These cellular modifications could play a role of senile fibrillation of articular cartilage and in arthrosis.

Adult↗

PubMedDate not supplied

[HLA, blood group, secretory factor, pepsinogen I, and Helicobacter pylori in duodenal ulcer patients].

Duodenal ulcer is a multifactorial entity where a genetic predisposition and extrinsic elements seem to concur in its origin. A series of genetic and extrinsic markers were determined in 50 patients with duodenal ulcer and 50 controls matched by age, sex and socioeconomical status. HLA antigens dit not have significant differences. Blood group O Rh+ was predominant (p < 0.01). Secretor status of antigen HBO in saliva was positive in 70% of patients (p < 0.001). Serum Pepsinogen I was increased in 85% of cases (p < 0.001). Immunoglobulin G anti H. pylori was positive in 62% of ulcerous (p < 0.001). The highest sensibility and negative predictive value was represented by increased serum pepsinogen levels (85%); the highest specificity and positive predictive value was to Ig G anti H. pylori (90 and 86%). These results affirm the polygenic character of the duodenal ulcer disease.

ABO Blood-Group System↗

PubMedDate not supplied

[Influence of colloidal bismuth subcitrate, metronidazole, and amoxycillin on Helicobacter pylori and gastroduodenal ulcer healing].

In many works performed in different countries, including Cuba, the microorganism Helicobacter pylori (Hp) is involved in the etiopathogenesis and relapse of gastroduodenal ulcer (GDU). In a previous work, we saw that under treatment of Colloidal bismuth subcitrate (CBS) or Metronidazole (M) alone during 4 weeks, the percentage of Hp clearance obtained was very low. So, we decided to extend the treatment with a unique drug up to 6 weeks or to make a combination of drugs during 4 weeks. 114 patients with GDU endoscopic diagnosis and Hp positive by urease test antral biopsy were located in 5 schedules of treatment: 1) CBS 480 mg daily during 6 weeks; 2)M 1 g daily during 6 weeks; 3) CBS 480 mg daily plus M 750 mg daily during 4 weeks; 4) CBS 480 mg daily plus Amoxycillin (A) 1500 mg daily during 4 weeks and 5) M 750 mg daily plus Amoxycillin 1500 daily during 4 weeks. Endoscopy and urease test were repeated at the end of treatment. Healing of ulcer was obtained in 83.3%; 36.4%; 89.2%; 91.9% and 54.6% respectively. Hp clearance was reached in 55.6%; 27.3%; 67.6%; 70.3% and 27.3% respectively. So, the schedules of treatment less effective (concerning both healing and Hp clearance) were M during 6 weeks and M plus A during 4 weeks. It has been reported that Hp strains may become resistant to nitroimidazolics in the course of treatment and that this resistance could be diminished by the coadministration of CBS. We recommend in GDU-Hp positive a treatment with CBS during 6 weeks or the combination of CBS, which action is basically local, with an antibiotic such as M (no more than two weeks) or Amoxycillin during 4 weeks.

Amoxicillin↗