Michael J Garvey | PubMed Health

PubMed2005

NAG level differences in panic disorder and agoraphobia.

It is not clear if panic disorder (PD) and agoraphobia are variants of the same disorder or distinct diseases. A laboratory test could help resolve this issue. Research has shown that levels of the urinary lysosomal enzyme N-acetyl-beta-glusosaminidase (NAG) differ between patients with various psychiatric disorders. This study examined whether NAG levels would be similar in PD and agoraphobia, suggesting the two disorders may be the same disorder, or different, suggesting they may be distinct diseases. Differences found could suggest either qualitative or quantitative distinctions between these disorders. Ninety-one agoraphobics were compared to 24 patients with panic disorder. NAG levels were significantly lower in panic patients compared to agoraphobic patients 9.7+/- 8 versus 22+/- 21; P< .005. These data provide limited support for the hypothesis that PD and agoraphobia may be distinct diseases.

Acetylglucosaminidase↗

PubMed2002

Pharmacodynamic considerations in the treatment of moderate to severe pseudomonal infections with cefepime.

Pseudomonas aeruginosa is one of the more common and clinically difficult-to-treat causes of hospital-acquired infections. Cefepime is a broad-spectrum cephalosporin with potent in vitro activity against Gram-positive cocci, enteric Gram-negative bacilli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Cephalosporins exhibit time-dependent bactericidal activity and lack prolonged post-antibiotic effects against Enterobacteriaceae and P. aeruginosa. In non-clinical models of infection against Enterobacteriaceae and P. aeruginosa, antibacterial effects are observed when serum levels are above the MIC for as little as 35% of the dosing interval and are maximized when levels exceed the MIC for 60-70% of the dosing interval. Based on the MIC distribution for P. aeruginosa and pharmacokinetic data obtained from patients with serious bacterial infections (including pneumonia and sepsis), time above MIC targets can be met in infected patients following 2 g doses of cefepime administered every 12 h. An understanding of the integration of target patient population pharmacokinetics and the MIC distribution is crucial for selecting effective dosage regimens, especially in the setting of empirical therapy. Moreover, sufficient clinical outcome data in infected patients exist and support these pharmacodynamic conclusions.

Aminoglycosides↗