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Biomedical subjects

Nadan M Petri

Publications and source records attributed to Nadan M Petri.

11 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2006

Effects of voluntary fluid intake deprivation on mental and psychomotor performance.

AIM: To assess if there is deterioration in mental and psychomotor performance during 24-hour voluntary fluid intake deprivation. METHODS: A battery of computer generated psychological tests (Complex Reactionmeter Drenovac-series) was applied to 10 subjects to test light signal position discrimination, short-term memory, simple visual orientation, simple arithmetics, and complex motor coordination. We measured total test solving time, minimum (best) single task solving time, total ballast time, and total number of errors. Mood self-estimate scales of depression, working energy, anxiety, and self-confidence were used to determine the emotional status of subjects. During the first day of the experiment, subjects had free access to drinks. After a 48-hour interval, subjects voluntarily abstained from fluid intake for 24 hours. During that period, the testing was performed 7 times a day, at 3-hour intervals, except during the night. Z-transformation of the results enabled the comparison of 50 dependent measurements on the same subjects. RESULTS: During dehydration, there was significant deterioration in total test solving time, minimum single task solving time, and total ballast time. No significant deterioration was found by mood self-estimate scales, except on the scale of energy at 23:00 hours. CONCLUSION: Voluntary 24-hour fluid intake deprivation led to deterioration in objective parameters of psychological processing, but not in subjective parameters. The results suggest that the duration of fluid intake deprivation can be a useful indicator of mental and psychomotor deterioration level but not of mood self-estimates.

Adult↗
PubMed2004

Aerobic exercise before diving reduces venous gas bubble formation in humans.

We have previously shown in a rat model that a single bout of high-intensity aerobic exercise 20 h before a simulated dive reduces bubble formation and after the dive protects from lethal decompression sickness. The present study investigated the importance of these findings in man. Twelve healthy male divers were compressed in a hyperbaric chamber to 280 kPa at a rate of 100 kPa min(-1) breathing air and remaining at pressure for 80 min. The ascent rate was 9 m min(-1) with a 7 min stop at 130 kPa. Each diver underwent two randomly assigned simulated dives, with or without preceding exercise. A single interval exercise performed 24h before the dive consisted of treadmill running at 90% of maximum heart rate for 3 min, followed by exercise at 50% of maximum heart rate for 2 min; this was repeated eight times for a total exercise period of 40 min. Venous gas bubbles were monitored with an ultrasonic scanner every 20 min for 80 min after reaching surface pressure. The study demonstrated that a single bout of strenuous exercise 24h before a dive to 18 m of seawater significantly reduced the average number of bubbles in the pulmonary artery from 0.98 to 0.22 bubbles cm(-2)(P= 0.006) compared to dives without preceding exercise. The maximum bubble grade was decreased from 3 to 1.5 (P= 0.002) by pre-dive exercise, thereby increasing safety. This is the first report to indicate that pre-dive exercise may form the basis for a new way of preventing serious decompression sickness.

Adult↗
PubMed2004

[Helicopter transport of patients from Croatian Adriatic Islands and coastal area in the period from 1996 to 2002].

For most of the Croatian Adriatic islands and coastal area, helicopter is the fastest, and for some remote areas the only effective way of patient transport. In Croatia, most of the aeromedical transports are performed by helicopters of 95th Air Force Base. During the post-war period, the number of civilian patients transported with those helicopters increased from 56 in 1996 to 311 in 2002, this trend continuing in 2003. The majority of these transports were performed in the third trimester of the year, the largest number of patients were transported from the Island of Hvar, and the most common medical indication for aeromedical trasport was trauma. The lack of competent medical escort may have unfavourable impact on patient health and flight safety. The increasing trend in requesting aeromedical transport would obviously justify the foundation of a specialized commercial service to provide both safe transport and competent medical escort.

Air Ambulances↗
PubMed2003

Esophagotracheal fistula after lithium disc battery ingestion successfully treated with hyperbaric oxygen therapy.

We report a case of a 12-month-old child who acquired an esophagotracheal fistula of 5 mm in diameter after an ingested lithium disc battery impaction. Failure to recognize foreign body on chest X-rays resulted in a delay of 28 days in establishing the diagnosis. Feeding via nasogastric tube and hyperbaric oxygen treatment (HBOT) resulted in a complete closure of the fistula after 17 HBOT 60 min sessions at 2.2 bars.

Esophagoscopy↗
PubMed2003

Scuba diver with a knife in his chest: homicide or suicide?

A scuba diver was found dead at the bottom of an undersea cave at 54.1 m water depth, with a knife protruding from his chest. Autopsy confirmed death due to both drowning and a penetrating knife wound. The incident was first considered a homicide and two suspects were arrested. Careful forensic analysis of the profile of the diver's last dive stored in the dive computer, dimensions of the undersea cave, as well as other forensic findings, showed that the case was a suicide, which the diver most probably committed while running out of air, in an attempt to avoid the agony of drowning. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report on a suicide during diving.

Adult↗
PubMed2003

[Hyperbaric medicine in Croatia: an example of ethics on probation].

Hyperbaric oxygenation (HBO) has been existing in the Republic of Croatia for over 30 years, but still carries a burden of many problems: scientific, professional, legal, economical, and ethical. Discussed are ethical aspects dealing with HBO in Croatia, based on the following statements and questions: Croatian doctors have very limited knowledge of HBO; its efficacy in the treatment of many different diseases is in Croatia viewed with skepticism; are there other medical priorities that should be developed as a priority in the country after the war; what controlled, prospective, double blind, clinical studies support the use of HBO; is it a method of high risk; do we need to repeat studies on HBO efficacy already done elsewhere; and how to make Croatian legislation and human rights compatible in this matter.

Clinical Trials as Topic↗
PubMed2003

Change of occurance of type 1 and type 2 decompression sickness of divers treated at the Croatian Naval Medical Institute in the period from 1967 to 2000.

A significant change of occurrence (p=0.0343) of type 1 and type 2 decompression sickness (DCS) of divers in Croatia was observed in the period from 1991 to 2002 (type 1: n=26, 37.68% and type 2: n=43, 62.32%) compared with the period from 1967 to 1990 (type 1: n=93, 52.84% and type 2: n=83, 47.16%). The change was attributed to the extensive usage of diving computers and artificial gas mixtures which enable extended bottom times and deeper dives, thus putting divers at an increased decompression risk. The importance of the results of this report is in the fact that permanent neurological deficit occurs only after type 2 DCS. Injured divers with permanent loss after type 2 DCS are not fit for diving and require a long term medical care, thus becoming a significant public health problem.

Croatia↗
PubMed2002

Gastric rupture in a diver due to rapid ascent.

A 37-year-old, experienced female diver developed gastric rupture due to rapid ascent from a depth of 37 meters. The incident was preceded by a heavy meal, intake of soda beverages, swallowing of air and water under water, and panic. Sharp abdominal pain was present immediately after surfacing and afterwards. Full abdominal distension developed within two hours after the ascent. No other diving-related pathology was found. Surgery was performed around three hours after the accident and revealed pneumoperitoneum, gastric rupture, gastric content in the abdomen cavity, and signs of acute peritonitis. On surgery, a 4-cm rupture of the lesser curvature was found and sutured. The patient was discharged eight days after the event.

Adult↗
PubMed2002

[Gas gangrene and hyperbaric oxygenation--a lesson forgotten or never learned?].

Gas gangrene develops in devitalized hypoxic tissue. It spreads rapidly under strong influence of enzymes produced by the causing bacteria and often results in fatal outcome. It is of utmost importance to stop toxin production as soon as possible, which is most effectively achieved by early application of hyperbaric oxygenation (HBO2), as the first measure in a "trident" (HBO2, antibiotics, surgical measures). The paper reviews the most important data from microbiology, pathophysiology and epidemiology of gas gangrene, current clinical practice, scientific basis for application of HBO2 in the treatment of this disease, and data from the archives of the Naval Medical Institute of the Croatian Navy in Split (NMI). At the NMI, in the period from 1982 to 2000, HBO2 was administered in the treatment of 21 patients with gas gangrene, of average age 41.6 +/- 16.3 years. The average treatment consisted of 6.8 +/- 3.8 sessions. 13 (76%) patients were cured.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Differential diagnostic problems of decompression sickness--examples from specialist physicians' practices in diving medicine.

It can be expected that the differential diagnosis problem of decompression sickness will increase in the future due to the increasing number of divers. During the last 30 years, 232 divers were treated for decompression sickness (DCS) at the Naval Medical Institute (NMI) in Split, Croatia. In 66 cases (28%), physicians at various diving sites reached diagnosis with difficulty, and 86 divers (37%) came directly to the NMI without seeing a physician first. Physicians at remote diving locations frequently have only basic knowledge of diving medicine and are often inexperienced. The language barrier was a major obstacle in obtaining a medical history and examination of foreign divers. Consultations at the NMI proved a major contribution to correct diagnosis and treatment. We present six illustrative cases from NMI Archives that demonstrate how prejudices, panic, and inexperience could create problems in establishing DCS diagnosis.

Adult↗