Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to P Alterman.
Increased activity of creatine kinase MB (CKMB) isoenzyme is regarded as highly diagnostic for acute myocardial infarction. We report two cases of elderly patients with increased levels of CKMB but no evidence of cardiac injury. We conclude that numerous factors influence CKMB activity and that the suitability of this test for the diagnosis of cardiac muscle damage in the elderly should be viewed with caution.
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Opinions differ as to whether late onset rheumatoid arthritis (RA) represents a clinical subset and whether age at onset involves differences in therapy and prognosis. In this retrospective study we compared 23 patients with early onset RA (average onset 52.8 years; 91.3% of them women), with 36 with late onset (average onset 70.3 years; 67% of them women). No statistically significant differences were found as to demographic, clinical, laboratory or radiographic characteristics.
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Clostridium difficile (CD) is associated with diarrhea in hospital patients receiving antibiotic therapy and may be nosocomially acquired. An outbreak of CD diarrhea was observed among elderly patients in acute hospital and geriatric rehabilitation wards. All but 1 patient presenting with diarrhea had a toxin-positive stool culture. Of patients with CD toxin-positive cultures, 4 died, 5 recovered completely and 1 became a chronic carrier. Effective preventive measures are needed to reduce nosocomial acquisition of CD.
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