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Biomedical subjects

P Brander

Publications and source records attributed to P Brander.

17 recordsLinked to original sources

[Infectious hemorrhagic disease of rabbits in the Bern pathology institute (1988-90): seasonal and regional distribution and histopathological findings].

Between 1988 and 1990 we have investigated 45 cases of the rabbit viral haemorrhagic disease (VHD) at our institute in order to ascertain: 1) both monthly and regional distribution of the disease: 2) the histopathological patterns of the disease. The VHD cases were particularly frequent between October and January and between May and August. They occurred in 7 cantons. The panlobular hepatocytic necrosis was observed in 80% of the cases, whereas in the remaining 20% the necrosis occurred in the periportal region. In 80% of the animals the spleen blood vessels were dilated with perivascular fibrin accumulation indicative of hyperpermeability. In two cases haemoglobin cages were observed in the kidney tubules.

Animals

Once-daily theophylline in the treatment of nocturnal asthma.

The efficacy and side-effects of individually adjusted doses of controlled-release theophylline given once daily in the evening (average dose 650 mg) were compared with those of standard treatment with controlled-release terbutaline 7.5 mg b.d. Thirty-six asthmatics with regular morning obstruction ("morning dipping") were studied over two treatment periods each of two weeks, according to a crossover, randomized, double blind design. Morning peak expiratory flow (PEF) was slightly but significantly higher with theophylline (363 l.min-1) than terbutaline (342 l.min-1). Feelings of dyspnoea on waking in the morning were also less pronounced with theophylline. There were no other differences between the treatment periods during the day or night, with respect to dyspnoea or any the other symptoms. Side-effects were mild and were reported with similar frequencies during both treatments. It is concluded than an individually adjusted dose of once-daily theophylline administered in the evening is at least as effective as conventional therapy with controlled-release terbutaline in preventing nocturnal and early morning asthma, when both drugs are added to regular medication with inhaled sympathomimetics and steroids.

Adolescent

Merkel cell carcinoma: the clinical course.

Merkel first discovered the cells named after him in the snout skin of voles in 1875. These cells are thought to originate from the neural crest and act as mechanoreceptors. When they have undergone malignant change, the neurosecretory granules in the cytoplasm may release various polypeptides, suggesting that the tumor is an APUDoma. In a computer search of the literature 121 cases were identified. It was revealed that the most common lesion is an erythematous nodule arising in the face or lower limb and occurring predominantly in women in their late 60s. The regional nodes became involved in half the patients, and the three-year survival was approximately 60%. Two unusual cases, in women 72 and 73 years old respectively, with metastasizing lesions that responded to a combination of surgery and radiotherapy are reported, and the literature is discussed.

Aged

[Capillaria hepatica in a dog and a hedgehog].

A liver infection with Capillaria hepatica is described, having been found for the first time in Switzerland in a dog and a hedgehog. After a literature review of cases known among man and animals, we present our own pathological findings. Furthermore, the parasite's life cycle is discussed.

Animals

Long-term recording and automatic analysis of cough using filtered acoustic signals and movements on static charge sensitive bed.

Reliable long-term assessment of cough is necessary in many clinical and scientific settings. A new method for long-term recording and automatic analysis of cough is presented. The method is based on simultaneous recording of two independent signals: high-pass filtered cough sounds and cough-induced fast movements of the body. The acoustic signals are recorded with a dynamic microphone in the acoustic focus of a glass fiber paraboloid mirror. Body movements are recorded with a static charge-sensitive bed located under an ordinary plastic foam mattress. The patient can be studied lying or sitting with no transducers or electrodes attached. A microcomputer is used for sampling of signals, detection of cough, statistical analyses, and on-line printing of results. The method was validated in seven adult patients with a total of 809 spontaneous cough events, using clinical observation as a reference. The sensitivity of the method to detect cough was 99.0 percent, and the positive predictivity was 98.1 percent. The system ignored speaking and snoring. The method provides a convenient means of reliable long-term follow-up of cough in clinical work and research.

Acoustics

Comparison of four non-depolarizing neuromuscular blocking drugs in the suppression of the oculocardiac reflex during strabismus surgery in children.

Eighty children (aged 2-12 yr) undergoing strabismus surgery were randomly assigned to receive tubocurarine, alcuronium, pancuronium or vecuronium during anaesthesia with thiopentone, fentanyl and nitrous oxide in oxygen. Heart rate and rhythm were recorded before and after the induction of anaesthesia and before and during traction on an extraocular muscle. End-tidal carbon dioxide concentration and the degree of neuromuscular blockade were monitored. Alcuronium seemed to give more protection against the oculocardiac reflex (defined as a 20% decrease in heart rate) than did tubocurarine, pancuronium or vecuronium.

Alcuronium

Reverse inoculum effect in bactericidal activity and other variables affecting killing of group B streptococci by penicillin.

Variables of the effect of penicillin G on the numbers of viable group B streptococci in broth cultures were studied. One-fourth of the MIC was the lowest concentration that reduced the viable count compared with antibiotic-free controls. The rate of killing increased with the concentration of penicillin up to 4 X MIC, but no further. During the first 2 or 3 h, the bactericidal activity was more rapid than later on. The MIC and supraoptimal concentrations of penicillin killed an inoculum of 10(6) organisms more rapidly than an inoculum of 10(4) organisms. The MIC was not inoculum dependent. The reverse inoculum effect was revealed by the killing curves but not by the MBC. There were reproducible differences among strains as to the rate of killing by penicillin; these did not correlate with the rate of multiplication, which also varied among strains. Among the 11 strains tested, there were no tolerant ones.

Female

The oculocardiac reflex in adults. A dose response study of glycopyrrolate and atropine.

Ninety adult patients about to undergo strabismus surgery received glycopyrrolate or atropine intramuscularly. Three doses of each anticholinergic were studied. Cardiac rate and rhythm were recorded during halothane anaesthesia. The oculocardiac reflex, defined as a fall of 20% in heart rate during traction of the extraocular muscle was inhibited in a dose-dependent manner by the drugs studied. The potency ratio of glycopyrrolate to atropine according to the oculocardiac reflex was established as 1:2.

Adolescent

Comparison of three hypotensive anaesthetic methods for middle ear microsurgery.

Three hypotensive anaesthetic methods were compared in 123 patients undergoing middle ear microsurgery. Hypotension was induced with halothane (1 vol.%), nitroprusside (4.4 micrograms/kg/min) or the combination of halothane (0.5 vol.%) and nitroprusside (1.2 micrograms/kg/min). The compensatory rise in the heart rate was controlled with a beta-adrenergic receptor blocking agent, practolol, the mean need for which was 0.03 mg/kg in the halothane group and 0.1 mg/kg in the other groups. The mean duration of the hypotensive period ranged from 79 to 107 min in the groups. During the hypotension, the average mean arterial pressure ranged from 55 to 60 mmHg (7.33 to 8.00 kPa) and the mean heart rate from 67 to 79 beats/min in the groups. The PaO2 value in the nitroprusside and halothane + nitroprusside groups, but not in the halothane group, decreased statistically and in some cases clinically significantly. The only peroperative side effects were ECG changes (mostly junctional rhythm), the incidence of which ranged from 16 to 24% in the groups. The mean values for the degree of haemostasis rated by the otologist on a visual analogue scale between poor (0 mm) and excellent (100 mm) were 90, 73 and 89 mm in the halothane, nitroprusside and halothane + nitroprusside groups, respectively. Recovery in the halothane group was statistically highly significantly longer than in the other groups. No rebound hypertension occurred in any of the groups after discontinuation of the hypotension. The most common side effect was nausea + vomiting, the incidence of which ranged from 15 to 26% in the groups.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Acid-Base Equilibrium

A matched comparison of four suxamethonium administration techniques in patients with strabismus.

Four methods of administering suxamethonium were composed in patients undergoing surgery for strabismus who were matched for sex, age, weight and height. Pre-treatment with tubocurarine afforded the best control of suxamethonium-induced sequelae. Serum potassium remained within normal limits suggesting that individuals with strabismus behave differently from those free of this defect.

Adolescent

The in vitro activity of ampicillin, amoxicillin, cephalexin, nitrofurantoin, sulphadiazine and trimethoprim against Streptococcus agalactiae isolated from urinary and other infections.

The minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) for 100 strains of Streptococcus agalactiae varied as follows: ampicillin 0.1 to greater than 1 mg/l, amoxicillin 0.03 to 0.5 mg/l, cephalexin 2 to greater than 16 mg/l, nitrofurantoin 8 to greater than 64 mg/l, sulphadiazine all greater than 500 mg/l and trimethoprim less than 3.9 to greater than 250 mg/l. The MICs of the beta-lactams were not affected by inoculum density. Amoxicillin was 2.5 times as active as ampicillin. Sulphadiazine and trimethoprim acted synergistically, and the average factor of potentiation exceeded 5.9. The growth curves and drug susceptibilities of 19 strains isolated from urine were similar to those of the 81 strains isolated from other sources.

Amoxicillin