PubMed Health⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

P Formica

Publications and source records attributed to P Formica.

9 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1997

Nocturnal enuresis and daytime wetting: a multicentric trial with oxybutynin and desmopressin.

OBJECTIVE: Different etiopathological mechanisms of enuresis are today under study, and different therapies and drugs have been proposed. The Italian Multicentric Trial was undertaken in twelve pediatric and urological centers in order to assess the efficacy of two of the most popular drugs, desmopressin (DDAVP) and oxybutynin. METHODS: 114 enuretic patients were enrolled in the study. After a 2-week observation period, 66 patients with primary monosymptomatic enuresis were treated with DDAVP, 30 micrograms/day intranasally, for 6 weeks, 48 patients with enuresis and voiding dysfunction were randomly assigned to a protocol with oxybutynin alone or oxybutynin plus DDAVP. The efficacy of the two drugs was measured in terms of reduction of wet nights per week during the 6-week treatment period and a 2-week follow-up period. Children with 0-3 dry nights/week were considered as nonresponders. RESULTS: Patients with monosymptomatic enuresis treated with DDAVP reported a significantly lower number of wet night during treatment than during the baseline period, with 79% showing a 'good' (6-7 dry nights/week) or 'intermediate' response (4-5 dry nights/week). Of the patients with diurnal voiding disturbances and enuresis, those treated with oxybutynin alone had a 54% success rate. The patients treated with both oxybutynin and DDAVP showed a better response, with a 71% rate of success. CONCLUSIONS: The efficacy of the two drugs is confirmed in patients carefully selected on the clinical basis of voiding disturbances. In patients with enuresis and voiding dysfunction, the reduced urinary output and the lower bladder filling rate due to DDAVP can reduce uninhibited bladder contractions, thus enhancing the oxybutynin action.

Administration, Intranasal↗
PubMed1992

[Concentration of aztreonam in plasma, urine, and seminal fluid of patients with chronic prostatitis].

The authors consider the concentration of antibacterial drugs in the seminal fluid as a reliable experimental model for the study of pharmacokinetics in chronic prostatitis (c.p.). The study was conducted on 32 subjects, 20 of whom were affected by c.p. and 12 were normal controls. All subjects were treated with aztreonam at a dosage of 1 g.i.m. The assay was performed 1 hour after the injection, on seminal fluid, urine and serum samples. No difference was observed between normal subjects and patients with c.p. with regard to serum and urinary levels of the drug. There was a trend towards a higher concentration of the drug in the seminal fluid of patients with c.p. when compared to normal subjects, with mean values of 1.8 and 0.9 mcg/ml respectively. This difference was not statistically significant. Furthermore, the drug concentration of the drug in semen was below the sensitivity limits of the assay in 43% of normal subjects and in 10% of patients with c.p. In the latter group of patients the mean values of aztreonam concentration exceeded the minimal inhibitory concentrations for most aetiological agents causing c.p. In conclusion, it is suggested that aztreonam is likely to be effective in acute prostatitis, caused by Gram negative strains and may be indicated in selected cases for the treatment of c.p.

Adult↗
PubMed1991

Influence of physical activity on gastric emptying of liquids in normal human subjects.

Liquid gastric emptying has been evaluated in 17 normal human subjects during basal conditions, after mild physical stress at 50% of the maximum predictable heart rate, and after maximal physical stress at 70% maximum heart rate. Each subject exercised on a treadmill for 30 min, its speed and inclination varied in order to obtain the desired heart rate. Immediately after the exercise, 400 ml of mineral water were drunk by each subject. Gastric emptying was evaluated by real-time ultrasonography (11 subjects) and scintigraphy (six subjects) through previously described methods. The results show similar data with both techniques. Gastric emptying of the water, considered either as reduction in gastric measurements at ultrasonography or decay in radioactivity in the region of interest corresponding to the stomach at scintigraphy, follows a linear relationship under basal conditions and during physical stress. Compared with basal conditions, gastric emptying of water after maximal stress was prolonged; after mild stress, gastric emptying of the water was accelerated. These findings may support the common belief that mild physical activity favors the digestive process.

Adult↗
PubMed1989

Immune status towards Epstein-Barr virus in a group of Sicilian children.

The prevalence of antibodies to Epstein-Barr virus-determined antigens was studied in 17 children with acute infectious mononucleosis (IM) and in 263 children hospitalized for diseases unrelated to EBV infection. Antibodies against Epstein-Barr viral capsid antigens (VCA) were observed in 173 patients of the control group (66%), but 58 of them (33,5%) had not yet developed antibodies against Epstein-Barr virus-associated nuclear antigen (EBNA). IgM-specific antibodies were not found in any of the children of the control group but were present in all of the 17 patients with IM. The rates of positivity for IgA anti-VCA and IgG anti-early antigen (EA) were similar in all age groups. Anti-viral capsid antigen IgG seropositivity increased to 83% by the age of six years, the mean geometric titre being highest between the ages of 2 and 4 years. Our results suggest that in Sicilian children the primary infection occurs prevalently early in life, in parallel with the occurrence of IM.

Age Factors↗
PubMed1989

Pharmacokinetic study on adenomatous prostate tissue concentrations of cefoperazone. Clinical efficacy and patient tolerance of intramuscular cefoperazone treatment of chronic bacterial prostatitis.

Cephalosporins do not reach active therapeutical concentrations in the prostatic tissue in patients suffering from chronic bacterial prostatitis. Cefoperazone is an exception. Its efficacy in the treatment of chronic bacterial prostatitis in 20 patients was studied and the concentrations, obtained after intramuscular administration, evaluated in patients who underwent transurethral operation due to prostatic hypertrophy (in 14 patients). The cefoperazone concentrations in the prostate have been evaluated 60, 90 and in some cases 120 min after the administration of the drug and compared to those obtained in serum. The clinical cure has been obtained in 16 patients. The average drug concentration in the prostate after 60 min was 22.8 +/- 13.6 versus 39.8 +/- 20.0 micrograms/ml in serum; 90 min after administration the average concentration in the prostate was 23.2 +/- 14.1 versus 35.7 +/- 18.1 micrograms/ml in serum. The correlation was significant both at 60 min (r = 64, p less than 0.05) and at 90 min (r = 64, p less than 0.05).

Cefoperazone↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Functional health status of relocated nursing home residents.

This article presents the functional health status results of 49 nursing home residents who were involuntarily relocated from one institution to another. The purpose of the study was to determine whether there would be pre- to postmove changes in health status. Nursing personnel on both the day and evening shifts completed separate assessments of the residents' functional health status using the Long-Term Health Care Minimum Data Set instrument. These assessments were completed 2 to 3 months before and 3 to 4 months after the move. The interrater reliability was high; overall day-evening agreement was 82 percent. After the move, only receptive communication was rated higher; dressing, transferring, using the toilet, continence, and mobility were rated lower. Six functional activities showed no significant changes. Relocation does not appear to have a uniformly negative impact on functional status.

Activities of Daily Living↗