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Biomedical subjects

R Pedrana

Publications and source records attributed to R Pedrana.

7 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2001

[Esophagitis associated with use of alendronate in 5 postmenopausic patients].

The bisphosphonate, alendronate sodium (e.g. Fosamax) is a bone resorption inhibitor used to treat postmenopausal osteoporotic women and osseous Paget's disease. Esophagitis is one of the adverse effects (AE) associated to its use. Five (5) patients with alendronate-associated esophagitis assisted in the Gastroenterologic Center, Rosario, Argentina, between October 1996 and December 1999 are described. The aim is to correlate the clinical, endoscopic and histopathological findings in 5 women (ages 57-71) complaining for upper digestive symptoms (dysphagia, epigastralgia, retrosternal pain.). All had osteoporosis treated with alendronate 10 mg/day and received detailed instructions about how to take the medication. The time from the beginning of alendronate intake and the appearance of the symptoms was elapsed 30, 35, 67, 85 and 90 days. The esophagitis was graded according to the Savary-Miller Classification. The videoscopy disclosed esophagitis of III and IV grades. Three patients had also antral and antroduodenal lesions, one of them associated to Helicobacter Pylori. Anatomopathologic findings confirm esophagitis and esophagic ulceration. Some authors claim that bisphosphonates as a new class of gastrotoxic drugs with AE similar to aspirin. Even when it is administrated according to the instructions of the manufacturers it should be used with caution. Our contribution emphasize the importance of this AE and suggest measures to diminish or suppress them, and take into consideration those patients who are taking aspirin. With alendronate, as well as with other potentially corrosive agents, is very important to take in mind the measures to prevent AE.

Aged↗
PubMed1999

[Seroprevalence of helicobacter pylori infection in the republic of Argentina: influence of age, sex, socioeconomic level, geographical area, and health infrastructure. Multicenter study by the Club Argentino del Estomago y Duodeno].

Helicobacter pylori (Hp) infection affects almost half of the world population, it is almost a pandemia, and has been associated to poverty in underdeveloped countries. The Club Argentino del Estómago y Duodeno decided to fulfill the lack of information upon this subject in Argentina designing a seroprevalence, multicentric, prospective study performed in voluntary adults donors in blood banks and in children seen during normal growth controls. Seven hundred and nineteen individuals were evaluated, 645 of them were included: 178 children (age 0-18 years) and 467 adults. In all cases a serological IgG Hp test (Flex-Pack Abbott) was performed and an epidemiological questionnaire was completed by a physician. General prevalence of Hp infection was 44.8% of individuals. In the paediatric population prevalence was 15.7% and in adults 55.9%. The highest prevalence was observed in the fifth decade: 64%. In concordance with other similar studies carried out in different countries, we may conclude that the risk of acquisition of Hp infection is directly related to age, area of residence, social-economical status, sanitary facilities, and educational level reached. Even though the prevalence of Hp infection in Argentina is intermediate between highly developed and underdeveloped countries, the number of people infected is very high and the incidence of Hp-associated pathologies in the future represents a formidable task for gastroenterologists and sanitary authorities.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1998

[Post-treatment assessment of Helicobacter pylori eradication, by polymerase chain reaction in gastric biopsies].

BACKGROUND: The pre-treatment detection of H.p. in the stomach of patients is easily achieved with routine methods. Conversely, with conventional methods, it is difficult to detect the presence of H.p. after treatment. OBJECTIVE: To estimate the actual percentage of successfully treated patients by using a more sensitive and specific technique (PCR) in the same biopsies where standard methods were negative for H.p. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We selected 97 treated patients (31 Gastric Ulcers/66 Duodenal Ulcers, 62 male/35 female, age: 49 +/- 14 years), in whom success of treatment was defined by histological means and CLO Test. In the same gastric biopsies H.p-DNA PCR was performed. Different therapeutic schemes were utilized, but all included Proton Pump Inhibitors + ATB. Eight weeks after the end of the treatment, without medication, the patients were controlled as follows: 5 biopsies per patient, 2 of antrum, 2 of corpus (in different zones) and 1 for CLO Test. H.p. eradication was defined on histological grounds (gastric biopsy histology: 10% formaldehide buffer fixation, paraffin inclusion, Giemsa, HE staining and inmunohistochemistry), CLO Test (Delta West Pty. Ltd. Bentley, Australia) and by the absence of H.p.-DNA by PCR (amplification of a 296 bp of the species-specific antigen of H.p. and visualization of the amplified product in agarose gel with Ethidium Bromide and UV light). RESULTS: [table: see text] CONCLUSIONS: The higher sensitivity of PCR (10(3) fold more than conventional methods) allowed us in this group of patients to detect 13% of false eradication. It would be necessary to follow up this group of patients in order to know whether they develop or not clinical symptoms and/or histological evidence of disease. If such a case PCR could become an important tool for treatment evaluation.

Adult↗
PubMed1994

[Psychological differences between ulcer and non-ulcer dyspeptic patients].

The existence of differences in the psychological profile of 39 endoscopically evaluated patients with ulcer (U) and non ulcer (NU) dyspepsia were examined. There were 21 U and 18 NU subjects. Cigarette smoking, intake of alcohol, coffee, mate, aspirin and NSAID were recorded, but there were no significant differences between the two groups. Personality traits were determined by the Rorschach Test, considering psychological profile (introversive, extroversive, self-restrained), impulse and emotion control (do not allow their expression, impulsive, adequately conveyed) and level of social adaptation (low, normal, high). U and NU subjects experienced a similar number of potentially stressful life events. However, U patients perceived their events more negatively. Although no one type of "ulcer personality" was found consistently, ulcer patients tended to be more introversive and they had a better social adaptation than NU.

Adult↗
PubMed1980

[Intrahemorrhagic esophagogastroduodenofibroscopy. Survey in the city of Rosario].

1.897 patients with upper gastrointestinal bleeding (UGIB) were studied and the cause was diagnosed in 1.756 (92.6%). The most frequently found pathology was the acute bleeding gastropathy (24.5%). Considering the gastric duodenal and anastomotic ulcer as a whole, in 47.5% of the cases the ulcer was observed. Both pathologies together make out that 72 out of 100 patients with UGIB have bleeding due to an ulcer or gastritis. It comes out that the low incidence of neoplasy as a consequence of UGIB and that the 31% of the diagnosed pathology could not have been diagnosed by X-ray.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed1975

LP-X in cholestasis.

Extrahepatic and intrahepatic biliary obstruction of different etiology were studied in 62 patients, who were investigated for the presence of lipoprotein X (Lp-X). It was found present in 19 of 20 cholestasis by lithiasis, in all three primary biliary cirrhosis patients, in 2 of 4 cirrhosis, in 5 of 13 hepatitis, in all three benign recurrent intrahepatic cholestasis and in 1 of 2 recurrent juandice of pregnancy. It was found in a Dubin Johnson. Lp-X disappeared in 4 patients within two weeks after relief of the obstruction. It was found in patients with cholestatic hepatitis during the first week of jaundice. It was found in the first 48 hours in three patients with cholestasis by lithiasis. Lp-X does not help in differential diagnosis between extrahepatic and intrahepatic biliary obstruction, but the time of its appearance could contribute to it in some cases. A word of caution is raised in indicating surgery in a cholestatic patient without the presence of Lp-X.

Cholelithiasis↗