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Biomedical subjects

T Calvo

Publications and source records attributed to T Calvo.

10 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2005

[Treatment of accidental dural puncture during obstetric epidural analgesia].

OBJECTIVE: To assess the effectiveness of continuous intrathecal analgesia as prophylaxis for postdural puncture headache (PDPH) and for analgesia during labor in 12 patients who suffered accidental dural puncture. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A total of 920 patients who received spinal analgesia during labor were enrolled. Group A (no accidental dural puncture) received a single dose of 10 mL of 0.2% ropivacaine, and 5 minutes later continuous epidural infusion of 0.125% ropivacaine and 3 micromg mL(-1) was started at a rate of a 5 mL h(-1); a 5 mL bolus dose was allowed every 20 minutes if needed. In patients who suffered accidental dural puncture (Group B) we inserted an intrathecal catheter to administer an initial dose of 3 mL of 0.2% ropivacaine and the same analgesic mixture at the same dose as was administered in Group A. Patient characteristics, analgesic efficacy, duration of labor and delivery, motor blockade, analgesic volume, and incidence of PDPH were recorded. The Student t test was used for statistical comparisons. RESULTS: No significant differences in duration of labor and delivery, analgesic efficacy, or motor blockade were observed. The incidence of PDPH was 16.6% in Group B and 0.33% in Group A. The patients in Group B required more additional bolus doses: 10 (SD, 2) in Group B and 3 (1.25) in Group A (P<0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Continuous intrathecal analgesia after accidental dural puncture was a safe way to provide analgesia during labor and to reduce the expected incidence of PDPH.

Adult↗
PubMed2001

Determination of the CH + O2 product channels.

The multichannel CH + O2 reaction was studied at room temperature, in a low-pressure fast-flow reactor. CH radical was obtained from the reaction of CHBr3 with potassium atoms. The overall rate constant was determined from the decay of CH with distance, O2 being introduced in excess. The result, after corrections for axial and radial diffusion, is k = (3.6 +/- 0.5) x 10(-11) cm3 molecule-1 s-1. The OH(A2 sigma +) chemiluminescence was observed, confirming the existence of the OH + CO channel. The vibrational population distribution of OH(A2 sigma +) is 32% in the v' = 1 level and 68% in the v' = 0 level (+/- 5%). The relative atomic concentrations were determined by resonance fluorescence in the vacuum ultraviolet. A ratio of 1.4 +/- 0.2 was found between the H atom density (H atoms being produced from the H + CO2 channel and from the HCO dissociation) and the O atom density (O + HCO). Ab initio calculations of the transition structures have been performed, associated with statistical estimations. The estimated branching ratios are: O + HCO, 20%; O + H + CO, 30%; H + CO2, 30%; and CO + OH, 20%.

Journal Article↗
PubMed1999

Topical treatment of dermatophytosis and cutaneous candidosis with flutrimazole 1% cream: double-blind, randomized comparative trial with ketoconazole 2% cream.

In a double-blind, randomized study the efficacy and tolerance of flutrimazole 1% cream were compared with ketoconazole 2% cream, applied once daily for 4 weeks, in 60 patients with culturally proven dermatophytosis (47 patients) or cutaneous candidosis (13 patients). Both groups of patients and distribution of target lesions were similar. The sum of clinical scores had an even distribution in both groups at the end of treatment. The proportion of patients with negative microscopy and culture after 4 weeks of treatment was 70% in the flutrimazole group and 53% in the ketoconazole group; seven ketoconazole-treated patients (23%) compared with two flutrimazole-treated patients (6.6%) were asymptomatic carriers (clinically cured with positive cultures) at the end of treatment. At the assessment 6 weeks after the end of therapy the percentages of flutrimazole- and ketoconazole-treated patients with negative mycology were 57 and 70%, respectively. There were one relapse (3.3%) in the ketoconazole group and four (13.3%) in the flutrimazole group. One patient treated with ketoconazole (3%) had a premature termination due to adverse events attributable to the medication. The results of this study show that flutrimazole 1% cream is as effective and safe as ketoconazole 2% cream for Candida and dermatophyte skin infections.

Administration, Topical↗
PubMed1999

Erythropoietin plus granulocyte colony-stimulating factor in the treatment of myelodysplastic syndromes. Identification of a subgroup of responders. The Spanish Erythropathology Group.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Anemia leading to transfusion is probably the most important problem in patients with myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS). Human recombinant erythropoietin (rHuEpo) and granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) have been used to treat patients with anemia of MDS, but fewer than 50% respond. The aim of this work was to evaluate the benefit of rHuEpo +/- G-CSF treatment and to isolate the response predictive variables in a group of selected patients with MDS. DESIGN AND METHODS: A non-randomized multicenter trial was carried out in 32 patients with MDS. The inclusion criteria were age >= 18 years, refractory anemia (RA) or refractory anemia with ringed sideroblasts, Hb <= 100 g/L or receiving transfusions and serum erythropoietin <= 250 U/L. These patients were treated with subcutaneous rHuEpo (300 U/kg) three times a week for 8 weeks. In the case of partial response (PR) or no response (NR) subcutaneosly administered G-CSF (1 microg/kg) three times a week was added to the rHuEpo for 8 more weeks. If the patient achieved complete response (CR) or PR in the second phase, he was included in a follow-up phase of 24 weeks in which the dose of growth factors was tapered down. Several variables, including the score published by the Scandinavian-American group, were used as possible predictive variables. RESULTS: An erythroid response was observed in 16 patients (50%); in 12 it was a CR and in 4 it was a PR. During the period of rHuEpo administration, 7 CR and 4 PR (34.4%) were documented. Of the 14 patients in whom G-CSF was added to rHuEpo, 7 (50%) responded (3 CR and 4 PR). No major side-effects associated with growth factors were observed. The multivariate analysis showed that of the different variables evaluated only the Scandinavian-American response score was significant with a relative probability of response of 11.8 (95% confident intervals: 2.5-53) when this score was > +1 (77% of cases responded). In contrast, when this score was <= 1 only 15 % of the cases responded. INTERPRETATION AND CONCLUSIONS: Use of the Scandinavian-American response score is to be recommended in a patient-oriented approach to treating MDS cases with the Epo and G-CSF. Treatment with rHuEpo and G-CSF is safe, its main drawback being its cost. However, a long-term study evaluating the regimen's cost-benefit ratio is warranted.

Adult↗
PubMed1997

Value of the preoperative detection of prostate-specific-antigen-positive circulating cells by nested RT-PCR in patients submitted to radical prostatectomy.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the value of the detection of circulating prostate cells [prostate-specific antigen (PSA) positive] by reverse-transcriptase nested polymerase chain reaction (nested RT-PCR) to improve the staging of clinically localized prostate cancer. METHODS: Nested PCR was performed on blood samples of 29 patients submitted to radical prostatectomy for clinically localized (T1-T2) prostate cancer. Nine patients with various benign urologic diseases comprised the negative control group. Incubation was for 25 cycles for each PCR, using beta 2-microglobulin to test the integrity of RNA samples. Each sample was tested in quadruplicate and analyzed by agarose gel electrophoresis, blotted and hybridized with specific internal primers. Nested PCR results were compared with the pT stage of the prostate specimen, processed according to the Stanford method. RESULTS: In 6 out of 29 patients (20.7%) with clinically localized prostate cancer, circulating prostate cells were detected by nested PCR. There was no relationship between pathologic stage and RT-PCR results. Eleven out of 14 pT2 patients (78.6%) were PCR negative and only 3 out of 15 pT3 patients (20%) were PCR positive. All control samples were PCR negative. CONCLUSIONS: In selected patients with T1-T2 prostate cancer, there was no relationship between pathologic stage and the presence of circulating PSA-positive cells detected by nested PCR. However, in 20.7% of patients with clinically localized prostate cancer, circulating prostate cancer cells were detected. A further follow-up based on PSA is necessary to clarify the clinical relevance of this biologic anomaly.

Aged↗
PubMed1994

Selection of European Union standard reference sera for use in the serological diagnosis of infectious bovine rhinotracheitis.

A study, consisting of three trials, was undertaken in order to find standard reference sera for use in serological diagnostic procedures for infectious bovine rhinotracheitis (IBR) in the European Union (EU). A total of forty-nine laboratories participated in the trials, in which panels of positive, weak positive, and negative candidate sera were tested blind by neutralisation, indirect and blocking enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, indirect immunofluorescence and passive haemagglutination. A serum which scored positive in all tests in all laboratories was selected as a strong positive standard serum. The chosen negative standard serum gave negative results in virtually all tests. A 1/36 dilution of a positive serum was chosen as the weak positive standard serum and only very sensitive techniques were able to score it positive. Three EU reference sera are now available for the standardisation of serological tests for IBR.

Animals↗
PubMed1993

Q fever mimicking herpetic encephalitis.

We describe a patient with temporal lobe encephalitis associated with primary Coxiella burnetii infection who presented with CT and MRI findings suggestive of herpes simplex encephalitis and an initial improvement during treatment with acyclovir. Q fever should be considered in the differential diagnosis of patients whose manifestations suggest herpes encephalitis.

Coxiella burnetii↗