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Biomedical subjects

T J Fischer

Publications and source records attributed to T J Fischer.

17 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1992

Evaluation of latex allergy in patients with meningomyelocele.

Seventy-six patients with meningomyelocele were evaluated for latex sensitivity by medical history and epicutaneous skin testing. Four different latex glove extracts, two nonlatex glove extracts, cornstarch, selected inhalant antigens, and negative and positive controls were used for skin testing. Forty-nine patients (64.5%) were skin test positive to latex extracts (latex-positive group). Twenty-four patients (49%) of the latex-positive group and none of the latex-negative group had histories of immediate reactions to latex products (P less than .001). The latex-positive group had a higher mean number of surgical procedures, 12.67 +/- 11.27, compared with 6.89 +/- 6.55 (P less than .001) in the latex-negative group. Twenty-three of the latex-positive patients (47%) used latex products daily compared to seven patients (26%) in the latex-negative group (P = .073). Twenty latex-positive patients (41%) had atopy compared with five patients (19%) of the latex negative group (P = .041). There was no significant difference between the two groups in age, sex, daily catheterization, or positive skin tests to cornstarch. All 76 patients tested negative to the nonlatex glove extracts. Ten control subjects tested negative for all latex and nonlatex glove extracts.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1989

Soft-tissue reconstruction in severe lower extremity trauma. A review.

The reconstruction of soft tissues is a difficult aspect of limb salvage after severe lower extremity injury. Newer techniques such as free-tissue transfer can expedite wound care, decrease morbidity and hospital costs, and spare some limbs from amputation. It is important to know the mechanism of injury and the resultant zone of soft-tissue trauma. This is best defined by serial debridements over several days. The final defect size and composition will determine the type of soft-tissue flap used. Soft-tissue coverage may be accomplished with muscle, with muscle and skin transposition, or with free transfer. Microvascular transfers offer the advantage of one procedure that provides coverage for donor and recipient sites with early patient mobilization.

Fractures, Bone↗
PubMed1988

Systemic vasculitis associated with eosinophilia and marked degranulation of tissue eosinophils.

A 9-year-old girl had fever, life-threatening interstitial pneumonia, a vesicular skin rash, parotid and submandibular swelling, and marked blood eosinophilia (WBC count 47,000/microL, 39% eosinophils). Results of lung and skin biopsies showed vasculitis with intense eosinophil infiltration. Immunofluorescence analyses of these biopsies, as well as analysis of tissue from the parotid, lip, and trachea, showed striking deposition of eosinophil granule major basic protein associated with areas of tissue damage. Treatment with glucocorticoids and hydroxyurea produced clinical improvement. The association between tissue damage and deposition of the cytotoxic major basic protein suggests that the eosinophil contributed to the pathophysiology of this disease. Recognition of the capacity of the eosinophil to produce tissue damage can be helpful in the selection of therapy.

Blood Proteins↗
PubMed1987

Short-term, high-dose, systemic steroids in children with asthma: the effect on the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis.

Children with chronic asthma frequently receive "bursts" (less than 7 days) of short-term, high-dose prednisone (1 to 2 mg/kg/day) for acute exacerbations of their disease. Certain of these patients may also require inhaled corticosteroids (IC) for control. The effect of these "bursts" on the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis (HPAA) is unclear. To test the integrity of the HPAA in such patients, we measured plasma cortisol (F) in response to serial administration of insulin-induced hypoglycemia (nadir = 34 +/- 1.2 mg/dl; mean +/- SE), followed by 250 micrograms/1.73 m2 of synthetic ACTH in the following children with asthma: group I, seven patients who received no more than one "burst" per year (0.71 +/- 0.2); group II, six individuals who received more than one "burst" per year (3.6 +/- 0.2) and no IC; and group III, 10 subjects who received more than one "burst" per year (4.7 +/- 0.3) plus IC. All patients received daily theophylline and beta-agonists; seven patients were taking sodium cromolyn. No patients received troleandomycin. Compared to group I (control subjects), 16% of group II had a subnormal response of F to hypoglycemia. In addition, a subnormal response of F to hypoglycemia or ACTH was documented in 20% and 10% of group III, respectively. All individuals with a subnormal response of F to either hypoglycemia or ACTH received four or more "bursts" per year. We conclude that as a group, children affected by asthma treated with "bursts" alone or "bursts" plus IC appear to have a normal HPAA.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adolescent↗
PubMed1987

Pediatric predictive index for hospitalization in acute asthma.

To develop a pediatric predictor index (PPI) for the outcome of emergency management of acute asthma, 156 children were studied prospectively and grouped by outcome. Of 193 episodes, 130 (67.4%) resulted in successful treatment, 39 (20.2%) in relapse, and 24 (12.4%) in admission. Measured and observed variables from before and after initial therapy were analyzed for the three groups. There were no significant differences between the relapse and successful treatment groups, which were combined for analysis and termed the discharge group. Significant differences were noted between the admission and discharge groups only for dyspnea before and after therapy, accessory muscle use, inspiratory breath sounds and wheezing, and post-respiratory rates, but not for pulse or peak expiratory flow rates before or after therapy. The PPI was determined with multivariate logistic regression and is calculated using the following variables: inspiratory breath sounds, wheezing, and respiratory rates. A score of 0 correctly categorized 95% of admissions, but incorrectly categorized 34% of those discharged. Despite low specificity and limited usefulness as early predictors of admission, PPI variables may serve as valuable adjuncts to the physician in determining the outcome of acute asthma in children.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed1979

Childhood dermatomyositis and polymyositis. Treatment with methotrexate and prednisone.

The conditions of three children with dermatomyositis and one child with polymyositis were treated for nine to 31 months with combined prednisone and intravenous methotrexate (1 mg/kg/wk) when prednisone alone was ineffective in controlling the disease or when there were substantial steroid-related toxic effects. All children showed a major clinical improvement within three months despite concomitant reduction of the prednisone dose. Three children completely recovered; one patient relapsed and died. The toxic effects of methotrexate included elevated liver transaminases (3/4), nausea (2/4), abdominal pain (2/4), bone pain (2/4), mild neutropenia (1/4), and mild pruritus (1/4). Intravenous methotrexate is an effective adjunct to steroid therapy in the treatment of steroid-resistant or life-threatening dermatomyositis-polyositis or dermatomyositis-polymyositis complicated by severe steroid-related effects.

Child↗
PubMed1978

Severe candidal infections: clinical perspective, immune defense mechanisms, and current concepts of therapy.

Disseminated candidiasis has become an important infection, particularly in immunocompromised and postoperative patients. Although serologic tests may, in some settings, facilitate a premortem diagnosis, the disease is usually diagnosed by comprehensive clinical evaluation. Detection of the relatively newly recognized peripheral manifestations of candidemia may be vital to early diagnosis: endophthalmitis, osteomyelitis, arthritis, myocarditis, meningitis, and macronodular skin lesions. Studies in patients with chronic mucocutaneous candidiasis and in-vitro manipulations have begun to elucidate normal immune defense mechanisms against Candida, including serum factors, phagocytosis, intracellular killing mechanisms, and lymphocyte function (particularly T cell). The primary drugs for the treatment of disseminated candidiasis are still amphotericin B or amphotericin B plus 5-fluorocytosine; the mainstay of therapy for chronic mucocutaneous candidiasis is amphotericin B. Other antifungals and immune system-stimulating modalities (transfer factor, thymosin, thymus epithelial cell transplantation, and levamisol) may be useful for chronic mucocutaneous candidiasis in some settings and deserve further evaluation.

Amphotericin B↗
PubMed1978

Middle ear ciliary defect in Kartagener's syndrome.

Patients with Kartagener's syndrome have shown electron photomicrographic abnormalities of nasal or bronchial cilia in addition to functional defects of mucociliary transport (immotile cilia syndrome). This report describes a boy with Kartagener's syndrome and chronic otitis media who demonstrates electron photomicrographic abnormalities of middle ear cilia, confirming the important role of cilia in providing protection against infection of the middle ear.

Child↗
PubMed1977

[Respiratory gas exchange and glucose uptake by the human spleen in situ (author's transl)].

Blood samples were taken from the splenic artery, vein and pulp of 16 patients suffering from lymphoproliferative diseases, essential thrombocytopenia or hereditary spherocytosis and undergoing early splenectomy. The relevant parameters of the respiratory gas exchange as well as glucose and lactate concentrations were determined in these samples. In no case did the thorough examination of the splenic tissue reveal any histopathologic aspects. Taking into account a mean splenic blood flow of 100 ml/100 g/min during anaesthesia, the mean oxygen consumption of the splenic tissue attains 1.1 ml/100 g/min. The glucose uptake and the lactate release show to be 9 mg/100 g/min and 5.2 mg/100 g/min, respectively. Despite high glucose uptake rates and pronounced glycolytic activities there is no evidence of the existence of low pH values, a glucose depletion or hypoxia in the normal spleen. In the normal spleen, therefore, the intrasplenic sequestration of red blood cells cannot be explained by unfavourable metabolic conditions.

Glucose↗
PubMed1977

Comparison of aerosolized atropine sulfate and SCH 1000 on exercise-induced bronchospasm in children.

The new anticholinergic compound Sch 1000 (ipratropium bromide) has been reported to be an effective bronchodilator without significant atropine-like side effects. We evaluated the effectiveness of different doses of nebulized Sch 1000 (40 microgram and 80 microgram) aerosolized atropine sulfate (1 mg) and placebo in the prevention of exercise-induced bronchospasm (EIB) in 20 children with atopic bronchial asthma. A random, crossover double-blind protocol was used. Standard exercise on a cycloergometer was used to induce EIB. Pulmonary function was determined before and after drug administration and exercise. Following no treatment or placebo, exercise resulted in average reductions of 33% to 43% in plethysmographic specific airway conductance (SGaw), of 20% to 25% in forced expiratory volume in 1 sec (FEV1), and of 25% to 32% in maximal midexpiratory flow rate. Exercise following no treatment or placebo resulted in average increases of 23% to 30% in thoracic gas volume (Vtg). Prior to exercise atropine and either dose of Sch 1000 caused significant increases in SGaw (48% to 59%). After pretreatment with Sch 1000 or atropine, exercise caused SGaw to fall to values that were not significantly different from pretreatment medication values, but were significantly higher than values following exercise without pretreatment or after pretreatment with placebo. No significant differences were noted between the effects of atropine and Sch 1000 on EIB. We conclude that at the doses used atropine and Sch 1000 cause equivalent degrees of bronchodilation but neither drug specifically inhibits EIB.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1977

Miconazole in the treatment of chronic mucocutaneous candidiasis: a preliminary report.

Miconazole, a new imidazole antimycotic agent, was given intravenously to five children with chronic mucocutaneous candidiasis over an 18-month period. There was marked improvement of mucosa and skin in two patients, moderate-to-milk improvement in two, and no improvement in one. Nail lesions were not improved in any patient. Adverse reactions included phlebitis, pruritus, nausea and dizziness, rash, wheezing, mild transient anemia, and mild transient transaminase (SGOT and SGPT) elevations; it was necessary to discontinue treatment in only one patient. No renal toxocity was noted. Miconazole appears to be a relatively safe and promising alternative to amphotericin B in chronic mucocutaneous candidiasis.

Adolescent↗