PubMed Health⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

U Aasebø

Publications and source records attributed to U Aasebø.

13 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1992

Diagnosis of pneumonia in adults in general practice. Relative importance of typical symptoms and abnormal chest signs evaluated against a radiographic reference standard.

The diagnostic value of typical symptoms and abnormal chest signs for pneumonia have been evaluated against a radiographic reference standard in 402 adult patients with respiratory tract infection in general practice. Pneumonia was diagnosed in 20 patients by a positive chest radiograph. The doctors diagnosed pneumonia in seven of these on the basis of history and physical examination alone, and in addition in 22 patients with normal radiographs. The diagnostic value of the typical symptoms cough, chest pain, and dyspnoea, reported by the patients on a questionnaire, increased with increasing intensity of the symptoms, and both "very annoying lateral chest pain" and "very annoying dyspnoea" had likelihood ratios (LR) between 4 and 5. The LR of crackles was 3.7. When evaluated against the doctor's clinical diagnosis of pneumonia as reference standard, crackles achieved an LR of 14.8, while the typical symptoms achieved lower LRs than when evaluated against the radiographic reference standard. These discrepancies, which were confirmed by logistic regression, indicate that crackles and other abnormal chest findings are interpreted too frequently as features of pneumonia and that the importance of typical symptoms is underestimated in the diagnosis of pneumonia.

Adult↗
PubMed1991

Gonadal endocrine dysfunction in patients with lung cancer: relation to responsiveness to chemotherapy, respiratory function and performance status.

Male lung cancer patients with poor performance status [Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) index 3-4] have an endocrinological dysfunction as assessed by serum testosterone and sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG) levels. Patients who respond to therapy regain normal free testosterone levels within 12 weeks post chemotherapy, whereas non-responders continue to exhibit subnormal levels. The perturbations of endocrinological variables in patients with lung cancer is not due to development of hypoxia, as patients with respiratory failure maintain a significantly lower testosterone level compared to cancer patients. The development of a deficiency in total testosterone concentrations in lung cancer patients is correlated to their performance status, and not to the presence of metastatic disease. The mechanisms responsible for the endocrinological dysfunction in patients with lung cancer remain unknown.

Aged↗
PubMed1991

Symptomatic effect of inhaled fenoterol in acute bronchitis: a placebo-controlled double-blind study.

The symptomatic effect of inhaled fenoterol, a beta 2-agonist, 0.2 mg 4 times daily for 7 days, was evaluated in 80 patients with acute bronchitis examined at the Chest Clinic, Department of Medicine, University Hospital of Tromsø. Seventy-three patients completed the trial. End-point FEV1 (% predicted) showed a mean increase of 5.1% in the fenoterol group and 0.5% in the placebo group (p = 0.006). The corresponding decrease in total symptom score after one week was 67% and 51%, respectively (p = 0.06). In a subgroup of 35 patients with either bronchial hyper-responsiveness, wheezes on auscultation or FEV1 less than 80% of predicted at entry, a statistically significant difference in reduction of total symptom score in favour of fenoterol was demonstrated on the second day of the trial. No difference was found in the 38 patients with normal lung findings. Fenoterol was useful when objective signs of bronchial involvement was present and may be applicable to the treatment of acute bronchitis.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed1990

[Chylothorax].

A 51 year old man developed chylothorax from a non-Hodgkin lymphoma located in the abdomen. The main causes of chylothorax are trauma and malignant disease. The condition is quite often idiopathic. The treatment is usually a combination of surgical treatment, conservative treatment, high voltage radiation and/or pleurodesis with a sclerosing agent.

Chylothorax↗
PubMed1990

[Experiences of pulmonary disease on jet planes].

A group of patients with serious chronic diseases of the chest (n = 18) travelled from northern Norway to Yugoslavia for treatment (approximately four hours air travel and 16 hours total travel). The group included patients with asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, sequelas after tuberculous disease and resections for lung cancer. Minute lung function tests were performed before departure. SaO2 was monitored by pulsoximetri during the flight. All patients experienced a fall in SaO2 during the flight. Patients with restrictive pulmonary disease or combined restrictive/obstructive disease fell significantly lower than the rest of the group (p less than 0.001), and they experienced serious discomfort. Recommendations for minimum lung functions are FEV1 greater than 1.0 liter, PaOa greater than 9.3 kPa and PCO2 less than 7.0 kPa.

Adult↗
PubMed1989

Chemotherapy and endocrine function in lung cancer.

To investigate whether cyclic chemotherapy for lung cancer influenced endocrine function, we monitored thyroxine, cortisol, testosterone, sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG), estradiol, FSH, LH, and transcortin every three weeks in 12 male patients. Treatment regimens consisted of cisplatin and etoposide in 9 patients, or vincristine, doxorubicin, and cyclophosphamide in 3 patients. SHBG and FSH level were significantly elevated after 6 to 9 weeks of therapy, whereas the other variables were unchanged. The results suggest that the therapy induces endocrine gonadal dysfunction. The increments in SHBG levels reflect a considerable fall in free testosterone, and may effect alterations in total androgen/estrogen ratios. The mechanism underlying the increased SHBG levels is unknown.

Aged↗
PubMed1989

Thoracoscopic closure of distal bronchopleural fistulas, using tissue glue.

Three patients with distal bronchopleural fistulas, in whom chest tube and drainage did not lead to closure of the fistulas, were successfully treated with tissue glue (Histoacryl), delivered through a thoracoscope. The fistulas were identified by injecting methylene blue through the suction canal of a fibreoptic bronchoscope. Patient 1 had multiple fistulas, needed several treatment sessions, and the effect lasted for 18 months, after which the fistulas recurred. The other two patients showed no sign of recurrence of the fistulas; in one patient until death from other causes after 4 months; and in the other for a follow-up period of 18 months.

Administration, Topical↗
PubMed1988

The diagnosis of adult pneumonia in general practice. The diagnostic value of history, physical examination and some blood tests.

Because of lower respiratory infection that was treated with antibiotics on the suspicion of pneumonia, 71 patients aged 15 years or more were referred to the study by general practitioners. Using a positive chest X-ray as a "gold standard", 15% had pneumonia. The diagnostic value of variables from history, physical examination and blood tests was evaluated by calculating the likelihood ratio (LR). A duration of illness less than 24 hours before consulting the general practitioner was the variable from the history with the highest LR, 13.5. The white blood cell count and particularly the C-reactive protein analysis had a high diagnostic value, CRP greater than 50 mg/l had an LR of 37. In this selected material pulmonary symptoms and lung findings were of minor value in differentiating patients with and without pneumonia, with no LR exceeding 2.3. This can be explained to some extent by selection bias.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1987

High-dose metoclopramide and chlorpromazine in the treatment of cisplatin-induced emesis.

Twenty patients with lung cancer, treated with cisplatin and etoposide, were divided into two groups at random and given antiemetic therapy consisting of either high-dose metoclopramide (MCL) intravenously (8 mg/kg over 7 hours) and chlorpromazine (CPZ) (50 mg orally), or a reduced dose of MCL (6 mg/kg over 7 hours) and CPZ (50 mg orally). Serum MCL concentrations were monitored during the infusions. In the two groups, 33% and 38% vomited during and after the courses, and antiemetic control was achieved in 83% and 75% of the patients. There was no significant difference between the groups, and side effects were negligible. MCL concentrations exceeded 0.7 microgram/ml in all patients, with great inter-individual variation.

Adult↗
PubMed1986

Human alveolar macrophages synthesize the functional alternative pathway of complement and active C5 and C9 in vitro.

Attachment of protein to agarose beads cultured with macrophages in protein-free medium containing 3H-leucine, shows that de novo synthesis of protein with affinity to the beads takes place. We also found that monoclonal antibodies against human C3c, C3g, and a C9-neoantigen as well as polyclonal antibodies against human C5 and C9, bound to agarose beads that had been kept with the macrophage cultures. Demonstration of C3 derivatives on the agarose beads shows that the essential complement factors of the alternative pathway are synthesized and have been activated by the beads. Deposition of C5 and the detection of a neoantigen of C9 on the beads, indicates that the whole terminal complement pathway has been formed and activated. We conclude that human alveolar macrophages form in vitro the functional alternative pathway of complement, C5 and C9, and we have indirect evidence for synthesis of C6, C7, and C8.

Antibodies, Monoclonal↗