תוצאת חיפוש

Reactive Increase in Blood Pressure on Immobilization, but not Hypertension, Prevents Pressure Ulcers

Vladimir Shats, Silvio Kozacov

Geriatric Dept., Rebecca Sieff Hospital, Safed

Of 135 geriatric patients immobilized for at least 2 days, 37 (27.4%) had pressure ulcers (PU). Those without PU were the control comparison group. Gender, length of immobilization, number of blood pressure determinations and proportion with hypertension were similar in those with and without PU. Those with PU were slightly older than those in the comparison group: 75.5±8.8 and 74.7±9.6 years, respectively (p>0.05).

Of 66 patients with acute ischemic stroke, reactive increase of systolic or diastolic blood pressure to 140/90 mm Hg or above following immobilization, was seen in 60.6% and 22.7% of patients, respectively, and there were PU in 12.1%. Of 17 with recurrent ischemic stroke, corresponding figures were: 41.2%, 23.5% (p>0.05), and 47.1% (p<0.01). In 7 patients with previous ischemic stroke corresponding figures were: 14.3% and 0% (p<0.01) and 100% (p<0.001). In 36 operated for fracture of the femur, corresponding figures were: 50%, 11.1% (p>0.05), and 27.8% (p>0.05). For 9 patients with severe infections, sepsis or pneumonia, the corresponding figures were: 22.2% and 0.0% (p>0.05), and 44.4% (p<0.04).

The proportion of patients with reactive increase in systolic blood pressure on immobilization was lower in the PU group than in the controls, 27% vs 59.2%, (p<0.001). The corresponding figures for reactive increase in diastolic blood pressure were similar, 8.1% and 20.4%, respectively (p>0.05).

The mean systolic blood pressure on immobilization was higher in the control than in the PU group, 145.4±21.7 and 130.8±14.9 mm Hg, respectively (p<0.001). The corresponding figures for the mean diastolic blood pressure were similar, 81.2±10.5 and 75.7±8.9 mm Hg, respectively (p<0.01). An increase in systolic blood pressure on immobilization reduced the risk of developing PU (p<0.05).

There was no significant statistical relation between diagnosis of hypertension and proportion of patients with PU (p>0.05). Of 67 patients with hypertension, in 23.9% and 74.6% of them there was no increase in systolic or diastolic blood pressure, respectively. Statistical difference between lack of diastolic or systolic response was very significant (p<0.001).

Reactive increase of blood pressure, but not hypertension, predicts reduced risk of PU on immobilization in the hospitalized elderly. Diminished reactive increase of blood pressure in response to stress of any kind may be a criterion of frailty and reduced physiological reserves. Efforts to reduce elevated blood pressure when a patient is immobilized appear irrational.

Proper use of Pressurized Hand-Held Inhalers in Patients with Chronic Airway Obstruction 

Shabtai Varsano, Ilana Jacoby, Mila Garenkin

Asthma Care and Education Unit, Dept. of Pulmonary Medicine, and Epidemiology Unit, Meir General Hospital, Sapir Medical Center, Kfar Saba; and Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University

Inhaling drugs via hand-held inhalers in recommended for those with chronic obstructive airway disease (COPD). Approximately 8%-9% of Israel's population use hand-held inhalers, many of them pressurized. Skill in using them and ability of chronic users to learn their proper use have not been assessed.

During 1993 and 1994 we studied 200 patients with bronchial asthma or COPD who regularly used a pressurized hand-held inhaler (PI), but were not trained to use it in our out-patient pulmonary clinic. Only a third were found to be skilled in its use. About half were completely unable to use it properly, and 17% used it in a suboptimal way. Remarkably, only 40% had been taught anything with regard to its use. About 75% of the suboptimal users significantly improved their skill in its use immediately after receiving a single individual teaching and corrective demonstration session. While 15% failed to learn the proper use of the PI, many of those who improved immediately after a single teaching session retained the learned skills for months.

We conclude that the physician who recommends the use of a PI is responsible for the patient's being taught its proper use in a demonstration session. Skill in its use should be reassessed periodically during the entire treatment period.

Ambulatory Oral Procedures on Low-Dose Aspirin

Ronen Gaspar, Leon Ardekian, Benyamin Brenner, Micha Peled, Dov Laufer

Dept. of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, and Thrombosis and Hemostasis Unit, Rambam Medical Center, Haifa

Discontinuation of long-term, low-dose aspirin prior to ambulatory oral surgical procedures was assessed in a blind, controlled prospective study. 50 patients on low-dose aspirin who needed dental extractions, periodontal surgery, or other ambulatory oral surgery were randomly divided into test and control groups. The control patients stopped taking aspirin a week before operation, but in the test group aspirin was continued. Before, during and after surgery bleeding time was tested. Although bleeding time was significantly longer when aspirin was continued, in both groups it was within normal limits. Intraoperative hemorrhage was more frequent in those taking aspirin. Hemostasis control posed no problem and there were no postoperative complications in either group. It is concluded that discontinuing low-dose aspirin prior to elective oral surgery is not justified.

Investigating Chest Pain: is there a Gender Bias?

Leonardo Reisin, Chaim Yosefy, Sharon Kleir, Emil Hay, Ronit Peled, Shimon Scharf

Cardiology and Emergency Depts. and Epidemiology Unit, Barzilai Medical Center, Ashkelon (Affiliated with Ben-Gurion University, Beer Sheba)

Ischemic heart disease (IHD) in women is characterized by a higher morbidity and mortality in the peri-infarction and coronary bypass peri-operative periods. These epidemiological data strengthen our impression that the health system unintentionally "ignores" the high proportion of females with IHD.

The process of investigating chest pain, diagnosing IHD, and the subsequent treatment and rehabilitation, seem to differ between the genders. Time elapsed from beginning of chest pain to diagnosis of IHD seems to be longer in women than in men. Personal, educational and social factors are contributory.

Although time elapsed between diagnosis and rehabilitation is usually similar in the genders, peri-operative morbidity and mortality are higher in women. It may be that the higher rates in women are caused by delay in diagnosis and treatment, which allows worsening of the disease in women before treatment. This delay can occur during the time needed for evaluation of chest pain, from the door of the physician to diagnosis and treatment.

In our retrospective study we determined the difference in referral of men and women with chest pain to the emergency department (ED) and the attitude of physicians in the ED and medical department to chest pain in men and in women, including final diagnosis on discharge. 615 patients over 18 years referred to the ED for chest pain during 3 randomly chosen, consecutive months were studied. We found that women constituted only 39.5% of the referred patients, but the proportion hospitalized was similar to that in men. Hospitalized women were older (57.7±18.4 versus 49.7±17.8 years in men), and had more risk factors (4 versus 2 in men). Proportions of specific diagnoses on discharge from hospital were equal in the genders.

To bridge the differences and to implement education in prevention, investigation and treatment of IHD in women, we established the "Female Heart" clinic. The objective of this clinic is to reduce differences in the first step, in the process of evaluating chest pain in women, by educating and encouraging them to present early to their physicians, and by changing physicians' attituin the investigation of chest pain in women. We plan to determine in a prospective study if these goals are.

Spontaneous Internal Jugular Vein Thrombosis Complicating Chronic Pulmonary Disease

Nir Hilzenrat, Edit Liberty, Luna Avnon

Depts. of Medicine B and E, and Pulmonary Disease Unit, Soroka Medical Center, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer Sheba

Spontaneous internal jugular thrombosis is a rare vascular disorder. It usually occurs as a result of external pressure due to a tumor, infection or as a result of damage to the vessel wall after trauma or central venous catheterization. We report a 35-year-old woman who suffered from severe pulmonary hypertension due to chronic cystic lung disease. She was admitted due to sudden, severe, right-sided neck pain. Internal jugular occlusion by a thrombus was demonstrated by ultrasound and CT-scans but no apparent cause was found. We postulated that the important factors in the development of her thrombosis were stasis due to pulmonary hypertension and high blood viscosity.

Kaleidoscopic Autoimmunity

Yehuda Shoenfeld

Unit for Study of Autoimmune Diseases and Medical Dept. B, Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer, and Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University

We describe an 18-year-old girl with idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP) who developed chronic active hepatitis following splenectomy that cured the ITP. This is a phenomenon in which an organ belonging to the immune system is resected, which results in cure of one autoimmune disease but in the emergence of another, apparently unrelated, second autoimmune disease. We refer to this phenomenon as kaleidoscopic autoimmunity, explaining that some autoimmune diseases are not induced by autoantigen-driven mechanisms, but rather result from immune dysregulation.

Epidemiology of Invasive Hemophilus Influenzae B Infections in Bedouins and Jews; Conjugate Hib Vaccines

Limor Gortzak-Uzan*, Drora Fraser, Ron Dagan

Pediatric Infectious Disease Unit and Dept. of Epidemiology, Soroka Medical Center and Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer Sheba

From 1989 to 1996, 139 cases of invasive Hemophilus influenzae B (Hib) infections were identified in children in the Negev, 110 of which occurred before introduction of the conjugate vaccine (1989-92). At that time there were 60.5 cases of Hib per 100,000 in the Negev among children under 5 years of age. During 1995-1996, when Hib conjugate vaccine was part of the regular immunization program, Hib decreased to 6.5 cases per 100,000 in that age group. The effectiveness of PRP-OMP vaccine was 96.5% among Jews and 89% among Bedouins, and the efficacy of the immunization program was 99.99%. This degree of success exceeded all expectations based on the literature. During the whole study period, Hib infections were more frequent among Bedouins than Jews. There was no significant difference in the occurrence of Hib among Jews in the Negev before and after the vaccine was introduced. Hib among Bedouins in the Negev was significantly more frequent than in the Israeli population as a whole before the vaccine was introduced. That gap narrowed after the vaccine was introduced because of the decrease in morbidity among the 2 groups.

* Medical student.

Trisomy 18 Anomalies on Sonography and Calculated Risk of Chromosomal Abnormalities During First Trimester

Ron Maymon, Arie Herman, Eli Dreazen, Mati Glasner, Zvi Weinraub

Ultrasound Unit, Dept. of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Assaf Harofeh Medical Center, Zrifin, and Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University; and Women's Health Center, Kupat Holim, Holon Branch, Tel Aviv-Jaffa District

Trisomy 18 is a chromosomal disorder giving multiple anomalies. Its frequency depends on maternal age. We report a 28-year-old woman in her first pregnancy, who underwent first trimester scanning for screening. Due to increased nuchal translucency and exomphalos, chorionic villous sampling was performed. Cytogenetic diagnosis was trisomy 18 and termination of pregnancy was carried out immediately.

Massive Pulmonary Embolism

Ron Ben Abraham, Eran Segal, Dov Freimark, Elinor Goshen, Hanoch Hod, Jacob Lavee, Zvi Ziskind, Azriel Perel

Depts. of Anesthesiology and Intensive Care, Cardiology, Nuclear Medicine and Cardiac Surgery, Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer and Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University

Pulmonary embolism is a common event in hospitalized patients. In some cases it presents with hemodynamic collapse, indicating massive obliteration of the pulmonary vasculature and has a very grim prognosis; 2/3 of such patients die within 2 hours of onset of symptoms. We describe our experience in 13 patients with massive pulmonary embolism. An aggressive diagnostic and therapeutic approach, utilizing sophisticated imaging techniques, thrombolytic therapy and surgery, led to the survival of 8 of the patients. Our experience supports an aggressive approach in these seriously ill patients.

Drowning in Israel: 1990-1992

R. Goldman, G. Kaplan, R. Gurvich, V. Barell

Pediatric Division, Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer; and Health Services Research Unit, Israel Ministry of Health

There are no epidemiolostudies of drowning in Israel in the scientific literature, despite prominent reports in the media. We analthe extent of mortality from drowning in Israel during 1990-92, attempting to identify and characterize groups at high risk, and to determine trends and differences between Israel and other countries. Computerized death certificate files were provided by the Israel government Central Bureau of Statistics; deaths from drowning were included among external causes codes E-830, 832, E-910, E-954, E-964, E-984.

In Israel, as in the United States, mortality from drowning is the fourth cause of death among all unintentional causes, and the second cause in age-groups 1-24, ranking after transport accidents. During 1990-92 there were 1.2 drownings a year/100,000 population. The highest rates were found among young non-Jews 15-24 years old (7.8/100,000) and among elderly Jews (3.5/100,000). Unintentional drowning accounted for 89% of all deaths; while about 10% were defined as suicides. Males had a rate almost 3 times greater than females, and the among Arabs was 2.4 times greater than among Jews. The 1990-92 drowning rate was slightly lower than in previous years.

Drowning rates in Israel are lower than in the United States, except in the elderly. Apparently the principal reason for this difference is difference in sites of drowning. In Israel most drownings occur in the sea, so site data are unavailable for international comparisons. Careful consideration of the categories (E-codes) included in the rates, and of local registration procedures, is necessary for international comparisons.

Foreign workers, tourists and other nonresidents are not included in national vital statistics. But estimations based on Ministry of Interior sources show that foreign workers (most, recent arrivals) during the last few years are an extremely high risk group. Population-based drowning rates are not an accurate estimation of drowning risk, since universal exposure to the "opportunity to drown" is assumed.

Changes in Structure and Process Components of Trauma Care in Emergedepartments

Rephael Joseph Heruti, Ron Ben-Abraham, Yanir Abramovitch, Michael Stein, Joshua Shemer, Baruch Marganit

Trauma Control, Israeli Center for Disease Control (ICDC), Israel Ministry of Health and Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University

In recent years there have been tremendous efforts to improve primary trauma care. The Ministry of Health and other authorities have invested in new trauma facilities in various hospitals. A nationwide survey with regard to structure and function of emergency departments was carried out. Compared to a similar survey conducted in 1992, significant progress in quality and quantity of equipment at various emergency departments was demonstrated. However, there are still differences between various hospitals. A drive to standardize trauma care will undoubtedly contribute to improvement in care of the injured.

Israel's ATLS Program: Summary and Outlook

Ron Ben Abraham, Michael Stein, Yoram Kluger, Gideon Paret, Avraham Rivkind, Joshua Shemer

Medical Dept., Israel Defense Forces and Israel Trauma Society

In recent years a vigorous effort has been made to improve quality of primary trauma care in Israel. Advanced trauma life support courses (ATLS) were given to physicians throughout the country, regardless of their specialties. In 7 years 4229 physicians participated in 202 courses with an average success rate of 76%. In the future, issues such as mandatory vs. voluntary training, language barriers, and continuous decline of knowledge should be addressed if momentum is to be maintained.

Propofol Anesthesia for Craniotomy in Patients who are Awake

Ron Ben Abraham, Noah Lieberman, Zvi Ram, Sylvia Klempner, Azriel Perel

Depts. of Anesthesia and Intensive Care and of Neurosurgery, Chaim Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer and Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University

During craniotomy, the patient's cooperation is needed during procedures in which continuous neurological examination and mapping of crucial regions close to the area to be resected area are required. We report our experience in 9 patients who underwent such procedures under intravenous propofol as the main sedating agent. This short-acting hypnotic was administered prior to and during the painful stages of the procedure. Patients were fully asleep when the skull was opened and the dural flap raised or excised. During the rest of the operation patients were lightly sedated but remained responsive and cooperative. This enabled precise intra-operative mapping of the brain and surgery-related neurological deficits were avoided. Respiratory depression or hemodynamic compromise were not encountered. All patients were comfortable during the operation and there were no additional neurological deficits after operation. We believe that propofol should be the main sedating agent used for these procedures.

Local Treatment of Purulent Chronic Otitis Media with Ciprofloxacin

Ludwig Podoshin, Alexander Brodzki, Milo Fradis, Jacob Ben-David, Josef Larboni, Isaac Srugo

Dept. of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Microbiology Unit and Dept. of Pharmacology, Bnai-Zion Medical Center, and Bruce Rappaport Faculty of Medicine, The Technion, Haifa

We evaluated the efficacy of ciprofloxacin eardrops compared to tobramycin and to a placebo in the treatment of chronic suppurative otitis media. 60 ears were randomly assigned to treatment for 3 weeks with ciprofloxacin, tobramycin or placebo eardrops. The organism most commonly isolated from the ear discharge was Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The clinical responses were 78.9% and 72.2%, respectively, in the ciprofloxacin and tobramycin groups, while it was only 41.2% in the placebo group. Treatment with ciprofloxacin eardrops seemed to be at least as efficient as treatment with tobramycin. Considering the lack of ototoxicity of ciprofloxacin, this treatment may be best for chronic otitis media.

Pyogenic Liver Abscess in Children

R. Spiegel, D. Miron, Y. Horovitz

Dept. of Pediatrics A and Infectious Disease Unit, HaEmek Medical Center, Afula, and Technion Faculty of Medicine, Haifa

2 children with pyogenic liver abscesses were hospitalized during the past 2 years. A 6-year-old boy had high fever and hepatomegaly, and a large liver abscess was found in the right hepatic lobe. Streptococcus milleri was isolated from the pus. Treatment with a combination of prolonged drainage of the abscess and antibiotic therapy was successful. A 4-month-old girl who had prolonged fever was found to have osteomyelitis of 3 thoracic vertebrae and 2 liver abscesses in the right lobe. She was treated successfully with broad spectrum antibiotics. Additional workup revealed that she had chronic granulomatous disease.