ABSTRACT
Eleven subjects, aged between 15 and 60 years, presenting with diffuse infiltrative lung disease (DILD) and progressive dyspnoea, underwent an open lung biopsy (OLB). The authors feel that OLB does give a confidence to the treating physician to begin with a specific therapy in the form of steroids. But, as a matter of fact, at most health care delivery centres in the country, facilities for OLB are not available. Hence, the specific therapy should be instituted presumptively following an overall suggestion of disease based upon the clinical, physiological (chiefly comprising the pulmonary function test or PFT) and the radiological criteria, so that progression of disease could be arrested at an early stage.
Subject(s)
Adolescent , Adult , Biopsy/methods , Dyspnea/diagnosis , Female , Humans , Lung Diseases, Interstitial/complications , Male , Middle AgedABSTRACT
A total of 29 subjects were studied which included 18 heart failure and 11 matched control cases. The underlying heart disease in heart failure cases was mostly chronic rheumatic valvular disease. The diagnosis of heart disease and heart failure was made on the basis of clinical examination, supplemented by electrocardiography, chest skiagram and echo cardiography. The serotonin status was assessed by measuring platelet serotonin uptake, intraplatelet serotonin content and whole blood 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) levels. Blood platelet count was also done. In heart failure cases, platelet count were significantly less, the platelet 5-HT uptake and blood 5-HT levels remain unaltered. These findings indicate that platelet pool of serotonin does not contribute to raised serotonin blood levels in heart failure. The high blood serotonin levels may be due to either clearance defect or enhanced secretion from the gut or both. The altered serotonin kinetics in platelets also indicate a state of platelet activation in heart failure.
Subject(s)
Adult , Age Factors , Cardiac Output, Low/blood , Female , Humans , Male , Matched-Pair Analysis , Serotonin/blood , Sex FactorsABSTRACT
A 12 lead electrocardiogram in 70 patients with tropical pulmonary eosinophilia showed abnormalities 28.57%. ECG changes observed were right axis deviation (10%), 'P' pulmonale (10%), clockwise rotation (5.7%), right ventricular hypertrophy (1.4%), partial RBBB (2.8%), first degree A-V block (1.4%) and ST-T changes (1.4%). All ECG changes reverted back to normal after diethyl carbamzine therapy in the dose of 10 mg/kg body weight for a total duration of 14 days.