ABSTRACT
Water loading was used as a diagnostic test in the study of renal excretion of water and sodium during the clinical stages of cirrhosis of the liver in 25 patients free from clinical and instrumental signs of ascites, 26 with treatable ascites, and 14 with intractable ascites. The water load consisted of 20 cc/kg water administered i.v. as a 5% glucose solution. Examination of diuresis in the ensuring 5 hr showed that: 1) clearance of free water is the most sensitive parameter for the detection of patients at short-term risk for the onset of ascites; 2) very low urinary sodium is an indicator of refractory ascites, whereas values are virtually the same and higher in subjects without ascites or with treatable forms; 3) chloruresis in only reduced significantly in cirrhosis with refractory ascites.
Subject(s)
Ascites/physiopathology , Liver Cirrhosis/physiopathology , Liver Cirrhosis/urine , Sodium/urine , Water/metabolism , Ascites/urine , Chlorides/urine , Diuresis , Humans , Kidney Function TestsABSTRACT
Changes in blood ferritin during divided dose parenteral iron therapy and the importance of ferritin evaluation in iron-deficiency anaemia were investigated in 20 women and 10 men with this diagnosis through withdrawals before and after treatment. In 6 subjects, blood ferritin values enabled the presence of iron deficiency to be ruled out, since they were high at the first control (in agreement with the histological examination of the marrow in the search for iron deposits). In sideropenic males, the difference between values at the time of diagnosis and those of normal controls was significant (p less than 0.001). The absence of this finding in the females may have been due to over-low values in the normal controls. Blood ferritin values during therapy gradually rose until its termination. The conclusion is drawn that at any rate in males the determination of blood ferritin can be a useful aid in the diagnosis of iron-deficiency anaemia, and in the demonstration of normal reserves after treatment.
Subject(s)
Anemia, Hypochromic/blood , Ferritins/blood , Iron/administration & dosage , Adult , Aged , Anemia, Hypochromic/diagnosis , Anemia, Hypochromic/drug therapy , Female , Humans , Infusions, Parenteral , Iron/blood , Male , Middle AgedABSTRACT
A case of paraneoplastic DIC syndrome (asymptomatic carcinoma of the gastric fundus with multiple metastases) is described. Initially, differential diagnosis hesitated before thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (Moschowitz' syndrome), given the presence of grave microangiopathic haemolytic anaemia as a major symptom. The main characteristics of Moschowitz' syndrome and the most frequent causes of DIC are described in the discussion.
Subject(s)
Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation/pathology , Paraneoplastic Syndromes/pathology , Stomach Neoplasms/pathology , Aged , Cardia , Diagnosis, Differential , Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation/diagnosis , Female , Humans , Neoplasm Metastasis , Paraneoplastic Syndromes/diagnosis , Purpura, Thrombotic Thrombocytopenic/diagnosis , Stomach Neoplasms/diagnosisABSTRACT
Glucagon hydrochloride has been used to treat severe contractile insufficiency of the myocardium. The drug was administered to cardiopathic patients who had been admitted to the intensive care unit. Results in the various groups examined were satisfactory, particularly in cases of patients with valve diseases and with chronic pulmonary heart and cardiac insufficiency recalcitrant to digitalis therapy. No important side-effects were noted.