Subject(s)
Antibodies, Monoclonal/therapeutic use , Liver Transplantation/adverse effects , Lymphoma/etiology , Lymphoma/therapy , Stem Cell Transplantation/methods , Transplantation, Autologous/methods , Adult , Antibodies, Monoclonal, Murine-Derived , Antineoplastic Agents/therapeutic use , Cyclosporine/therapeutic use , Female , Humans , Immunohistochemistry , Prognosis , Remission Induction , Rituximab , Time Factors , Transplantation Conditioning , Treatment OutcomeABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Anticoagulation therapy in the elderly poses some doubts on the possible increase in hemorrhagic risk. The hemorrhagic complications in a population of patients over 70 years of age anticoagulated with acenocoumarol by heart disease were studied. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A study was made of seventy-two patients (43 females and 29 males; mean age: 73 years) anticoagulated for one year and controlled on an outpatient basis by means of INR (international normalized ratio) measurement with a maximal interval of four weeks. INR values above 4.5 or below 2.0 were considered out of range. RESULTS: Nineteen patients had an INR above the recommended value on one occasion and eleven patients on two or more occasions. Sixteen patients had hemorrhagic complications, five were admitted on account of hemorrhages although none of them required transfusional therapy. No cases of brain hemorrhage or peripheral embolism occurred. CONCLUSIONS: Most anticoagulated elderly patients were within their therapeutic range. The percentage of severe hemorrhagic complications was low. Advanced age had did not prove to be a factor against therapy with oral anticoagulants.
Subject(s)
Aged , Anticoagulants/administration & dosage , Heart Diseases/drug therapy , Acenocoumarol/administration & dosage , Acenocoumarol/adverse effects , Administration, Oral , Aged, 80 and over , Anticoagulants/adverse effects , Blood Coagulation Tests , Female , Heart Diseases/complications , Hemorrhage/chemically induced , Humans , Male , Outpatients , Time FactorsABSTRACT
Over the past two years we have performed percutaneous endoscopic feeding gastrostomy (PEFG) in 5 patients, 4 males and 1 female, aged 42 to 89. All of them suffered from either incurable or severe illness which prevented their oral feeding. PEFG was performed following the method described by Gauderer and Ponsky or traction method. Only in one case it was difficult to perform and in another case a second PEFG was needed because of unintentional catheter extraction. PEFG allowed an adequate feeding in all of the patients until their death due to underlying disorder or to other causes during the follow-up period. The complications found included ascites infection in a patient with cirrhosis and pneumoperitoneum which resolved spontaneously in another case. No mortality was observed related to the procedure.
