Fatigue, sleepiness, and physical activity in patients with multiple sclerosis.

Fatigue is a frequent and disabling symptom in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). The objective of the study was to compare fatigue and sleepiness in MS, and their relationship to physical activity. Eighty patients with MS rated the extent of experienced fatigue (Fatigue Severity Scale, FSS) and sleepiness (Epworth Sleepiness Scale, ESS). The relationship between the scales was analysed for the scales as a whole and for single items. The clinical status of the patients was measured with the Extended Disability Status Scale (EDSS). In addition, physical activity was recorded continuously for 1 week by wrist actigraphy. The mean scores of fatigue and sleepiness were significantly correlated (FSS vs. ESS r=0.42). Single item analysis suggests that fatigue and sleepiness converge for situations that demand self-paced activation, while they differ for situations in which external cues contribute to the level of activation. While fatigue correlated significantly with age (r=0.40), disease severity (EDSS, r=0.38), and disease duration (r=0.25), this was not the case for sleepiness. Single patient analysis showed a larger scatter of sleepiness scores in fatigued patients (FSS>4) than in non-fatigued patients. Probably, there is a subgroup of MS patients with sleep disturbances that rate high on ESS and FSS. The amount of physical activity, which was measured actigraphically, decreased with disease severity (EDSS) while it did not correlate with fatigue or sleepiness.

Indium-111-leukocyte imaging in acute cholecystitis.

Eleven patients with suspected acute cholecystitis underwent sequential 99mTc-iminodiacetic derivative (IDA) and 111In-white blood cell (WBC) imaging to determine if 111In-WBCs accumulate within an acutely inflamed hemorrhagic gallbladder wall and, thus, could be employed as a reasonable alternative to 99mTc-IDA scintigraphy in detecting acute cholecystitis. Seven patients had surgically confirmed acute cholecystitis. Of these cases, five had a true-positive 99mTc-IDA and 111In-WBC, one an indeterminate 111In-WBC and true-positive 99mTc-IDA, and one a true-positive 111In-WBC and false-negative 99mTc-IDA scan. The remaining four patients did not have acute cholecystitis. All visualized their gallbladder within 1 hr after 99mTc-IDA administration and none had 111In-WBC gallbladder wall uptake. Both 111In-WBC and 99mTc-IDA scintigraphy accurately detected acute cholecystitis: hepatobiliary scintigraphy demonstrated a cystic duct obstruction and 111In-WBC imaging detected the inflammatory infiltrate within the gallbladder wall. The sensitivity and specificity of each was 86% and 100%, respectively.

[Biomedical materials and products]. / Materialy i wyroby biomedyczne.

The authors present propositions of definitions and repartition of biomedical materials and products. After a historical review particular groups of biomedical materials were discussed, with special regard to implants.