[Results of an education program for adult asthmatics]. / Resultados de un programa educativo para adultos asmáticos.

Bronchial asthma is a chronically disease with huge social economical consequences. Educational programs, which have been design for asthmatic patients and diminish asthma mobility and reduce medical cost. They also improve the patients quality of life. We show the results of our educational programs for asthmatic adults which were evaluated through a questionnaire applied to these patient one year after the program was introduced. The results show decreased of medicine required asthmatic crisis.

[Results of an educational program for adults with asthma]. / Resultados de un programa educativo para adultos con asma.

BACKGROUND: Asthma is a world health problem. Education of asthmatic patient has been proposed as a choice for diminishing mortality due to asthma. OBJECTIVE: To demonstrate that educational programs for asthmatic patients help to reduce disease's severity, crises and hospitalizations number and encourage a bigger therapeutic compliance. MATERIAL AND METHODS: 80 asthmatic patients were divided into two groups; first one received educational curse and second one does not. All patients received treatment according to international guides, including monthly consultation, flow-meter, and symptoms day book; an initial and final evaluation was made about disease's knowledge. Course consisted of a workshop including crisis management, use of inhaled medication, flow-metry and relaxation techniques. RESULTS: We studied 76 patients, with a mean age of 34 years; 36 were assigned to group 1 and 40 to group 2. Initial assessment of both groups was of 7.8, while final evaluation of groups 1 and 2 was of 9.3 and 8.4, respectively. Group 1 had lesser number of hospitalizations than group 2 (p-0.005), lesser number of emergency consultations (p-0.005) and a higher overall improvement than group 2, in which only 8 patients got well. A third part of the group 1 abandoned treatment, while patients that abandoned treatment in group 2 accounted for 79% (p < 0.0005). CONCLUSIONS: Educational programs for asthmatic adult patients diminish severity of disease, number of crises and hospitalizations, and also increase therapeutic compliance.

[Hyper-IgE syndrome treated with interferon alpha 2 beta. Report of a case]. / Síndrome de hiper IgE con tratamiento de interferón alfa 2 beta. Reporte de un caso.

The hyper IgE syndrome is characterized by recurrent abscess on the skin, and airways and itching dermatitis. The data acquired in the lab is hypergammaglobulinemy, eosinophil in blood, tissue, sputum, with fagocitos, and quimiotaxis defect. Since 1972 it has been reported 150 cases in the world without no geographic difference and 2:1 relation with the masculine gender. The therapeutic ways are even controversial. The therapy with interferon alpha 2 beta is the alternative treatment so diminish the dermis inflammation as the seric IgE reduction. This case shows a patient with the classic clinic data and seric IgE levels who didn't present response to the habitual therapy, because of this. He was the switch to the interferon alpha 2 beta. Later on the therapy it wasesented clinical changes over the symptomatology with reduction in the over seric IgE.

Pyrexia of unknown origin: changing spectrum of diseases in two consecutive series.

Comparison was made of the aetiology and methods of diagnosis in two series of patients meeting the classic criteria of pyrexia of unknown origin during 1968-1981 and during 1982-1989 seen in the Department of Internal Medicine at La Paz University Hospital, Madrid, Spain. There was a statistically significant decrease in the percentage of infections and an increase in neoplasms and connective tissue disorders in the second series. The percentage of patients diagnosed by laparatomy was similar in both series but the diagnosis yield at laparotomy was greater in the second period. Pyrexia of unknown origin continues to be a condition which can defy clinical expertise in in spite of advances in diagnostic techniques.

[Treatment of esophageal candidiasis with fluconazole in acquired immunodeficiency syndrome. Comparative study of 2 therapeutic schemes]. / Tratamiento de la candidiasis esofágica con fluconazol en el síndrome de la inmunodeficiencia adquirida. Estudio comparativo de dos pautas terapéuticas.

BACKGROUND: To evaluate the efficacy and pharmacological safety of 2 therapeutic trials with fluconazole in candida esophagitis in AIDS patients. METHODS: A total of 75 episodes of candida esophagitis in 70 AIDS patients were included in an open prospective study. In group I 36 patients were included who received 200 mg of fluconazole orally the first day followed by 100 mg daily for 4 weeks. In group II (34 patients) the length of treatment was reduced to 10 days with the same daily doses. Therapeutic response was evaluated by esophagoscopy, biopsy and fungal culture. RESULTS: The protocol was completed at 68 episodes with a cure being obtained in all but 2 patients in group II. No significant differences in clinical response were found between the 2 groups. The incidence of oropharyngeal colonization at the end of treatment was greater in patients from group I than from group II (43% vs 11%). Fluconazole was well tolerated in all the patients. A slight alteration of the hepatic enzymes was observed in 29 cases (40%) with a lower incidence in the shorter time group (p less than 0.001), however, treatment was discontinued only in 1 patient because of severe asymptomatic hepatic dysfunction to which a relation with the drug is unclear. CONCLUSIONS: Fluconazole in an efficient and safe agent in the treatment of candida esophagitis in AIDS patients. A 10 day treatment is a useful as longer treatment and has a lower risk of adverse effects.

[Secondary prevention of esophageal candidiasis with fluconazole in acquired immunodeficiency syndrome]. / Profilaxis secundaria de la candidiasis esofágica con fluconazol en el síndrome de inmunodeficiencia adquirida.

In order to evaluate the efficacy of 200 mg single weekly dose of fluconazole in the secondary prophylaxis of esophageal candidiasis in AIDS, 18 patients who had an endoscopic confirmation of cure after an esophageal candidiasis, were studied. Mean follow up period was 12.5 months (limit: 1.5-18) and 11 patients completed prophylaxis for 11.2 months (limit: 2-18). Fluconazole was interrupted in the 7 remaining patients due to different reasons after 10 months and they were followed for 3.2 more months (limit: 1-5). Ten patients relapsed with a total of 17 episodes (7 oropharyngeal and 10 esophageal). Only 4 of the 18 patients (22%) relapsed while on correct prophylactic treatment. On the other hand, 6 out of 7 patients (86%) relapsed in the absence of fluconazole (p less than 0.001). The relapse incidence rate in both groups was 0.09 and 1.46/100 patients/day respectively (p less than 0.001) and its appearance was much earlier (1.3 versus 9.5 months) in patients not receiving prophylaxis. Relapses did not correlate with CD4 cell level, HIV-Ag level, opportunistic infections, use of other drugs or mortality. Fluconazole was interrupted in 3 patients because of alternations in liver enzymes although its relationship with the drug was not confirmed. These results indicate that the administration of Fluconazole 200 mg/week in a single dose is very efficiency in secondary prophylaxis of esophageal candidiasis in AIDS patients.

Safety and efficacy of fluconazole treatment for Candida oesophagitis in AIDS.

The efficacy and safety of fluconazole in the treatment of oesophageal candidiasis in patients with the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) was assessed in 36 patients. Fluconazole, 200 mg orally, was given on the first day, followed by 100 mg daily for 4 weeks. Clinical and mycological evaluation was performed in 31 patients at the end of treatment and 24 were also assessed after 8 weeks of starting treatment. In 1 patient fluconazole was discontinued, 5 patients were lost to follow-up and 6 patients died during the study. Clinical and mycological cure was achieved in all patients; in 31 of 36 patients the clinical picture resolved within a week. The cure was confirmed in 27 patients by oesophagoscopy. Two patients relapsed 1 month after stopping fluconazole but the reinstitution of therapy achieved cure. Asymptomatic fungal oropharynx colonization was evident in about 40% of patients during treatment and follow-up period. Fluconazole was well tolerated by all patients but mild to moderate increase of liver enzymes values occurred in 16. Treatment had to be discontinued in 1 patient with hepatic tuberculosis because of severe liver function abnormalities, but their relation with the drug was uncertain. Fluconazole is an effective and safe treatment of oesophageal candidiasis in AIDS patients.

[Plasma hypoxanthine and intraerythrocytic ATP in umbilical cord blood as markers of perinatal hypoxia]. / La hipoxantina plasmática y el ATP intraeritrocitario en sangre de cordón umbilical como marcadores de hipoxia perinatal.

We determined blood pH, plasma hypoxanthine (Hx) and intraerythrocyte ATP (iATP) concentrations in umbilical cord blood from 20 normal newborn infants (10 delivered by the vaginal route and 10 by caesarean section) and in 18 newborns with clinical signs of perinatal asphyxia (9 with meconium stained amniotic fluid and 9 with fetal bradycardia). Blood pH was significantly lower in infants with clinical signs of perinatal asphyxia (p less than 0.01). Four newborns with meconium or bradycardia had pH values within normal control levels. Hx concentrations were lower in infants delivered by caesarean section with respect to normal infants born by the vaginal route (p less than 0.05). Newborns with meconium or fetal bradycardia showed Hx concentrations higher than normal newborns (p less than 0.01), but 2 infants with signs of perinatal hypoxia had Hx levels within the normal newborn range. All babies with meconium or bradycardia had an iATP concentration lower than control infants (p less than 0.01). These results indicate that: the pH and Hx determinations in the newborn may underestimate hypoxia and, that measurement of iATP may be useful parameters to asses perinatal hypoxia.

[Hemorrhagic syndrome associated with a factor VIII:C inhibitor in a patient with lymphoma]. / Síndrome hemorrágico asociado a un inhibidor del factor VIII:C en un paciente con linfoma.

Acquired hemophilia (idiopathic or secondary) is an uncommon clinical condition. A 70-year-old male had a severe hemorrhagic disorder, and an IgG inhibitor of the factor VIII:C was detected in plasma. During the acute phase he was treated with packed red blood cells, frozen fresh plasma and polyvalent immunoglobulins. The hemorrhagic features subsided but the circulating anticoagulant persisted. The administration of an activated prothrombin complex permitted to make the diagnosis of the underlying disease, a highly malignant T type lymphoma. During the treatment with corticosteroids and polychemotherapy the inhibitor activity disappeared.

[Purine transport through the blood-brain barrier in hypoxanthine phosphoribosyltransferase deficiency]. / Transporte de purinas a través de la barrera hematoencefálica en la deficiencia de hipoxantina fosforribosiltransferasa.

The transfer of purines through the hematoencephalic barrier is poorly understood. Allopurinol inhibits the enzyme xanthine oxidase and increases xanthine and hypoxanthine plasma levels, but it should not increase the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) levels of these purines owing to the absence of xanthine oxidase in the central nervous system (CNS). In the present study we evaluated the plasma and CSF concentrations of uric acid, hypoxanthine, xanthine and inosine in the baseline state and after 7 days of allopurinol administration (5-10 mg/kg/24 h) in 4 patients with hypoxanthine phosphoribosyltransferase (HPRT) deficiency. The CSF uric acid level was positively correlated with its plasma level (r = 0.93, p less than 0.01). The CSF hypoxanthine and xanthine concentrations were, as a mean, 5 and 2 times higher, respectively, in patients with HPRT deficiency than in 4 control individuals. As hypoxanthine basically comes from adenine nucleotides, while xanthine comes from guanine nucleotides, this finding suggests that in the CNS of patients with HPRT deficiency there is a higher degradation level of adenine nucleotides than of guanine nucleotides. Allopurinol increased plasma concentration of hypoxanthine, xanthine and inosine 4, 10 and 3 times, respectively, in relation to baseline values. In CSF, the mean increase of hypoxanthine and xanthine concentration was 17.5 mumol and 7.7 mumol, respectively, whereas inosine level was unchanged. These results suggest that in HPRT deficiency hypoxanthine and xanthine may be transferred to the brain.