Clinical science
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1. The correction of metabolic acidosis with sodium bicarbonate remains controversial. Experiments in vitro have suggested possible deleterious effects after alkalinization of the extracellular fluid. ⋯ Under conditions of initial acidosis this was rapidly followed by intracellular alkalinization. 4. Although intracellular acidification occurs after addition of sodium bicarbonate to a suspension of human leucocytes in vitro, the effect is minimal when the conditions approximate those seen in clinical practice. We suggest that the observed small and transient lowering of intracellular pH is insufficient grounds in itself to abandon the use of sodium bicarbonate in human acidosis.
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Comparative Study
The 67gallium-transferrin pulmonary leak index in pneumonia and associated adult respiratory distress syndrome.
1. The aim of the study was to determine the role of increased microvascular protein permeability, as measured by the 67gallium (Ga)-transferrin pulmonary leak index, in pneumonia and associated adult respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). 2. Eighteen consecutive patients with microbiologically confirmed pneumonia (radiographic infiltrates, purulent sputum) and needing respiratory monitoring (n = 2) or mechanical ventilation (n = 16) in the intensive care unit were studied prospectively. ⋯ The 67Ga-transferrin pulmonary leak index parallels the degree of radiographic, ventilatory and lung mechanical abnormalities of pneumonia and evolving ARDS. The data support the idea that the clinical manifestations of pneumonia culminating in ARDS directly relate to the degree of microvascular injury. Conversely, the pulmonary leak index may be used to monitor the effect of anti-inflammatory drugs in the adjunctive treatment for severe pneumonia aimed at circumventing mechanical ventilation in future studies.
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1. The role of cardiac output limitation in the pathophysiology of exercise in patients with chronic failure remains undefined. During steady-state submaximal exercise, oxygen uptake is similar in patients and control subjects, but it is not known if cardiac output is also similar. ⋯ At the same submaximal workload, patients and control subjects had similar oxygen consumption [0.67 (0.59-0.80) versus 0.62 (0.52-0.82) l/min] and cardiac output [6.92 (5.79-9.76) versus 7.3 (5.99-10.38) l/min] but the patients had a greater perceived level of exertion [Borg score: 4 (1-6) versus 3 (1-5); P < 0.005], higher venous lactate concentration [1.6 (1-3.3) versus 1.14 (0.7-1.7) mmol/l; P < 0.05] and higher heart rate [106 (89-135) versus 87 (69-112) beats/ min; P < 0.005]. 4. During submaximal exercise at a similar absolute workload, patients with cardiac failure have a similar oxygen uptake and cardiac output but greater anaerobiosis and increased fatigue when compared with normal subjects. These findings appear to relate predominantly to changes that occur in the periphery rather than abnormalities of central cardiac function.
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1. Dietary calcium restriction, an efficient practice in reducing urinary calcium excretion, has been reported to induce either an increase or no change in oxalate excretion, questioning its use in hypercalciuric stone-forming patients. In addition, calcium restriction has been previously demonstrated to induce other urinary changes which might influence the relative supersaturation of calcium oxalate. ⋯ Minor changes in magnesium and citrate excretion were also observed. The overall effect on the relative supersaturation of calcium oxalate consisted in a substantial increase in this parameter during the low-calcium diet. 5. In conclusion, our data reinforce the concept that dietary calcium restriction has potentially deleterious effects on lithogenesis, by increasing the relative supersaturation of calcium oxalate.
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1. Periodic breathing is known to be associated with cyclic fluctuations in heart rate. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the capability of spectral analysis of heart rate variability to identify episodes with periodic breathing in patients suspected of having sleep apnoea syndrome. 2. ⋯ The analysis of the episodes classified as false-positive at a given test sensitivity of 90% and a corresponding specificity of 77% revealed that half of these episodes had been recorded during transient central nervous arousal reactions related to periodic leg movements or heavy snoring. 5. We concluded that power spectral analysis of heart rate variability offers a possible means of identifying episodes of sleep-related breathing disorders or periodic leg movements. Therefore, analysis of heart rate variability may be a valuable additional diagnostic tool in patients undergoing Holter-ECG recording.