Nederlands tijdschrift voor geneeskunde
-
Ned Tijdschr Geneeskd · Sep 2001
Review[Corticosteroid administration for critically ill patients].
In critically ill patients, the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis is usually activated, resulting in elevated plasma cortisol levels. This enables the human organism to cope with sepsis, trauma and other forms of stress. During critical illness, total adrenal insufficiency rarely occurs. ⋯ There are no strict biochemical criteria available to diagnose relative adrenal insufficiency; clinical observation is the decisive factor. In randomised trials with patients in septic shock, a more rapid haemodynamic recovery was obtained with physiological doses of hydrocortisone than with a placebo. The observed haemodynamic response following hydrocortisone administration supports the concept of relative adrenal insufficiency.
-
Ned Tijdschr Geneeskd · Sep 2001
Comment Review[Adjuvant therapies for sepsis and shock: which are more effective?].
Adjuvant therapy for severe sepsis and shock can be divided into 4 groups. The first group comprises those compounds with proven efficacy in human studies (activated protein C and recombinant bacterial permeability-increasing protein). ⋯ The fourth group includes those drugs which have been found to be potentially effective in animal studies, but which have not yet been evaluated in humans (i.e., tyrosine kinase inhibitors, selective inducible nitric oxide synthase inhibitors, polyadenosine-diphosphate-ribose-polymerase and caspase III (apoptosis) inhibitors). Formal clinical comparisons between the various treatment options are necessary to assist the clinician in selecting the appropriate form of therapy.
-
Functional voiding disorders, such as urge incontinence and urine retention, have a high prevalence and often lead to stigmatisation and a diminished quality of life. Patients with idiopathic voiding dysfunctions, for whom conservative treatments are insufficient, can currently be treated with sacral neuromodulation. In sacral neuromodulation a pulse generator is implanted; it is a reversible treatment that can be tested beforehand to evaluate if the patient is eligible for it. ⋯ Over 80% of the implanted patients with a spinal cord injury void without residual urine. Furthermore, continence is restored and the bladder capacity increases. In patients with therapy-resistant functional micturition disorders and in patients with spinal cord injury, neuromodulation and neurostimulation must be considered before invasive surgery is carried out.
-
Ned Tijdschr Geneeskd · Sep 2001
Review[Disease burden of diabetes mellitus type II in the Netherlands: incidence, prevalence and mortality ].
A consistent estimate of the prevalence, mortality and incidence of diabetes mellitus type II in the Netherlands was obtained by combining data from several sources using statistical and modelling techniques. In the Netherlands, the prevalence of diabetes in the age-group 30-74 years is 2.7-3.2%. The prevalence increases with age: for men by 7% per year of age and for women by almost 8% per year of age. ⋯ Diabetic patients account for 12% of the total mortality in men and 18% in women; in 2.5% and 5% of the cases respectively, diabetes is the cause of mortality. If this excess mortality could be eliminated then the life expectancy for men with diabetes would increase by 4.7 years at the age of 45 and for women the corresponding increase would be 6.3 years. The estimated incidence per year increases from 8 per 10,000 men (7 for women) in the age group 40-44 years to 80 per 10,000 men (86 for women) in the age group 75-79 years.
-
Ned Tijdschr Geneeskd · Sep 2001
Review Case Reports[Sodium bicarbonate infusion for intoxication with tricyclic antidepressives: recommended inspite of lack of scientific evidence].
Sodium bicarbonate infusion is widely recommended in textbooks for patients who present with self-poisoning from tricyclic antidepressives. Cardiac conduction disorders could also be treated or prevented by means of such an infusion. The scientific basis for these recommendations was investigated by using Medline to search for publications about clinical studies that supported the use of sodium carbonate; 111 articles were scrutinized. ⋯ Randomized studies in patients have not been carried out. As the toxicity of sodium bicarbonate is low, and its potential benefit appears to be high, we recommend its use, despite the lack of scientific evidence. No recommendations concerning dosing, concentration and the length of the therapy can be provided on the basis of the literature.