Annals of clinical research
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Clinically significant differences between various beta-adrenoceptor blocking drugs exist. Patients with ischaemic heart disease and exertional angina pectoris benefit from all types of beta-blockers. Drugs with intrinsic sympathomimetic action (ISA) given intravenously may be safer in some patients with acute myocardial infarction than those drugs without ISA. ⋯ Non-selective beta-blockers may be advantageous in hypokalaemic arrhythmias. Beta 1-blockers may be preferred for patients with bronchoconstriction, diabetes, peripheral vascular disease and, theoretically to some extent in theory also in patients with hypertension. The extent and nature of side effects may also influence the selection of the most suitable beta-blocker in cardiovascular therapy.
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A prospective study of postoperative infectious complications after open-heart surgery was carried out in 885 patients. A total 200 postoperative infections occurred in 173 patients, an overall incidence was 19.5%. The mortality rate was 0.8%. ⋯ Although E. coli was the causative agent in 37% of postoperative urinary tract infections the incidence of infection by the classical hospital-acquired organisms (klebsiella and pseudomonas) was also high (32%). Postoperative infections caused an average prolongation of hospital stay of 8 days. The increase was shortest for urinary tract infections (5 days) and longest in patients with postoperative mediastinitis (28 days).
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In order to determine the fluidity of erythrocyte membrane ghosts the degree of random orientation of excited diphenylhexatriene molecules (anisotropy) was examined in normal and diabetic juveniles. A small but significant enhancement of diphenylhexatriene anisotropy was observed in diabetic erythrocyte membranes when compared with control (0.184 +/- 0.013 versus 0.152 +/- 0.010). ⋯ Linear relationships were seen between glycosylated hemoglobin and glycosylated membrane proteins (r = 0.767) as well as between glycosylated haemoglobin and membrane anisotropy (r = 0.741). We suggest that membrane protein glycosylation enhancement occurring in diabetes could be one of the reasons of the lowered diabetic erythrocyte membrane fluidity.