תוצאת חיפוש

Oral Anticoagulation Therapy in the Primary Care Setting

Shlomo Vinker, Sasson Nakar, Sergei Finkel, Emanuel Nir, Eitan Hyam

Family Medicine Dept., Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University; and Shaaraim Clinic, General Sick Fund, Rehovot; Central Cinical Laboratories, and District Medical Director, Central District of the General Sick Fund

The use of oral anticoagulant therapy (OAT) to prevent thromboembolism has been widespread in recent years. The concept of high- and low-intensity regimens has facilitated treatment for many, and has lowered the hazards of overly intense anticoagulation. However, a significant proportion of patients suited to the low intensity regimen are not being treated. It is not clear whether its wider use is limited by continued debate, lack of resources, lack of expertise, or other causes. We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of 32 patients treated with OAT administered in the primary care setting. The average age was 66±11 years (range 34-84). 9 were treated with high-intensity OAT: 8 due to artificial heart valves, and 1 due to a hypercoagulable syndrome with recurrent thromboembolism. 23 were treated with low-intensity OAT, 17 of whom had atrial fibrillation. 11 were also being treated continuously with other medication which interacted with OAT or interfered with other coagulation pathways. Such medication included: aspirin, dipyridamole, amiodarone, bezafibrate and allopurinol. Of 414 coagulation tests, 57% and 65% were in the therapeutic range in the high- and low-intensity OAT groups, respectively. There was no major bleeding event, but in 2 of 8 who bled, gastrointestinal bleeding led to hospitalization. Treatment was discontinued in 1 patient because of difficulties in achieving target INR, and in the 2 hospitalized for bleeding. The percentages of test results in, above and below the therapeutic range were similar to those in other large series, for both intensity regimens. We found that a significant proportion of patients were under chronic treatment with other medication which interacted with OAT. To estimate the rate of complications in primary care OAT, larger series are needed. We conclude that OAT can be given and monitored by the family physician, and that awareness of long and short term drug interactions with OAT is mandatory.

Laser photorefractive surgery

Y. Domniz, L. Hefetz, D. Haviv, U. Kibersky, D. Karkovski, P. Nemet

Dept. of Ophthalmology, Assaf Harofeh Medical Center, Zerifin and Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University

As photorefractive keratectomy (PRK) with excimer laser gains world-wide acceptance, more patients are able to discard their spectacles. Our study comprised 611 eyes which underwent PRK and were followed for at least a year. Those with myopia up to -6.00D had better post-operative visual acuity and refraction, than patients with higher grades of myopia. They had less corneal haze and a greater proportion were satisfied with their results. Complaints of halos and glare were similar at all degrees of myopia up to -10.00D.

Pulmonary Alveolar Micro-Lithiasis Presenting With Prolonged Cough

I. Barshack, M. Krupsky, M. Perelman, J. Kopolovic

Institute of Pathology and Dept. of Pulmonary Diseases, Chaim Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer and Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University

A 40-year-old man had been followed in the pulmonary clinic for prolonged cough. Chest X-ray showed bilateral diffuse interstitial infiltrates with accentuation toward the bases. CT-scan demonstrated a fine diffuse reticulonodular pattern. Transbronchial lung biopsy showed pulmonary alveolar microlithiasis, a rare disease characterized by the presence of concentric calcifications within the pulmonary alveoli. This is the second case of the disease reported in Israel.

Reporting Maternal Behavior during Diarrhea in Bedouin Children

Natalya Bilenko, Amalia Levy, Drora Fraser

Epidemiology and Health Services Evaluation Unit, S. D. Abraham International Center for Health and Nutrition, Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer Sheba

Diarrhea is still a major cause of morbidity and mortality among children in developing countries. The Bedouin population of southern Israel is in transition from a nomadic to a settled life-style. We examined maternal knowledge and reported behavior when their children had diarrhea. Mothers defined diarrhea as the passing of 4-5 stools per day. The most frequent signs of the illness were an increased number of watery stools with changes in either color or form. The most frequent symptom that prompted mothers to seek medical aid was blood in the stool. All mothers reported increasing fluid intake in their children during diarrhea, and most reported giving herbal tea. About half of the women avoided milk products and used special for the treatment of diarrhea. A quarter of the women reported stopping or decreasing the frequency of breast feeding during diarrhea. Reported cessation of breast feeding during diarrhea was associated with changing to special foods, and failure to note the onset of diarrhea or to recognize signs of dehydration. The withdrawal of breast feeding during episodes of illness and diarrhea is related to lack of knowledge regarding diarrhea. These data indicate that even in this population, with free access to preventive and curative medical care, there should be greater efforts to educate mothers to detect diarrheal disease and to maintain breast feeding during the diarrhea.

Magnetic Resonance Imaging for Suspected Femoral Neck Fractures

M. Kligman, M. Roffman

Dept. of Orthopedic Surgery, Carmel Medical Center, Haifa

Painful hip as a result of injury, with or without a history of trauma, is a common reason for referring elderly patients to the emergency room. The diagnosis of femoral neck fracture requires the combination of a physical examination, X-rays, and in problematic cases, a bone scan. However, even this combination does not always provide a diagnosis. We present 50 patients with painful hip who complained of limp and reduced hip joint motion, but had no evidence of fracture, either on X-ray or bone scan. After conservative treatment, 5 patients with no history of trauma underwent hemiarthroplasty of the hip for displaced subcapital fracture. In addition, we present a case of subcapital fracture which was diagnosed only by MRI, in whom both X-rays and bone scan were considered normal.

ATLS Course in Emergency Medicine for Physicians?

Ron Ben-Abraham, Michael Stein, Yoram Kluger, Amir Blumenfeld, Avraham Rivkind, Joshua Shemer

Medical Corps, Israel Defense Forces; and Trauma Units of Sourasky Medical Center and Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, and of Hadassah Hospital, Jerusalem

Implementation of Advanced Trauma Life Support (ATLS) skills among practicing physicians and its perceived utility in their civilian practices, as well as in their potential army combat assignments, was evaluated. 177 physicians in various subspecialties, who were graduates of ATLS training courses, answered a specially designed telephone questionnaire. An unexpectedly high percentage of physicians (47%) had used their ATLS training when called to treat trauma victims. 67% of physicians stressed the contribution of the ATLS course to enhancing their skills. We believe that a properly designed ATLS course for general practitioners would be very beneficial for trauma victims.

Liver Allografts from Donors older than 60: Benefits and Risks

Eytan Mor, Dan Shmueli, Ziv Ben-Ari, Nathan Bar-Nathan, Ezra Sharabani, Alexander Yussim, Boris Dorfman, Ran Tur-Kaspa, Zaki Shapira

Transplantation Dept. and Institute of Liver Diseases, Rabin Medical Center, Beilinson Campus; and Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University

With limited organ resources and an increasing number of candidates for liver transplantation, the world-wide trend is towards using liver allografts from donors older than 60 years. This strategy, however, may be hazardous because of the known correlation between advanced donor age and graft dysfunction. Since January 1996, each of 5 patients received a liver allograft from a donor older than 60 years. Preservation time in these cases was shortened as much as possible and liver allografts were used only if there were no other potential risk factors for primary nonfunction. Mean cold ischemic time was significantly shorter in this donor group (7.8 hrs) than for livers from 28 younger donors (10.2 hour; p<0.01). 3 of the 5 grafts from older donors had normal function immediately. The other 2 initially had biochemical features of preservation injury, but graft function returned to normal within the first week after transplantation. All 5 patients currently have normal graft function, with follow-up ranging from 3-8 months. There was no difference between the 5 recipients of grafts from older donors and 28 adult recipients of grafts from younger donors in extent of preservation injury and in immediate graft function. We conclude that in countries with limited organ resources, such as Israel, liver allografts from older donors can be used within defined limits and minimal preservation time.

Gastrografin for Mechanical Partial, Small Bowel Obstruction due to Adhesions

A. Assalia, D. Kopelman, H. Bahous, Y. Klein, M. Hashmonai

Dept. of Surgery B, Rambam Medical Center and Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Faculty of Medicine, Haifa

The therapeutic effect of astrografin is occasionally mentioned in the literature. However, this effect has not been objectively evaluated. We studied prospectively the effect of Gastrografin in cases of adhesive, simple, partial, small bowel obstruction (SBO) compared to conventional management. During 3 years, a total of 137 episodes of simple, partial SBO in 127 patients (10 recurrent episodes) were treated. The episodes were randomized into a control group(80 episodes) treated conventionally, and a trial group (77 episodes), which received in addition 100 ml of Gastrografin administered through the nasogastric tube. The two groups were well-matched with regard to age, gender, weight, medical and surgical background and duration of complaints before admission. Time to first stool and resolution of obstruction, complications, need for surgery, and hospital stay were noted. Mean time to first stool was significantly shorter in the trial group: 6.2±3.9 hours vs 23.5±12.7 (p<.0001). Mean hospital stay for unoperated patients was also shorter in the trial group: 2.7±2 days vs 5.5±2 days, (p<.0001). In addition, significantly fewer episodes in the trial group required operation, 10.4 vs 26.7% (p<0.013). 1 patient in each group died following operation. There were no Gastrografin-related complications and it was effective and safe for adhesive, partial, simple SBO. It significantly speeds resolution of obstruction, reduces the need for operation, and shortens convalescence.

Recurrent Chronic Multifocal Bone Infection

Mordechai Kligman, Benny Bernfeld, Moshe Roffman

Dept. of Orthopedic Surgery, Carmel Medical Center, Haifa

We present a 9-year-old girl who had chronic recurrent multifocal osteomyelitis. The bones involved were: right clavicle, distal fibula (bilateral), left sacroiliac and right wrist. After 10 years of follow-up, she is asymptomatic but presents radiological evidence of lesions in the right clavicle and left sacroiliac joint. The diagnosis was made by exclusion criteria. The biopsy and results of cultures from various bones were negative 4 times. Although chronic recurrent multifocal osteomyelitis is rare, it should be considered in the differential diagnosis of acute or chronic osteomyelitis and neoplasms. Its recognition avoids unnecessary laboratory tests and antibiotic therapy.

Toxic Shock Syndrome

Gadi Fishman, Dov Ophir

ENT and Head Neck Surgery Dept., Meir Hospital, Kfar Saba

Toxic shock syndrome (TSS) is a rare, life-threatening, acute multisystem illness usually characterized by sudden onset of high fever, diffuse sunburn-like erythroderma and a variety of other signs and symptoms. It may progress rapidly to hypotension and shock with multiple organ failure. Its exact cause is unknown, but in almost all cases there has been an infection with exotoxin-producing strains of phage group I Staphylococcus aureus. Although initially described in association with the use of super-absorbent tampons in menstruation, TSS has complicated a variety of surgical procedures. Recently in head and neck surgery attention has focused on absorbent packing materials, such as those used in postoperative nasal care.

TSS developed in a 12-year-old 28 hours after tonsillectomy, nasal septoplasty and inferior turbinectomy in which absorbent packing material was used. It is important to maintain a high index of suspicion for TSS in all postoperative patients with fever, hypotension and erythroderma.

Seminiferous Tubule Cytological Pattern in Infertile, Azoospermic Men in Diagnosis and Therapy

David B. Weiss, Shoshana Gottschalk-Sabag, Elchanan Bar-On, Zvi Zukerman, Yigal Gat, Benjamin Bartoov

Male Infertility and Cytology Units, Shaare Zedek Medical Center, Jerusalem; Andrology Unit, Rabin Medical Center (Beilinson Campus), Petah Tikva and Male Infertility Laboratory, Dept. of Life Sciences, Bar-Illan University, Ramat Gan

We determined spermatogenic patterns of seminiferous tubules in azoospermic infertile men and evaluated the prevalence of bilateral testicular homogeneity. 185 azoospermic men underwent bilateral testicular fine-needle aspiration (TFNA) in which each testis was punctured at 3 different positions. Aspirated material was stained and classified according to the most mature spermatogenic cell type present or whether only Sertoli cells were present. 35.7% had spermatozoa in their testes, 36.2% had spermatogenic maturation arrest, and 28.1% had only Sertoli cells in their seminiferous tubules. In 15.6% of all patients, the diagnosis in 1 testis differed from that in the other. In only 73.2% of those with testicular spermatozoa was it bilateral. In the remaining 26.9%, only Sertoli cells, spermatocytes or spermatids were found as the most mature cell type in the other testis. The study definitely indicates that fertilization with retrieved testicular spermatozoa should not be offered to azoospermic patients without prior evaluation of the seminiferous tubue spermatogenic pattern in both testes.

Red Cell Na+/H+ Exchange and Role of Protein Kinase C in its Stimu-Lation in Diabetes Mellitus, Essential Hypertension and Nephropathy

Wladimir Koren, Robert Koldanov, Edna Peleg, Eva Izsak, Meir Berezin, Talma Rosenthal

Dept. of Medicine C, Hypertension Unit and Endocrinology Institute, Chaim Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer

Na+/H+ exchange (NHE) was measured as maximal initial velocity of pH-dependent H+ efflux from red cells into an alkaline medium containing Na+ in patients with insulin-dependent or noninsulin-dependent diabetes, with and without hypertension and in normoglycemic, essential hypertensives and normal controls (50 subjects in each subgroup). Maximal velocities of NHE were found in microalbuminuric patients in all subgroups, and NHE correlated with the rate of microalbuminuria (r=0.61, p=0.02). Daily insulin requirements were greater in those with elevated NHE (84±8 vs 42±4 U/day). There was no correlation between NHE and levels of plasma glucose, HbA1 and plasma aldosterone and lipid profile and PRA. NHE was correlated with plasma prolactin (r=0.51, p=0.02) and PTH r=0.24, p=0.05). In uremic patients, NHE was inversively correlated with creatinine clearance (r=-0.48, p=0.03). Since calphostin C, a selective inhibitor of protein kinase C, lowered increased NHE in vitro, the protein kinase C-dependent pathway of the exchanger regulation was concluded to be responsible for NHE activation in diabetes mellitus and essential hypertension.

Glenoid Fossa Fracture

M. Kligman, M. Roffman

Dept. of Orthopedic Surgery, Carmel Medical Center, Haifa

4 patients with displaced intra-articular glenoid fossa were treated either surgically or conservatively. After an average follow-up of 7 years, the clinical and radiographic results were satisfactory in all. The 2 treated surgically required shorter follow-up than those treated conservatively. Conservative treatment should be considered a good option for displaced intra-articular glenoid fossa fracture.

Epidemiologic Characteristics of Pediatric Emergency Room Referral and Hospitalization for Diarrhea in the Negev

Moni Benifla, Drora Fraser, Zvi Weizman, Amalia Levy, Ron Dagan

Dept. of Epidemiology and Health Services Evaluation and S. Daniel International Center for Health and Nutrition, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, and Pediatric Dept. and Pediatric Infectious Disease Unit, Soroka Medical Center and Ben-Gurion University of the Negev

Diarrheal diseases weigh heavily on the health of children, especially in developing countries, but also impose burdens on health care services worldwide. This study was performed to determine whether patterns of referrals in the Negev to the pediatric emergency room (PER) for diarrhea differ between the Jewish and Bedouin populations of the Negev, and the extent of the burden imposed on the PER and in-hospital services in the Negev. Characteristics of referrals and hospitalizations were examined from March 1994 to February 1995. Of the 27,834 referrals to the PER for children under 16, 2518 (9%) had diarrhea and there were 5,169 hospital admissions, 701 (13.6%). The annual rates of referral were 146 per 10,000 in Jews and 225 in Bedouin, giving an odds ratio (OR) of 1.5 (p<0.001). for Bedouin. The rates of hospitalization were 23 per 10,000 in Jews and 99 in Bedouin (OR 4.4, p<0.001). 1380 (54.8%) of the PER referrals were of infants under a year of age. For hospitalization, the annual rates were 164 per 10,000 in Jews and 756 in Bedouins (OR 4.9, p<0.001). During June to August referrals and hospitalizations for diarrhea were significantly higher, and from December to February significantly lower than during the remaining months. These differences arise from the marked seasonal pattern in the Bedouin population, whereas in the Jewish population there was no seasonal variation. Even in the 90's the burden on health services in the Negev as a result of diarrheal illness is considerable and the Bedouin population still contributes to that burden disproportionately. There is need both to reduce the gap in referrals and hospitalization between the populations, as well as to reduce the rates, using currently available means such as education, while developing new technologies, such as vaccines.

Multidisciplinary Approach to the Treatment of Musculo-Skeletal Tumors

M. Salai, E. Goshen, T. Tishler, R. Weitzen, S. Apter, A. Garniek, M. Feldman

Depts. of Orthopedic Surgery, Nuclear Medicine, Oncology, Imaging Radiology and Pathology, Chaim Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer

Tumors of the musculoskeletal system are relatively rare. They occur mostly in the young, while in older age groups metastases and myeloma are more prevalent. Treatment has undergone major change in the past 20 years with the introduction of neoadjuvant treatment protocols. According to recent reports 5-year survival rates have increased from 20% to 60-70%. These new protocols involve the use of modern imaging modalities, immunohistochemical pathological analysis and improved surgical technics. This has required establishment of multidisciplinary teams of experts to escort the patient through all the steps of current treatment.