Calorimetric Behaviour of Primary Bromobutanes with Isomeric Butanols

Excess enthalpies for mixtures of 1-bromobutane or 1-bromo-2-methylpropane with isomeric butanols were determined at the temperatures of 298.15 and 313.15 K. All the systems show positive excess enthalpies. Predictions with the modified UNIFAC method were also obtained.

Practice of nuclear medicine in Spain

This survey presents the results of a poll sent to all Spanish nuclear medicine departments between July 1999 and March 2000, with the aim of clarifying the current situation of nuclear medicine in Spain. This survey is believed to be the first of its kind, and it is anticipated that the data will be of assistance to health authorities in ensuring that the needs of the population with regard to nuclear medicine facilities are met.

[Effectiveness of omeprazole, clarithromycin and amoxycillin therapy to eradicate Helicobacter pylori in patients with active peptic ulcer. Preliminary results of GENPY study]

BACKGROUND

To compare the effectiveness of two length of the same therapy to eradicate Helicobacter pylori in patients with non complicated active peptic ulcer.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

223 patients visited at primary health centres. A randomised controlled trial was carried out to compare the results of 6 or 7 days of treatment with clarithromycin 500 mg, amoxicillin 1 g and omeprazole 20 mg, b.i.d. All patients received omeprazole for other 14 days.

RESULTS

108 patients were randomised to the 6 days group and 115 to the 7 days one. Both groups were comparable with respect to basic characteristics except for sex: the proportion of men was higher in the 6 days group (p = 0.04). 91.4% of the patients received all the treatment correctly. By intention to treat analysis, eradication rates were 76.9% in the 6 days group and 77.4% in the seven days group (IC 95% of the difference from -10.5 to 11.6). There were not statistically significant differences in eradication rates in relation to age, sex, ulcer location, recurrence or tobacco consumption.

CONCLUSIONS

Although eradication rates are lower than expected, in this study there are no differences between 6 or 7 days of therapy.

Thermodynamic Properties of Isomeric Butanols with 2-Bromobutane

Excess volumes and excess enthalpies for mixtures of isomeric butanols with 2-bromobutane were determined at the temperatures of 298.15 K and 313.15 K. Excess volumes are positive over the whole composition range except for the mixture 1-butanol with 2-bromobutane at 298.15 K in which

[Sinus bradycardia secondary to systemic pentamidine]

Systemic side effects caused by parenteral pentamidine are frequent. They can be severe and life-threatening. Intravenous pentamidine may cause a variety of abnormalities in the cardiac conduction system as tachyarrhythmias, hypotension and/or non-specific ECG changes (a long corrected QT interval). There is only one case of previously reported bradyarrhythmias in an HIV-infected patient. We present a new adverse effect associated with intravenous pentamidine therapy, and to the best of our knowledge, this is the first reported case of sinus bradycardia in a patient who is not HIV-infected.

Neurologic features in hospitalized patients with COVID-19: a prospective cohort in a catalan hospital

OBJECTIVES

To study the prevalence and timing of neurological manifestations, including cognitive involvement, in patients hospitalized for Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). To analyze the pathogenic mechanisms and any association they have with disease severity.

METHODS

Longitudinal cohort study with prospective follow-up of patients who required hospitalization. Patients under 65 who had no pre-existing cognitive impairment and did not require an ICU stay were evaluated 3 and 12 months after discharge using a battery of neuropsychological tests.

RESULTS

Of 205 patients hospitalized for COVID-19, 153 (74.6%) presented with neurological manifestations. The most frequent were myalgia (32.7%), headache (31.7%), dysgeusia (29.2%), and anosmia (24.9%). Patients with more severe illness at the time of hospitalization presented fewer neurological manifestations. Of the 62 patients who underwent neuropsychological examination 3 months after discharge, 22.6% had impaired attention, 19.4% impaired working memory, 16.1% impaired learning and retrieval, 9.7% impaired executive functions, and 8.2% impaired processing speed. Patients with anosmia also presented with more headache (OR 5.45; p < 0.001) and greater risk of working memory impairment (OR 5.87; p 0.03). At follow-up 12 months after hospital discharge, 14.3% of patients still showed impaired attention, 2.4% impaired working memory, 2.5% impaired executive functions, and 2.5% impaired processing speed.

DISCUSSION

Neurological manifestations are common in patients hospitalized for COVID-19 regardless of severity. The high prevalence of anosmia and its association with headache and working memory impairment at 3 months, suggest potential direct or indirect damage to the prefrontal cortex via invasion of the olfactory bulb by COVID-19.

[Analysis of a weight loss program with meal replacement products on weight and biochemical markers in overweight or type I obese patients]

BACKGROUND

There are scarce data about the efficacy and security of meal replacement products as a strategy to weight loss.

AIM

To evaluate the efficacy and safety of a weight loss program that includes meal replacement products.

METHODS

We evaluated the effect of a hypocaloric diet versus a hypocaloric diet that includes meal replacement products in 55 overweight or type I obese patients. Patients were distributed to a control group (hypocaloric diet) or an intervention group (hypocaloric diet with meal replacement products) during 8 weeks. We registered anthropometric data, smoke habit and level of physical activity. We also studied biochemical parameters at the beginning of the study, at 4th week of the study and at the end of the same.

RESULTS

The control group lost 3.97 kg, while in the intervention group we observed a loss of 4.44 kg. These differences were not statistically significant between groups. Other anthropometric parameters as waist and hip perimeters diminished also in both groups, without differences between them. We observed also a statistically significant decrease (p=0.041) in the values of triglycerides, without differences between groups again.

DISCUSSION

Meal replacement products were as effective and safe to lose weight and to modify other anthropometric parameters in a controlled dietetic program as a conventional dietetic treatment without meal replacement products.

[The nonpharmacological treatment of tachyarrhythmias in 23 children and adolescents]

We comment the results with non pharmacological treatment in 23 patients (mean age 11 +/- 4 years) with multiple episodes of palpitations, most of them required intravenous drugs for interrupting it. Twenty-eight procedures were performed, 17 catheter ablation and 11 surgical interventions. The energy source employed for fulguration until 1990 was DC and since 1991 radiofrequency. The best results with catheter ablation were obtained with accessory pathways. Interruption was achieved in all patients after a mean of 1.2 sessions per patient, but it was definitive in only 72%. Most of the patients (81%) remained asymptomatic without antiarrhythmic drugs. Nine patients with accessory pathways underwent surgery interruption, it was achieved in all; only one patient had arrhythmia recurrence, due to a second pathway in a different localization. We could not ablate a ectopic atrial tachycardia, that underwent surgery. There was only one indication for surgery in a patient with ventricular tachycardia. Catheter ablation does not present technical problem in children and teenagers, different from adults. The presented results lead us to suppose that the indications for non pharmacological treatment in the young will become more common.