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Query: UMLS:C0011168 (dysphagia)
 15,644 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

The Brazilian Consensus on Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease considers gastroesophageal reflux disease to be a chronic disorder related to the retrograde flow of gastroduodenal contents into the esophagus and/or adjacent organs, resulting in a variable spectrum of symptoms, with or without tissue damage. Considering the limitations of classifications currently in use, a new classification is proposed that combines three criteria-clinical, endoscopic, and pH-metric-providing a comprehensive and more complete characterization of the disease. The diagnosis begins with the presence of heartburn, acid regurgitation, and alarm manifestations (dysphagia, odynophagia, weight loss, GI bleeding, nausea and/or vomiting, and family history of cancer). Also, atypical esophageal, pulmonary, otorhinolaryngological, and oral symptoms may occur. Endoscopy is the first approach, particularly in patients over 40 yr of age and in those with alarm symptoms. Other exams are considered in particular cases, such as contrast radiological examination, scyntigraphy, manometry, and prolonged pH measurement. The clinical treatment encompasses behavioral modifications in lifestyle and pharmacological measures. Proton pump inhibitors in manufacturers' recommended doses are indicated, with doubling of the dose in more severe cases of esophagitis. The minimum time of administration is 6 wk. Patients who do not respond to medical treatment, including those with atypical manifestations, should be considered for surgical treatment. Of the complications of gastroesophageal reflux disease, Barrett's esophagus presents a potential development of adenocarcinoma; biopsies should be performed, independent of Barrett's esophagus extent or location. In this regard the designation "short Barrett's" is not important in terms of management and prognosis.
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PMID:Brazilian consensus on gastroesophageal reflux disease: proposals for assessment, classification, and management. 1186 57

Elderly patients with unintentional weight loss are at higher risk for infection, depression and death. The leading causes of involuntary weight loss are depression (especially in residents of long-term care facilities), cancer (lung and gastrointestinal malignancies), cardiac disorders and benign gastrointestinal diseases. Medications that may cause nausea and vomiting, dysphagia, dysgeusia and anorexia have been implicated. Polypharmacy can cause unintended weight loss, as can psychotropic medication reduction (i.e., by unmasking problems such as anxiety). A specific cause is not identified in approximately one quarter of elderly patients with unintentional weight loss. A reasonable work-up includes tests dictated by the history and physical examination, a fecal occult blood test, a complete blood count, a chemistry panel, an ultrasensitive thyroid-stimulating hormone test and a urinalysis. Upper gastrointestinal studies have a reasonably high yield in selected patients. Management is directed at treating underlying causes and providing nutritional support. Consideration should be given to the patient's environment and interest in and ability to eat food, the amelioration of symptoms and the provision of adequate nutrition. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has labeled no appetite stimulants for the treatment of weight loss in the elderly.
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PMID:Evaluating and treating unintentional weight loss in the elderly. 1187 82

Malignant ascites is relatively common in patients with certain types of end-stage cancer. Traditional treatments based on fluid and salt restriction and diuretic therapy often are not able to contain neoplastic ascites. These patients consequently undergo repeated abdominal paracentesis, with further plasma protein loss and risk of injury to abdominal viscera. The aim of this study was to evaluate our experience with Denver peritoneovenous shunt and the outcome of patients with malignant ascites and suggest some modifications to improve device patency. From February 1997 to December 1999, 44 Denver peritoneovenous shunts were placed in 42 patients, 17 women and 25 men, aged between 38 and 77 years (mean, 62.3), affected with malignant ascites due to advanced abdominal cancer. At the time of admission, 72% of patients had pain, 88% dysphagia, 66% nausea and/or vomiting, and 83% dyspnea. Eleven patients underwent local anesthesia with lidocaine and 33 general anesthesia with rapidly metabolized drugs. In 27 cases we used the peritoneal-internal jugular right vein surgical approach and in 3 cases the peritoneal-femoral vein surgical access, joining the saphena vein to the cross. In 10 cases, a radiological positioning of the Denver peritoneovenous shunt was effected by a trans-subclavian access. Relief of ascites symptoms was obtained in 87.5% of cases, with reduction of dyspnea, an increased appetite and improved ambulation. Denver peritoneovenous shunt is a good device to relieve malignant ascites, thereby reducing the risk of complications and the number of hospital admissions due to repeated paracentesis and consequently improving the quality of life. A careful patient selection, an accurate follow-up and some device modifications could improve the shunt performance, allowing a wider application of the Denver peritoneovenous shunt.
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PMID:Palliative treatment of malignant refractory ascites by positioning of Denver peritoneovenous shunt. 1208 51

Duodenal obstruction may be caused by inoperable malignant disease. Symptoms of nausea and vomiting have been traditionally palliated by surgery. The aim of the study was to determine the efficacy of the endoscopic placement of metal self expanding duodenal stents for the palliation of malignant duodenal obstruction. Four patients with malignant gastric outlet obstruction are described. One patient had a history of oesophagectomy for oesophageal adenocarcinoma and presented with further dysphagia. At endoscopy the recurrent oesophageal tumour and an adenocarcinoma involving the pylorus were both stented. In the other three patients there was a previous history of colonic carcinoma, cholangiocarcinoma and oesophageal adenocarcinoma respectively. All four patients were successfully stented with good palliation of their symptoms. Duodenal Wallstents are a useful alternative to surgery in patients with inoperable malignant duodenal obstruction or those who are unfit for surgery.
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PMID:Duodenal stents for malignant duodenal strictures. 1213 61

Rhombencephalitis due to listeria monocytogenes is an uncommon and serious form of brainstem infection. The disease has a characteristic biphasic course: a nonspecific prodrome of headache, nausea or vomiting, and fever lasting for a several days is followed by progressive asymmetrical cranial-nerve palsies. We report two cases of Listeria monocytogenes rhombencephalitis. The first case is a previously healthy 20 year-old-man who developed fever, headache, nausea and vomiting, followed by numbness in left trigeminal nerve. The second case is an immunosuppressed 77 year-old-man, who developed sudden left hemiparesis, followed by fever and severe brainstem dysfunction with ophthalmoplegia and dysphagia. In both cases, a brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan, showed increased intensity on T2-weighted lesions in the brainstem that enhanced after contrast on T1-weighted sequences. Both patients had a favorable outcome with full clinical recovery. We conclude that MRI aids in the early detection of parenchymal infections, therefore, MRI is crucial for early diagnosis and is very useful for follow-up examinations.
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PMID:[Listeria rhombencephalitis. Neuroradiological findings]. 1259 Mar 80

(1) For the treatment of cancer pain resistant to WHO step I and II analgesics, several oral morphine preparations are available, in immediate-release and sustained-release formulations. (2) A sustained-release form of oxycodone, an old opiate, was marketed in France in 2002 for oral treatment of cancer pain, in two daily doses. (3) The results of three comparative double-blind trials suggest that 1 mg oxycodone is similarly effective to 1.5 mg of morphine. According to another comparative double-blind trial, 1 mg oxycodone has about the same analgesic efficacy as 0.25 mg of hydromorphone. (4) Oxycodone has the usual opiate side effects including constipation, sedation, nausea and vomiting, and pruritus. (5) Oxycodone has not been tested in comparative trials in patients in whom morphine is ineffective or poorly tolerated. (6) The available product range of sustained-release oxycodone does not allow the dose to be adjusted rapidly at the outset of treatment, and is poorly suited to patients who have difficulty swallowing. (7) In practice, oral morphine remains the reference treatment for cancer pain resistant to WHO step I and II analgesics.
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PMID:Oral oxycodone: new preparation. No better than oral morphine. 1282 66

Migraine is a common, frequently incapacitating, headache disorder that imposes a substantial burden on both the individual patient and society. The last two decades have witnessed an explosion in our understanding of the pathophysiology of migraine, and in our development of an efficacious and diverse therapeutic armamentarium. There are several routes of drug administration available to patients with migraine. All the serotonin 5-HT(1B/1D) receptor agonists (triptans) are available as oral tablets (sumatriptan, rizatriptan, zolmitriptan, naratriptan, almotriptan, frovatriptan and eletriptan). Only sumatriptan is available as a subcutaneous injection. Some triptans are also available via newer routes of administration, including orally disintegrating tablets (rizatriptan and zolmitriptan), rectal suppositories (sumatriptan) and intranasal sprays (sumatriptan and zolmitriptan). Oral disintegrating tablets and other non-oral triptan routes (subcutaneous, intranasal, rectal) are a useful alternative to conventional oral tablets for patients who have difficulty swallowing pills or prefer not to do so, and for patients whose nausea and/or vomiting precludes swallowing tablets and/or makes the likelihood of complete absorption unpredictable. This is important because epidemiological studies in migraine reveal that the vast majority of patients (>90%) have experienced nausea during a migraine attack and more than 50% have nausea with the majority of attacks. Similarly, most (almost 70%) have vomited at some time during an attack and of these patients, almost one-third vomit in the majority of attacks. The newer formulations, rapidly dissolving tablets and intranasal sprays, afford patients the opportunity to use abortive therapy without the need for liquids, at anytime and anywhere, at the onset of a migraine attack. Furthermore, the intranasal sprays are absorbed rapidly and have a prompt onset of action allowing for significant pain free rates versus placebo as early as 15 minutes post administration. The ability to administer treatment early in a migraine attack and have a rapid onset of action is particularly important in acute migraine treatment in order to prevent the development of central sensitisation. While many patients and physicians choose conventional oral tablets because of familiarity and ease of administration, the newer formulations, oral disintegrating tablets and intranasal sprays, should be given consideration as first-line agents in selected patients.
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PMID:Newer formulations of the triptans: advances in migraine management. 1452 31

Paraneoplastic neurologic syndromes are disorders of the nervous system function caused by cancer but not due to metastatic disease, vascular or metabolic deficits, infections, nutritive deficiency, nor side effects of antineoplastic drugs or irradiation. Immunologic factors probably play the crucial role in the pathogenesis of paraneoplastic neurologic syndromes, but nonimmunologic mechanisms that include metabolic abnormalities and competition for substrate are also involved. Paraneoplastic cerebellar degeneration most commonly occurs in the setting of gynecologic cancers, but it accompanies the small-cell lung cancer too. Other tumors are infrequently associated with cerebellar degeneration. Several paraneoplastic antibodies have been identified in patients with paraneoplastic cerebellar degeneration. Their association with particular cancers may help identify an occult lesion. Anti-Yo antibodies are directed against Purkinje cell antigens and occur in patients with cerebellar degeneration who have breast cancer or gynecologic tumors. A target antigen of anti-Yo antibody is CDR2 protein that is normally expressed only in the brain and testis. Patients with paraneoplastic cerebellar degeneration present with dizziness, nausea and vomiting followed by gait instability, diplopia, gait and appendicular ataxia, dysarthria and dysphagia. Therapeutic options include tumor excision, chemotherapy and/or irradiation, and adjuvant therapy with glucocorticoids, immunoglobulins and plasmapheresis. The role of plasmapheresis in the treatment of paraneoplastic cerebellar degeneration is still uncertain. Reports of its efficacy are anecdotal. We present patient with paraneoplastic cerebellar degeneration with positive anti-Yo antibodies and tumor of the ovaries whose neurologic status significantly improved after four daily plasmaphereses, which was accompanied by a fourfold decrease in the anti-Yo antibodies titer. Further investigations are needed to define a protocol for plasmapheresis in the treatment of patients with paraneoplastic syndromes.
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PMID:[Importance of plasmapheresis in the treatment of paraneoplastic cerebellar degeneration]. 1512 96

BACKGROUND: Eosinophilic gastritis is related to eosinophilic gastroenteritis, varying only in regards to the extent of disease and small bowel involvement. Common symptoms reported are similar to our patient's including: abdominal pain, epigastric pain, anorexia, bloating, weight loss, diarrhea, ankle edema, dysphagia, melaena and postprandial nausea and vomiting. Microscopic features of eosinophilic infiltration usually occur in the lamina propria or submucosa with perivascular aggregates. The disease is likely mediated by eosinophils activated by various cytokines and chemokines. Therapy centers around the use of immunosuppressive agents and dietary therapy if food allergy is a factor. CASE PRESENTATION: The patient is a 31 year old Caucasian female with a past medical history significant for ulcerative colitis. She presented with recurrent bouts of vomiting, abdominal pain and chest discomfort of 11 months duration. The bouts of vomiting had been reoccurring every 7-10 days, with each episode lasting for 1-3 days. This was associated with extreme weakness and cachexia. Gastric biopsies revealed intense eosinophilic infiltration. The patient responded to glucocorticoids and azathioprine. The differential diagnosis and molecular pathogenesis of eosinophilic gastritis as well as the molecular effects of glucocorticoids in eosinophilic disorders are discussed. CONCLUSIONS: The patient responded to a combination of glucocorticosteroids and azathioprine with decreased eosinophilia and symptoms. It is likely that eosinophil-active cytokines such as interleukin-3 (IL-3), granulocyte macrophage colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF) and IL-5 play pivotal roles in this disease. Chemokines such as eotaxin may be involved in eosinophil recruitment. These mediators are downregulated or inhibited by the use of immunosuppressive medications.
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PMID:Eosinophilia in a patient with cyclical vomiting: a case report. 1514 61

When alkalinized lidocaine instead of air is used to fill the endotracheal tube (ETT) cuff, coughing, and bucking are decreased during extubation when ventilation is controlled with N2O. However, sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO3) used to transform lidocaine hydrochloride (L-HCl) to lidocaine base induces a pH increase that could be irritating for mucosa in the case of cuff rupture. Therefore, we determined, in a randomized controlled study with controlled patient ventilation without N2O, whether the smallest concentrations of NaHCO3 (1.4% versus 8.4%) reduced diffusion (in vitro evaluation) and other secondary clinical benefits. After pH determination of different solutions (2 mL of 2% L-HCl and 2 to 6 mL of 8.4%, or 1.4% NaHCO3), an in vitro lidocaine diffusion through the ETT cuffs was evaluated (2 mL of 2% L-HCl and 3 mL of 8.4% or 1.4% NaHCO3). Then, adult patients scheduled for total thyroidectomy surgery were consecutively enrolled (n = 20 for each group). The ETT cuff was filled with air (group air) or with alkalinized lidocaine (2 mL of 2% L-HCl) using 8.4% (group large dose) or 1.4% (group small dose) of NaHCO3. After tracheal extubation, sore throat was evaluated by visual analog scale as the main end-point of the study. Hoarseness, bucking, dysphonia, dysphagia, cough, restlessness, and postoperative nausea and vomiting were also evaluated. There was a slight tendency toward a slower release when a small concentration of NaHCO3 was used (i.e., 1.4%). Compared with group air, the alkalinized-lidocaine groups had a significant reduction in sore throat during the 24-h postoperative period (P < 0.0001). The difference was not significant between the two alkalinized lidocaine groups. This increase in ETT tolerance was confirmed by the analysis of secondary end-points. No laryngospasm, rupture of ETT cuff, or depression of the swallowing reflex were recorded. A decrease in sore throat during the postoperative period was recorded when the cuff was inflated with a small dose of alkalinized lidocaine (i.e., 40 mg of L-HCl and 1.4% of NaHCO3) rather than with air when ventilation was controlled without N2O.
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PMID:Alkalinization of intracuff lidocaine: efficacy and safety. 1624 28


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