Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UMLS:C0018801 (heart failure)
 72,216 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Seventeen patients stung by Tityus serrulatus scorpion were classified as mild (pain at the site of the sting, n = 6), moderate (local pain and one of the following manifestations: vomiting, psychomotor agitation, prostration, sweating, tachypnea, tachycardia and mild arterial hypertension, n = 10) and severe cases (equal moderate cases plus cardiac failure, pulmonary edema and shock, n = 1). Venous blood was sampled for biochemical and hematological analysis and for IL-1alpha, IL-6, IL-10, TNF-alpha, IFN-gamma and GM-CSF ELISAs at the time of hospital admission, 6 h (moderate and severe cases), and 12, 18, 36 and 72 h (severe case) later. Ten age-matched healthy volunteers were used as control. Increased serum levels of IL-1alpha was noticed in all patients, high levels of IL-6, IFN-gamma and GM-CSF were observed only in a patient with severe envenomation. Our data suggest that a systemic inflammatory response-like syndrome is triggered during severe envenomation caused by T. serrulatus sting and that release of cytokines may be involved in this response.
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PMID:Serum levels of cytokines in patients envenomed by Tityus serrulatus scorpion sting. 1040 Feb 99

The most venomous scorpion species are Buthotus tamulus of India, the Leiurus quinquestriatus and Androctonus crassicauda of North Africa and the Middle East, the Tityus serrulatus of Brazil, and the Centruroides suffussus of Mexico. The severity of scorpion envenomation varies with the scorpion's species, age, and size, and is much greater in children. Systemic intoxication reflects the overstimulation of the CNS, the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system. Severity ranges from local pain and paresthesia to fatal cardiotoxicity and encephalopathy. Symptoms include: agitation, tachycardia, vomiting, abdominal pain, salivation, diaphoresis, dehydration, muscle rigidity and twitching, tremor, seizures, coma, pupillary changes, hyperthermia, tachyarrythmias and occasionally bradyarrhythmias, hypertension, and less often hypotension, cardiac failure, and priapism in males. Laboratory abnormalities include: hyperglycemia, leucocytosis, transient elevation of cardiac and pancreatic enzymes, ischemic changes in the ECG, and evidence of cardiac dysfunction on echocardiography. The principles of management are: observation, cardiac monitoring, supportive treatment with intravenous fluids and electrolytes, and a meticulous use of cardiovascular agents: vasodilators, adrenergic antagonists, or calcium channel blockers in the hypertensive phase; and inotropic agents in the event of hypotension. Antiarrhythmics such as lidocaine, may be required. There is increasing evidence for the efficacy of specific antivenom. The advance in supportive care and antivenom efficacy has markedly improved the outcome of patients with scorpion envenomation.
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PMID:Clinical manifestations and management of scorpion envenomation. 1044 63

The purpose of our study was to assess physical and emotional factors in heart transplant patients. A prospective design was used to compare patients' physical symptoms, emotional complaints, and restrictions at admission to the waiting list, immediately after, and 1 and 5 years after heart transplantation. Thirty-three patients were included (30 male, 3 female) in the study. Their mean age at admission was 48 +/- 10.2 years. Of these, 23 suffered from cardiomyopathy, 8 from coronary heart disease, and 2 from valvular insufficiency. At admission, the patients suffered from symptoms of cardiac insufficiency, and were restricted in sports, gardening, hobbies, sexual life, job, food-intake, and mobility. More than three-fourths rated their physical and emotional status as moderate to poor. Emotionally, they suffered from irritability, restlessness, depression, psychic lability, lowered drive, lack of social contact, low self-esteem, and anxiety. At the end of rehabilitation (4-8 weeks after the operation), all physical and emotional complaints, as well as restrictions had significantly decreased (p < 0.0001 to p < 0.001), except for trembling, numbness of hands/feet, and food-intake. One year postoperatively, patients reported even fewer physical complaints (p < 0.01). Three-fourths rated their physical and emotional status good or excellent. Five years postoperatively--in contrast to physical status, restrictions, and physical complaints--the emotional complaints had increased significantly (p < 0.0001). Patients reported excellent physical performance up to 5 years postoperatively. On the other hand, the study revealed that their emotional well-being had significantly deteriorated from 1 to 5 years postoperatively. Attention should, therefore, not only be paid to the good physical health of the survivors, but also to the worsening of their emotional status.
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PMID:Long-term effects of heart transplantation: the gap between physical performance and emotional well-being. 1059 98

Signs of exsiccation are to be found in almost every fourth acutely ill patient admitted to the geriatric department. The major clinical signs are those associated with reduced general condition, together with somnolence, possibly agitation, oliguria, dry skin, orthostatic hypotension, and a tendency to be bedridden. In such cases, subcutaneous infusion is a simple-to-apply and for the patient stress-free, largely pain-free possibility for fluid replacement. Properly applied and with account being taken of the contraindications--in particular emergency situations, decompensated cardiac insufficiency and severe coagulation disturbances--the risks of s.c. infusion are negligible.
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PMID:[Dehydration in geriatric patients. Fluid substitution--also subcutaneous!]. 1110 4

The uses, pharmacology, clinical efficacy, dosage and administration, adverse effects, and drug interactions of hawthorn are discussed. Hawthorn (Crataegus oxyacantha) is a fruit-bearing shrub with a long history as a medicinal substance. Uses have included the treatment of digestive ailments, dyspnea, kidney stones, and cardiovascular disorders. Today, hawthorn is used primarily for various cardiovascular conditions. The cardiovascular effects are believed to be the result of positive inotropic activity, ability to increase the integrity of the blood vessel wall and improve coronary blood flow, and positive effects on oxygen utilization. Flavonoids are postulated to account for these effects. Hawthorn has shown promise in the treatment of New York Heart Association (NYHA) functional class II congestive heart failure (CHF) in both uncontrolled and controlled clinical trials. There are also suggestions of a beneficial effect on blood lipids. Trials to establish an antiarrhythmic effect in humans have not been conducted. The recommended daily dose of hawthorn is 160-900 mg of a native water-ethanol extract of the leaves or flowers (equivalent to 30-169 mg of epicatechin or 3.5-19.8 mg of flavonoids) administered in two or three doses. At therapeutic dosages, hawthorn may cause a mild rash, headache, sweating, dizziness, palpitations, sleepiness, agitation, and gastrointestinal symptoms. Hawthorn may interact with vasodilating medications and may potentiate or inhibit the actions of drugs used for heart failure, hypertension, angina, and arrhythmias. The limited data about hawthorn suggest that it may be useful in the treatment of NYHA functional class II CHF.
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PMID:Hawthorn: pharmacology and therapeutic uses. 1188 7

Delirium is mental dysfunctions occurring as impaired attentional and memory systems with disturbances of consciousness, affectivity, psychomotor activity and sleep patterns. Numerous factors and underlying diseases may be responsible for these non-specific symptoms. Therefore, a thorough evaluation of preadmission history and current clinical status, supplemented by laboratory and extended technical diagnostic procedures, are always required. If delirium occurs in connection with emergency admission to hospital, an organic disease can most regularly be found. Due to its rapid time of onset and minor side-effects, the intravenous injection of 2.0 g gamma-hydroxybutyric acid is preferred for sedation of extremely agitated patients. Neuroleptic drugs are indicated in psychiatric patients. A central anticholinergic syndrome in the early postoperative period causative of the symptoms of delirium may respond to intravenous injection of physostigmine. Most of the time, however, these acute disturbances of brain function are best treated by correction of homeostatic imbalances, restoration of cardiovascular and respiratory stability and alleviation of pain. Postoperative delirium occurring two or more days later is frequently due to respiratory distress, followed by sepsis, alcohol withdrawal and many other causes including heart failure, exsiccosis and side-effects of drugs. In intensive care patients, delirium may be caused, for example, by withdrawal (alcohol, opioids, benzodiazepines), the onset of sepsis (often venous catheter related), side-effects of drugs, problems of communication, sleep deprivation and others. Treatment should focus on finding the right approach. Personal care should be intensified and include help from family members. Most problems arise from agitated, non-cooperative patients. Treatment with clonidine, gamma-hydroxybutyric acid or neuroleptic drugs like perazin and haloperidol may be required to reduce agitation and the activation of sympathetic influence.
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PMID:[Intensive care of delirium syndromes]. 1266 6

We report a case of serotonin syndrome that occurred in a patient with chronic heart failure associated with a panic disorder. The 39-year-old Japanese man had been treated with paroxetine at 20 mg/d for 1 1/2 years. He presented with rhabdomyolysis, renal failure, fulminant liver failure, cardiac conduction disturbance, and disseminated intravascular coagulation, as well as conventional symptoms of serotonin syndrome including alterations in cognition (disorientation, confusion) and behavior (restlessness), autonomic nervous system dysfunction (fever, shivering), and abnormal neuromuscular activity (ataxia, hyperreflexia, myoclonus). All medications prescribed before hospital admission were discontinued. After 24 hours of continuous venovenous hemofiltration, diuresis resumed and renal and liver function improved rapidly. Disorientation, restlessness, hyperreflexia, and myoclonus abated slowly over the next 72 hours. The patient's anxiety subsided more slowly, and he recovered completely 1 week later. The plasma concentration of paroxetine was elevated far above the upper limit of the therapeutic range. The patient had cytochrome P-450 (CYP) 2D6*1/*5, a heterozygosity of an inactivated allele of CYP2D6, which metabolizes paroxetine. The patient was determined to be an intermediate metabolizer who was potentially vulnerable to paroxetine, a major inhibitor of CYP2D6. Heart failure is often accompanied by psychiatric disorders. A wide range of drugs commonly prescribed for these conditions, including beta-blockers, antiarrhythmics, and antidepressants, are metabolized by CYP2D6. Genetic screening for CYP2D6 in patients with these conditions may prevent life-threatening drug intoxication.
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PMID:Life-threatening serotonin syndrome in a patient with chronic heart failure and CYP2D6*1/*5. 1554 25

The purposes of this study were to describe the quality of life (QOL) of terminally ill patients in a home-based hospice program and to examine the relationship between QOL data and patients' symptom distress, ability to function, interpersonal communication (support from family and friends), well-being (their affairs in order), and transcendence (religious comfort/support) as recorded in their charts. QOL was measured by the Missoula-Vitas Quality of Life Index (MVQOLI), an instrument designed specifically for use with terminally ill patients. The study was conducted over a three-year period with 129 terminally ill patients enrolled in a home-based hospice program of care. The MVQOLI was administered to patients within 20 days of their admission to hospice. A retrospective chart review was conducted to determine patients' levels of symptom distress, ability to function, social support, whether or not their affairs were in order, and religious comfort/support. The mean age of participants in this study was 67, with 54.3 percent male and 45.7 percent female. Cancer was the primary diagnosis for 92.2 percent of the sample, and 35 percent of these patients had a diagnosis of lung cancer. Of the 7.8 percent non-cancer diagnoses, five were diagnosed with AIDS, four with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and one with chronic heart failure. The results of this study revealed positive scores on the five dimensions of the MVQOLI QOL scale, indicating that within 20 days of admission to hospice, patients rated their QOL as good to very good. Data obtained from the chart review also indicated that patients did not experience a great deal of symptom distress (e.g., pain, nausea, shortness of breath, and restlessness). A significant correlation existed between age and QOL; number of interventions and pain levels; and marital status, well-being, interpersonal relationships, and transcendence. Shortness of breath and well-being were significantly correlated with QOL. There was no significant correlation between gender, race, or closeness to death and the five dimensions of the MVQOLI and chart review assessments.
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PMID:The quality of life of hospice patients: patient and provider perceptions. 1585 87

The seas and oceans around Australia harbour numerous venomous jellyfish. Chironex fleckeri, the box jellyfish, is the most lethal causing rapid cardiorespiratory depression and although its venom has been characterised, its toxins remain to be identified. A moderately effective antivenom exists which is also partially effective against another chirodropid, Chiropsalmus sp. Numerous carybdeids, some unidentified, cause less severe illness, including Carybdea rastoni whose toxins CrTX-A and CrTX-B are large proteins. Carukia barnesi, another small carybdeid is one cause of the 'Irukandji' syndrome which includes delayed pain from severe muscle cramping, vomiting, anxiety, restlessness, sweating and prostration, and occasionally severe hypertension and acute cardiac failure. The syndrome is in part caused by release of catecholamines but the cause of heart failure is undefined. The venom contains a sodium channel modulator. Two species of Physalia are present and although one is potentially lethal, has not caused death in Australian waters. Other significant genera of jellyfish include Tamoya, Pelagia, Cyanea, Aurelia and Chyrosaora.
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PMID:Australian venomous jellyfish, envenomation syndromes, toxins and therapy. 1692 89

Agitation, aggression, and psychosis are among the most troublesome behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD) and impair the lives of dementia patients and their caregivers. Atypical antipsychotics have been widely prescribed to improve these BPSD. However, in a number of trials with atypical antipsychotics, a consistent increase in overall mortality has been observed. The US Food and Drug Administration issued a warning for all atypical antipsychotics as a result of a meta-analysis of 17 placebo-controlled clinical trials using various atypical antipsychotics for the treatment of BSPD. To evaluate this mortality risk specifically for risperidone, 6 phase-2/3 double-blind trials comparing risperidone with placebo were analyzed. Data were obtained from Johnson & Johnson Pharmaceutical Research and Development. Hazard ratios with 95% confidence intervals were calculated to compare the relative mortality risk between patients treated with risperidone and those treated with placebo. In this meta-analysis, 1721 patients were included. In the pooled sample, the mortality was 4.0% with risperidone versus 3.1% with placebo (relative risk, 1.21; 95% confidence interval, 0.71-2.06) during treatment or within 30 days after treatment discontinuation. The most common adverse events associated with death were pneumonia, cardiac failure or arrest, or cerebrovascular disorder. No relationship was found between risperidone dose and mortality. In conclusion, this meta-analysis found a nonsignificant increase in mortality during treatment with risperidone in dementia patients. Larger studies would be needed to rule out a small increase in mortality in these patients. Careful assessments of potential benefits and risks should be made before prescribing risperidone for the treatment of BPSD.
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PMID:Mortality in elderly dementia patients treated with risperidone. 1711 Aug 12


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