Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UMLS:C0019158 (hepatitis)
 30,205 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

This study used primary data to analyze the incidence, causes and total days of hospitalization over a six-month period for a sample of chronic hemodialysis patients in one geographic area of the country. Patients were hospitalized most frequently for access-related and cardiovascular problems. Logistic regression analysis indicated that patients were more likely to be hospitalized if they had lower Karnofsky functional status scores, lower serum phosphate and protein levels, repeat access procedures, a negative hepatitis antigen, arthritis, psychiatric disorders, ischemic peripheral vascular disease or other cardiovascular conditions or were from larger households. Risk of hospitalization was not influenced by hemodialysis treatment characteristics. Recommendations for improved management of these high-cost patients were made, which could enhance quality of life and lower hospital-related costs.
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PMID:Risk of hospitalization for chronic hemodialysis patients. 160 67

This study examines the hospitalization experience of a sample of chronic hemodialysis patients, using primary data sources. There were multiple causes of hospitalization over the six-month tracking period, with stays extending from 1 to 87 days. Patients were more likely to be hospitalized if they had a negative hepatitis antigen, lower functional status scores, lower phosphate and protein levels, repeated access procedures, other cardiovascular conditions, arthritis, psychiatric disorders, ischemic peripheral vascular disease, lung disease, or larger households. Hospitalization for access-related problems was associated with arthritis, previous access procedures, and blood pressure levels. Sociodemographic and treatment characteristics did not have a significant influence on the risk of hospitalization. Improved management in these clinical areas may improve the quality of life of chronic hemodialysis patients and reduce the high level of expenditures associated with delivering inpatient services to this segment of the Medicare population.
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PMID:Factors associated with hospitalization in a sample of chronic hemodialysis patients. 174 74

The preceding discussions outline the various forms of cirrhosis that may be encountered in the elderly population. Cirrhosis is not uncommon in older patients. Although it has been stated that most cirrhosis in the elderly is due to alcohol, these assumptions are perhaps overestimations. In the authors' experience, many older patients are inappropriately labeled with alcoholic liver disease--presumed guilty until proven otherwise--and have subsequently been shown to have nonalcoholic liver disease. Careful investigation is required. Hepatotoxic drug exposure (e.g., to alpha methyldopa, nitrofurantoin, or isoniazid) should be ruled out, and hepatitis B and hepatitis C serology obtained. Primary biliary cirrhosis may occur in both sexes, and thus antimitochondrial antibody should be assayed. Severe heart disease may result in cardiac cirrhosis in the elderly, with ascites and hepatomegaly. Alpha 1-antitrypsin deficiency, primary sclerosing cholangitis, idiopathic hemochromatosis, and chronic autoimmune hepatitis may result in advanced cirrhosis in the elderly; appropriate serum studies should be obtained. If questions remain and if therapy may be changed, liver biopsy can be performed. A recent study suggested, however, that the risk of hemorrhage from liver biopsy in the elderly may be increased, especially if malignancy is present. The era of treatment for liver diseases has arrived. Colchicine, methotrexate, ursodeoxycholic acid, and others have shown promise in the treatment of PBC, primary sclerosing cholangitis, and alcoholic liver disease. Corticosteroids may be lifesaving in autoimmune liver disease. Phlebotomy remains the treatment of choice for hemochromatosis in any age group. Interferons and other antiviral agents are being used in chronic type B and type C hepatitis. Treatment of the complications of cirrhosis in the elderly may be safely accomplished. Advanced age is not a contraindication to variceal sclerotherapy. Vasopressin, however, may be contraindicated in the elderly patient if there is an underlying history of atherosclerotic coronary or peripheral vascular disease. Large-volume paracentesis and peritoneal venous shunting can afford symptomatic relief of ascites, even in the geriatric population. Finally, as noted previously, advanced age is no longer to be considered an absolute contraindication for liver transplantation. The evaluation of liver disease in the elderly may be diagnostically challenging, and its treatment rewarding.
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PMID:Liver diseases in the elderly. 185 64

We report the clinical features and outcome of 16 patients with cryoglobulinaemia. Two patients with Type I cryoglobulinaemia both had IgG kappa monoclonal paraproteins. Nine of 10 with Type II disease had monoclonal IgM kappa and polyclonal IgG; one had monoclonal IgG kappa and polyclonal IgG in the cryoglobulin. Underlying disorders identified in 3 of the 4 Type III patients were Sjogren's syndrome, infective endocarditis, and non-A non-B hepatitis and HTLV III infection. The commonest presenting features were rash in 94 p. 100 (ulceration 25 p. 100), arthralgia in 63 p. 100 (erosive arthritis 32 p. 100), renal disease in 63 p. 100, neurological involvement in 56 p. 100, hepatomegaly in 32 p. 100 and splenomegaly in 32 p. 100. Major associated conditions were progressive bronchiectasis in one case, and severe peripheral vascular disease in another; underlying malignancy was found in 2 cases (lymphoma and malignant melanoma). Treatment was with plasma exchange (PE) and immunosuppressive drugs (ID) in 10, PE alone in 3, ID alone in 2 and antibiotics [corrected] in 1. Fourteen of 16 patients showed an initial clinical response and fall in cryoglobulin levels. Four patients have died, one each from gastro-intestinal haemorrhage, sepsis, pulmonary embolism and lymphoma. Of the remaining 12 patients, all are symptomatically controlled and 10 have persisting cryoglobulinaemia (3 on PE and ID, 2 on PE, 2 on ID and 3 on no treatment). Of the two cases in whom cryoglobulinaemia resolved, one (Type II) had received PE and ID and the other (Type III) had been treated with antibiotics and surgery for infective endocarditis.
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PMID:Cryoglobulinaemia: clinical features and response to treatment. 376 96

Nitroglycerin was utilized in combination with general anesthesia in order to reduce mean arterial blood pressure with the objective of reducing operative blood loss in 26 consecutive patients undergoing radical hysterectomy and pelvic lymphadenectomy. This deliberate hypotensive technique added no morbidity and compared to a control group decreased the blood loss by 70%, shortened operating time by 29.5%, and decreased the percentage of patients requiring blood transfusions from 81% to 11.5%. The indications for controlled hypotension are still controversial and somewhat dependent upon the expertise of the anesthesia and surgery teams, availability of blood, and the risk of transfusion hepatitis. Cerebrovascular disease, myocardial ischemia, peripheral vascular disease, severe renal or hepatic disease, and hypovolemia are relative contraindications to deliberate hypotension.
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PMID:A deliberate hypotensive technique for decreasing blood loss during radical hysterectomy and pelvic lymphadenectomy. 641 54

Lipodystrophies are a heterogeneous group of physiological changes characterized by a selective loss of fatty tissue. Here, no fat cells are present, either through lack of differentiation, loss of function or premature apoptosis. As a consequence, lipids can only be stored ectopically in non-adipocytes with the major health consequences as fatty liver and insulin resistance. This is a crucial difference to being slim where the fat cells are present and store lipids if needed. A simple clinical classification of lipodystrophies is based on congenital vs. acquired and generalized vs. partial disturbance of fat distribution. Complications in patients with lipodystrophy depend on the clinical manifestations. For example, in diabetes mellitus microangiopathic complications such as nephropathy, retinopathy and neuropathy may develop. In addition, due to ectopic lipid accumulation in the liver, fatty liver hepatitis may also develop, possibly with cirrhosis. The consequences of extreme hypertriglyceridemia are typically acute pancreatitis or eruptive xanthomas. The combination of severe hyperglycemia with dyslipidemia and signs of insulin resistance can lead to premature atherosclerosis with its associated complications of coronary heart disease, peripheral vascular disease and cerebrovascular changes. Overall, lipodystrophy is rare with an estimated incidence for congenital (<1/1.000.000) and acquired (1-9/100.000) forms. Due to the rarity of the syndrome and the phenotypic range of metabolic complications, only studies with limited patient numbers can be considered. Experimental animal models are therefore useful to understand the molecular mechanisms in lipodystrophy and to identify possible therapeutic approaches.
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PMID:Lipodystrophies-Disorders of the Fatty Tissue. 3323 2