Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UMLS:C0032285 (pneumonia)
 54,520 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

A new patient with Leigh's syndrome (subacute necrotizing encephalomyelopathy due to pyruvate dehydrogenase complex deficiency) is presented. A Turkish boy of consanguinously married healthy parents developed progressive muscle weakness since infancy. At the age of 3 years he was unable to sit, stand or walk. Clinical examination showed general muscle weakness, hypotonia, muscle hypotrophy, bilateral ptosis, partial bilateral external ophthalmoplegia, nystagmus, intention tremor and hypoactive tendon reflexes. The EEG showed diffuse slowing, the cerebral CT scan disclosed mild hydrocephalus e vacuo. Motor nerve conduction velocity was slightly decreased, the EMG revealed signs of neuropathy. In the biopsied muscle only a mild hypotrophy of type 2 fibres was found, no abnormal mitochondria could be detected. The sural nerve was slightly abnormal: loss of large myelinated axons, loss of unmyelinated nerves. CSF protein was elevated to 80 mg/dl, protein electrophoresis revealed the pattern of markedly impaired blood-CSF barrier. Serum lactate and pyruvate were permanently elevated. In the urine the excretion of alanine was raised. The clinical state deteriorated during intercurrent infections; somnolence, vomiting and Cheyne-Stoke's respiration occurred. At the age of 3 1/2 years the child died of pneumonia. In the liver tissue a decreased activity of the pyruvate dehydrogenase complex was found. Neuropathological examination of the brain demonstrated wide-spread changes of Leigh's spongiform encephalopathy. Several enzyme deficiencies have hitherto been associated with Leigh's syndrome: This patients confirms earlier findings that a subgroup of Leigh's syndrome is caused by pyruvate dehydrogenase complex deficiency.
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PMID:[Leigh's subacute necrotizing encephalomyelopathy due to decreased activity of the pyruvate dehydrogenase complex]. 312 26

Six patients were managed with gradual reduction of a deformity of the cervical spine, before operative stabilization, with use of a modified halo cast with adjustable distraction components that allowed the patient to sit and walk while the deformity was being corrected. The distraction components were constructed from the distractors, hinges, and connectors of an Ilizarov apparatus. The diagnoses were atlanto-axial subluxation secondary to rheumatoid arthritis, atlanto-axial rotatory subluxation secondary to juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, post-traumatic atlanto-axial rotatory subluxation, ankylosing spondylitis with an angulated fracture of the seventh cervical vertebra, atlanto-occipital and atlanto-axial subluxation secondary to familial cervical dysplasia, and cervicothoracic kyphosis secondary to laminectomy and radiation for astrocytoma. All of the deformities were corrected initially, but the deformity partially recurred in three patients: in the lower cervical area because of pseudarthrosis in one, and between the occiput and the first cervical vertebra after arthrodesis between the first and second cervical vertebrae in two. Complications included an infection at the site of the halo pin, which led to replacement of the pin (one patient); pressure sores under the body cast (two patients); dislodgment of the halo secondary to a fall, which necessitated reapplication of the halo (one patient); and pneumonia (one patient). Spinal distraction with halo-cast traction is a useful adjunct in the treatment of selected complex cervical and high thoracic deformities. Gradual three-dimensional correction may be obtained in a controlled fashion, while the patient is allowed out of bed to sit and walk.
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PMID:The halo-Ilizarov distraction cast for correction of cervical deformity. Report of six cases. 833 75

Although the genetic basis of myotonic dystrophy (MD) has recently been clarified, data on prognosis and causes of death are few. To assess the relation between the age of onset and the degree to which activities of daily living (ADL) were affected, we studied statistically 586 patients with MD, who were registered in the database in hospitals of Japan in 1985. Many of the young onset patients had a long duration of illness, and many of the long-term patients showed the more severely affected ADL. When we adjusted the duration of illness, using the Mantel extension method, many patients whose age of onset was older had poorer ADL than the younger onset ones. To clarify the causes of death in MD, we collected data on 72 patients who succumbed to it from answers to questionnaires sent to all councilors of the Japanese Society of Neurology and the Japanese Society of Child Neurology in 1994. Before their deaths, among 32 MD cases unable to sit up, 16 (50%) died from respiratory involvement (respiratory failure and pneumonia), 8 (25%) from dysphagia (i.e., aspiration pneumonia and choking) and 2 (6%) from cardiac involvement. Moreover, among 25 cases that could sit up, 9 cases (36%) died from dysphagia, 4 (15%) from respiratory involvement and 2 (8%) from cardiac involvement. Dysphagia and cardiac involvement are often the causes of death in the early stage. To avoid these complications, management of swallowing and careful cardiac control is essential in patients with MD.
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PMID:[Prognosis for myotonic dystrophy]. 875 40

A study was carried out to determine whether bottle-blowing has any positive effects in patients with pneumonia. In a prospective open study 145 adults with untreated community-acquired pneumonia requiring hospitalization were randomized to early mobilization (group A), to sit up and take 20 deep breaths on 10 occasions daily (group B), or to sit up and to blow bubbles in a bottle containing 10 cm water through a plastic tube 20 times on 10 occasions daily (group C). Peak expiratory flow (PEF), vital capacity (VC), forced expiratory volume in 1 sec (FEV1) and serum concentration of C-reactive protein (CRP) were determined on admission, and on days 4 and 42. Fever duration and hospital stay were recorded. In a subset of 16 patients, single breath diffusion capacity of carbon monoxide was measured on 3 occasions. The patients in group A were hospitalized for a mean of 5.3 days, group B for 4.6 days and group C for 3.9 days. Treatment was a significant factor (p = 0.037) in a Cox regression model, with group C significantly better than group A (p = 0.01). The number of days with fever was 2.3, 1.7 and 1.6 in groups A, B and C respectively. These differences were not significant (p = 0.28). No significant differences were found between the groups regarding CRP, PEF, VC, FEV1, or diffusion capacity. Intensive bottle-blowing shortens the hospital stay in patients with pneumonia. The underlying mechanism is not clear.
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PMID:Bottle-blowing in hospital-treated patients with community-acquired pneumonia. 911 3

An outbreak of influenza A H3N2 with a high attack rate (49%) and abrupt onset (69% became ill within 2 days) occurred among 81 ski school participants who stayed in a crowded hostel in Austria in early 1997. Two students were hospitalized with pneumonia; one of them died. Cultures of blood and/or respiratory secretions from the hospitalized students yielded toxin-producing Staphylococcus aureus. Influenza A H3N2 was confirmed serologically in four participants, including one surviving hospitalized student, and by polymerase chain reaction of lung tissue from the deceased student. This investigation demonstrates that influenza can cause an explosive outbreak among skiers in a crowded hostel, leading to severe complications among previously healthy adolescents.
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PMID:Influenza A outbreak among adolescents in a ski hostel. 962 81

Thirteen patients (18 hips) with cerebral palsy and painful hip subluxation or dislocation underwent proximal femoral resection-interposition arthroplasty (PFRIA) as a salvage procedure for intractable pain or seating difficulty. Eleven patients (14 hips) had a prior failed soft-tissue or bony reconstruction. The average age at surgery was 26.6 years (range, 10.7-45.5 years), and average follow-up was 7.4 years (range, 2.2-20.8 years). All patients/caregivers noted significant improvement in subjective assessment of pain after the surgery. Upright sitting tolerance improved from an average preoperative value of 3.2-8.9 h postoperatively (p < 0.01). Four patients who were unable even to sit in a customized wheelchair before the operation could be easily seated in a custom chair after surgery. Hip range of motion including flexion, extension, and abduction was significantly improved postoperatively (p < 0.05). Single-dose radiation therapy was used postoperatively for five hips and resulted in a significantly lower grade of heterotopic ossification at final follow-up (p < 0.005). Skeletal traction in the postoperative period did not prevent proximal migration of the femur compared with skin traction. Maximal pain relief was achieved at an average of 5.6 months postoperatively (range, 0.03-14 months). Complications included transient postoperative decubitus ulceration (four patients), pneumonia (two patients), and symptomatic heterotopic bone (two patients). The significant improvements in pain management, sitting tolerance, and range of motion suggest that PFRIA is a reasonable salvage procedure for the painful, dislocated hip in cerebral palsy. Resolution of pain may not be immediate, as was noted in this series.
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PMID:Resection arthroplasty of the hip for patients with cerebral palsy: an outcome study. 1057 53

Pulmonary infection is frequent in brain injured patients. It has been identified as an independent predictor of unfavorable neurological outcome, calling for attempts of prevention. We recently evaluated intermittent prone positioning for the prevention of ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) in comatose brain injured patients, in a randomized study. 25 patients were included in the prone position (PP) group: they were positioned on prone four hours once daily until they could get up to sit in an armchair; 26 patients were included in the supine position (SP) group. The main characteristics of the patients from the two groups were similar at randomization. The primary end-point was the incidence of lung worsening, defined by an increase in the Lung Injury Score by at least one point since the time of randomization. The incidence of lung worsening was lower in the PP group (12%) than in the SP group (50%) (p=0.003). The incidence of VAP was 38.4% in the SP group and 20% in the PP group (p=0.14). There was no serious complication attributable to prone positioning. In conclusion, the beneficial effect of prone positioning for prevention of lung infection in brain injured patients is not well established. However, in those patients, prone positioning is able to avoid the worsening of pulmonary function, especially in oxygenation.
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PMID:Prone position for the prevention of lung infection. 1202 97

Ceftobiprole, formerly designated BAL9141/Ro 63-9141, is a pyrrolidinone-3-ylidene-methyl cephalosporin with demonstrated in vitro activity against MRSA, Enterococcus faecalis, Enterobacteriaceae and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Ceftobiprole has a low potential for inducing chromosomal AmpC beta-lactamases but it is hydrolyzed by most extended spectrum beta-lactamases and metallo-beta-lactamases. Glomerular filtration is predominantly responsible for removal of the free drug from the systemic circulation. The efficacy of ceftobiprole in the treatment of complicated skin and ski-structure infections has been recently demonstrated in two Phase III randomized clinical trials involving 1600 patients. Two other Phase III clinical trials to assess ceftobiprole's efficacy in community-acquired pneumonia and nosocomial pneumonia have also concluded. While the drug met the noninferiority criteria for community-acquired pneumonia and nosocomial pneumonia involving non-ventilator associated pneumonia, ceftobiprole was less effective than the comparator in ventilator associated pneumonia subjects. Ceftobiprole was well tolerated with a safety profile consistent with the cephalosporin class of antibiotic. The most frequent drug-related adverse event was dysgeusia. Ceftobiprole is intended for use in the hospital for the treatment of infections that frequently involve beta-lactam-resistant Gram-negative and Gram-positive organisms.
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PMID:Ceftobiprole: a new broad spectrum cephalosporin. 1952 92

Subtrochanteric valgus osteotomy has been used for painful hip joint dislocation in patients with severe cerebral palsy. The goal of this study was to evaluate 11 patients (17 hips) with severe cerebral palsy who had chronically dislocated and painful hips treated with subtrochanteric valgus osteotomy using a monolateral external fixator. A retrospective review was performed of 11 patients (average age, 17.8 years) with severe quadriplegic cerebral palsy with flexion-adduction contractures due to chronically dislocated and painful hips. A subtrochanteric valgus osteotomy with a monolateral fixator was performed in all patients. Patients were analyzed clinicoradiologically, and caregivers were asked about ease of handling, transfers, and perineal care. At an average follow-up of 37 months (range, 14-72 months), all caregivers were satisfied with the surgery and felt that their child was more comfortable and could sit with support for a longer time period and that perineal care, wheelchair mobilization, and transfers were much easier. A total of 11 complications in 7 patients were observed, including pin-tract infections, delayed consolidation, abduction deformity, and hypostatic pneumonia. The complication rate of subtrochanteric valgus osteotomy was comparable with other methods, and this method had the advantage of shorter surgical time, ease of application, no internal implant with lesser chance of infection or heterotopic calcification, and less intraoperative blood loss with less morbidity.
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PMID:Subtrochanteric valgus osteotomy with monolateral external fixator in hips for patients with severe cerebral palsy. 2337 24

The development and evolution of the endotracheal tube (ETT) have been closely related to advances in surgery and anesthesia. Modifications were made to accomplish many tasks, including minimizing gross aspiration, isolating a lung, providing a clear facial surgical field during general anesthesia, monitoring laryngeal nerve damage during surgery, preventing airway fires during laser surgery, and administering medications. In critical care management, ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) is a major concern, as it is associated with increased morbidity, mortality, and cost. It is increasingly appreciated that the ETT itself is a primary causative risk for developing VAP. Unfortunately, contaminated oral and gastric secretions leak down past the inflated ETT cuff into the lung. Bacteria can also grow within the ETT in biofilm and re-enter the lung. Modifications to the ETT that attempt to prevent bacteria from entering around the ETT include maintaining an adequate cuff pressure against the tracheal wall, changing the material and shape of the cuff, and aspirating the secretions that sit above the cuff. Attempts to reduce bacterial entry through the tube include antimicrobial coating of the ETT and mechanically scraping the biofilm from within the ETT. Studies evaluating the effectiveness of these modifications and techniques demonstrate mixed results, and clear recommendations for which modification should be implemented are weak.
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PMID:Endotracheal tubes: old and new. 2489 Dec


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