Ugeskrift for laeger
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Ugeskrift for laeger · Nov 1993
[Serum electrolytes and drug therapy of patients admitted to a geriatric department].
The distributions of sodium and potassium in the serum on admission, and the types of medicine used were studied retrospectively in hospitalized geriatric patients (n = 1418). Sodium concentrations below 130 mmol/l were found in 7.4% and potassium concentrations below 3.0 mmol/l in 5.0% of patients. Risk factors for low sodium concentrations were treatment with the combination of thiazide+amiloride, potassium-sparing diuretics, thiazides, emergency hospitalization and low body weight. ⋯ On an average, patients were given two different drugs from specified groups both on admission and on discharge, but changes in medical treatment were often performed during the hospital stay. Prehospital treatment with thiazide diuretics and the combination of thiazide+amiloride was frequently withdrawn. 38% were given benzodiazepines on discharge. In 40.4% of these, treatment had been started during the hospital stay, most often on account of insomnia.
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Ugeskrift for laeger · Nov 1993
[Effect of a safe-sex campaign on women attending a clinic of venereology. Sex behavior and prevalence of sexually transmitted diseases in women examined at the Venereaklinik in Copenhagen in 1984 and 1988].
Consecutive female patients attending the Copenhagen Venereal Disease Clinic were interviewed about sexual behaviour in 1984 (981 women) and in 1988 (684 women). Details of symptoms, age at coitarche, number of sexual partners, contraceptive methods, and obstetric history were recorded together with the results of the venereological examination. A substantially higher proportion of women used condoms in 1988 (51%) than in 1984 (11%), but otherwise the safe sex campaigns had had a limited effect on the sexual behaviour in this group of women until 1988. The prevalence of gonorrhea decreased significantly (from 22% to 6%, p < 0.01), whereas an increase in the prevalence of genital warts was observed (from 4% to 10%, p < 0.01).
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Ugeskrift for laeger · Nov 1993
Review[Indications for the use of differential ventilation and selective positive end-expiratory pressure].
In some cases of unilateral or bilateral severe lung disease, there is serious hypoxia despite a high level of oxygen in the inspiratory gas mixture. Disturbances in the ventilation/perfusion ratio (V/Q) is a major contributing factor to the hypoxia seen in acute lung disease. The use of positive end expiratory pressure (PEEP) has in some cases been shown to make this V/Q mismatch even worse, and the use of high levels of PEEP is known to increase the risk of barotrauma and to reduce cardiac output. ⋯ The patient has to be intubated with a double lumen endotracheal catheter. The gas is delivered by two ventilators synchronized by a master-slave cable. This method can also be used in the operating room, when surgical procedures have to take place in the lateral position, in order to counteract V/Q mismatch and hypoxia.
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Ugeskrift for laeger · Nov 1993
Case Reports[Chylous ascites after surgery on the abdominal aorta].
Chylous ascites is a rare clinical condition and especially rare as a complication of surgical intervention. Its pathophysiology is poorly understood. We report a case of chylous ascites following aortic femoral bypass managed by conservative approaches involving multiple paracenteses, dietary restriction of fat and parenteral nutrition. We suggest that cases of surgically induced chylous ascites which do not respond to conservative treatment within a few weeks should have a laparatomy to close the fistula.
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One hundred and twenty (120) women, taking contraceptive pills, underwent a structured interview with a view elucidating their knowledge of the physiology of menstruation, the action and side effects of contraceptive pills and their compliance in the taking of contraceptive pills. The most important sources of information were the medical letters in magazines and the women's own doctors, while the teaching in the Folkeskole (primary and lower secondary school) had not had any major influence on the level of information. Well over one third of the interviewed women knew the most important action mechanism of the contraceptive pill, and half of the women could give a satisfactory explanation of the physiology of menstruation. ⋯ There was high compliance among the women i.e. that their behavior was correct when they had forgotten to take one or two contraceptive pills, when bleeding was irregular, and when beginning on a new package of pills. Eighty-three percent (83%) had experienced side effects that could be related to contraceptive pills. The investigation shows that there is a need for more efficient information about the effects of the Pill and about the physiology of menstruation.