Srp Ark Celok Lek
-
Biography Historical Article
[The work of Jovan Andrejević as a medical student in Vienna--his contribution to anatomy and histology].
During the fifties of the 19th century, a Serb from Novi Sad, Jovan Andrejevitsh, was completing his studies at the Medical University in Vienna. Jovan Andrejevitsh was born on November 6, 1833, in Novi Sad. His father was a priest. ⋯ In his first letter, on November 25, 1861, professor Bricke wrote to dr Jovan Andrejevitsh: "... I was very glad to receive good news about you and to hear that you have become Esculap of your home country so quickly. I sent separate copies of your study to all anatomists and physiologists I am keeping in touch with...." From Bricke's second letter, written on July 23, 1862, which was sent to dr Andrejevitsh in Novi Sad, we can see that: "... from the Ferber university book shop in Gissen, I received another 36 copies of your article, and Henley was asking for one of those copies to see that he was wrong in his beliefs." According to professor Bricke this copy of Andrejevitsh's work was sent to several universities in Europe, along with his work "About elementary organisms". (ABSTRACT
-
A very few treatment regimens have shown a benefit in patients with multiple myeloma resistant to conventional melphalan/prednosone therapy or similar combinations. The first "biologically designed" protocol for the treatment of advanced, refractory myeloma was a combination of vincristine, doxorubicin and intermittent high-dose dexamethasone, so called VAD regimen. This report summarizes our experience in VAD regimen in the treatment of advanced, refractory myeloma patients, initially treated with melphalan-based chemotherapy. ⋯ The antitumour effect of VAD regimen originates from a combined effect of doxorubicin and vincristine continuous infusions and intermittent pulses of high-dose corticosteroids. The rationale for protracted administration of vincristine and doxorubicin was based on long generation time and low growth fraction of plasma cells in most patients, while the use of high-dose dexamethasone was based on well-known dose-depend antimyeloma effect of corticosteroids. Using this chemotherapy schedule, significant prolongation of survival was achieved in our responding patients comparing to patients with VAD-resistant myeloma. The major toxic effect of treatment was infection, which was attributed in part to intensive steroid program. Relapse of the disease could be expected about one year after completion of VAD therapy. Nevertheless, the second "plateau-phase" can be obtained upon reinitiation of VAD (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED).
-
Acute renal failure (ARF) in burn disease results in a range of phenomena important not only from theoretical, but also from practical point of views, whose causes are manifold. ARF is generally defined as a rapid renal failure resulting in accumulation of protein metabolism degradation products (catabolism). It has been known, for some time, that thermal agents do not produce only local skin damages, but also disturb the integrity of the whole organism producing major functional damages of all organs and systems. ⋯ Seventy-seven percent of the patients survived, and their serum and urine analyses performed upon subsequent out-patient follow-up examinations ranged within normal values. Such high percentage of survival among our patients included in the study is based on an early diagnosis of ARF, understanding of pathophysiology of shock associated with burn disease, adequate therapeutic approaches, including both medicamentous treatment and extracorporeal haemodialysis along with early surgical management (Shema 1, 2). For the time being, haemodialysis is the most effective therapeutical procedure in the treatment of ARF, although the mortality rate of dialyzable patients
-
Historical Article
[Eponyms and epilepsy (history of Eastern civilizations)].
The history of eponyms for epilepsy in the lands of the Eastern globe present the portrait of the attitudes of both the laymen and skilled people towards the disease and patient, as well as to the Nature itself. As opposed to the West which during the Middle ages changed its concepts of epilepsy as the organic brain disease for the sublime 'alchemic' position, the people of the East were more prone to consider from the beginning of their civilization till the XIX century that epilepsy is the consequence of the evanescent spiritual and extracorporal forces which by themselves were out of their reach. As compared to the western civilization, the historical resources are, often as a consequence of a linguistic barriers, more scarce-as consequently is the number of eponyms, but are nevertheless picturesque. ⋯ Chinese medical terminology often interchangeably used the words "mania", "madness" and "psychosis" for "epilepsy" which, aside from a prominent language barrier, brings additional confusion. Although Chinese documents gave the first description of the grand mal epileptic attack already in the 8th century B. C. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED)
-
Historical Article
[Epilepsy, eponyms and patron saints (history of Western civilization)].
From a historic point of view, epilepsy and its eponyms were in an ontogenetic symbiosis throughout their history. Epilepsy is a disease with a history of eponyms presenting the frame of mind of both streetwise as well as skilled "authors" about its origin and nature. From ancient times the names for epilepsy, archetypal Hippocratic disease, just as rich in number as varied in their implication, reflected the local folkways of thinking. ⋯ It is worthy noting that already in the XIV century Serbs had their medical literature translated to their own language, and were the only one of all Slavic peoples that did so. Nevertheless, both apocryphal and canonical, as well as consecrated medicine were based on magic, astrology and occultism. The magic formulas used in Middle Age Serbia for the cure of epileptics as well as sick in general, were basically irrational; still, as a trace of its descension they contained unintelligible words of the eastern origin (Greek, Persian or Jewish). (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED)