Tidsskrift for den Norske lægeforening : tidsskrift for praktisk medicin, ny række
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Sudden cardiac death constitutes 10-20% of all deaths in the western world. In 75% of the cases a coronary cause is found, and the risk of sudden cardiac death increases with advancing coronary heart disease. Hypertension is one of the main risk factors for coronary disease, and hence also for sudden death. ⋯ Compared with the survivors, those who die suddenly have higher blood pressure. In hypertensives, sudden cardiac death constitutes 27-60% of all cardiovascular deaths. This article focuses on hypertension as a risk factor for sudden cardiac death and discusses the options of primary prophylaxis.
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Tidsskr. Nor. Laegeforen. · Jun 1997
Case Reports[Extracorporeal heart pump--a bridge to heart transplantation. First Norwegian experiences].
By February 1997, the number of heart transplantations at the National Hospital had reached 265. In our department, the first bridge to transplantation in using Thoratec artificial heart was performed in 1995. A 44 year-old patient with life-threatening heart failure was placed for one week on cardiopulmonary assist with an intra-aortic balloon pump and a veno-arterial cardiopulmonary bypass. ⋯ Although one episode of severe rejection occurred, be is in NYHA functional class I after four months follow-up. Our early experience is encouraging. Ventricular assist devices should be considered as a life support for patients scheduled for heart transplantation and expected to die within a very short time.
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From September 1994 to January 1996, 57 patients were admitted to Brompton Hospital for catheter closure of persistent ductus arteriosus. Umbrella closure was attempted in 22 patients and coil closure in 35. The duct was closed by a device in 55 of 57 patients (96.4%). ⋯ Both coils were successfully retrieved by a snare, and the procedure then finished successfully. We recommend the use of coils for closure of small ducts, and for residual leak after previous umbrella closure. This is also a promising method for closure of larger ducts.
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Tidsskr. Nor. Laegeforen. · Jun 1997
Case Reports[Discitis in children. Description of the condition illustrated by two case reports].
Discitis in children is usually a self-limiting and non-infectious inflammation in the intervertebral disc. The symptoms are diffuse and vary from patient to patient; most often back pain, walking difficulties, crying and irritability. Radiology is often negative initially, and there may be a long delay from onset of symptoms to diagnosis. ⋯ Treatment is controversial; most authors recommend antibiotics only in special cases. It is important to be aware of the condition in order to avoid unnecessary investigations and treatment. We describe two patients, to illustrate the etiology, symptoms and treatment.