Acta medica Scandinavica
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Acta medica Scandinavica · Jan 1985
Pericardiocentesis in patients with and without incipient cardiac tamponade due to pericardial effusion. An easy and safe bedside approach.
Fourteen patients with pericardial effusion of various origins underwent pericardiocentesis on 16 occasions. Incipient cardiac tamponade was present on 19 occasions in 12 patients. Pericardiocentesis was carried out bedside under sterile conditions by a trained cardiologist. ⋯ Fenestration of the parietal pericardium was necessary in 5 patients because of rapid regeneration of the fluid and in one patient due to pyopericardium with cardiac constriction. Pericardiocentesis is recommended in incipient cardiac tamponade. In the hands of experienced cardiologists the drainage procedure can be carried out safely without sophisticated equipment.
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Acta medica Scandinavica · Jan 1985
Variation of body weight with age, sex and height. An index for classification of obesity.
The body weight of 472 randomly selected inhabitants of a city population was studied in relation to age, sex and height. Weight tables were constructed from multiple regression equations. The reliability of the weights obtained and the concepts of average weight and obesity are discussed. ⋯ Over- and underweight can be expressed as % of expected weight (WE), i.e. (WO-WE)/WE X 100, where WO = observed weight. WE are calculated from the formulas WE = 6 + 0.78 X (height (cm) - 100) + 0.17 X age for men and WE = 7 + 0.71 X (height (cm) - 100) + 0.17 X age for women. These formulas are the basis for the weight tables and are derived from a subsample, obtained by excluding obese subjects from the total sample.
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Acta medica Scandinavica · Jan 1984
Case ReportsVisual disturbances and occipital brain infarct following acute, transient hypotension in hypertensive patients.
In four hypertensive patients, acute lowering of blood pressure by therapeutic or diagnostic procedures caused visual disturbances ranging from transient visual hallucinations to severe, long-lasting visual impairment. These symptoms were associated with occipital lobe cerebral infarcts that tended to occur in the border zones between the major cerebral arteries. The infarcts may be seen as the combined result of a "watershed" effect during acute hypotension and the presence of structural hypertensive vascular adaptation. When a hypertensive patient complains of visual disturbances during acute blood pressure lowering, the pressure should be allowed to settle at a level somewhat above normal.
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Acta medica Scandinavica · Jan 1984
Case ReportsParoxysmal dysarthria and Raynaud's phenomenon in the tongue.
Three patients suffering from systemic scleroderma and Raynaud's phenomenon in the digits as well as the tongue are reported. Following exposure to cold, a vasospasm was observed in the digits and the tongue accompanied by severe dysarthria. These striking oral symptoms had been overlooked for years in the medical ward. It is recommended to question all patients with Raynaud's phenomenon about visceral manifestations during the digital attacks.
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Acta medica Scandinavica · Jan 1984
Cardiac dysrhythmias in patients with acute myocardial infarction. Relation to serum potassium level and prior diuretic therapy.
A series of 676 patients with acute myocardial infarction were evaluated with regard to initial serum potassium level, prior diuretic therapy and occurrence of cardiac dysrhythmias during their first 24 hours in a coronary care unit. Serious dysrhythmias (ventricular tachycardia, ventricular fibrillation, and asystole) were significantly more frequent in hypokalemic patients. In this regard no differences were observed between patients on or off prior diuretic therapy.