Deutsche medizinische Wochenschrift
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Dtsch. Med. Wochenschr. · Dec 2001
Case Reports[QT prolongation and torsade de pointes tachycardia during therapy with maprotiline. Differential diagnostic and therapeutic aspects].
A 69-year-old somnolent woman developed severe heart failure, aggravated by recurrent episodes of ventricular tachycardia. The patient showed central and peripheral edema. 24 hours earlier, she had suffered cerebral seizures that were successfully terminated by phenytoin. For 13 years, persistent atrial fibrillation had been frequency-controlled with antiarrhythmic drugs (verapamil and glycosides) and treated by oral anticoagulation. In addition, there had been long-term anti-depressant therapy with the tetracyclic agent maprotiline. ⋯ With antidepressant therapy, a risky constellation including comorbidity and interactions with potentially arrhythmogenic drugs may lead to QT prolongation. Medication that delays conduction or causes bradycardia may generally favour torsade de pointes tachycardia. In case of indispensable multi-drug therapy, regular clinical as well as electrocardiographic monitoring with special emphasis on QT interval is mandatory.
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Dtsch. Med. Wochenschr. · Nov 2001
Case Reports[Early pain reduction in the treatment of spasticity after a single injection of botulinum A toxin].
HISTORY, ADMISSION FINDINGS AND DIAGNOSIS: After stem-cell transplantation a 45-year-old woman (case 1) had an attack of general hypoxia requiring resuscitation. She then developed a quadriplegia and spasticity of all limbs notably of the right arm and a severe pain syndrome which had to be treated by oral and intravenous analgesics. Immobilisation and secondary complications aggravated the already difficult situation. In the 2nd case a 66-year-old woman was admitted to our outpatient clinic with long-standing left-sided spastic hemiparesis after territorial infarction of the right middle cerebral artery. Beside the spasticity she also suffered from a distinct pain syndrome which did not respond to any oral analgesics. ⋯ In our experience pain relief after botulinum toxin A injections occurs not only due to reduced muscle hyperactivity, especially when such a temporal dissociation between pain relief and muscle relaxation appears as in the two cases reported above. Rather, we believe that botulinum toxin A interferes with the release of other neurotransmitters e. g. substance P (SP) and calcitonine-gene-related-peptide (CGRP) having a key function in the nociceptive cascade.
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Dtsch. Med. Wochenschr. · Nov 2001
[Risk for hyperkalemia during long-term treatment with angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors in insulin-dependent type 2 diabetics in relation to the glomerular filtration rate].
The risk for hyperkalaemia during therapy with angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors is especially increased in the elderly diabetic because of a decrease in glomerular filtration rate (GFR), as well as the occurrence of hyporeninaemic hypoaldosteronism. We evaluated the risk for hyperkalaemia under long-term angiotensin-converting enyzme inhibition in 86 insulin-dependent type 2 diabetic patients in relation to their GFR. ⋯ Long-term treatment with angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors in insulin-dependent type 2 diabetic patients leads to a significant increase in serum potassium. The incidence of hyperkalaemia with potassium levels > 5 mmol/l is significantly higher in the patients with initial creatinine clearance < 50 ml/min/1.73m(2). Severe hyperkalaemia with potassium levels > 6 mmol/l was not observed.
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Dtsch. Med. Wochenschr. · Nov 2001
Case Reports[Acute renal failure due to rhabdomyolysis in McArdle's disease following binge drinking with seizures].
A 36-year-old gardener was admitted for tonic-clonic seizures after binge drinking. The next days he developed massive rhabdomyolysis with acute renal failure. Past medical history was unremarkable except for a similar episode of acute renal failure 14 years ago. At that time he had consumed alcohol as well. Furthermore, the patient complained of exercise-related painful muscle cramping and swelling. ⋯ Besides exercise alcohol is likely to be a further possible trigger of rhabdomyolysis and acute renal failure in McArdle inverted question marks disease. Postulated mechanisms by which alcohol induces muscle injury include direct muscle toxicity and inhibition of gluconeogenesis, as these patients are probably more dependent on the gluconeogenetic pathway for muscle cell metabolism.