Lege Artis Medicinae - 2007;17(01)

Lege Artis Medicinae

JANUARY 20, 2007

Lege Artis Medicinae

JANUARY 20, 2007

[THE PLACE OF DIURETICS IN MODERN HYPERTENSION TREATMENT]

CSIKY Botond

[According to national and international guidelines, thiazide diuretics are considered first-line antihypertensive agents. They lower blood pressure and cardiovascular risk efficiently without serious side effects in low-dose monotherapy or in combination with other antihypertensives. Furthermore, when given in combination with certain antihypertensive agents, a synergistic effect develops. Indapamide is a thiazide-like diuretic, virtually without metabolic side effects. Diuretics may have special benefit in the elderly and in certain target organ damage or concomittant disease (heart failure, hypervolaemia, etc). Adequate use of diuretic therapy can prevent hypertensive end-organ damage and other complications, and improves the patients' quality of life.]

Lege Artis Medicinae

JANUARY 20, 2007

[PATHOLOGICAL FEATURES OF SYSTEMIC SCLEROSIS]

VARJÚ Cecília, KUMÁNOVICS Gábor, CZIRJÁK László

[Systemic sclerosis is characterized by fibrosis and subsequent atrophy of the skin and several internal organs as well as by generalized obliterative vasculopathy. The ethiology of systemic sclerosis is not quite clear yet, but the role of certain environmental factors, genetic properties and microchimaerism has been proven. Vasculopathy is a key feature that includes both functional changes (Raynaud's phenomenon) and morphological alterations (lesion of the endothel). The triggering event is the activation of endothelial cells. This is followed by an autoimmune inflammatory process causing vascular lesion, which will eventually lead to progressive pathologic fibrosis with increased deposition of collagen and intercellular matrix proteins. Normal tissues of vital internal organs will gradually loose structure, become atrophic and irreversibly damaged. In the treatment of systemic sclerosis the most significant achievements of the past decade have been made in the therapy and prevention of scleroderma renal crisis, pulmonary arterial hypertension and other vascular complications, resulting in higher survival rates and better quality of life. In pulmonary fibrosis the beneficial effect of cyclophosphamide therapy has been proven. Today, research focuses on new therapeutic approaches based on the recently clarified molecular pathological processes, as well as on laboratory and clinical markers that predict the activity of the disease or the efficiency of therapy. The aim of the present paper is to review current knowledge on the pathology of systemic sclerosis and provide help in the diagnosis, therapy and follow-up of the disease.]

Lege Artis Medicinae

JANUARY 20, 2007

[OUR EXPERIENCE WITH BORTEZOMIB-BASED THERAPY OF MULTIPLE MYELOMA BASED ON THE FIRST 60 PATIENTS]

MIKALA Gábor, BÁTAI Árpád, CEGLÉDI Andrea, CSUKLY Zoltán, DOLGOS János, HALM Gabriella, JÁNOSI Judit, KAPÁS Balázs, LOVAS Nóra, LUEFF Sándor, PETŐ Mónika, REMÉNYI Péter, SIPOS Andrea, TÓTH Zsuzsanna

[INTRODUCTION - Bortezomib, a first-in-itsclass proteasome-inhibitor drug was registered in 2004 for the salvage treatment of relapsed and/or refractory multiple myeloma. We have been using this drug in our department for the treatment of myeloma patients since 2005. PATIENTS AND METHODS - In this retrospective study, treatment results (response rate, response duration, survival) as well as the complications and side effects were analysed based on 60 myeloma patients treated over a period of 18 months. The patients received at least one full cycle of non-first-line bortezomib-based (predominantly combinational) therapy. RESULTS - At least minimal laboratory and/or clinical response was observed in 47 of the 56 patients who could be analysed. Clinically meaningful (at least partial remission) response was seen in 41 of 56 patients. Immune-fixation negative complete remission was achieved in six patients. Median progression-free survival of our patient population was 13 months (10.8-14.8 months, n=49, adjusted for patients lost in the first 6 weeks and for those with less than 6 weeks of follow-up). As for overall survival, the median has not been reached, while treated patients had an 80.3% probability of survival at one year. CONCLUSIONS - Based on the treatment results of 60 myeloma patients, bortezomibbased therapy is clearly effective in relapsed and/or refractory myeloma.]

Lege Artis Medicinae

JANUARY 20, 2007

[PREVALENCE OF OSTEOPOROSIS IN PATIENTS WITH COLLES’ FRACTURE]

NAGY József, BÁLINT Géza, TAKÁCS Katalin, WINKLER Valéria, RATKÓ István, BÁLINT Péter

[INTRODUCTION - Studies suggest that Colles’ fracture is the earliest of the osteoporotic fractures, and thus may be the first indication of the disease. PATIENTS AND METHODS - Fifty-seven consecutive patients with Colles’ fracture who presented between 1st of October 2003 and 1st of February 2004 at the traumatology out-patient clinic of Semmelweis Hospital, Kiskunhalas were screened for osteoporosis. RESULTS - Of the 43 postmenopausal women, 41 was found to have osteoporosis by DEXA scan, but only one was aware of her disease and received treatment. Out of these 41 patients 15 had fractures previously, 9 of whom had more than one. None of the four premenopausal women had osteoporotic DEXA measurement values. All of the 10 male patients had osteoporosis, 6 had previous fractures, 5 of them more then once. One patient required surgery, there was a prolonged fracture healing in 10 cases, and reflex sympathetic dystrophy developed in 3 patients. CONCLUSION - Since in this study more than 95% of postmenopausal women with Colles’ fracture had underlying osteoporosis, the authors conclude that DEXA scanning of these patients is recommended. Based on the results, it seems that screening for osteoporosis is indicated for both men and women after radius fracture.]

Lege Artis Medicinae

JANUARY 20, 2007

[TIGECYCLINE, A NEW ANTIBIOTIC]

SZALKA András

[Glycylcyclines are a new class of antimicrobial agents, of which tigecycline is the first to have reached the final stage of clinical trials. It is the 9-t-butylglycylamido derivative of minocycline. The addition of a side-chain into position 9 overcomes the problem of the development of resistance typical to tetracyclines. Tigecycline inhibits translation of bacterial proteins through its effect on the 30S ribosomal subunit. The efficacy of tigecycline is impressive against multiresistant Gram-positive bacteria, including methicillin- resistant Staphylococcus aureus, penicillin- resistant Streptococcus pneumoniae, and vancomycin-resistant enterococci, against most genera of Enterobacteriaceae, including extended- spectrum β-lactamase-producing strains, and against most strains of Bacteroides fragilis, as well as atypical pathogens. Clinical studies showed good results in parenteral treatment for complicated skin, soft tissue and intraabdominal infections. Tigecycline will be most useful as empirical monotherapy in infections with suspected polymicrobial etiology and/or multidrugresistant agents.]

Lege Artis Medicinae

JANUARY 20, 2007

[Gastrointestinal stromal tumour in the stomach causing acute bleeding]

HUSSAM Saleh, DANCS Nóra, KÁRÁSZ Tibor, ERÉNYI Ákos, HORVÁTH Viktor, PAUKOVICS Ágnes, RÁCZ István

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Lege Artis Medicinae

JANUARY 20, 2007

Lege Artis Medicinae

JANUARY 20, 2007

[SELF-PERCEIVED HEALTH AND PSYCHOSOCIAL WORK ENVIRONMENT. - STUDY AMONG HEALTH CARE STAFF IN SUBOTICA, SERBIA]

PIKÓ Bettina, PICZIL Márta

[INTRODUCTION - Studies have shown that work environment has a significant impact on workers’ health status and their reactions to stress, which may contribute to the development of illness, or, among health care staff, to burnout syndrome. The goal of the present study was to look at the relationship between psychosocial work environment and self-perceived health in a sample of health care staff living in Szabadka (Subotica, Serbia). METHODS - There were 253 health care workers in the study group. The majority were registered nurses, head nurses and assistants (together, 80.1%). Self-reported data were collected using a questionnaire on self-perceived health, frequency of psychosomatic symptoms, work shift pattern, and psychosocial work environment (e.g., the frequency of emotionally provoking situations or the level of dissatisfaction with work). RESULTS - Health care workers reported frequent experience of emotionally provoking situations. However, they often lack a connection network that would provide effective social support in these situations. In addition to the frequent occurrence of emotionally provoking situations and the lack of social support, voluntarily chosen extra work, shift work, and the low level of work satisfaction influence negatively their self-perceived health. CONCLUSIONS - The psychosocial work environment has a significant impact on the health care workers’ self-perceived health and the occurrence of psychosomatic symptoms. It would be necessary for health care workers to learn skills and techniques that help them cope with emotionally hard situations.]

Lege Artis Medicinae

JANUARY 20, 2007

Lege Artis Medicinae

JANUARY 20, 2007

Lege Artis Medicinae

JANUARY 20, 2007

Lege Artis Medicinae

JANUARY 20, 2007