Incremento de vocalizaciones espontáneas en deficientes mentales profundos: un caso práctico

RESUMEN

El objetivo de este trabajo fue incrementar las vocalizaciones espontáneas en un deficiente mental profundo como requisito previo antes de su incorporación a los programas de implantación del habla. El procedimiento utilizado resultó eficaz no sólo en las sesiones de tratamiento sino en su medio ambiente.     

Evaluation of polymerase chain reaction for rapid diagnosis of clinically suspected tuberculous pleurisy

Pleural effusion is one of the commonest presentations of tuberculosis, the clinical manifestations being typically abrupt resembling bacterial pneumonia. Since delayed hypersensitivity is the underlying immune response, bacterial load is very low. Owing to these facts, tuberculous pleurisy as an extra-pulmonary disease poses a diagnostic dilemma. The conventional bacteriological methods rarely detect Mycobacterium tuberculosis in pleural fluid and are of limited use in diagnosis of tuberculous pleurisy. We evaluated the efficacy of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in the diagnosis of tuberculous pleurisy by targeting the gene segment coding for MPB64 protein specific forMycobacterium tuberculosis. Based on the clinical criteria, 82 patients with lymphocytic exudative pleural effusion were included in the study. Patients were analyzed in two groups; one group consisting of 48 patients of tubercular pleural effusion confimed by various diagnostic procedures and another group of 34 patients comprising of non-tubercular pleural effusion. There were no false positive results by PCR and the specificity worked out to be 100%. Twenty two patients tested positive for Mantoux with a sensitivity of 45%. ZN-staining for AFB was found in samples from 15 patients (20% sensitivity). ADA was positive for 28 patients with a sensitivity of 53%. PCR was positive for 32/48 patients (67% sensitivity). Thus, PCR was found to be more sensitive than any other conventional method in diagnosis of clinically suspected tubercular pleurisy.     

Somatic DNA Damages in Cardiovascular Autonomic Neuropathy

Cardiovascular autonomic neuropathy (CAN) is one of the most clinically significant complications of diabetes mellitus. Even though many ethological factors have been attributed for the pathogenesis of this disease no attempts were made to correlate DNA damage as a causative factor. Hence the present study was undertaken to asses the extent of somatic DNA damages by cytokinesis-block micronuclei assay (CBMN). An attempt is also being made to correlate the habits and/or risk factors and socioeconomic status with CAN. The CBMN frequency of 46 patients suffering from autonomic neuropathy was compared with that of 25 healthy age and sex matched controls. All the subjects were suffering from type 2 diabetes for at least 8 years and have varying degrees of coronary artery diseases. The mean CBMN frequency of the patients was statistically higher than that of the healthy control subjects (P < 0.05). The CBMN frequency was found to be significantly altered in CAN patients who where physical inactivity and smoking. A significant correlation could also be observed between CAN and smoking, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, dyslipidemia, abdominal obesity, and physical activity.     

A Preliminary Study of the Effect of Ingestion of Gold on Blood Chemistry

Ten milligram of pure gold foil was given by mouth for 16 days. Routine blood chemistry was done before and after gold therapy and repeated after 3 weeks of cessation of therapy. All the blood values were well within normal range and variations, except the enzymes—creatine phosphokinase and lactate dehydrogenase, which decreased substantially on gold foil ingestion indicating possible inhibition of these blood enzymatic activity by gold.     

Biochemical changes during exchange transfusion in hyperbilirubinemia in term newborn babies

Double volume (170 ml/kg body weight) exchange transfusion was done in 52 term infants in the first week of life for neonatal hyperbilirubinemia. The M:F ratio was 1.08:1 and 37 (71.1%) babies were of low birth weight. Causes of jaundice were hemolytic in 46.2% and non-hemolytic in 41.3% cases; in 13.5% babies no cause of jaundice could be found. After exchange transfusion a fall of 14.6% and 47.4% was observed in the hemoglobin and serum bilirubin levels respectively. There was significant (p=0.0414) rise in the mean mid exchange and post-exchange serum sodium levels as compared to pre-exchange values and it was found to be due to higher donor's serum sodium levels (p=0.007). There was no effect on the serum potassium levels during or after ET. In general serum calcium levels significantly increased at mid-exchange period (p=0.0029) but post-exchange levels were same as pre-exchange. Donor's serum calcium level had no effect on the infant's serum calcium level (p=0.993). There was no change in the serum phosphate and blood urea levels during and after exchange-transfusion. The plasma glucose was significantly raised during and after ET and plasma glucose of the donors had significant effect on the infant's plasma glucose levels (p=0.043). Similarly plasma osmolality also showed significant increase during and after ET which was due to the effect of donor's plasma osmolality (p=0.007).