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Omarthritis occurs frequently during the early course of rheumatoid arthritis. Many rheumatoid patients ignore omarthritis because of the good compensation mechanism of the shoulder. Sonography and tomography enable early diagnosis of omarthritis before deterioration is radiologically visible. Arthroplasty gives better results when the musculotendinous rotator cuff is still intact. Therefore, arthroplasty should be performed before severe damage develops. Early indication for cup arthroplasty of the humeral head is justified because of better options in revision surgery. Glenoid components show a high incidence of radiolucency and loosening in rheumatoid patients. Cemented hemiarthroplasties show the lowest rate of loosening.

In a prospective study we compared colour duplex ultrasound to venography in 325 patients with clinically suspected acute lower extremity deep vein thrombosis. In 269 cases of proven thrombosis overall sensitivity and specificity of colour duplex ultrasound were 98% and in calf vein thrombosis 96%. Investigations by both methods after fibrinolytic urokinase therapy of phlebothrombosis in 53 patients revealed no significant diagnostic differences between the two methods. In 115 patients with clinically suspected chronic venous insufficiency colour duplex ultrasound allowed to differentiate between occluded, partially recanalised or normal deep veins with or without venous valve incompetence and superficial venous insufficiency. In this study colour duplex ultrasound in diagnosis of acute or chronic lower limb venous disease attained results that were comparable to those obtained by phlebography.

Between November 1988 and February 1990, a total of 180 patients (76 men and 104 women; mean age 59 [17-79] years), suspected of having sustained a deep-vein or pelvic thrombosis were examined by colour Doppler ultrasound, the results being compared with those obtained by conventional phlebography. For 154 phlebographically confirmed acute venous thromboses (demonstrated by colour Doppler ultrasound in 153), four older thromboses (colour Doppler ultrasound: 7), and 22 without significant venous disease (colour Doppler ultrasound: 20), the specificity for colour Doppler ultrasound was 99%, its sensitivity 94%. In 49 patients with confirmed venous thrombosis thrombolytic treatment was started with 250,000 IU urokinase, followed by 62,500 IU hourly, the results being assessed by colour Doppler ultrasound and phlebography. This gave a specificity, compared with phlebography, of 99%, and a sensitivity of 97%. These data indicate that, in the diagnosis of venous thrombosis of the legs, colour Doppler ultrasound noninvasively provides information at least as reliable as phlebography. It may even be superior to phlebography in the demonstration of residual flow in partly thrombosed veins.

We compared the effects of various dialysate composition on pulmonary and transdialyzer gas exchange in patients during hemodialysis. Under acetate hemodialysis there was a permanent loss of CO2 (45-68 ml/min) into the dialysate resulting in a significant decrease of arterial pO2, which can be explained by a reduced alveolar ventilation. The pulmonary oxygen uptake increased up to +20% during treatment, reflecting rising energy metabolism and possibly increased cardiopulmonary instability. Using different concentrates for bicarbonatehemodialysis we saw a moderate to clinical relevant uptake of CO2 (40-60 ml/min) from the dialysate into the blood of the patients, cause the pCO2 in the dialysate varied between 45 and 115 mmHg. Bicarbonate hemodialysis with high pCO2-levels in the dialysate led to hyperventilation and markedly increased oxygen consumption. In critically ill hemodialysis patients the pathophysiologic effects on pulmonary gas exchange of either acetatehemodialysis and bicarbonatehemodialysis with high pCO2 can explain the higher incidence of severe complications.

A new device for the continuous monitoring of oxygen uptake and carbon dioxide delivery is presented, which is based on a continuous expired gas analysis using a paramagnetic oxygen and an infrared-absorption carbon dioxide sensor. To validate the results, data of measured oxygen uptake and cardiac output calculated by the Fick principle were compared to synchronous thermodilution measurements at rest and during exercise. Measurements were performed at rest on 18 patients, additionally 13 of the patients were exercised with either 25 W or 50 W workload. The results indicate, for both measurement series, a significant correlation (r greater than 0.95, p less than 0.001) and exemplify that the measurement of oxygen uptake by expired gas analysis permits a precise analysis of the cardiovascular transport function during exercise.

After a scraping injury to the skin a 47-year-old man developed a generalized Nocardia brasiliensis infection with cutaneous, pulmonary and cerebral dissemination. There was no predisposing underlying illness. High-dosage cotrimoxazol and short-term intrathecal and systemic gentamycin administration achieved extensive healing. This form of treatment would thus seem capable of reversing the otherwise poor prognosis of generalized N. brasiliensis infection.

The noninvasive determination of the respiratory gas exchange (measurement of oxygen uptake and carbon dioxide delivery) permits the calculation of cardiac output by Fick principle and of the actual energy requirement of the patient (indirect calorimetry). A system is presented for the continuous measurement of oxygen uptake and carbon dioxide delivery, that bases on simple components, which are available on most intensive care units. The methodical problems are discussed and the improvement of the signal of the oxygen sensor by digital signal processing is described. Clinical measurements on 16 patients are presented, whose metabolic rate early after extracorporal circulation was measured. The results reveal, that 4.4 hours after ECC the metabolic rate is close to the calculated basic metabolic rate. They demonstrate the importance of indirect calorimetry as a future bedside monitoring routine.

Tumor growth in a 72-year-old male patient with malignant haemangiopericytoma in the left hemithorax could be followed radiologically for 4 years before symptoms of recurrent hypoglycaemia appeared. The endogenous insulin level in serum was maximally and serum IGF-1 and IGF-2 markedly reduced. An intravenous arginine load test showed a normal stimulation capacity of the pancreatic glucagon secretion but not that of insulin. After resection of the tumor, blood sugar metabolism was completely normalised. The insulin level, IGF-1 and IGF-2 in serum returned to normal.