RESUMO
A prospective study of 80 oncology patients (42 men, 38 women; mean age 50.3 years) admitted to the University Hospital of the West Indies, Jamaica, was conducted over a six month period (August 1, 1995 to January 31, 1996). There were 103 admissions representing 8.7 percent of total admission to the medical wards. Solid tumours and haematological malignancies accounted for equal proportions of admissions. 62 percent were emergency admissions. Investigation of constitutional symptoms, abnormal physical findings, infection and chemotherapy were the commonest reasons for admission. Complications developed in 42.7 percent of admissions, the commonest being renal and/or hepatic impairment: anaemia, leukopaenia and thrombocytopenia; and nosocomial infections. 35 percent of the patients died during the study period. The mean length of stay was 12.9 days (SD 12.8). Mean hospital stay was significantly longer in admissions involving an initial diagnosis of cancer and in those resulting in complications (p < 0.001).(AU)
Assuntos
Admissão do Paciente/estatística & dados numéricos , Neoplasias/epidemiologia , Anemia/epidemiologia , Antineoplásicos/uso terapêutico , Infecção Hospitalar/epidemiologia , Emergências/epidemiologia , Hospitais Universitários/estatística & dados numéricos , Nefropatias/epidemiologia , Tempo de Internação/estatística & dados numéricos , Leucopenia/epidemiologia , Hepatopatias/epidemiologia , Infecções Oportunistas/epidemiologia , Estudos Prospectivos , Taxa de Sobrevida , Trombocitopenia/epidemiologia , Índias Ocidentais/epidemiologiaRESUMO
Crude and purified extracts from M. charantia plants were tested for their anti-growth properties on a variety of biological materials. These extracts inhibited the germination of maize, cotton and broad bean seeds, as well as the formation of adventitious roots on Bryophyllum leaves. The neutralized acidic fraction also inhibited the division of sea urchin eggs and foetal development in rats, caused a slight increase of the life expectancy of mice bearing tumours of Sarcoma 180, and suppressed the growth of Her2 cells in tissue culture. Oral administration of the crude whole plant extract to a lymphatic leukaemic patient caused a marked increase in the haemoglobin content of teh blood and a noticeable decrease in the white bloob cells. When the crude extract was fractionated on resin columns and then on chromatographic paper, a yellow material was separated and analysed for its elemental constituents. Where tested, it proved to be a more potent growth inhibitor than the whole plant extract or other fractions thereof (AU)
