Subtotal Splenectomy in Hereditary Spherocytosis - Advantages and Disadvantages.

Hereditary spherocytosis (HS) represents the most frequent hemolytic anemia in Central and Northern Europe consisting in an inherited abnormality of the red blood cell (RBC) membrane. It is usually transmitted as an autosomal dominant disorder; 25% of cases are without family history. Splenectomy is the classical conception and it can cure hemolysis, being the treatment of choice for moderate to severe forms of HS. A new approach is accepted nowadays, subtotal splenectomy, thus eliminating the lifelong risk of postsplenectomy infections. We present two cases of HS treated by subtotal splenectomy, alongside the advantages and disadvantages of this therapy.

Effect of low-dose rabeprazole and omeprazole on gastric acidity: results of a double blind, randomized, placebo-controlled, three-way crossover study in healthy subjects.

BACKGROUND: The treatment of acid-related symptoms requires rapid and consistent acid suppression, especially with on-demand regimens. AIM: To compare the antisecretory activity of low-dose rabeprazole and omeprazole in healthy, Helicobacter pylori-negative subjects. METHODS: In this randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, three-way crossover study, 27 volunteers were given rabeprazole 10 mg, omeprazole 10 mg, or placebo once daily for 7 days with a 10-14-day washout between treatments. Intragastric pH was monitored for 24-h on days 1 and 7 of each treatment. RESULTS: Median gastric pH was significantly higher with rabeprazole than with omeprazole or placebo: day 1: 2.3, 1.4 and 1.3, respectively (P = 0.0056, rabeprazole vs. omeprazole; P < 0.0001, rabeprazole vs. placebo); day 7: 3.7, 2.2 and 1.3, respectively (P = 0.0016 rabeprazole vs. omeprazole; P < 0.0001, rabeprazole vs. placebo). Time with gastric pH above 4 was significantly higher with rabeprazole than with omeprazole: day 1, 5.8 h vs. 3.7 h, respectively (P < 0.02); day 7, 10.5 h vs. 4.6 h, respectively (P = 0.0008). CONCLUSIONS: Rabeprazole 10 mg provides more rapid acid inhibition compared with omeprazole 10 mg. After 7 days, the time with pH above 4 is more than doubled with rabeprazole 10 mg vs. omeprazole 10 mg.

Twenty-four-hour intragastric acidity and plasma gastrin during 3-month treatment with omeprazole in healthy subjects.

BACKGROUND: Prolonged treatment with omeprazole 20 or 40 mg/day is sometimes required, especially for severe oesophagitis. However, information about long-term effects on intragastric acidity and plasma gastrin response with such drug regimens is scarce. METHODS: Sixteen healthy subjects (11 men, 5 women, mean age 29 years) randomly received either 20 or 40 mg of omeprazole once daily (at 08.00 h) for 3 months. Gastric pH was recorded every 6 s for 24 h from noon to noon under standardized conditions, and blood samples were collected hourly in order to determine the 24-h plasma gastrin response on day 0 (pre-entry), day 7, day 28 and day 90. RESULTS: From day 0 to day 7, 24-h median pH increased from 1.7 to 4.6 and mean percentage of time at pH < 4 decreased from 89% to 35% with omeprazole 20 mg. Respective values with omeprazole 40 mg were 1.9 to 4.3, and 89% to 34%. Inhibition of gastric acidity remained unchanged during the 3 months of treatment. Despite similar effects on the basis of 24-h analysis, the decrease in daytime acidity was slightly higher with omeprazole 40 mg than with omeprazole 20 mg. Twenty-four-hour integrated plasma gastrin significantly increased with both drug regimens between day 0 and day 7 (P < 0.01), and between day 7 and day 28 (P < 0.01) with omeprazole 40 mg; there was no significant increase between day 28 and day 90 with either of the drug regimens. CONCLUSION: Omeprazole 20 and 40 mg/day provides long-term stable acid suppression with a progressive increase in gastrin response, stabilizing after 2 months of treatment.

Maintenance of gastric pH above 6 with intravenous famotidine in patients with a bleeding duodenal ulcer.

BACKGROUND: The secondary prevention of bleeding from ulcers may be improved if antisecretory drugs are able to maintain a 24-h gastric pH close to neutral. AIM: To evaluate the effect of intravenous famotidine at a conventional dose of 40 mg/day on 24-h intragastric pH in patients with a bleeding duodenal ulcer, and to determine the dose required to maintain gastric pH > 6 by use of a Gastrojet (MIC, Switzerland) device (a pH meter-controlled programmable pump). METHODS: Twelve patients (nine men, three women), aged 24-78 years, admitted for a bleeding duodenal ulcer, were studied after active bleeding had stopped for at least 6 h. Gastric pH was recorded for two consecutive 24-h periods, each starting at 16.00 hours. The patients were fasted during these periods and received an infusion of 2.5 L of isotonic glucose. They were given famotidine, as a continuous i.v. infusion of 40 mg during one period, and at a rate determined by the Gastrojet during the other period (in a random sequence), with the aim of maintaining the gastric pH above 6. RESULTS: The 24-h median (interquartile range) pH and the mean (+/- S.E.M.) percentage of the 24-h period with a gastric pH > 6 were both significantly higher during the Gastrojet period than during the continuous infusion: 6.4 (6.3-6.5) vs. 5.7 (2.7-6.4) (P < 0.01) and 74 +/- 5% vs. 44 +/- 7% (P < 0.002), respectively. The mean dose of famotidine delivered by the Gastrojet was 172 mg (range: 101-200 mg). The entire available amount of famotidine (200 mg) was delivered in four of the 12 patients. The percentage of time at pH > 6 (mean +/- S.E.M.) was significantly higher at night (22.00 to 07.00 hours) than during the rest of the day (88 +/- 2 vs. 70 +/- 6%; P < 0.005) and the mean quantity of famotidine delivered per hour was significantly lower during the night (6.3 +/- 0.8 mg/h vs. 8.4 +/- 0.5 mg/h; P < 0.02). CONCLUSION: We conclude that 40 mg of famotidine delivered as a continuous i.v. infusion is not sufficient to maintain gastric pH > 6 for 24 h in duodenal ulcer patients. Our study with the Gastrojet device shows that it may be possible to achieve this goal by using a much larger dose, preferably delivered during the day.

Maintenance of intragastric pH > 4 with famotidine in duodenal ulcer patients: factors influencing drug requirements.

The gastrojet, a closed loop pH feedback infusion pump capable of maintaining intragastric pH at a target value by infusing H2 blockers at variable rates, was used to assess factors influencing the quantity of famotidine required to maintain intragastric pH above 4 for 24 hours in 34 fed patients with duodenal ulcers. The following factors were considered: sex, age, duration of the disease, previous bleeding, previous poor response to H2 blockers (ulcer unhealed at six weeks, or recurrence within three months during maintenance treatment), activity of the ulcer disease, smoking habits, cirrhosis. The patients had taken no antisecretory drugs for the 15 days before the study. Two standardised meals were given during the study period (from 1000 to 1000). Fifty ml of famotidine (4 mg/ml) was loaded into infusion bags and the pump was programmed to deliver the drug intravenously at 11 rates varying from 0 to 40 microliters/min. The target pH was 4. Mean famotidine use was 111 mg (range 33 to 200), the 23 hour median pH was 5.3, and the mean time during which pH was above 4 was 75.4%. There was a negative correlation (p < 0.001) between famotidine delivery and the inhibition of gastric acidity. Statistical analysis showed that only cirrhosis significantly influenced drug delivery, median pH, and the time during which pH was above 4. Mean drug delivery in the cirrhotic and non-cirrhotic patients was 135 v 97 mg (p < 0.04), 23 hour median pH was 4.7 v 5.6 (p < 0.01), and the mean time at pH > 4 was 65.9 v 81.6% (p < 0.01). There were large interindividual variations in famotidine requirements, but not only cirrhosis was predictive of dose requirement. These results suggest that the appropriate amount of famotidine to treat duodenal ulcer in cirrhotic patients is probably higher than the usually recommended dose.

[Early stages and development of chronic obstructive pneumopathy]. / Stades précoces et évolution de la pneumopathie chronique obstructive.

Chronic obstructive lung disease (COLD) is an important cause of mortality and disability. In a cross-over study, followed by a longitudinal one, of a homogeneous group of blue collar steel workers, we have found that the slope of the N2 alveolar plateau was the most frequently impaired test, in the absence of any respiratory symptom. However, its predictive power was low enough to preclude its use for early detection of COLD. We have now a better understanding of the issues of early detection of COLD, the risk factors involved as well as of the therapeutic intervention to improve its prognosis.

Problems with patients' compliance in peptic ulcer therapy.

The problem of patient compliance in peptic ulcer therapy is difficult to approach, especially because very few studies in the recent literature have focused on this aspect. Even when discussed, it is of marginal or secondary importance. We lack precise definitions and validated measurement techniques. Analysis of the data now available does not allow the validation of the theoretical parameters currently thought to influence compliance: psychological factors, disease factors, and treatment factors. Nevertheless, it seems, from a review of the studies, that despite the imperfect methodology commonly used, the variations in treatment regimens do not play an important role in patient compliance. This impression needs to be confirmed by new, specific prospective studies.