Impact of Mood Spectrum Spirituality and Mysticism Symptoms on Suicidality in Earthquake Survivors with PTSD.

The aim of the present study was to explore the correlations between Spirituality/Mysticism/Psychoticism symptoms and suicidality in young adult survivors of the L'Aquila earthquake. The sample included 475 subjects recruited among high school seniors who had experienced the April 6, 2009, earthquake. Assessments included: Trauma and Loss Spectrum-Self Report and Mood Spectrum-Self Report (MOODS-SR). Mysticism/Spirituality dimension and suicidality were evaluated by means of some specific items of the MOOD-SR. The Spirituality/Mysticism/Psychoticism MOODS-SR factor score was significantly higher among subjects with PTSD diagnosis with respect to those without. Similarly, subjects with suicidal ideation, as well as those who committed a suicide attempt, reported significantly higher scores than those without.

Vitamin E supplementation in preeclampsia.

An oxidant/antioxidant imbalance has been suggested among the pathogenetic factors involved in preeclampsia. As vitamin E is one of the most important antioxidant body components, a nonrandomized controlled trial was undertaken in 36 preeclamptic patients in order to evaluate the effect of vitamin E supplementation (100-300 mg/day per os) on fetal and maternal outcome. Fetal mortality was similar in 14 patients treated with conventional therapy plus oral vitamin E supplementation (35%) and in 22 patients treated with conventional therapy only (36%). Furthermore, in both groups of patients proteinuria increased, and increased dosages of antihypertensive drugs were called for in order to control blood pressure. We conclude that, with these dosages and in case of an already established disease, vitamin E does not improve fetal outcome in severe preeclampsia. Furthermore, it does not show favorable effects on maternal hypertension and proteinuria.

Clinical and histological results of long-term management of aluminium overloading in uraemic patients with desferrioxamine.

Aluminium introxication in uraemic patients has been reported both in epidemic and sporadic forms. Desferrioxamine (DFO) results in strong Al mobilisation, but definitive treatment schedules, times of stop, and actual long-term Al removal her not been established. This study was carried out on three sporadic cases of Al intoxication treated with DFO for 3 1/2, 4 1/2 and 1 years. Clinical and laboratory parameters were employed to check the brain, bone and red cell status. Direct evaluation of Al kinetics showed that actual Al removal may be overestimated. In our experience it did not exceed 100 mg/year, and the ratio (DFO used/Al removed) decreased to 150 g/25 mg after two years of DFO, though considerable tissue deposits persisted in the patient who died after 3 1/2 years of treatment. Despite unexplained EEG worsening, neurological symptoms improved. Relapses, however, occurred after many years of DFO. Bone status improvement, at least in parathyroidectomised patients, proved to be only partial and time-related. The therapeutic effectiveness of DFO in these patients seemed to be exhausted after two years even if Al deposits had not vanished.

Muzolimine in chronic renal failure: a study in 16 patients.

Muzolimine is a diuretic with chemical features different from all other known diuretics, and its use seem to be particularly interesting in patients with chronic renal failure. In fact, similarly to furosemide, muzolimine presents a strong action on Henle's loop but with a slower and more lasting effect, as experimentally demonstrated in both animals and man. We used high doses muzolimine (240, 480, 720 mg/die) in 16 patients with chronic renal failure (creatinine clearance less than 20 ml/min) and clinical pattern of important hydrosaline retention (6 primitive glomerulonephritis, 3 interstitial nephrites, 1 vascular nephropathy, 1 diabetic nephropathy, 1 lupus nephritis, 1 amyloidosis, 1 polycystic nephropathy and 2 nephropathies of unknown diagnosis). Muzolimine diuretic action was compared with furosemide 500 mg/die. The schedule employed was: furosemide 500 mg/die for 5 days followed by 6 days of muzolimine treatment at increasing doses (240 mg on 1st and 2nd day, 480 mg on 3rd and 4th, 720 mg on 5th and 6th). In all patients (undergoing a diet constant in water, sodium, potassium and protein content) body weight, blood pressure, heart rate, serum and urinary electrolyte concentration, serum and urinary uric acid, BUN, creatinine clearance, glycaemia, hematocrit and hemoglobin were daily controlled. A clinical and laboratory investigation of the possible side effects was also assessed; in particular liver enzymes, bilirubin and total serum proteins were considered. In our study muzolimine increased the renal excretion of water, sodium and chloride in all cases. This effect is more evident during the treatment with the highest dose (720 mg/die) but already appears with the 480 mg/die dose and is higher than that obtained with comparable doses of furosemide.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)