CompAc information system for traditional Chinese medicine.

The paper presents a system developed for the assistance of diagnosis and treatment in alternative medicine, based on traditional Chinese methods. The system named CompAc, is a result of an interdisciplinary cooperation and is designed for the physician, specialist in acupuncture. The Compac system allows the determination of the type of energetic imbalance starting from the clinical picture of the patient and establishing whether an organ or any of the viscera are affected. It allows also the indication of different variants of treatment. The diagnosis proposed by the system has to be confirmed by the physician and can be modified by him. The system is also useful for medical training.

Quantitative noninvasive electrophysiological evaluation of the activity of the cutaneous division of the sympathetic nervous system.

The functional status of the cutaneous division of the orthosympathetic nervous system was indirectly and non-invasively assessed by monitoring the skin electrical relative resistance variations (SERV). The advantages of our recording system of second generation were (1) simultaneous recording on two or four channels of the evoked electrodermal response to psychic or to sensorial stimulus; (2) self-balancing system which allows the recording of the relative variation of the electric parameter, i.e. its variation with time; (3) precise determination of the amplitude (omega/s, mu F/s) of the evoked response; (4) reference of the latency time (LT) of the evoked response to the length of the anatomical pathway of the signal giving the autonomic conduction velocity (ACV). Decrease in diabetic autonomic neuropathy of both spontaneous and evoked electrodermal activities suggested their relationship with cutaneous sympathetic activity.

[The effect of a plant mixture on the metabolic equilibrium in patients with type-2 diabetes mellitus]. / Efectul unui amestec pe plante asupra echilibrului metabolic la bolnavii cu diabet zaharat de tip 2.

The present paper analyses the results obtained in 82 patients with diabetes mellitus of the 2nd type: 59 women and 23 men, between 41 and 74 years old (average +/- DS, 58 +/- 9 years), of which 58 had an index of the body weight higher than 26. The diabetes duration ranged between newly discovered and 11 years. Each patient was given, 3 times a day, a 150 ml cup containing an infusion of the following mixture of plants previously cut into small pieces: Phaseolus vulgaris (pod), Morus alba (leaf), and Vaccinum myrtillus (leaves). The approximate dose used was of about 15 g/day. The treatment lasted for two months. Before and after treatment, the following parameters were determined: Hb Al (Bio-Rex method) in 31 cases; the average of 3 consequent glycemias; the value of glycemia and insulinemia recorded after a standard lunch, consisting of about 40 g glucides, 14 g proteins and 6 g lipids (50 g bread, a boiled egg and a boiled apple of 100 g). Analysis of the results obtained enabled the following temporary conclusions (1). In 74 out of the 82 cases studied, the average values of glycemia, after the treatment with plants, were lower than those recorded before the treatment (the average values of the whole lot: 219 +/- 82 mg/dl before treatment and 166 +/- 76 mg/dl after treatment (2). The overall decrease recorded, of 53 mg/dl, represents 24.3% of the initial value (3).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Electroacupunctogram: a new recording technique of the acupoint potentials.

The monitoring of the bioelectric activity of acupoints by means of electroacupunctogram (EAG) represents a direct and precise recording technique of the acupoints functional state. The EAG recording is done by introduction in the acupoint at corresponding depth of a standard silvered-steel electrode-needle and the measurements are made bipolar, i.e., versus a reference electrode. Useful information can be obtained by studying the difference in the electroacupoint potential in the following conditions: during introduction of the electrode-needle into the acupoint; after mechanical stimulation (by rotation) of the electrode-needle; after indirect heating of the acupoint; after deep breathing of the subject; by shunting the point investigated with a homonymous acupoint. The paper is based on the analysis of the EAG traces recorded in 112 apparently healthy subjects and in 230 patients affected by different diseases.

Plasma phosphorus and magnesium values during treatment of severe diabetic ketoacidosis.

Plasma phosphorus and magnesium were determined in 76 diabetics, admitted with severe ketoacidosis (pH less than or equal to 7.20, total CO2 less than or equal to 10 mEq/l) before and 24 hours after beginning the treatment, which did not include supplementary phosphorus or magnesium. Phosphorus presented initially high values (1.76 + 0.69 mEq/l) which fell substantially 24 hours after beginning the treatment (0.87 +/- 0.26 mEq/l); magnesium values, initially low (0.76 +/- 0.19 mEq/l), fell still further within 24 hours of treatment (0.64 - 0.16 mEq/l). For phosphorus (and to a lesser extent for magnesium) calculation of the regression line indicated a direct positive relationship with both hydrogen ion concentrations (r = 0.67) and blood glucose (r = 0.73), the differences being statistically significant. The more rapid the decrease in glycemia and correction of acidemia and the greater the amount of glucose administered in the course of treatment, the more marked was the fall of plasma phosphorus and magnesium values.