Cuff Test Research Articles

Effects of defibrotide on peripheral obliterative vascular diseases.

Twenty-nine patients with atherosclerotic obliterative vascular disorder and 9 cases of Buerger's disease were treated with 600 mg defibrotide daily for 10 days and then three times weekly for 3 months. The response to therapy was evaluated from hemostatic parameters, venostasis test (cuff test), treadmill testing, and radionuclide arteriography. We observed increased pain-free intervals in daily life and during treadmill testing. There was also a significantly higher response in the cuff test and improved perfusion as seen by radionuclide arteriography.

“Fibrinolytic potential” the response to a 5 minute venous occlusion test

Eight males and 8 females were each subjected to a standardised 5 minute venous occlusion test on three occasions, at 0 hours, 5 hours and 72 hours. The fibrinolytic activity of venous blood samples was measured using resuspended euglobulin precipitates on plasminogen rich fibrin plates. Five minutes venous occlusion produced significant increases in fibrinolytic activity on all three occasions. It is concluded that a 5 minute venous cuff test is a useful and repeatable test for assessing the “fibrinolytic potential” and has the advantage of being relatively painless and causing less depletion of the endothelial activator store.

某製鋼工場における振動工具作業者の実態

In Japan, a good many papers relating to disorder of health by using vibrating tools were published during the period from 1955 to 1960. In about five years thereafter few reports were published. Since 1965 in Japan, on vibration diseases of woodcutters using chain-saw have been investigated by many authors one after another. Many woodcutters are at present suffering from Raynaud's phenomenon and have some other symptoms such as pain, numbness or weakness of the upper extremities. We have investigated in a steel works in order to know the health status of workers using vibrating tools and to elucidate the factors in relation to the genesis of vibration disorders. In this steel works, 490 men-about 10% of the total laborers are working with vibrating tools. Sorts of vibrating tools are air-grinders used on chipping steel castings, swing-grinders on chipping wrought steel, pneumers on cleaning sand out of steel cast, sand-rammers on ramming molt, and so on. The air-grinder, pneumer, and sand-rammer are all operated by compressed air, and the swing-grinder by an electric motor. The magnitude of acceleration of the pneumer and the air-grinder is especially large-pneumer: 20.5∼104.0 g, air-grinder: 2.0∼37.0 g. During the use of the vibrating tool operated by compressed air, its surface becomes frozen in winter. Investigations were made on 325 workers using vibrating tools as to subjective complaints which revealed that 9.2% of them had complaints of waxy, pale fingers, 23.1% numbness chiefly on the upper limbs, 21.6% pain, so-called "myalgic syndrome" chiefly on the upper limbs. Ninety workers having complaints and 15 workers not using vibrating tools were investigated as to objective signs such as decrease in the grasping power, cuff test, X-photoed, and a few biophysical tests with cold water i.e. cooling levy tests, and biochemical tests of blood and urine. This time, we studied especially on the cooling levy tests. Difference in the values of cooling levy test between the group using the tool and the control group not using it was found statistically significant. Therefore, these tests are thought to be useful in picking up suffered men among laborers using vibrating tools. Abnormal findings in the objective examinations have been correlated to subjective complaints. Workers using pneumers had much more subjective complaints and abnormal findings in objective examinations than those using the other kind. From the investigation on labor conditions such as working hours and the labor environment, subjective complaints and results of objective examinations, we consider that laborer's health disorders have heen comprehensively caused by: (1) acceleration of vibrating tools, (2) the way of handing vibrating tools, (3) dusty hours during which they use vibrating tools, (4) cold environment of the user, and (5) years of using vibrating tools. Correlations among these factors in causing the vibration disease are further to be studied.

Purpuric Eruptions Associated With Use of Carbromal and Meprobamate

Purpuric eruptions are reported in four patients, all of whom were taking a carbromal-containing drug. The eruption began on the ankles in each patient and then progressed to the upper legs, thighs, buttocks, and lower abdomen. In addition to the purpura, erythema, papules, and hemosiderosis were present. The eruption tended to be pruritic in each case. One of the patients presented showed a cross-sensitivity with meprobamate, which caused a recrudescence of the eruption. Patients with carbromal sensitivity characteristically have a nonthrombocytopenic purpura with a positive cuff test. Treatment is symptomatic, and the eruption tends to clear in two to four weeks after cessation of the drug.

THE CORRECTION OF PROLONGED BLEEDING TIMES IN TWO BROTHERS BY PLATELET TRANSFUSIONS DESPITE NORMAL IN VITRO PLATELET TESTS

1. Two children with congenital disorders have been presented. 2. Laboratory evaluation of their problem revealed only prolonged bleeding times and positive cuff tests. 3. The transfusion of normal platelets, but not plasma, corrected their abnormal bleeding times. 4. The use of blood product transfusion as a means of establishing diagnosis was useful in our patients and is recommended in the study of all difficult bleeding problems.