Frequency In Elderly Patients Research Articles

RADIOLOGIC MANIFESTATIONS OF PULMONARY TUBERCULOSIS

In summary, the following points are reemphasized: 1. The chest film is the mainstay in the radiologic evaluation of suspected or proven pulmonary TB. CT is occasionally useful for clarifying confusing findings but has not been conclusively shown to have a significant impact on patient management. 2. Primary TB is increasingly a disease of adults. 3. Primary TB usually manifests as a parenchymal consolidation in any pulmonary lobe or segment. Distinguishing features from typical bacterial pneumonia include associated adenopathy, lack of systemic toxicity, failure to respond to conventional antibacterial therapy, and recent PPD conversion. 4. Associated ipsilateral hilar and/or mediastinal adenopathy is almost universal in children with primary TB but is less common in adults. Adenopathy without parenchymal disease is an unusual but well-reported manifestation. 5. Many of the so-called unusual manifestations of adult TB are the usual manifestations of primary disease. The terms adult and childhood TB should be discarded. 6. Postprimary TB typically manifests as a heterogeneous, often cavitary opacity in the apical and posterior segments of the upper lobes and the superior segments of the lower lobes. Lymphadenopathy is rare. 7. Activity of postprimary disease cannot be accurately assessed by chest radiography. Radiographic stability for 6 months and negative sputum cultures is the best indicator of inactive disease. The descriptive terms inactive or old TB should be discarded in favor of radiographically stable TB, as viable bacilli may persist despite adequate therapy. 8. Cavitation is the most important radiologic finding in postprimary disease. Cavitation implies a high bacillary burden, high infectivity, and is associated with numerous complications including endobronchial spread, tuberculous empyema, hematogenous dissemination, pulmonary artery pseudoaneurysm, and so forth. 9. Tuberculous pleurisy is more common in primary than postprimary disease. It is a common presenting manifestation in young adults. The effusions are unilateral, large, and self-limited. The pleural fluid usually is a serous exudate with a marked lymphocytosis. Fluid cultures are frequently negative. Correct diagnosis and therapy is important, as untreated patients are at high risk for subsequent pulmonary reactivation. 10. Miliary disease is also more common in primary than postprimary disease; however, its frequency in elderly patients with postprimary TB is increasing. This form, known as late generalized TB, is apt to be misdiagnosed or not diagnosed in life and has a high mortality.

Cardiac surgery in septuagenarians: Is there a difference in mortality and morbidity?

Open heart surgery is being performed with increased frequency in elderly patients. Results vary considerably probably as the profile of the surgical population changes. A comparison was established by means of univariate analysis between two consecutive series of 100 patients undergoing bypass grafting or valvular replacement. Group A patients were 70 years of age or older; group B patients were less than 65 years of age. Various clinical, operative, and postoperative parameters were monitored. A significant difference was found between the two groups. Elderly patients tended to be white, female, with poor left ventricular and renal function, had carotid or peripheral vascular disease, and new onset of symptoms. Fewer patients had single-vessel disease and received internal mammary artery grafts. Operative mortality rate was higher in group A subjects and postoperative neurologic complications were also more frequent in this group. Factors influencing operative mortality were the association between vascular disease, presence of left main coronary artery disease, and urgency of the procedure. The mortality rate was 17.2% in 29 patients with associated vascular disease and 4.8% (3/63) in those without vascular disease (p = 0.048). Operative mortality was 4.1% without left main coronary artery disease, 15% with left main coronary artery disease (p = 0.083), and 4% in 84 patients having elective operations versus 31.2% in patients having 16 emergency procedures (p = 0.001). Short-term follow-up revealed a higher late mortality rate in elderly subjects and suggested an increased incidence of early pulmonary embolus. Nevertheless, elective cardiac surgery may be safely performed in septuagenarians with an expected operative mortality rate under 5%.

Pharmacokinetics and effects on the renin-angiotensin system of ramipril in elderly patients

Converting enzyme inhibitors are likely to be prescribed with increasing frequency in elderly patients. The pharmacokinetics of ramipril, a new potent long-acting non-sulphydryl converting enzyme inhibitor, and its effects on blood pressure, plasma renin activity and angiotensin II concentrations were studied in a group of 8 elderly volunteers (mean age 77, range 61 to 84). Circulating concentrations of the active diacid formed from its parent drug were consistently higher in this group despite apparently normal renal function, assessed by serum creatinine and urea concentrations, compared with younger volunteers (age range 21 to 30). The initial dose of ramipril should be lower in older subjects. The study emphasizes the importance of careful extrapolation of data obtained from young volunteers to older subjects.

Postoperative changes in blood coagulation in elderly patients ∗

I T HAS been demonstrated that surgical operations, by inducing absorption of the products of injury to tissues and changes in blood components, volume and viscosity, produce significant variations of blood coagulability. These, together with circulatory conditions’~2 and vascular factors,“-5 are considered the main causes of postoperative thromboembolic phenomena. Since the observations of Evans6 in 1929, numerous studies have appeared, stressing the postoperative changes of the various clotting factors and culminating in the recent attempts of Barker et al.,7 Milch et al.* and Allen9 to prevent postsurgical thromboembolic complications by prophylactic use of anticoagulants. Although postoperative thromboembolic episodes occur with greatly increased frequency in elderly patients,“,“s6 no detailed postoperative coagulation studies have been performed, as far as we know, in this specific group. The purpose of this investigation was to stud) the blood coagulability of patients sixty-five or more years of age immediately preceding and following surgery.