Acta Medica ScandinavicaVolume 176, Issue 3 p. 329-334 Dynamic Spirometry in Patients with Tracheal Stenosis H. ENGSTRÖM, H. ENGSTRÖM The Departments of Otolaryngology and Clinical Physiology, Sahlgren's Hospital, University of GÖteborg, GÖteborg, SwedenSearch for more papers by this authorG. GRIMBY, G. GRIMBY The Departments of Otolaryngology and Clinical Physiology, Sahlgren's Hospital, University of GÖteborg, GÖteborg, SwedenSearch for more papers by this authorB. SÖDERHOLM, B. SÖDERHOLM The Departments of Otolaryngology and Clinical Physiology, Sahlgren's Hospital, University of GÖteborg, GÖteborg, SwedenSearch for more papers by this author H. ENGSTRÖM, H. ENGSTRÖM The Departments of Otolaryngology and Clinical Physiology, Sahlgren's Hospital, University of GÖteborg, GÖteborg, SwedenSearch for more papers by this authorG. GRIMBY, G. GRIMBY The Departments of Otolaryngology and Clinical Physiology, Sahlgren's Hospital, University of GÖteborg, GÖteborg, SwedenSearch for more papers by this authorB. SÖDERHOLM, B. SÖDERHOLM The Departments of Otolaryngology and Clinical Physiology, Sahlgren's Hospital, University of GÖteborg, GÖteborg, SwedenSearch for more papers by this author First published: January/December 1964 https://doi.org/10.1111/j.0954-6820.1964.tb00940.xCitations: 31AboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Share a linkShare onFacebookTwitterLinked InRedditWechat Citing Literature Volume176, Issue3January/December 1964Pages 329-334 RelatedInformation

A field study of 89 refrigerator repairmen was carried out to ascertain whether occupational exposure to fluorocarbons induces cardiac arrhythmia. The concentrations of fluorocarbons in the breathing zones and the heart activity were recorded simultaneously. Most cooling systems contained FC 12 or FC 22. The highest level recorded in one minute was 14,000 ppm and the highest time weighted level during eight hours was 280 ppm. Two types of arrhythmia were recorded, ectopic beats and sudden bradycardia. A within subject comparison design was applied and the main parameter was the difference in arrhythmia frequencies between exposed and unexposed periods. No appreciable differences between exposed and unexposed periods and no consistent dose effect relations were observed, although subjects in the medium exposure category showed a difference of borderline significance (Wilcoxon's test: p = 0.05, one tailed). The frequencies of arrhythmia when unexposed were somewhat higher than previously reported. Misclassification of the exposure and the possible confounding effect of physical workload and psychological strain may have obscured a causal relation and therefore a minor effect cannot be ruled out. The results do not support the notion that fluorocarbons induce cardiac arrhythmia in occupationally exposed refrigerator repairmen.

To determine reference values for ectopic activity 147 actively employed healthy men aged from 15 to 65 years were examined by 24 hour Holter monitoring during their ordinary daily activities. Age was the only risk factor significantly associated with supraventricular and ventricular extrasystoles. During a six year follow up only two men died. In both the frequency of ventricular extrasystoles had been high, but neither of them died from cardiovascular disease. Because the distribution of the frequency of extrasystoles in the study group was highly skewed a percentile distribution was used to determine normal values. This distribution showed that 95% of men aged 15-39 years had less than 2.9 ventricular extrasystoles per hour and the same proportion of men aged 40 years or older had less than 36 ventricular extrasystoles per hour. For field studies values above the 90th percentile (that is more than 10 ventricular extrasystoles per hour for men 40 years or older) may be a more appropriate cut off point.

ABSTRACT Sudden deaths and chronic cardiovascular diseases have been reported in excess frequency from the explosives industry. Forty-two active dynamite workers and 43 healthy, unexposed workers have been studied by ambulatory electrocardiographic monitoring during two 24-hour periods covering an exposed shift and the “abstinence phase,” 40-64 hours after the last exposure to dynamite. To achieve comparability the non-exposed individuals were screened for risk factors of heart disease in the same way as those employed in exposed work. No statistically significant differences were found between the groups concerning the mean individual number of ventricular or supraventicular ectopic beats per hour or per 10 000 heart beats during the whole recorded time. Among those who showed only ectopic beats in one of the two periods dynamite workers tended to have more ectopic beats in the second period. “Complicated” ventricular ectopic beats (multifocal, bigemeny, or coupled) were seen in six dynamite workers and four controls. The only observed period of ventricular tachycardia was seen in a dynamite worker on Monday morning. The mean individual corrected QT-time was similar between the two groups, and there was no tendency towards longer QT-times among the dynamite workers during the abstinence period. Continuous monitoring detected several cases with pronounced ventricular arrhythmias despite normal short-time ECG and may be used to investigate the heart rhythm in active workers.

The influence of glucocorticosteroids on plasma volume, thyroid hormones and thyroid hormone-binding proteins was studied in 17 patients. Plasma volume was not affected either by i.v. beta-methasone (6 mg daily) or by oral prednisolone (45--180 mg daily) given for 5 days. The serum T3 concentration decreased while rT3 increased independently of the route of administration of corticosteroids. Serum T4 concentration decreased after i.v. but not after oral administration of corticosteroids. Oral steroids as compared to i.v. increased the 125I-triiodothyronine uptake test value. The serum TBG concentration decreased independently of the route of administration, while the serum TBPA concentration increased after oral corticosteroids but was unchanged after i.v. treatment. The serum TSH concentration was slightly reduced. About half of the patients were given both corticosteroids and nutrition i.v. and the other half were given all treatment by mouth. The part played by the route of administration of corticosteroids and calories, respectively, cannot be evaluated at present but these factors seem to be of importance.

The interpretation of results obtained when using a clearance technique with radioactive tracers, in measuring the blood flow through an organ, remains a matter of dispute. A comparative study therefore was made in 6 men in whom the testicular blood flow was measured intraoperatively both by means of venous occlusion plethysmography and a Xenon wash-out technique with intratesticular injection. Plethysmography gives the total blood flow in the testis, epididymis, and the tunics while the Xenon technique measures the blood flow in the testis alone. Previous studies in rams have shown the same blood flow in the testis as in the epididymis expressed in ml/100 g tissue/min. Assuming that the ratio is the same in the human male, the plethysmographic flow of the testis could be calculated. The plethysmographic flow calculated in this way was 9 ml/100 g/min. Compared with various techniques of evaluating the Xenon activity curves, this is in agreement with the flow calculated according to Zierler or from the slow component of the Xenon disappearance curve. The possible influence of a counter current exchange on the results obtained by the Xenon clearance technique, is discussed.

The possibility of a quantitative evaluation of the separate function of each kidney by means of radiorenography is tested. The influence of the blood background activity on the renogram curves is investigated and the results are correlated to the values obtained by the conventional clearance determination technique. It is shown that, in accordance with a clinical routine which includes total clearance determination and fractional evaluation from the renogram, it is possible to give individual clearance values with an accuracy similar to that found with a conventional separate clearance technique.

Abstract. Seit 1966 wurden bei 104 Patienten für die Lagebestimmung der Plazenta Angiographic, Szintigraphie, Ultraschallmessung und Thermographic vergleichsweise angewandt. Die Szintigraphie wurde in allen Fällen ausgeführt, Angiographic in 29, Ultraschallmessung in 62 und Thermographic in 49 Fällen. Die angiographische Methode erlaubte in allen Fällen eine korrekte Lokalisation der Plazenta. Sie scheidet aber aus Strahlenschutzgründen für die Routine aus. Die Szintigraphie war in dieser Untersuchung ebenso zuverlässig. Die geringe Strahlenbelastung der Patienten wird von uns nicht als eine Kontraindikation gegen die Anwendung der Methode angesehen. Die Szintigraphie wird daher von uns als die Methode der Wahl für die Plazentalokalisation angesehen, besonders bei der Anwendung kurzlebiger Radionuklide und moderner Apparatur. Die Thermographic und die Ultraschallmessung ermöglichte mit der in dieser Untersuchung angewandten Technik in ca. 70% der Fälle eine richtige Lokalisation der Plazenta. Auf Grund der messtechnischen Voraussetzungen kommt den beiden Methoden zur Zeit im Vergleich mit der Szintigraphie doch nur eine untergeordnete Bedeutung zu.