Fuad S. Ashkar

Role of Radioimmunoassay in the Cardiac Patient—Principles and Applications

The English physician William Withering introduced digitalis therapy for the management of cardiac disorders around 200 years ago. Although the crude preparations were effective in heart failure, they were accompanied by gastrointestinal upset, visual disturbances, and often death. The dangers associated with digitalis therapy have continued to plague physicians until the present day, since they have had to contend with the narrow margin that exists between beneficial dosage and dosage resulting in toxicity, the variations in tolerance, absorption, excretion, sensitivity, and the lack of a sensitive assay for monitoring the drug blood and tissue levels.

A new rapid technique for the localization of abnormalities in migration of the thyroid gland

Summary Three children with abnormal migration of the thyroid are presented. Anomalies of migration of the thyroid can present the physician with confusing clinical findings due to the abnormal position of the gland, which results in false 131 I-uptake results and athyroidic scans done by conventional techniques. We are introducing a new method of study called the dynamic thyroid study, utilizing 99m Tc pertechnetate and the scintillation camera; it is fast and accurate and subjects the patient to less radiation than does the conventional technique.

A Comparison of 131I Dosage in Hyperthyroid Treatment.

Excerpt This study was undertaken to determine if there is a therapeutic advantage in calculating the dosage of131I by formula or administering instead a fixed dosage of radioactive material. One h...