Is there any relationship of age & sex to the etiology and outcome of medical coma?

As the diseases behave differently in males and females and even in different age groups, particular attention was made to classify and observe the distribution of various causes of coma according to age and sex of the patient in order to formulate our indigenous database for future reference. We studied the coma etiology with particular reference to the age and sex of the patient, and the outcome. All the 517 (312 male {60.35%} and 205 female {39.65%}) patients were divided into 7 groups according to decades from age 12 to 80 years. Patients older than 40 years predominated (318 {61.5%}). Metabolic coma was predominant cause in almost all age groups. Structural coma was increasing progressively with the age. Poisonings were the common cause in patients under 30, representing 35.85% of all comas in the age group 12-20, and 33.70% in the group from 21-30 years. In the next two decades (31-50 years), hepatic and renal failure predominated making up more than half of all causes. Leading causes among males we re poisonings (69 cases), hemorrhagic CVA (48 cases), ischemic CVA (24 cases), renal failure (28 cases) and hepatic coma (35 cases). Similarly among females causal distribution revealed renal failure (34 cases), followed by hepatic coma (29 cases), and hemorrhagic CVA (26 cases). Out of the 476 (92%) patients whose outcome could be determined 297 (57.4%) were discharged after recovery and 179 (34.6%) died. Eighty out of 205 female patients died (39%), while 99 out of 312 males had a fatal outcome (31.7%). We conclude that coma etiology has a significant effect on prognosis, while such significance could not be assigned to age or sex.

Macrophytic vegetation of fresh and brackish waters in and near the Loch Druidibeg National Nature Reserve, South Uist

SynopsisCentred on Loch Druidibeg, macrophyte vegetation was surveyed in and around 30 lochs in northern South Uist. Alkalinity ranges from 0·014 to 2·33 m.-equiv −1, conductivity (25°C) from 100 to 33,900 μs cm−1, chlorinity from 0·66 m.-equiv −1 upwards. Lochs are classed broadly as non-calcareous (gneissic), calcareous (machair) and brackish. This is an example of a Hebridean range not found elsewhere in the British Isles. Fen vegetation is highly modified by grazing, whilst tall reedswamp and floating-leaved plants are scarce on the mainly exposed and rocky shores, factors which contribute to the predominance of Fucoids in brackish water, of the open Littorella-Lobelia association in non-calcareous water. The Potamogeton filiformis-Chara association is confined to sand in calcareous machair lochs. Deep freshwater vegetation is typified by Isoetes, Potamogeton perfoliatus and P. praelongus.The very wide ranges in alkalinity and conductivity are reflected in some unusual species' distributions. For example, in freshwater lochs (conductivity up to 660 μs cm−1) several species like Isoetes lacustris, confined elsewhere to oligotrophic water, also occur in South Uist at moderately high alkalinities (to 1·8 m. -equiv 1−1). Conductivity varies with chloride concentration in all but the calcareous (machair) lochs; brackish lochs range from 2500 μs cm −1), which floristically, apart from Fucus ceranoides, is fresh water, to Fucoid-dominated rocks, and Ruppia on silt, in conductivities up to 33,900 μs cm−1. Of other angiosperms, Potamogeton gramineus appears to tolerate conductivities of 22,000 μs cm −1. Causal distribution in general is discussed.