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Biomedical subjects

A Cullen

Publications and source records attributed to A Cullen.

28 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1988

Primary amyloidosis of lower urinary tract.

Primary amyloidosis of the lower urinary tract is a rare condition with an excellent prognosis in most cases. Three patients with this condition are described. In the cases of localized amyloidosis of the urethra and urinary bladder, the clinical presentation mimicked cancer of the respective sites. This was also true in the case of primary systemic amyloidosis involving the bladder. If significant associated systemic or local disease can be excluded, management is symptomatic and expectant.

Aged↗
PubMed1987

Immunohistochemical Cal9-9 in primary colonic polyps and polyps synchronous with colorectal cancer.

A prospective study was undertaken to examine the immunohistochemical expression of tumor antigen Cal9-9 in 56 colorectal cancers and 95 colonic adenomas, divided into 65 primary polyps and 30 polyps synchronous with colorectal cancer. Seventy five per cent of tumours were positive for Cal9-9. Antigen was expressed more frequently in advanced Duke's C and D and poorly differentiated colorectal cancer. Overall 51% of adenomas were positive for Cal9-9. Antigen expression correlated significantly with increasing size (p less than 0.001), synchronicity with colorectal cancer (p less than 0.001), severe dysplasia (p less than 0.001) and villous typing (p less than 0.003). Discriminate analysis using the first three variables correctly classified 79% of positive and 89% of negative Cal9-9 results. The similar frequency of antigen expression seen in colorectal cancers and their synchronous adenoma suggests a field change in the tumour bearing colon. Adenomas positive for Cal9-9 may have a greater malignant potential for carcinomatous change.

Adenoma↗
PubMed1983

How to write an abstract of a paper or a report to be presented at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Optometry.

Although the General Papers Program (held on Saturday, Monday and Tuesday afternoons at the Annual Meeting of the Academy) has expanded to a format in which 20-minute papers and 10-minute reports are presented simultaneously in 4 or 5 rooms the committee continues to receive abstracts for approximately 25 percent more papers and reports than the program can accommodate. The committee's task of selecting papers and reports is complicated by the failure of many writers of abstracts to include sufficient and pertinent information in their abstracts. This presentation lists the essential elements of an acceptable abstract, and tabulates the reasons for non-acceptance of abstracts.

Abstracting and Indexing↗
PubMedDate not supplied

High attenuation gyri CT in postasphyxial encephalopathy.

Two term infants suffering severe asphyxial events were found to have diffusely high attenuation of the cortical gyri on CT scanning within 12 days. The findings are consistent with haemorrhagic necrosis or microcalcification. This feature has rarely been described in the literature. The evolution of the CT appearance, the possible neuropathological findings and the relationship with hypoxic-ischaemic encephalopathy are discussed.

Asphyxia Neonatorum↗
PubMedDate not supplied

A national model of care service for professionals dealing with sudden infant death.

Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) is any death occurring in an infant or young child which is unexpected by history and in which a thorough post mortem examination fails to demonstrate an adequate cause of death. The National Sudden Infant Death Register collects information on all sudden unexpected deaths in infants and young children occurring in Ireland. In this study, a comparison was made between parent's experience of professional services in the aftermath of their child's death both before and after the implementation of a National Model of Care for professionals in 1995. In addition, a random sample of 105 professionals were surveyed about their knowledge of the Model of Care services. Results were grouped according to the parental experience of the emergency services, the hospital services, the community services and the bereavement support services offered to parents. Prior to the implementation of the Model of Care Service (MOC) (1992-1994), 14 per cent of families stated that they did not find the Gardai helpful. After the Model of Care, only 7 per cent of parents expressed such dissatisfaction. Prior to the MOC, only 3 per cent of Gardai provided families with an information booklet on sudden infant death but afterwards, 23 per cent of Gardai did so. After the MOC families were more likely to have been given the opportunity to hold their infant, were given more privacy and were offered more keepsakes of their infant. Only 46 per cent of families were offered momentos of their baby prior to the MOC as compared to 84 per cent after the implementation of the MOC. They were also more likely to perceive the ancillary services such as the Gardai in a more positive light, where 22 per cent of Gardai offered the family the ISIDA support booklet compared to a previous 3 per cent. Over 50 per cent of parents were provided with a special room in the hospital following the MOC as opposed to a previous 48 per cent. Twenty-one per cent of parents prior to the MOC described the conditions in the hospital as awful, poor or fair, however 31 per cent of parents stated this after the MOC. While there have been improvements in certain areas, there still remains considerable variation in the quality of service provided to all parents. Specifically, we need to address the fact that 16 per cent of parents still report a difficulty in obtaining post-mortem information. Almost 40 per cent said they had little input into how their child was dressed or laid out at this highly emotive time. Over one-third of parents stated they were concerned about how few of their primary health providers, namely general practitioners and public health nurses called to visit them in the aftermath of this tragic event.

Delivery of Health Care↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Sudden infant death syndrome--are parents getting the message?

BACKGROUND: Factors that place an infant at increased risk of sudden infant death include the prone sleep position, overheating and parental smoking, while practices such as bottle-feeding, co-sleeping and the use of pacifiers remain controversial. Major publicity campaigns have been undertaken, which have included the distribution of printed material and extensive media coverage. AIMS: To examine if Irish parents follow the currently recommended childcare guidelines to reduce the risk of sudden infant death and to examine factors that may have impact on their acceptance. METHODS: A random selection of 197 infants from the Birth Register of the Eastern Health Board. Parents were interviewed and a semi-structured survey questionnaire was completed. RESULTS: Forty one per cent of infants are still placed on their side to sleep, an inherently unstable position. First time parents are more likely to place their infants on their backs. Over 60% of infants are exposed to one or more adults smoking in the home despite parental knowledge of its association with sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). Sixty eight per cent of infants are overwrapped at night and parental understanding of what constitutes overwrapping is poor. Thirteen per cent of infants regularly co-sleep with their parents and 20% of these parents smoke. Pacifier use is common. CONCLUSION: Future programmes should target first time parents, should provide clear information regarding appropriate infant thermal environment, and should ensure regular updating of medical personnel so that they can instruct families on best current practice. Smoking remains a significant health issue with an impact on sudden infant death.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Personal exposure to particles in Banská Bystrica, Slovakia.

Epidemiological studies have associated adverse health impacts with ambient concentrations of particulate matter (PM), though these studies have been limited in their characterization of personal exposure to PM. An exposure study of healthy nonsmoking adults and children was conducted in Banska Bystrica, Slovakia, to characterize the range of personal exposures to air pollutants and to determine the influence of occupation, season, residence location, and outdoor and indoor concentrations on personal exposures. Twenty-four-hour personal, at-home indoor, and ambient measurements of PM10, PM2.5, sulfate (SO4(2-)) and nicotine were obtained for 18 office workers, 16 industrial workers, and 15 high school students in winter and summer. Results showed that outdoor levels of pollutants were modest, with clear seasonal differences: outdoor PM10 summer/winter mean = 35/45 microg/m3; PM2.5 summer/winter mean = 22/32 microg/m3. SO4(2-) levels were low (4-7 microg/m3) and relatively uniform across the different sample types (personal, indoor, outdoor), areas, and occupational groups. This suggests that SO4(2-) may be a useful marker for combustion mode particles of ambient origin, although the relationship between personal exposures and ambient SO4(2-) levels was more complex than observed in North American settings. During winter especially, the central city area showed higher concentrations than the suburban location for outdoor, personal, and indoor measures of PM10, PM2.5, and to a lesser extent for SO4(2-), suggesting the importance of local sources. For PM2.5 and PM10, ratios consistent with expectations were found among exposure indices for all three subject groups (personal>indoor>outdoor), and between work type (industrial>students>office workers). The ratio of PM2.5 personal to indoor exposures ranged from 1.0 to 3.9 and of personal to outdoor exposures from 1.6 to 4.2. The ratio of PM10 personal to indoor exposures ranged from 1.1 to 2.9 and the ratio of personal to outdoor exposures from 2.1 to 4.1. For a combined group of office workers and students, personal PM10/PM2.5 levels were predicted by statistically significant multivariate models incorporating indoor (for PM2.5) or outdoor (for PM10) PM levels, and nicotine exposure (for PM10). Small but significant fractions of the overall variability, 15% for PM2.5 and 17% for PM10, were explained by these models. The results indicate that central site monitors underpredict actual human exposures to PM2.5 and PM10. Personal exposure to SO4(2-) was found to be predicted by outdoor or indoor SO4(2-) levels with 23-71% of the overall variability explained by these predictors. We conclude that personal exposure measurements and additional demographic and daily activity data are crucial for accurate evaluation of exposure to particles in this setting.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Home glucose monitoring in type 2 diabetes: is it a waste of time?

A cross-sectional study to assess home glucose monitoring practices was conducted in 200 non-insulin-treated diabetic patients consecutively attending our hospital clinic. Of the 200, 97 (48%) patients (Group 1) regularly monitored urine (n = 74), blood (n = 19) or both (n = 4); 103 (52%) patients (Group 2) performed no home monitoring. The two groups were similar in terms of age, sex, duration of diabetes and type of treatment. The prevalence of diabetic complications was also closely comparable and only peripheral neuropathy differed between the groups, being more common in Group 1 (n = 12) than Group 2 (n = 4); p < 0.05. There was also no significant difference between the HbA1 concentration (mean +/- SD) in Group 1 (9.7 +/- 2.2%) and Group 2 (9.4 +/- 2.0%). The mean frequency of home monitoring was four tests weekly, but only 21 (22%) kept a written record and 60 (62%) would never alter their treatment on the basis of their results. Almost a third of patients could not interpret the results of monitoring or give the normal range of values. Home glucose monitoring, particularly of urine, is widely practised in Type 2 diabetes, at considerable overall expense. However, convincing evidence of its value in helping patients improve their blood glucose control or preventing the complications of the disease is lacking.

Blood Glucose↗