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Biomedical subjects

A J Davis

Publications and source records attributed to A J Davis.

At least 109 records · Page 6Linked to original sources
PubMed1993

An international perspective of active euthanasia: attitudes of nurses in seven countries.

This exploratory study examines the ethical justification that cancer care and dementia care nurses gave for active voluntary euthanasia. A convenient sample of 319 nurses working in seven countries was interviewed using a structured interview guide. The great majority of the nurses could not ethically justify active voluntary euthanasia. Even if the law changed, only 96 of the total sample viewed active voluntary euthanasia as ethical. For those nurses who could ethically justify active voluntary euthanasia, the majority did so because of the patients' suffering.

Adult↗
PubMed1993

The effect of embolization with N-butyl cyanoacrylate prior to surgical resection of cerebral arteriovenous malformations.

Endovascular therapy of cerebral arteriovenous malformations (AVM's) is an accepted adjunct to surgical therapy. However, the literature has not characterized the benefits or the liabilities of preoperative embolization. This series compares two groups of patients who underwent surgical resection of a cerebral AVM; one group (20 patients) received preoperative transfemoral selective embolization with N-butyl cyanoacrylate (NBCA) and the other group (13 patients) did not. In the group with preoperative embolization, the AVM's were larger (3.9 vs. 2.3 cm) and of a higher Spetzler-Martin grade (3.2 vs. 2.5) as compared to the nonembolized group. The NBCA embolization facilitated surgical resection. Arteries supplying the vascular malformation were readily distinguished from those supplying the normal brain parenchyma. Embolized vessels were compressible and easily cut with microscissors. No bleeding occurred from transected vessels. Operative time and intraoperative blood loss for the two groups were not statistically different, despite the significant differences in lesion size and grade. Endovascular complications included immediate and delayed hemorrhage (15%) and transient ischemia (5%); there were no embolization-related deaths. Postoperative complications for both groups included hemorrhage (15%), residual AVM (6%), and cerebrospinal fluid leak (3%); the mortality rate was 3%. There was no statistically significant difference in surgical complications between the embolized and nonembolized groups. Most patients (91%) in both groups had an excellent or good late neurological outcome, with no significant difference between the groups. This study concludes that preoperative NBCA embolization of AVM's makes lesions of larger size and higher grade the surgical equivalent of lesions of smaller size and lower grade by reducing operative time and intraoperative blood loss, with no statistically significant difference in surgical complications or long-term neurological outcome.

Adult↗
PubMed1993

Surveillance for lesions of bovine spongiform encephalopathy in U.S. cattle.

The appearance of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) as a new disease of cattle in 1985-1987 increased worldwide interest in various aspects of human and animal spongiform encephalopathies. In the United States, a part of the surveillance effort has been directed toward prospective examination of bovine brain specimens for lesions of BSE. One focus area has been to obtain specimens from cattle that (1) are two years of age or older, (2) have documented signs of neurologic disease, and (3) have received protein supplement as a substantial part of the i.v. ration. Another focus area has been to examine rabies-suspect cases that were rabies-negative. A third area has been to obtain the results of bovine neuropathology examinations being conducted at other state and regional laboratories. Specimens have been obtained by direct submission and by referral from other public health and veterinary diagnostic laboratories. Many of the cases have been classified as having (1) inflammatory lesions such as listeriosis, pseudorabies, brain abscesses and inflammation of undetermined cause, (2) degenerative lesions such as polio-encephalomalacia, lead poisoning, Wallerian degeneration, siderocalcinosis, and lipofuscinosis, (3) neoplastic lesions such as meningioma and Schwannoma, and (4) no significant findings. Other case results were reported as inflammation or no significant findings. Of the 459 cases reported here none has contained lesions with the characteristics and distribution typical of BSE.

Animals↗
PubMed1992

Canalization failure of the müllerian tract.

A patient is described with canalization failure of the müllerian system. This patient presented with primary amenorrhea and absence of the vagina. At the time of laparotomy, a uterus of normal size and shape was found with two small areas of canalization. This syndrome, associated with absence of the vagina, appears to result from a defect occurring later in development than does classical müllerian aplasia. Pathological examination of the patient's uterus supports the tenant that canalization begins after fusion and at various places along the line of fusion.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1992

Survival of hypertensive subjects identified on screening: results for sustained and unsustained diastolic hypertension.

Casual readings of blood pressure predict mortality and may reflect either the risk of sustained hypertension, additional components of 'white coat' hypertension or variable blood pressure. This study investigated mortality in 442 men and 360 women with a diastolic pressure (Phase IV) of 90 mmHg and over, unsustained on two subsequent monthly visits, followed for an average of 11 years and compared with a matched control cohort with an initial diastolic pressure (DBP) of less than 90 mmHg. Subjects were identified between 1975 and 1979 by screening 28,257 subjects aged 18-65 years on the lists of general practitioners in seven practices in the United Kingdom. Additionally, 912 men and 844 women with sustained hypertension (DBP > 90 mmHg on at least two out of three occasions) were identified and matched with normotensive controls. In men with sustained hypertension the relative risk (RR) for death from circulatory disease was 1.76, P < 0.01, 95% confidence interval 1.21, 2.58 and in women 1.85, P < 0.05, 95% confidence interval 1.06, 3.24 respectively, while in men with unsustained hypertension the RR = 1.52, P = 0.2, 95% confidence interval 0.81, 2.84. Few circulatory deaths occurred in women with transient hypertension or their controls (five and seven respectively). Despite the screening programme and further treatment, newly discovered subjects with sustained hypertension, both men and women, remain at high risk of cardiovascular mortality. The 95% confidence interval for men with transient hypertension does not exclude a similar adverse effect.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1992

The young pioneers: first baccalaureate nursing students in the People's Republic of China.

Nursing in the People's Republic of China, like elsewhere, has undergone monumental changes during the 20th century. This paper focuses on one of those changes by examining the professional socialization process of the first class from the first baccalaureate in nursing (BSN) programme in China since 1952. These data from this first BSN class are part of a larger study on professional socialization in which data were collected from four of the recently established 11 BSN programmes in China. To put these data into a historical context, some highlights of Chinese nursing history are noted. These will help us to understand the present-day situation in this the world's most populous nation.

Adult↗
PubMed1992

Gross and microscopic lesions of naturally occurring tuberculosis in a captive herd of wapiti (Cervus elaphus nelsoni) in Colorado.

A Mycobacterium bovis-infected herd of captive wapiti (Cervus elaphus nelsoni) in Colorado was depopulated after lesions of bovine tuberculosis were confirmed in 8 of 10 tuberculin skin test reactors. Of the 43 animals > 1 year of age, 26 had gross lesions suggestive of tuberculosis, 24 had microscopic lesions of tuberculosis, and 23 had acid-fast bacilli associated with the lesions. Lungs and retropharyngeal lymph nodes were the most frequently affected sites. Most lesions grossly and microscopically resembled tuberculosis in cattle; however, some lesions resembled abscesses or ovine caseous lymphadenitis lesions. Special stains and immunohistochemical techniques labeled few to numerous mycobacteria associated with the lesions.

Animals↗
PubMed1991

Relationship between serum pseudocholinesterase and triglycerides in experimentally induced diabetes mellitus in rats.

This study was designed to understand the reasons for the increase in serum pseudocholinesterase activity in diabetes mellitus. Streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats were used for the study. Serum pseudocholinesterase activity increased with the induction of diabetes (381.5 units/l +/- 11.8) compared to the non-diabetic rats (243.1 units/l +/- 7.2). Serum triglycerides, total low density lipoprotein and glycerol also increased concurrently with the development of diabetes. Insulin treatment of the diabetic rats normalized serum glucose concomitant with the reduction of pseudocholinesterase activity, triglycerides, total low density lipoprotein and glycerol. Heparin injection appeared to activate lipoprotein lipase in the diabetic rats by showing a marked fall in serum triglyceride and total low density lipoprotein levels but not in pseudocholinesterase activity. Administration of tetraisopropylpyrophosphoramide a specific pseudocholinesterase inhibitor, inhibited serum and adipose tissue pseudocholinesterase activity by greater than 80% and liver greater than 50%. Concurrent with the inhibition of pseudocholinesterase activity serum triglyceride, low density lipoprotein and glycerol decreased significantly. In normal rats treatment with tetraisopropylpyrophosphoramide also reduced serum lipoproteins markedly, while glycerol only showed a marginal decrease. Glycerol was used as a marker of adipose tissue lipolysis and total low density lipoprotein which is defined as lipoproteins of density less than 1.063 (LDL + VLDL).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Animals↗
PubMed1991

Father-child relationships from the preschool years through mid-adolescence.

In this study, we examined variations in fathering and father-child relationships from the children's preschool years through mid-adolescence. One hundred seventy-seven fathers with first-born children ages 4, 8, 12, and 16 years responded to five sets of questionnaires tapping four domains of childrearing: practices, attitudes, parental role involvement, and role satisfaction. A multivariate analysis of variance identified significant variability among the four age groups in fathers' use of acceptance in childrearing practices, role involvement (frequency and task sharing), satisfaction with paternal role performance, and attitudes about the modifiability of child behavior. The results contribute new information about the nature of fathering throughout the childhood years and adolescence and provide additional support for the view of parenting as dynamic and responsive to the developmental level and gender-related characteristics of the child.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMed1991

Nurses and physicians on nutritional support: a comparison.

During the last decade, several court cases have focused attention on the moral and legal aspects of withholding or withdrawing food and fluids from certain patients. The courts have not been unanimous in their judgements on these matters. In attempting to explore this issue, this article reviews both the nursing and medical literature on the withdrawing and withholding of food and fluids with particular attention to empirical studies. Several themes which emerge from the literature are used to explore the similarities and differences between the practices of nursing and medicine where nutritional support is concerned.

Attitude of Health Personnel↗
PubMed1991

The sources of a practice code of ethics for nurses.

Interviews with a convenient sample of 27 master's-prepared nurses working in two clinical settings revealed that none of them knew the content of the American Nurses' Association Code for Nurses. A content analysis developed four sensitizing experiences that were sources for their code of nursing practice. These were categorized as: (a) clinical, (b) personal, (c) research, and (d) professional socialization as a student.

Awareness↗