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Biomedical subjects

A L Goldman

Publications and source records attributed to A L Goldman.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1992

Environmental tobacco smoke and lung cancer risk in nonsmoking women.

BACKGROUND: Exposure to environmental tobacco smoke (passive smoking) has been suggested to be a cause of lung cancer, although early epidemiologic studies have produced inconsistent results. PURPOSE: We conducted an epidemiologic case-control study to assess the relationship between exposure to environmental tobacco smoke and lung cancer risk among women who have never smoked (i.e., having smoked for a total of less than 6 months or having smoked less than 100 cigarettes in their lifetimes). METHODS: Case patients (n = 210) were women with histologically confirmed primary carcinomas of the lung who were lifetime nonsmokers. They were identified through hospital tumor registries and the Florida Cancer Data System of the Statewide Cancer Registry. Community-based control women (n = 301) were also lifetime nonsmokers and were identified through random-digit dialing. Details on childhood and adulthood exposures to environmental tobacco smoke were ascertained through interviews with the study participants themselves or with surrogate respondents. Risks were calculated in terms of smoke-years, defined as the sum of the reported years of exposure to cigarette smoke from each smoker in the household. RESULTS: The risk of lung cancer more than doubled for women who reported 40 or more smoke-years of household exposure during adulthood (odds ratio [OR] = 2.4; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.1-5.3) or 22 or more smoke-years of exposure during childhood and adolescence (OR = 2.4; 95% CI = 1.1-5.4). Risks were highest for non-adenocarcinoma lung cancers, although modest elevations in risk were also observed for adenocarcinomas. When a surrogate respondent other than the patient's husband provided information on exposure, the risk estimates were considerably lower. CONCLUSION: These findings suggest that long-term exposure to environmental tobacco smoke increases the risk of lung cancer in women who have never smoked.

Adenocarcinoma↗
PubMed1992

Hypervitaminosis A in a cat.

A 10-year-old cat that was kept on a diet consisting largely of raw liver was evaluated because of lethargy, partial anorexia, and weight loss of several months' duration. The cat's head and neck were rigidly extended, and a hard mass was palpable in the ventral cervical region. Cervical and thoracic radiography revealed proliferative bony lesions of the cervical and thoracic vertebrae as well as of the sternum and costal cartilages. Serum vitamin A concentration was 4 times normal. For reasons unrelated to hypervitaminosis A, euthanasia and necropsy were performed 6 months after evaluation. The skull and the cervical and first few thoracic vertebrae were rigidly fused, and the vertebral architecture was altered by deposition of new bone. The sternum and costal cartilages were similarly affected. The historical, physical, radiographic, laboratory, and postmortem findings were consistent with the diagnosis of hypervitaminosis A. On the basis of findings in this cat, hypervitaminosis A should be suspected in any sick cat fed a diet consisting partly or completely of raw liver.

Animal Feed↗
PubMed1992

Bronchodilator testing "confidence intervals" based on the level of bronchial responsiveness.

"Confidence intervals" based upon inhalation of placebo have been proposed as criteria for defining a significant response to an inhaled bronchodilator. The published intervals were derived from a clinically heterogeneous population. We calculated the difference (delta) between spirometric data before and after placebo in 109 consecutive patients referred for methacholine bronchoprovocation challenge testing. The mean delta, expressed both as a percent change and as actual volume change for both the FVC and FEV1, was not significantly different in patients with bronchial hyperresponsiveness, as compared to subjects with a negative methacholine challenge test; however, the variance of measurements in hyperresponsive subjects was significantly greater than that of the normal population. In addition, as the category of responsiveness increased from mild to moderate to severe hyperresponsiveness, so did the variance within these groups. A negative correlation between the measured PC20FEV1 and the volume and percent change was noted. We conclude that patients with hyperresponsive airways may display increased spirometric variation before and after placebo. This general approach for establishing normal limits for defining a significant response appears to be valid, but the actual values used may vary, depending on the composition of the population tested and the goals of the study. Also, the use of the term, "confidence intervals," in this context is inappropriate; and we propose, instead, the use of percentiles and the simpler terms, upper 90th or 95th percentiles.

Adult↗
PubMed1990

Effect of mild hypoxemia on bronchial responsiveness.

Nonspecific bronchial responsiveness may be influenced by a number of stimuli. A potentially important stimulus with significant clinical implications is hypoxemia. To investigate the effect of hypoxemia on baseline pulmonary function and bronchial responsiveness, 13 subjects (eight with mild asthma and five normal) were tested on two separate days within a 1-week period. Spirometry measured before and after breathing room air through the experimental circuit for ten minutes was not significantly different. Likewise, there was no difference in baseline spirometry during mild hypoxemia (arterial saturation of 90%) compared with air breathing. The eight asthmatic subjects underwent a methacholine bronchoprovocation challenge on each of the two test days. The PC20FEV1 measured on the "hypoxemic" day (3.7 +/- 4.5 mg/mL) was not significantly different from the measured on the "room air" day (2.5 +/- 2.4 mg/mL, P greater than .05). We conclude that mild hypoxemia does not significantly affect baseline spirometry nor bronchial responsiveness.

Adult↗
PubMed1989

Traumatic urethral avulsion at the preputial fornix in a cat.

A cat with pelvic fractures from being hit by a car had voided no urine in 13 hours despite iv administration of fluids. Abdominal radiography had revealed the pelvic fractures and apparently intact urinary bladder. Urine did not flow from a urethral catheter, and contrast radiography revealed the catheter to be extra-urethral within the penis. Intravenous pyelography revealed intact ureters and urinary bladder; celiotomy confirmed intact urinary bladder. Cystotomy and normograde urethral catheterization allowed localization of the ruptured urethra within the deep subcutaneous tissues of the caudal portion of the abdomen. After closure of the cystotomy and celiotomy incisions, perineal urethrostomy was performed.

Animals↗
PubMed1989

Echocardiography in planned interruption of the inferior vena cava.

Interruption of the inferior vena cava by the transvenous placement of a filter or umbrella effectively prevents pulmonary embolism by acting primarily as a physical barrier to emboli. Such a device will be effective only if the site of thrombosis is distal to the planned placement site. We have presented two cases in which a preoperative echocardiogram revealed a right atrial embolus, thereby mandating either embolectomy, fibrinolytic therapy, or continued anticoagulation in addition to the filter placement. These cases suggest that an echocardiogram should be included in the evaluation preceding interruption of the inferior vena cava.

Aged↗
PubMed1989

Malignant pleural effusions: pleurodesis using a small-bore percutaneous catheter.

This study describes our experience using a percutaneously placed small-bore catheter for drainage of malignant pleural effusions and subsequent instillation of a sclerosing agent to obliterate the pleural space. We treated 15 consecutive patients with known metastatic cancer and a symptomatic pleural effusion. Twelve patients survived for more than four weeks after the procedure; 11 of these 12 patients had a successful objective clinical response. The procedure was well tolerated, with little or no discomfort during catheter placement and the maintenance period. No serious complications were encountered. We conclude that the use of a small-bore percutaneously placed "pneumothorax" catheter in the management of malignant pleural effusions is an effective and more comfortable alternative to large-bore closed-tube thoracostomy.

Adult↗
PubMed1989

Intrapleural streptokinase in management of parapneumonic effusions. Report of series and review of literature.

Noncommunicating locules of fluid may develop in the setting of a thoracic empyema or a complicated parapneumonic effusion. When this occurs a single chest tube may not provide adequate drainage. In an effort to promote drainage and thereby obviate the need for further procedures, instillation of streptokinase into the involved pleural space has been advocated. This communication reviews the literature and reports our experience with intrapleural streptokinase. In our retrospective review of nine patients, instillation of streptokinase resulted in an obvious increase in chest tube drainage in six. Of the nine patients, four with improved drainage required no further procedures. Two patients with improved drainage and the three with no change in drainage required an additional chest tube, a decortication procedure, or were lost to follow-up. None of the four patients with an empyema were benefitted. Intrapleural instillation of streptokinase may be a useful adjunct in the treatment of a complicated parapneumonic effusion but appears less likely to be of benefit in the management of an empyema.

Adult↗
PubMed1987

Clinical use of methacholine bronchial challenge testing.

Whereas the research applications have been well established, the clinical utility of bronchial challenge testing is still being defined. In 19 of 22 patients referred for testing (86%), the results of a methacholine challenge test helped to confirm a clinical suspicion of asthma or to suggest that alternative diagnoses should be investigated. There was a discrepancy between the pretest suspicion of the referring physician and the results of the challenge test in six of these 19 patients (32%). Thus our experience suggests that bronchial challenge testing provides useful information to supplement clinical acumen in the diagnosis of asthma.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1987

Pulmonary disease caused by Mycobacterium malmoense.

Mycobacterium malmoense was isolated from pulmonary material from 4 patients. Two patients had repeatedly positive smears and cultures along with roentgenographic progression of pulmonary disease in the absence of another pathogen. These 2 patients therefore meet the criteria for diagnosis of pulmonary mycobacteriosis. Isolation of the organism may represent colonization in a third patient, and M. malmoense has been isolated from a fourth patient on 2 occasions. It is not yet definite, however, that the pulmonary process is due to mycobacterial disease. Although uncommon, pulmonary disease caused by this organism has been reported from Europe. Only 1 prior case of pulmonary disease caused by M. malmoense, however, has been reported in the United States.

Adult↗
PubMed1986

Oral progesterone treatment in chronic obstructive lung disease: failure of voluntary hyperventilation to predict response.

Previous studies have shown that some patients with chronic obstructive lung disease and hypercapnia will respond to medroxyprogesterone with improvement in arterial blood gases. The exact mechanism of this effect is unclear but it is presumed to be a result of ventilatory stimulation. To determine whether the ability to correct arterial blood gas abnormalities by voluntary hyperventilation would predict a subsequent favourable response to progesterone, we studied 11 subjects with chronic obstructive lung disease and chronic hypercapnia. Five subjects had chronic obstructive lung disease of moderate severity with mean (SE) FEV1 1.8 (0.34) 1 maximum voluntary ventilation (MVV) 40.4 (7.16) 1/min-1, arterial oxygen tension (Pao2) 53.8 (2.40 mm Hg, and arterial carbon dioxide tension Paco2) 49.6 (3.91) mm Hg, and were able to normalise their blood gas tensions during voluntary hyperventilation (Pao2 85.4 (8.01) mm Hg; Paco2 32.8 (3.43) mm Hg). Six subjects had severe chronic obstructive lung disease with FEV1 0.77 (0.12) 1, MVV 19 (3.09) 1/min-1, Pao2 60.0 (2.89) mm Hg and Paco2 50.5 (1.38) mm Hg, and they could not significantly alter their blood gases with voluntary hyperventilation (Pao2 62.5 (3.19) mm Hg, Paco2 49.7 (1.84) mm Hg). The groups were similar in age, height, weight, and resting Pao2 and Paco2. Each subject received one month of oral placebo and one month of medroxyprogesterone acetate (Provera). 20 mg orally thrice daily, given in a randomised, double blind fashion. The groups responded similarly with a significantly higher Pao2 and lower Paco2 while having medroxyprogesterone acetate than while having placebo. Two patients with polycythaemia showed a reduction in haemoglobin concentration while taking progesterone. It is concluded that the response to medroxyprogesterone is not predictable from spirometric or blood gas changes after voluntary hyperventilation.

Blood Gas Analysis↗
PubMed1985

Pulmonary embolism.

PE, a common and serious pulmonary problem, most often results as a complication of DVT in the lower extremities. There are no specific symptoms or signs that allow a clinical diagnosis of PE. The best approach to the diagnosis is controversial and is at least partially dependent on the diagnostic capabilities and expertise available at a given hospital. Pulmonary arteriography is the definitive diagnostic test and should be considered in patients with results of less-than-high probability V-Q scans, those at high risk of bleeding complications with anticoagulation therapy, and those considered candidates for thrombolytic therapy.

Fibrinolytic Agents↗
PubMed1984

Bilateral diaphragmatic paralysis complicating local cardiac hypothermia during open heart surgery.

Filling the pericardial sac with ice and saline during open heart surgery protects the myocardium during periods of ischemic arrest. Bilateral diaphragmatic paralysis complicated intense local hypothermia in five patients undergoing coronary artery bypass surgery. All complained of severe orthopnea, exertional dyspnea, insomnia, and excessive daytime somnolence. All exhibited paradoxic inward movement of the abdominal wall with inspiration. The diagnosis of bilateral diaphragmatic paralysis was confirmed with upright and supine spirometry and, in one patient, with transdiaphragmatic pressure measurements. Although paralysis has resolved in four patients, all experienced months of disabling impairment. One patient required four months of mechanical ventilatory support prior to her recovery. Alternative methods of intraoperative myocardial preservation that avoid this complication should be developed.

Aged↗
PubMed1984

Pulmonary exercise testing.

Pulmonary exercise testing can help define the specific cause of exercise-related symptoms. A knowledge of basic respiratory physiology and static pulmonary function studies is necessary to understand and interpret these tests.

Exercise Test↗
PubMed1982

Daily spirometric variability: normal subjects and subjects with chronic bronchitis with and without airflow obstruction.

To determine the daily variability of spirometry, we performed spirometry on five consecutive days on 15 normal subjects and on 24 patients with chronic bronchitis. The patients with chronic bronchitis were divided into the following two groups: 13 with chronic airflow obstruction (forced expiratory volume in 1 s [FEV1] 80%, FEV1/forced vital capacity [FVC] ratio less than 75%) and 11 without airflow obstruction (FEV1 and FVC greater than 80%0. We attempted to control most of the factors known to affect spirometric variability. Our results indicate that the day-to-day FEV1 has to change by 17% and the FCV by 15% in patients with airflow obstruction before the change should be considered significant. In patients with nonobstructive chronic bronchitis or in normal subjects, a greater than 5% change should occur in FEV1 and FVC before considering the change to be significant.

Adult↗