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Biomedical subjects

A Thomas

Publications and source records attributed to A Thomas.

At least 631 records · Page 35Linked to original sources

Status of long absentees among multibacillary leprosy patients admitted to a controlled clinical study.

Of 210 multibacillary leprosy patients who were admitted to a trial of two drug regimens, fifty-seven were excluded from efficacy analysis at 120 months for various reasons. Thirty-three of these patients were identified as long absentees. Efforts were made to contact these patients through letters and home visits to assess their clinical and bacteriological status and to find out the reasons for default. Twenty-one patients were thus retrieved. Only one patient was found to be having active disease requiring treatment; the rest were clinically inactive and bacteriologically negative.

Drug Therapy, Combination↗

A patient pathway to renal replacement therapy: implementation in the progressive renal insufficiency population.

Care paths and patient pathways are collaborative interdisciplinary tools developed to provide quality care. One goal in progressive renal insufficiency (PRI) care is to provide patients and family members with relevant and timely information to help them cope with medical therapy and lifestyle changes required to slow the progression of renal insufficiency. At Halton Healthcare Services, clinical and patient pathways have been widely used with success. Recognizing the potential benefits of a patient pathway for the PRI population, our interdisciplinary team developed a pathway that outlines the journey to renal replacement therapy. The pathway provides the patient with some insight into the future, as their disease process continues to have impact on their life. Reviewed by a patient within our PRI program during the development process, we have tailored this pathway to meet the needs of this unique population. We predict this patient pathway will have positive impact on the patient's understanding of the role of the PRI clinic and the partnership between the team members, the patient, and the family.

Continuity of Patient Care↗

[Clinical case of the month. Rendu-Osler-Weber disease: a rare case of stroke in the young].

Rendu-Osler disease or hereditary hemorragic telangiectasia is a group of autosomal dominant diseases characterized by angiodysplasic lesions in the skin, mucous membranes and viscera with risks of recurrent bleedings. Neurological complications have been described in 10-30% of these patients, most often hemorrhagic or septic. More exceptionally, ischemic strokes occur in these patients, particularly if they have pulmonary arteriovenous malformations. We report the observation of a 25 year old man who developed a latero-protuberantial stroke. The explorations revealed pulmonary AV malformations and nasal telangiectasias that led to the diagnostic of Rendu-Osler disease. This affection should be considered as a potential cause of cerebral ischemic attack, particularly in young patients without risk factors.

Adult↗

Non-palpable breast lesions in asymptomatic women: diagnostic value of initial ultrasonography and comparison with mammography.

AIM: This prospective double-blind study was designed to assess (i) if primary breast screening by ultrasonography is capable of detecting breast cancer independent of tissue density and (ii) if the rate of unnecessary biopsies remains acceptable when diagnostics are based on ultrasonography. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Bilateral breast ultrasonography was performed in 448 asymptomatic women as the initial diagnostic method. Sonograms were interpreted using a set of standardized diagnostic criteria. Subsequently, mammograms were obtained. The radiologists reading the mammograms were blinded to the sonographic results. RESULTS: Overall, 3 non-palpable breast cancers were detected by ultrasound and mammography. All 3 ultrasonographically detected breast cancers were smaller than 1 cm (0.7, 0.7, 0.6 cm). All 3 carcinomas were correctly detected by both methods. For ultrasonography, the false positive rate was 1.1% (n=5) and for mammography 0.6% (n=3). When both methods were combined, the rate of unnecessary open biopsies was 1.6% (n=7). The ratio of benign to malignant lesions was 3.7/1. CONCLUSION: Without prior mammography, primary high-resolution breast ultrasonography is capable of detecting non-palpable breast carcinomas in asymptomatic women at an early stage. The rate of unnecessary open biopsies is low and the ratio of benign to malignant biopsies acceptable.

Adult↗

Glucose tolerance during experimental tetanus toxicity in rabbits.

Tetanus was induced in rabbits by injection of high doses of purified tetanus toxin. After the induction of tetanus, the fasting blood glucose level was significantly elevated in the rabbits with tetanus--blood glucose level being 137.5 mg% compared with 114.8 mg% in controls. The Glucose tolerance showed the expected curve in control rabbits while in the rabbits with tetanus, there was a continuous rise in blood glucose levels even after 3 hours. Histological studies show degranulation of the beta cells of the pancreas in the tetanus rabbits. Thus, the high fasting blood sugar level and the diabetic pattern of Glucose tolerance observed in the tetanus animals are suggestive of reduced insulin production during tetanus, as part of the mechanism involved.

Animals↗

Foster care in Soweto, South Africa: under assault from a politically hostile environment.

Institutionalized discrimination has progressively eroded the formerly cohesive black family structure in South Africa, resulting in an increased need for alternative care for black children, as shown most prominently in South Africa's most populous black urban area. Foster care's inherent problems are compounded not only by apartheid but also by the political unrest in the country. This article offers a profile of Sowetan foster families and the problems they face.

Black or African American↗

[Psychic effects of drugs prescribed for hypertensive patients. An experiment of the Regional Drug Monitoring Center in Marseilles].

The authors present typical observations of behavioural adverse effects induced by anti-hypertensive drugs and reported to the Marseilles Regional Center of Pharmacovigilance. These effects include: sleep disorders, confusion, psychotic reactions and depression. Surprisingly, these effects seem to be very rarely reported; this is perhaps due to a tricky assessment of the causal relationship: many factors (hypertension, other diseases, other drugs) can have an influence on these troubles.

Adult↗

A review of instrumentation and therapeutic techniques in the diagnosis and management of supraventricular tachycardia.

Paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia can usually be managed without any specific therapy or with an appropriate drug program. Some patients, however, are resistant to conventional therapy. In the past decade, the electrophysiologic pathogenic mechanisms of this rhythm disorder have been elucidated, and this, coupled with progress in intracardiac instrumentation, has enabled the physician to induce specific rhythm disorders and to map them to determine an ideal, specially tailored method of treatment. As a result, the use of radiofrequency pacing and surgery are becoming increasingly important in the treatment of patients with paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia, especially those with arrhythmias related to Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome.

Adult↗