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Biomedical subjects

A Weinstein

Publications and source records attributed to A Weinstein.

At least 73 records · Page 4Linked to original sources

The relation between multiple births and maternal risk of breast cancer.

Data from two case-control studies conducted in New York State during 1982-1986 were used to examine the relation between multiple births and the maternal risk of breast cancer. The cases were 2,561 women between 20 and 79 years of age with a diagnosis of primary breast cancer. Controls (n = 2,616) were selected from driver's license files and matched to cases by year of birth and county of residence. The odds ratio for any multiple birth was 0.94 (95% confidence interval (CI) 0.56-1.56) in women less than 55 years of age and 0.95 (95% CI 0.62-1.46) in women aged 55-79 years. A previous study had shown a multiple last birth to be protective against breast cancer in women less than 55 years of age (odds ratio (OR) = 0.60, 95% CI 0.43-0.85). A decreased risk of breast cancer was also observed for this age group in the present study, but the magnitude of the effect was not as strong and the confidence interval included unity (OR = 0.85, 95% CI 0.43-1.68). A logistic model that controlled for age at first pregnancy, number of live births, age, and county of residence increased the odds ratio to 0.97 for a multiple last birth. The current study does not support an association between multiple births and maternal risk of breast cancer.

Adult↗

Sporotrichal arthritis.

Sporotrichal arthritis is a rare disease entity. Diagnosis is often difficult and delayed. Presentation may be either monoarticular or polyarticular. A case of polyarticular sporotrichal arthritis which exemplifies these problems is reported.

Adult↗

Hospitals should say 'no' to some technologies.

The implicit promise of technology assessment is that if you look hard enough, you'll find the best new drug or device--before the competition does. But health care providers may forget to exercise a powerful option: just saying 'no'. So says Alan Weinstein, president, Premier Hospital Alliance, Inc., Westchester, IL.

Decision Making, Organizational↗

Concurrent neuroborreliosis and Alzheimer's disease: analysis of the evidence.

Several recent reports have claimed a possible association between Borrelia burgdorferi infection and Alzheimer's disease (AD). Herein, we describe our search for additional evidence of neuroborreliosis in AD. Brain tissue from neuropathologically confirmed cases of AD was cultured for B burgdorferi using standard microbiologic methods. Material derived from culture was further examined using electron microscopy, direct immunofluorescence and acridine orange fluorescence. Previous studies have shown high titers of antiborrelia antibodies in CSF in all cases of confirmed neuroborreliosis; therefore, we tested CSF from neuropathologically confirmed cases of AD by indirect immunofluorescence and enzyme-linked immunoassay. In addition, imprint preparations from AD and control brain tissues were studied by direct immunofluorescence using a monoclonal antiborrelia antibody. Finally, a Western blot method was used to analyze protein extracts from cultures and AD brain tissue for the presence of borrelia antigen. Contrary to previous studies, our results do not support an association between infection with B burgdorferi and AD.

Alzheimer Disease↗

Residential mobility during pregnancy: implications for environmental teratogenesis.

Although most teratogens are suspected to act early in the first trimester of pregnancy, birth defects monitoring programs and etiologic studies usually use residence at birth as a proxy measure for residence in the first trimester in searching for environmental teratogens. Because of the high mobility of the U.S. population, residence misclassification can potentially alter inferences concerning environmental teratogens. To evaluate this potential bias, data from the population-based Maryland Birth Defects Reporting and Information System were analyzed. In 1984, the system ascertained 295 infants with one or more of 12 sentinel defects. Of these cases, 59 (20%) mothers reported they have changed address between the time of conception and the time of birth, and 22 have moved to a different county. The residential mobility rate varied by demographic variables and was highest among white women, in the age group 20-24 years. If residence at birth is used as a screening test for residence at conception, it can be shown that in the presence of an environmental teratogenic exposure, misclassification of exposure increases with increasing mobility rate, and population exposure frequency. Such misclassification tends to weaken associations between residence and birth defects and may lead to missing environmental teratogens. This analysis emphasizes the need to use residence information early in pregnancy rather than exclusively at birth.

Abnormalities, Drug-Induced↗

A modified algorithm for the management of ureteral calculi: 100 consecutive cases.

We treated 100 consecutive ureteral calculi requiring intervention with a previously described algorithm. There were 16 ureteropelvic junction, and 18 upper, 22 mid and 44 lower ureteral calculi. Treatment was by a stent and extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy in 10 ureteropelvic junction, 10 upper ureteral and 3 mid ureteral calculi, ureteroscopy and extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy in 6 upper and 6 mid ureteral calculi, and ureteroscopy alone in 5 ureteropelvic junction, 2 upper and 12 mid ureteral calculi. All 44 lower ureteral calculi were treated successfully by ureteroscopy. Of the 100 patients studied 98 were treated by endourological methods (extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy or ureteroscopy), while 2 required an operation (1 with a ureteropelvic junction calculus and 1 with a mid ureteral calculus). Over-all, 100 patients required a total of 125 procedures to accomplish successful stone removal. An algorithm is developed in which lower ureteral calculi are treated by ureteroscopy, mid ureteral calculi (large and dense) by stent bypass and extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy or (lucent and fragile) by ureteroscopy, upper ureteral calculi by stent bypass and extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy without manipulation, and impacted ureteral stones initially by ureteroscopy and, if necessary, then by extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy.

Algorithms↗

How a south Florida hospital targeted Hispanic consumers.

Last month's "Case in Point" presented AMI Parkway Regional Medical Center, a 412-bed acute care hospital in North Miami Beach, Fla. The hospital's administration has recognized the ethnic make-up of the South Florida market (white, black and Hispanic) and wants to increase its penetration into the large and potentially lucrative Latin market. The hospital is one of six in South Florida that are owned by American Medical International Inc., Los Angeles. Parkway recently completed a modernization and development program that resulted in an expanded emergency department, state-of-the-art critical care units, a cost-saving ambulatory unit and facilities for outpatient and community education programs. Positioned in a fiercely competitive market, Parkway has adopted an aggressive marketing posture. The marketing function has been elevated to one of six hospital divisions, sharing equal footing with finance, professional services, administrative services, nursing and human resources. Given the hospital's reputation for action and the previous success of programs based on market research, the assistant administrator for marketing and business development secured support for research on the Latin market.

Florida↗

Rheumatology education in an undergraduate program of physical therapy. A new outlook.

Few physical therapy education programs offer formal rheumatology courses taught by specialists in the field of rheumatic diseases. We modified, evaluated, and formalized a rheumatology course for undergraduate physical therapy students taught by a rheumatologist and a specially trained physical therapist. Although the course is applicable to our undergraduate program, the process we used to modify and evaluate the course content could be useful to others in their development of similar courses elsewhere. Our intent in discussing this process, the course content, and the rationale for our study is to stimulate a national review of rheumatology course content in physical therapy education programs.

Analysis of Variance↗

Effects of the Jamison-Farabee consent decree: due process protection for involuntary psychiatric patients treated with psychoactive medication.

The Jamison-Farabee consent decree in California mandates an outside psychiatrist's review of involuntary medication of state hospital patients. Patients' rights advocates presumably hoped the decree would facilitate more frequent medication refusal, while clinicians predicted the procedure would impair patient care. Outside review led to only a 1.1% rate of medication denial; half of the patients involved deteriorated afterward. Examination of a sample of patients subject to the decree and two comparable samples 1 year and 10 years earlier suggests that patients' successful medication refusal was no more frequent after implementation of the decree and that the procedure had negligible effects on patient care or outcome for patients not denied medication.

Attitude of Health Personnel↗

Maternal cigarette smoking and oral clefts: a population-based study.

Analyses of 1984 data from the Maryland Birth Defects Reporting and Information System indicate that mothers of infants with oral clefts (cleft lip with or without cleft palate; and cleft palate) smoked more during pregnancy than mothers of infants with other defects (odds ratio OR of 2.56 and 2.39, respectively). There was a dose-response relation between the daily amount smoked and the risk of clefting. Adjustment for available confounding variables did not account for the association between smoking and oral clefts.

Cleft Lip↗