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Biomedical subjects

B Campbell

Publications and source records attributed to B Campbell.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Utility of squamous cell carcinoma antigen (SCC Ag) as a tumour marker in pulmonary malignancy.

Squamous cell carcinoma antigen (SCC Ag), a recently developed tumour marker, has shown some promise, particularly in squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the uterine cervix. To evaluate its usefulness in SCC of the lung, serum SCC Ag levels were measured in 52 patients with a variety of respiratory diseases (both benign and malignant), 17 patients with renal failure and 56 healthy controls. SCC Ag was elevated in 11 of 25 patients with SCC lung and one patient with a mixed adeno-squamous tumour, but in no patients with other malignancies or benign respiratory disease. SCC Ag levels appeared unrelated to either tumour stage or the degree of differentiation. False-positive results were noted in patients with renal failure, with six of eight patients with a plasma creatinine greater than 0.7 mmol l-1 having an elevated SCC Ag level. Because SCC Ag was highly specific in the presence of normal renal function, an elevated level would support early investigation of a patient with suspected pulmonary malignancy. The potential of SCC Ag in typing large cell lung carcinomas (where light microscopic features of SCC are uncertain) warrants further investigation.

Antigens, Neoplasm

Surveillance and control of infections in long-term care: the Canadian experience.

In 1980, the Laboratory Centre for Disease Control, Health Protection Branch, Department of National Health and Welfare Canada, established the Bureau of Infection Control in response to a growing need for an infection control resource at the national level. Until that time, there had been no federal programs in Canada for surveillance and control of infections in health care facilities. Initial efforts in the development of infection control programs focused on acute care facilities. In 1985, a specific need was identified to develop better surveillance and control of infections in long-term care facilities. Several national initiatives have been undertaken to meet this need, including the preparation and publication of an infection control guideline specifically for long-term care facilities, a national survey of Canadian long-term facilities, and the stimulation of research to evaluate new criteria for nosocomial infections in a selected number of Canadian long-term care facilities.

Aged

Study of human urinary metabolism of fenfluramine using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry.

The metabolism of (+/-)fenfluramine, 1-(m-trifluoromethylphenyl)-2-N-ethylpropane, an anoretic agent, was investigated in humans. The analysis method was based on the use of ion-exchange resin extraction, solid-phase purification on the Bond Elut1M C8 cartridge, gradient elution high-performance liquid chromatography, enzymic hydrolysis of conjugates, further purification by Bond Elut C8 cartridge, derivatisation and capillary column gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). After administration of a 1 mg kg-1 oral dose, four metabolites plus unchanged fenfluramine were recovered in the 0-24 h urine from human volunteers and characterised by GC-MS. In the conjugated form, fenfluramine, norfenfluramine and m-trifluoromethylhippuric acid were detected by GC-MS. In the aglycone form, the major metabolite, 1-(m-trifluoromethylphenyl)-1,2-propane diol (fenfluramine diol), was monitored using GC-MS. The mass spectral characteristics of the m-trifluoromethylhippuric acid methyl ester, 1-(m-trifluoromethylphenyl)-1,2-propane ditrifluoracetate derivatives and the norfenfluramine and fenfluramine free base obtained under electron-impact ionization are presented. The metabolism of fenfluramine is discussed including a metabolic pathway in man accounting for the formation of its biotransformation products.

Biotransformation

Developmental constraints on the expression of behavioral and heart-rate orienting responses: I. The role of cardiosomatic coupling.

The ontogeny of behavioral and heart-rate orienting responses to a novel olfactory stimulus was examined in three experiments. The results of Experiment 1 demonstrated that behavioral responses to the olfactory stimulus were observed as early as Day 1, although heart-rate deceleration in response to the stimulus was not observed until Day 9. In Experiment 2, bradycardia was observed in 6-day-old pups if stimulus-elicited motor activity was reduced with haloperidol. Thus, the developmental asynchrony in the expression of behavioral and heart-rate orienting responses was due, at least in part, to cardiosomatic coupling in the very young animal. The results of Experiment 3 demonstrated that although cardiosomatic coupling interferes with the expression of the heart-rate orienting response very early in development, it has increasingly less impact over the course of the preweaning period.

Aging

Education programmes for infection control in Canada.

Formal educational programmes for infection control personnel in Canada are limited and most courses have been directed at infection control practitioners (ICPs). Most ICPs report that their preparation comes from in-post training. Although there have been several short, non-credit courses available in the past, the only course available for ICPs at the present time is an intensive 1-week course. Surveys of nurses and ICPs suggest that they prefer flexibly scheduled university credit courses which will not only prepare them for their positions but also enable them to meet entry-to-practice requirements as recommended by the board of the Canadian Nurses Association. The future development of courses for ICPs must endeavour to meet these needs. Moreover, the educational needs of physicians and other health professionals working in this field have not been well identified or addressed and it is clear that educational programmes must also be developed for these health professionals.

Canada

Measurement of skin dose in primary irradiation of maxillary sinus carcinoma.

Subcutaneous involvement frequently occurs in maxillary sinus carcinoma. Radical resection does not include removal of the skin at risk. In standard postoperative wedge-pair treatment plans, the surface dose is dependent upon beam weighting, beam energy, and patient contour. Thermoluminescent dosimetry (TLD) measurements were performed to evaluate the surface dose of patients undergoing postoperative irradiation of maxillary sinus carcinoma following primary resection. When 60 Gy was delivered to isocenter with a 45 degrees wedge pair and 6 MV photons with 1 cm bolus, the subcutaneous tissues at risk received approximately 30 Gy. Based upon presented TLD measurements, supplemental electron beam therapy to the subcutaneous tissues if primarily involved should be considered.

Aged

Pediatric poisoning from over-the-counter imidazoline-containing products.

We present two instructive cases of imidazoline poisoning in young children. Imidazoline decongestants, readily available in numerous non-prescription preparations, can rapidly produce toxicity from oral ingestion and topical application. Signs and symptoms depend on whether peripheral or central alpha 2-adrenergic receptor stimulation predominates. Timely diagnosis depends on a high index of suspicion and careful questioning about the availability of these over-the-counter products. Standard toxicologic management will prevent significant morbidity. No specific antidote exists.

Emergency Service, Hospital

Power and motivation: important concepts for infection control practitioners.

Organizations are composed of people vying with one another for power. Failure to acquire it may result in a limited ability to have an impact on organizational politics, and ultimately can lessen the success of motivating personnel. Therefore, using the power sources described to acquire power and developing strategies to motivate others are essential in attaining the goals of an infection control program. In summary, infection control practitioners have tended to focus on the technical aspects of their roles and may have neglected the development of influencing and motivational strategies that well could have an impact on improving compliance to infection control. Knowledge of key concepts, such as power and motivation, should be as important as any component of an infection control practitioner's training.

Behavior

The Caspar microsurgical discectomy and comparison with a conventional standard lumbar disc procedure.

The outcome in 119 patients who were operated on with a conventional standard lumbar discectomy procedure was retrospectively compared with that in 299 patients who were operated on with a microsurgical discectomy technique developed in Homburg/Saar, Federal Republic of Germany by the senior author (W.C.). All patients in this consecutive series had "virgin" lumbar radiculopathy evaluated and operated upon by two experienced surgeons at one institution. Determination of the final outcome was made objectively by an impartial third party using identical criteria for both groups, and with a patient self-evaluation form. The study looked at various pertinent aspects of the treatment course and at final outcome. The results in the microsurgical group were significantly favorable: fewer levels were explored: there was less operative blood loss and a decreased incidence of deep venous thrombosis, urinary tract infections, pulmonary emboli, and bladder catheterization; the time to full ambulation, discharge, and return to work was faster: and there was a decrease in change of occupation and a greater percentage of satisfactory final outcomes, as measured both objectively and subjectively. A description of the microsurgical technique used in this study, which differs significantly from existing microdisectomy techniques, is presented. The authors conclude that the microsurgical disectomy technique presented in this study is a safe and effective approach to the treatment of lumbar radiculopathy.

Adolescent

Hormonal control of avian pancreas by gastrin-releasing peptide from the proventriculus.

Endocrine cells in the acid-secreting part of the avian stomach, the proventriculus, contain two forms of gastrin-releasing peptide (GRP) of 27 and 6 residues, respectively. We have examined the actions of exogenous GRP-27 and GRP-6 and endogenously released GRP in the control of pancreatic secretion in urethan-anesthetized turkeys. Chicken GRP-27 and the structurally related amphibian peptide bombesin were potent stimulants of fluid and protein output from the pancreas (at 6-100 pmol/kg, iv). GRP-6 had no significant effect at doses up to 1,000 times higher. A bombesin antagonist, (CH3)2-CHCO-[D-Ala24]GRP-20--26-NHCH3, inhibited the action of exogenous chicken GRP-27 but did not inhibit intravenous cholecystokinin octapeptide (CCK-8). Distension of the proventriculus with a solution of peptone produced an increase in the flow of pancreatic juice and an increase in protein output, which was not reduced by atropine. The bombesin antagonist produced a reversible inhibition of this response. A CCK-gastrin antagonist, BOC-beta-Ala-Trp-Leu-Asp-O(CH2)2- phenyl(4F), which inhibited the action of exogenous CCK, had no effect on the pancreatic response to exogenous GRP-27 or to distension of the proventriculus with peptone. We suggest that protein-rich solutions in the proventriculus release GRP, which in turn acts directly on the pancreas to stimulate enzyme secretion.

Amino Acid Sequence

Who misses appointments? An empirical analysis.

Patient noncompliance is a major problem in clinical practice. In order to better understand this issue, 236 appointments at an outpatient psychiatry clinic of a large urban general hospital were examined. Five variables significantly discriminated patients who kept their appointments from patients who did not. Patients who were younger, had a history of missed appointments, were scheduled to see a resident physician, had a routine appointment and lived a distance from the hospital, were at greater risk of missing their appointment. This information helps to identify patients at high risk of nonattendance and allows clinicians to plan schedules and appointments more efficiently.

Adult

Pattern of substance abuse in psychiatric inpatients.

This study examined the pattern of substance abuse in a sample of 114 psychiatric inpatients using a standardized diagnostic interview. As predicted, psychiatric inpatients reported a significantly higher rate of substance abuse than a randomly selected community sample. Approximately three-quarters of the inpatients abused at least one substance. Almost one-half of the patient sample reported abusing more than one substance. These findings emphasize the need to screen psychiatric inpatients for substance abuse using a standardized diagnostic instrument and to develop treatment programs for substance abuse in psychiatric patients.

Adolescent

Clarifying universal precautions.

There are only two ways to prevent infection: behaviour modification and technology. Infection control measures, including Universal Precautions, must be directed at these two areas if we are to provide the safest possible environment for patients and personnel. Administrators must make every effort to provide devices and systems that will promote and enhance a safer workplace. Personnel, on the other hand, are charged with altering their behaviours to utilize safe devices and practices. Finally, infection control personnel must make every effort to activate and sustain new behaviours in health care personnel and promote the design and use of new and safer devices at every opportunity.

Canada

Precautions.

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Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome