Search PubMed⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

B H Wolf

Publications and source records attributed to B H Wolf.

30 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1988

Absorbed dose to the fetus during bone scintigraphy.

The authors observed the uptake of radiopharmaceutical and calculated absorbed dose in fetuses of two patients who underwent bone scintigraphy with technetium-99m methylene diphosphonate. Dose estimates per administered activity were 17 mrad/mCi (4.6 microGy/MBq) for an 8-week-old fetus and 9.7 mrad/mCi (2.6 microGy/MBq) for an 18-week-old fetus. Neither fetus demonstrated radionuclide uptake above maternal background levels. The uterine activity showed rapid clearance, with an effective half-life of 12 minutes after reaching a maximum within 1 minute after injection. Major contribution to fetal dose comes from the presence of the radionuclide in the maternal bladder. The authors conclude that bone scintigraphy performed unknowingly in pregnant individuals presents negligible increased risk to the fetus.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1988

Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency in ethnic minorities in The Netherlands.

The distribution of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G-6-PD) deficiency in ethnic minorities in the Netherlands was studied in a random sample of 668 healthy pregnant women and 754 healthy full term neonates. The overall prevalence of G-6-PD deficiency was 6.6% in males and 5.2% in females. Highest frequencies were found in sub-Saharan blacks. The hematological data in severe deficient women of African descent suggest slight hemolysis in the first trimester of pregnancy. Mean hemoglobin concentrations in pregnant women and neonates of African descent were lower as compared to hemoglobin concentrations in persons of Asian or Mediterranean origin. G-6-PD deficiency was found to be the only cause of neonatal jaundice in 6% of the non-Caucasian neonates who underwent exchange transfusion for severe neonatal hyperbilirubinaemia. Mean bilirubin in cordblood, however, was not found to be significantly higher in severe deficient neonates of African, Asian and Mediterranean descent.

Female↗
PubMed1987

Detection of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency in erythrocytes: a spectrophotometric assay and a fluorescent spot test compared with a cytochemical method.

The results of a quantitative spectrophotometric enzyme assay, a fluorescent spot test and a cytochemical assay for glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency were compared systematically. The high sensitivity of the spectrophotometric assay and the fluorescent spot test in the detection of severely deficient individuals was confirmed. For the detection of heterozygote females, however both tests were unreliable; the sensitivities of the fluorescent spot test and the spectrophotometric assay being 32% and 11% respectively. Specificities for both tests were high (99%). Introduction of the ratio of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase and pyruvate kinase (G-6-PD/PK ratio) activities increased the sensitivity of the spectrophotometric assay to nearly 100%. It is concluded that the fluorescent spot test should be used for the diagnosis of G-6-PD deficiency in developing countries; whereas if spectrophotometric enzyme assays are available, the G-6-PD/PK ratio should always be performed. In cases where the ratio is less than 0.70, cytochemical analysis is indicated.

Erythrocytes↗
PubMed1986

[Cardiovascular disorders with respiratory distress in childhood].

Because of their low prevalence cardiovascular abnormalities are an easily overlooked cause of persistent respiratory distress in childhood. A review is presented of the most common cardiovascular disorders that give rise to respiratory distress by compression of the airway at various levels. At tracheal level the double aortic arch and the aberrant right subclavian artery are the most frequent anomalies. Bronchial compression is mostly due to left to right shunting through either a persistent ductus arteriosus or a ventricular septal defect. Compression of the lung parenchyma itself is in most cases caused by dilatation of the left ventricle. Anatomy, symptomatology, diagnosis and therapy of the cardiovascular disorders are described.

Airway Obstruction↗
PubMed1980

Obstructive jaundice caused by polycystic liver disease.

A patient with jaundice caused by obstruction of the biliary ducts by cysts in a polycystic liver is presented. Decompression of the liver cysts under ultrasound guidance resulted in a rapid decrease of the serum bilirubin level.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Ultrasound diagnosis of gastroesophageal reflux and hiatal hernia in infants and young children.

In 30 young children suspected of gastroesophageal reflux (GER), the G-E junction was examined with ultrasonography directly after a feeding while these children were on overnight extended esophageal pH monitoring (EEpHM) (32 simultaneous ultrasound/EEpHM studies). The two tests showed 81% to 84% agreement in the detection of the presence or absence of GER, depending on whether the whole period of EEpHM or only the part of it covering the ultrasound observation period were used as the standard. The discrepancies between the two tests were explained by the much longer monitoring period of EEpHM compared to ultrasonography and the inability of EEpHM to show reflux of neutralized gastric contents directly after milk feedings. The two studies probably measure different aspects of clinically significant reflux and must be correlated with the clinical symptoms. Morphological findings associated with significant reflux were (1) a short intra-abdominal part of the esophagus, (2) a rounded gastroesophageal angle, and (3) a "beak" at the gastroesophageal junction. Barium meal findings confirmed these sonographic signs, indicating a sliding hiatal hernia of the distal esophagus, either fixed or intermittent. Ultrasonography can be recommended as a useful and physiological screening test to demonstrate clinically significant GER and a predisposing hiatal hernia of the esophagus in symptomatic children.

Child↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Increasing the value of cardiac care: the Dartmouth approach.

UNLABELLED: A cardiac services team at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center (DHMC) launched multiple efforts to improve the quality and value of their services. The team developed a critical path for coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) and tracked important clinical outcomes, such as mortality rates and wound complications. The team also studied the patient's view of the process. Staff used focus groups and surveys to distill the "voice of the customer" into six quality characteristics and developed methods to better involve patients in clinical decision making and evaluation of treatment efficacy. RESULTS: CABG mortality declined from 5.7 percent in 1992 to 2.7 percent in 1994, 16 months after the critical path was developed. Mean total intubation time for patients following open-heart surgery was reduced from 22 hours to 14 hours. Median postoperative length of stay decreased from seven days to six for elective CABG patients. The number of patients discharged in five days or less increased from 20 percent to 40 percent. Readmission to the hospital following discharge remained stable, despite the shorter length of stay.

Cardiology Service, Hospital↗