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Biomedical subjects

B Hanna

Publications and source records attributed to B Hanna.

35 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1990

Latex agglutination for the rapid diagnosis of streptococcal pharyngitis: use by house staff in a pediatric emergency service.

A rapid latex agglutination (LA) method was evaluated in 2401 consecutive pediatric patients presenting to an emergency service with suspected group A beta-hemolytic streptococcal pharyngitis. LA tests were performed by the treating physicians, who were not blinded to the clinical condition of the children and who made therapeutic decisions based on the results of the tests. When compared with anaerobic culture, the LA method had a sensitivity of 91%, a specificity of 82%, and a positive predictive value of 43%. There was a marked seasonal variation in the positive predictive value: 62% in winter and 16% in summer. However, even in peak streptococcal pharyngitis season (January to March), basing therapy on a positive LA test leads to the unnecessary treatment of a large number of patients. Therefore, we cannot recommend the routine performance of this test by all practitioners in all clinical settings.

Child↗
PubMed1989

Atrial septal defect, ventricular septal defect, and coarctation of the aorta in sibs: an autosomal recessive disorder?

We report on two sisters with secundum atrial septal defect, perimembranous ventricular septal defect, and coarctation of the aorta. Identical anatomical malformations were verified by echocardiography and at operation. No other affected relatives were identified. We suggest that this is a specific, possibly recessively inherited type of complex cardiac malformation.

Aortic Coarctation↗
PubMed1989

Vibrio cholerae non-O1 infection presenting as localized cellulitis.

Vibrio cholerae non-O1 characteristically causes gastrointestinal illness but can occasionally be responsible for extra-intestinal infections. The authors report an unusual case of a man presenting with extensive cellulitis that did not improve with conventional antimicrobial therapy. Vibrio cholerae non-O1 was later isolated from a cutaneous bulla. Although he had severe hepatic cirrhosis, the infection remained confined to the cutaneous tissues and he was never bacteremic. He improved dramatically with surgical debridement in conjunction with antibiotics. It is important to consider Vibrio cholerae non-O1 as a cause of cellulitis, especially in endemic areas.

Cellulitis↗
PubMed1987

Comparison of five assays for antibody to varicella-zoster virus and the fluorescent-antibody-to-membrane-antigen test.

Three commercially available assays (the Varicelisa Test Kit [Whittaker M.A. Bioproducts, Walkersville, Md.], the VZV Indirect Fluorescent-Antibody Test [Electro-Nucleonics, Inc., Columbia, Md.], and the Litton VZV Bio-EnzaBead Screen Kit [Litton Bionetics, Inc., Charleston, S.C.]) and two enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays used in our laboratory, one using a membrane-associated antigen and the other using a soluble antigen dotted on nitrocellulose paper, were compared with a varicella-zoster virus antibody reference assay, the fluorescent-antibody-to-membrane-antigen test. All of the assays compared favorably to the fluorescent-antibody-to-membrane-antigen test when evaluated for sensitivity (0.95), specificity (0.84), and test-retest reliability (79 to 96%), except for the Litton assay, which demonstrated significantly different results for all of the parameters tested (0.55, 1.0, and 69%, respectively).

Adult↗
PubMed1986

Penicillin tolerant group A streptococci.

A penicillin (PCN) tolerant [minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) less than or equal to 0.02, minimal bactericidal concentration (MBC) = 3.10 micrograms/ml] group A streptococcus (GAS) was recovered from the bone aspirate of a child with osteomyelitis. The penicillin therapy with 200,000 micron/kg X day, and subsequently ampicillin 360 mg/kg X day, resulting in a serum ampicillin concentration of 74 micrograms/ml, failed to achieve a serum bactericidal effect greater than 1:2. Ninety-nine additional isolates of GAS obtained from 99 infants and children with pharyngitis were randomly selected for study. Organisms were screened for tolerance by macrobroth dilution determination at 0.05 and 1.0 microgram/ml of penicillin. Twenty-two of 100 organisms had MICs = 0.05 microgram/ml and MBCs = 1.0 microgram/ml; further tests were performed on these organisms. Twenty of the 22 strains (20% of all GAS) grown in Mueller-Hinton broth with 2% sheep blood were tolerant to penicillin at 24 hr, with MICs less than or equal to 0.02 and MBCs = 0.39 microgram/ml. When retested at 48 hr the MBCs of the 20 tolerant strains had decreased: three strains by twofold, three strains by fourfold, four strains by eightfold, one strain by 16-fold, and nine strains by 40-fold or greater. Seven strains were not tolerant after 48 hr of incubation. The detection of tolerance was media dependent; only nine strains were tolerant when grown in Todd-Hewitt broth. Tolerance to GAS was more frequent than generally suspected. The phenomenon of tolerance, and potentially delayed killing may alter prophylaxis and therapy of GAS disease and merits further investigation.

Chickenpox↗
PubMed1985

Nosocomial fungal infection during hospital renovation.

Nosocomial fungal pulmonary infections (Zygomycetes, Aspergillus sp.) developed in two premature infants in a special care unit (SCU) adjacent to an area of renovation. Inspection showed that inadequate barriers permitted the passage of airborne particles between the two areas, and cultures confirmed a significantly higher (p less than or equal to 0.05) density of mold spores in the SCU (0.88 cfu per hour per settling plate) compared to a construction-free comparison area (0.22 cfu per hour per settling plate). The major source of mold was the dust above the hospital's false ceiling. In another construction area, imperious barriers were shown to effectively restrict the dispersal of mold. Our experience adds Rhizopus to Aspergillus as a possible cause of construction-related nosocomial infection. Sporadic episodes will continue to occur until the hazards of renovation are appreciated and effective preventive measures are routinely instituted.

Air Microbiology↗
PubMed1984

Clinical evaluation of two strategies for improving patient recall of prior drug therapy.

The ability to recall details of current and prior drug therapy was evaluated in two studies employing a total of 94 patients with inflammatory polyarthritis. Ten per cent of patients were unable to completely recall the names of their current anti-inflammatory drugs and eighty-three per cent of patients to completely recall the details of prior anti-inflammatory drug therapy. Prompting firstly with the proprietary names of drugs and thereafter with a pill board substantially enhanced recall particularly for prior NSAID therapy. Nineteen per cent of responses obtained with verbal prompting were inaccurate. No such problems were encountered in responses obtained using the pill board. These findings indicate that a complete and accurate drug history can only be obtained in the majority of patients using recall enhancement strategies.

Adult↗
PubMed1983

Life event scales for obstetric groups.

Although associations have been described between life events and the incidence of perinatal complications, research has been limited by the lack of life event scales appropriate to obstetric groups. We report the development of such scales for primiparous and multiparous women. High ranking items from existing general life event scales as well as items relevant only to pregnant women were included. The degree of resultant distress was rated by visual analogue scales, and the frequency of each life event was assessed. High internal consistency was demonstrated for each of the scales and their general utility is suggested by the similar rank ordering of ratings in the primiparous and multiparous samples. Approximately one-third of the highest rating items on the scales were pregnancy related, supporting the view that scales measuring the stress of life events should include items relevant to the particular group of respondents.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Sexuality, body image, and self-esteem: the future after trauma.

Traumatic injury can drastically change a person's body appearance and function. The author explores the effect traumatic injury has on a person's self-esteem, body image, and sexuality. The cyclical theory of development provides the framework for a review of two core human values--intimacy and sense of self--adults use to organize and reorganize their lives following a traumatic event. Implications for trauma nurses are included.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Beyond three: MCH nurses' assessment leads to early interventions.

This study reports the results of a one year trial of a comprehensive developmental assessment, including vision and hearing screening, of three to four year olds in one municipality. Initial results indicated that over 50% of the 790 children assessed had no identifiable problems, this increased a further 15% after retesting. One hundred and eighty-seven children were referred to a variety of agencies, mainly for vision and audiological reassessment. One hundred and thirty-five referrals for further investigation were for children whose problems were confirmed and appropriately managed.

Child, Preschool↗