Biomedical subjects

B Jeffery

Publications and source records attributed to B Jeffery.

8 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2004

Sonographic cervical length in threatened preterm labor in a South African population.

OBJECTIVE: In a previous study conducted in the UK we demonstrated that only 8% of women with threatened preterm labor deliver within 7 days. Furthermore, delivery within 7 days occurred in less than 1% of women presenting with a sonographically measured cervical length > or = 15 mm, compared to 37% in those with cervical length < 15 mm. In this study we investigate the potential value of cervical length in the prediction of outcome of threatened preterm labor in a South African population. METHODS: We examined 63 women with singleton pregnancies presenting with regular and painful uterine contractions at 24-36 (mean, 31) weeks of gestation. Women in active labor, defined by the presence of cervical dilatation > or = 3 cm, and those with ruptured membranes were excluded. On admission to the hospital a transvaginal scan was performed to measure the cervical length. The subsequent management was determined by the attending obstetrician. The primary outcome was delivery within 7 days of presentation. RESULTS: Delivery within 7 days of presentation occurred in 20/63 (32%) pregnancies, including 20 of the 30 (67%) cases with cervical length < 15 mm and none of the 33 cases with cervical length > or = 15 mm. Logistic regression analysis demonstrated that the only significant contributor in the prediction of delivery within 7 days was cervical length (odds ratio 0.67; 95% CI 0.54-0.85; P = 0.001) with no significant independent contribution from maternal age, gestational age, body mass index, parity, use of antibiotics, previous history of preterm delivery, cigarette smoking, contraction frequency or use of tocolytics. CONCLUSION: In this South African population, which had a high incidence of delivery within 7 days of presentation with threatened preterm labor, sonographic measurement of cervical length is equally effective as in a lower-risk population in distinguishing between true and false labor.

Abortion, Threatened↗

PubMed2004

Amnesic shellfish poison.

Amnesic shellfish poisoning (ASP) is caused by consumption of shellfish that have accumulated domoic acid, a neurotoxin produced by some strains of phytoplankton. The neurotoxic properties of domoic acid result in neuronal degeneration and necrosis in specific regions of the hippocampus. A serious outbreak of ASP occurred in Canada in 1987 and involved 150 reported cases, 19 hospitalisations and 4 deaths after consumption of contaminated mussels. Symptoms ranged from gastrointestinal disturbances, to neurotoxic effects such as hallucinations, memory loss and coma. Monitoring programmes are in place in numerous countries worldwide and closures of shellfish harvesting areas occur when domoic acid concentrations exceed regulatory limits. This paper reviews the chemistry, sources, metabolism and toxicology of domoic acid as well as human case reports of ASP and discusses a possible mechanism of toxicity.

Amnesia↗

PubMed2002

Uricult trio as a screening test for bacteriuria in pregnancy.

OBJECTIVE: To establish the effectiveness in an indigent urban population of Uricult Trio as a screening test for asymptomatic bacteriuria in pregnancy and in diagnosing urinary tract infections (UTI) in symptomatic pregnant women. Likelihood ratios were established for positive and negative Uricult Trio test results. SUBJECTS: Two populations of patients from the Pretoria region were involved: (i) asymptomatic pregnant women attending the antenatal clinic for the first time or presenting in labour; and (ii) pregnant women with symptoms suggestive of UTI. METHOD: A midstream urine specimen was collected from the two populations of patients, plated onto the Uricult Trio and sent to the laboratory for culture. RESULTS: The prevalence of asymptomatic bacteriuria in this population was 23%, and for women with symptoms suggestive of UTI, 29%. The likelihood ratios for a positive test were 1.8 and 1.5 for asymptomatic and symptomatic patients respectively. The likelihood ratios for a negative test were 0.35 and 0.44 for asymptomatic and symptomatic patients respectively. Escherichia coli was the causative agent in 36% of cases. CONCLUSION: Uricult Trio is not effective as a screening test for asymptomatic bacteriuria in pregnancy or for diagnosing UTIs in women with symptoms suggestive of infection.

Bacteriuria↗

PubMed1990

Detection of human immunodeficiency virus DNA using the polymerase chain reaction in a well-characterized group of homosexual and bisexual men.

The polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) DNA was performed on specimens from 197 homosexual and bisexual men enrolled in studies of HIV-1 infection. Thirty cycles of amplification were conducted, followed by detection with probes corresponding to two gag primer pairs (SK 38/39 and SK 101/145). Of 107 men who were HIV-1 antibody-negative, 105 (98%) were PCR-negative. Two who were initially PCR-positive antibody-negative were PCR- and antibody-negative on repeat testing of both the same specimen and specimens drawn 8-10 months later; this suggests that the first PCR results were false-positive. Of 90 men who were antibody-positive, PCR was positive in 87 (97%), including all 13 with AIDS, all 22 with AIDS-related conditions, all 11 with generalized lymphadenopathy only, and 41 (93%) of 44 without signs or symptoms of HIV-1 infection. On repeat testing, all 3 PCR-negative, antibody-positive men were PCR-positive. In this population and with this technique, PCR had excellent agreement with the HIV-1 antibody test.

Base Sequence↗

PubMed1984

Evaluation of five commercially available immunodiffusion kits for detection of Coccidioides immitis and Histoplasma capsulatum antibodies.

Five commercial test kits for the serodiagnosis of coccidioidomycosis and histoplasmosis based upon immunodiffusion were evaluated. The correlation of results with the test kits in the Clinical Laboratory varied from 71 to 100% for coccidioidomycosis. The correlation for coccidioidomycosis immunodiffusion testing varied from 57 to 83% when results from the test kits and the Mycology Research Laboratory were compared. Only 81% correlation was noted between the two laboratories when the same reference system was used. Results with the test kits for Histoplasma serodiagnosis and results from the Mycology Research Laboratory showed a correlation of 52 to 75%. There were no false-positive results with any system. All of the commercial kits were 100% specific for the diagnosis of both coccidioidomycosis and histoplasmosis, but the sensitivity of the immunodiffusion tests varied with the system used.

Antibodies, Fungal↗

PubMed1982

Frequency of clinical isolation and winter prevalence of different Aspergillus species at a large southwestern army medical center.

The frequent occurrence of aspergillosis caused by species other than Aspergillus fumigatus at Brooke Army Medical Center prompted the authors to study the prevalence of the different Aspergillus species at Brooke Army Medical Center and at two other hospitals in San Antonio, Texas. Two parameters were analyzed: (1) frequency of isolation from clinical specimens over a five-year period and (2) relative prevalence in the atmosphere during the late fall and early winter using volumetric air-sampling. A fumigatus was infrequently recovered from clinical specimens and was one of the least prevalent species of Aspergillus in the air. A. terreus, a rare species in prevalence studies performed elsewhere, was frequently recovered from patients; it was the second most prevalent organism in the air after A. niger. Climatic conditions in the authors' area probably favor the growth of A. terreus over A. fumigatus. Since A. terreus has been shown to be a potential pathogen, an increased frequency of disease caused by this organism may be expected in this environment.

Air Microbiology↗

PubMed1978

Infections caused by Rhodochrous.

Organisms conforming to "rhodochrous taxon" were isolated from three immunocompromised patients, suggesting a pathogenic role for the organisms. The organisms are partially acid-fast, gram-positive catalase positive rods which form orange or red colonies aerobically in three or four days on Sabouraud, Mueller-Hinton and Middlebrook 7H-10 agars. They are differenitated from Nocardia by morphology and ability to degrade ethylene glycol in 7H-10 media. Two of these clinical isolates and a reference strain were injected intraperitoneally into guinea pigs, half of which received methylprednisolone intramuscularly beginning three days prior to inoculation. Steroid-treated animals exhibited clinical illness, diffuse peritonitis and recovery of inoculated organisms whereas one of three nonsteroid-treated animals exhibited a localized abscess without recovery of organisms. This study suggests that rhodochrous may be pathogenic under conditions of immune compromise.

Aged↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Examining emotional, physical, social, and spiritual health as determinants of self-rated health status.

PURPOSE: To determine whether individuals' perceptions of their emotional, physical, social, and spiritual health constitute elements of their self-rated health status operationalized with a commonly employed single indicator. DESIGN: Secondary analysis of cross-sectional survey data. Structural equation modeling with LISREL was used. SETTING: The Yukon Health Promotion Survey, Yukon Territory, Canada, 1993. SUBJECTS: The population-based sample was made up of 742 women and 713 men between 15 and 90 years of age; 80.3% responded. MEASURES: Self-rated health status was operationalized with the "excellent, good, fair, poor" indicator derived from the question: "In general, compared to other people your age, would you say your health is...." Social, spiritual, emotional, and physical health status were also self-rated from excellent to poor. RESULTS: The model's fit of the data was acceptable. Only physical health status significantly contributed to the variance in self-rated health status (55.1% of the variance was explained). Emotional, social, and spiritual health were found to have no effect on individuals' ratings of their health status. CONCLUSIONS: Although recent conceptualizations have broadened in much of the theoretical and political discourse about health, especially in health promotion, the self-rated health status indicator measures only physical health status.

Adaptation, Psychological↗