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Biomedical subjects

B Rao

Publications and source records attributed to B Rao.

At least 73 records · Page 4Linked to original sources
PubMed1984

Evaluating community care for the mentally handicapped adult: a comparison of hostel, home and hospital care.

While community care for mentally handicapped adults has been received enthusiastically, there have been few attempts to evaluate this form of care. This paper reports a study of two hostels for mentally handicapped adults. By employing an experimental research design, it aimed to test the hypothesis that small, community based residences provide an environment in which individuals can acquire the skills necessary for independent living. Using Gunzberg's Progress Assessment Charts as an indicator, the residents of one hostel achieved significant improvements in the areas of self-help, communication, socialization and occupation over the year following admission. A group of matched controls living at home showed no such improvements, and a group of matched controls living in hospital showed a less certain and less dramatic improvement. A small group of people living in a second hostel also showed significant gains in social competence. The paper also discusses problems in the design and implementation of experimental studies in this field.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1984

In vitro susceptibility of anaerobic bacteria to ciprofloxacin (Bay o 9867).

About 80% of 70 clinical isolates of Bacteroides fragilis were inhibited by 4 micrograms of ciprofloxacin (Bay o 9867) per ml. The 90% MIC of ciprofloxacin was 8 micrograms/ml for other Bacteroides species, 2 micrograms/ml for Peptococcus species, 8 micrograms/ml for Peptostreptococcus species, and 16 micrograms/ml for Clostridium and Eubacterium species.

Animals↗
PubMed1983

Nosocomial surgical infections: incidence and cost in a developing country.

Eight hundred twenty-nine patients were monitored for nosocomial surgical infections from January to December 1980 at the University Hospital of the West Indies. Two hundred twenty-five patients (27%) had 189 postoperative wound infections (POWI) and 295 other nosocomial infections, with an average of 2.1 infections per infected patient. The incidence of POWI was 22.8%, varying from 7.3% in clean to 82.2% in infected wounds. The most common organisms isolated were gram-negative bacilli and Staphylococcus aureus. The most frequent nosocomial infection other than POWI was urinary tract infection (27.8%). A statistically significant number of urinary tract infections and septicemias were associated with the use of medical devices such as indwelling urethral catheters and central venous pressure lines (p less than 0.001). Septicemia was frequently associated with operations on the lower gastrointestinal and hepatobiliary tracts (p less than 0.001). The postoperative stay of an infected patient was prolonged by an average of 18 days. The total excess cost of hospitalization for the infected patients was U.S. $170,000.

Cross Infection↗
PubMed1982

Presence of a chorionic gonadotrophin-like factor in mouse placental cultures during the second half of gestation.

Gonadotrophin-like activity in the cultures of mouse placentae, from Days 10 to 18 of gestation, was determined by using a sensitive mouse Leydig cell testosterone bioassay. The limit of detection of the bioassay was 0.05 mi.u. for the 2nd International Standard of hCG. Serial dilution of placental culture media gave dose-response curves parallel to those of the hCG standard. Gonadotrophin-like activity was detected in cultures of placentae from different stages of gestation, and a biphasic variation appeared: the first peak of activity was present at Day 12 (0.853 +/- 0.070 mi.u. hCG) while the second appeared on Day 17 of gestation (0.595 +/- 0.093 mi.u. hCG). These results suggest that the mouse placenta is capable of secreting a gonadotrophin-like factor in vitro.

Animals↗
PubMed1982

Polymicrobial genital gangrene (Fournier's gangrene): clinical, microbiologic, and therapeutic features.

The microbiologic and therapeutic aspects of polymicrobial genital gangrene (Fournier's gangrene) studied in nine patients are presented. Seven patients had both aerobic and anaerobic bacteria isolated from the site of infection; four had Bacteroides and two, Clostridia. Broad-spectrum penicillins such as ticarcillin, mezlocillin, and piperacillin, or combined clindamycin and gentamicin therapy were used. One patient died of fulminating infection and eight patients were cured of their infections. Anaerobic bacteria and appropriate antibiotic therapy should be considered in all patients with genital gangrene.

Adult↗
PubMed1980

Clinical evaluation of piperacillin.

28 patients with aerobic (7), anaerobic (7), and mixed (14) infections were treated with intravenous piperacillin for an average duration of 14 days. All bacterial isolates tested in this study were susceptible to piperacillin less than or equal to 128 micrograms/ml. 27 patients were treated with 20 g of piperacillin/day in four divided doses. 1 patient with renal failure received only 8 g/day. 26 patients were treated with piperacillin and two with Staphylococcus aureus infection received gentamicin in addition. The peak serum levels were 266 micrograms/ml at 1 h and the trough 16 micrograms/ml at 5 h. In all, 26 patients (93%) were 'cured', one had 'recurrence', and one 'failed'. Adverse effects were pruitus in two patients, transient elevation of LDH in one, and transient eosinophilia in another. In our preliminary study, piperacillin was found to be safe and effective in the treatment of clinical infections.

Adult↗