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Biomedical subjects

C Avery

Publications and source records attributed to C Avery.

27 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1988

Accuracy of ultrasound diagnoses in pregnancies complicated by suspected fetal anomalies.

Referral of pregnancies complicated by suspected fetal anomalies to level III perinatal centres for further evaluation and management is increasing as use of real-time ultrasound spreads, but the sensitivity and specificity of the prenatal diagnoses made in this population are unknown. We undertook a prospective study that followed pregnancies referred to a designated programme dealing with suspected fetal abnormalities. Follow-up of 257 pregnancies revealed that 282 separate anomalies were accurately diagnosed in 212 cases. Normal anatomy was correctly predicted in 42 cases, 16 per cent of the referred population. False-positive and false-negative rates were 1.5 per cent (4/257) and 2 per cent (1/46), respectively. However, 37 per cent of those infants born with anomalies had additional problems not prenatally detected by ultrasound. These results indicate that prenatal ultrasound diagnoses are remarkably accurate overall but that they may be insensitive to associated anomalies in individual cases.

Congenital Abnormalities↗
PubMed1988

The pneumostome rhythm in slugs: a response to dehydration controlled by hemolymph osmolality and peptide hormones.

1. One response of the terrestrial slug, Limax maximus to dehydration is the initiation and modulation of the pneumostome rhythm. When a slug has lost 15-20% of its initial body weight by evaporation, the frequency of pheumostome closures, which is less than 0.5 closures/min in fully hydrated slugs, begins to increase. 2. The frequency increases with further dehydration, but the average duration of each closure remains constant. Thus, the proportion of time during which the pneumostome is closed increases. Simultaneously, the area of the pneumostome opening decreases. 3. This behavior appears to be controlled in part by both the osmolality of the slug's hemolymph and by a peptide closely related to arginine vasotocin (AVT) and arginine vasopressin (AVP). Injecting intact slugs with mannitol, which increases the osmolality of the hemolymph, or with AVT or AVP, can initiate the pneumostome rhythm. 4. Mannitol injections, however, do not provoke the decrease in the area of the pneumostome opening which is induced by natural dehydration or by AVT or AVP injection. This suggests that at least two systems may be involved in the overall control of the pneumostome.

Animals↗
PubMed1988

Delayed onset post-tympanotomy otorrhea.

Otorrhea is the most frequent complication of the use of tympanostomy tubes. When it occurs after the immediate postoperative period, otorrhea is probably the result of external contamination of the middle ear or acute otitis media. We analyzed data from 627 operations upon 1248 ears of 491 children with chronic secretory otitis media and found that delayed onset (longer than 7 weeks) postoperative otorrhea occurred after 26.4 percent of the 382 operations in which tympanostomy tubes were used. The average number of episodes of otorrhea per case was 1.46 and ranged from 1 to 9. The rate of otorrhea occurrence in patients with tubes in place was significantly higher in the summer months. Otorrhea also occurred after 9.0 percent of 245 myringotomy procedures. The average number of episodes was 1.32 and ranged from 1 to 3. Treatment of postoperative otorrhea increases the health care costs of surgical treatment of chronic otitis media with effusion; this problem should be included in the calculation of cost-effectiveness.

Child↗
PubMed1986

Post-tympanostomy otorrhea.

Otorrhea is the most common complication of surgical drainage of the tympanum for the treatment of chronic secretory otitis media. Otorrhea present at the first postoperative visit may be due to the operative procedure, the underlying disease process, or both. After analyzing data from 525 operations on 1045 ears of 396 children with chronic secretory otitis media, and finding an over-all incidence of immediate postoperative otorrhea of 3.4%, we conclude that preparations of the ear canal with povidone iodine and the postoperative prophylactic use of an antimicrobial-corticosteroid topical preparation provides optimal control of postoperative wound infection. Sporadic increases in the incidence of postoperative otorrhea may be due to extrinsic factors such as outbreaks of upper respiratory infection.

Adenoidectomy↗
PubMed1984

Genetic effects on various measures of ethanol dependence in mice: a diallel analysis.

A complete 5 X 5 diallel cross was performed using mice from 5 highly inbred strains. Five hundred and fifty-five offspring were fed ethanol in a liquid diet for 9 days, then tested during a withdrawal period using a battery of tests designed to measure physical dependence on ethanol ( McClearn et al., Sub. Alcohol Use/Abuse, 3 (1982) 135; Allen et al., Alcohol Clin. Exp. Res., 7 (1983) 443). The analyses were done separately for each sex. The results show significant, but low genetic effects for most of the measures and no maternal effects for any measure. There was also evidence for a sex-by-genotype interaction that was not due to sex-linkage, i.e., the same autosomal genes are acting differently in the two sexes during withdrawal from ethanol. Males tended to exhibit more genetic influence than females for most of the traits measured. The results are discussed in terms of the use of these measures for creating genetically defined models of physical dependence on ethanol.

Alcohol Withdrawal Delirium↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Predictive value of tympanometry in middle ear effusion.

The presence of middle ear effusion may be inferred from a tympanogram by the configuration of the pressure compliance curve. Not infrequently, however, effusion is absent at the time of surgery when strongly indicated by preoperative tympanometry. We evaluated this discrepancy by contrasting preoperative tympanograms with the findings at surgery in 462 children, aged 4 to 8 years, with clinical evidence of persistent effusion in 909 ears. Based on these results we can classify tympanograms as to high risk for effusion, intermediate, and low risk. The proportion of ears with effusion was 83%, 47%, and 34%, respectively. The proportion of ears with fluid in the high risk tympanogram group did not change appreciably over a 1- to 8-week period, ie, no trend toward spontaneous resolution occurred. The high incidence of effusion at surgery in our low risk group is far higher than expected and is presumably due to reinfection of these ears during the time between examination and operation.

Acoustic Impedance Tests↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Diabetes education materials: recommendations of tribal leaders, Indian health professionals, and American Indian community members.

PURPOSE: The Association of American Indian Physicians, the only national organization of its kind, conducted a series of focus groups to gather input from tribal leaders, Indian health professionals, and American Indian community members to guide the development of culturally appropriate diabetes education materials for the National Diabetes Education Program. METHODS: During the focus groups, participants shared their experiences with and recommendations for a variety of diabetes education materials. RESULTS: Overall, 95% of participants expressed a strong preference for diabetes education materials relevant to their specific tribe or culture. CONCLUSIONS: Recommendations from these focus groups were used to develop a national diabetes education campaign for American Indian communities.

Adolescent↗