Communicating health information through the entertainment media.
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Adult↗
Biomedical subjects
C Miller
Publications and source records attributed to C Miller.
Reagent strip glucose monitoring methods in chronic hemodialysis.
Reagent strip blood glucose testing methods have not been extensively validated in dialysis patients, a serious omission as thousands of diabetic patients are now entering dialysis. Severe anemia and uremia are potentially confounding variables that might impair those testing methods. Various methods were tested pre- and postdialysis, and compared with standard laboratory results. In general, strip methods (SM) underestimated laboratory results by approximately 15%. Extremes of blood urea nitrogen, hematocrit, or blood glucose levels did not affect this reliability. Such methods appear to be suitable for use in chronic hemodialysis patients.
Blood Glucose↗
Schizophrenia and nicotinic receptors.
Patients with schizophrenia often cannot respond to important features of their environment and filter out irrelevant stimuli. This dysfunction could be related to an underlying defect in inhibition--i.e., the brain's ability to alter its sensitivity to repeated stimuli. One of the neuronal mechanisms responsible for such inhibitory gating involves the activation of cholinergic nicotinic receptors in the hippocampus. These receptors are diminished in many specimens of hippocampal brain tissue obtained postmortem from schizophrenic patients. In living schizophrenic patients, stimulation of cholinergic receptors by nicotine transiently restores inhibitory gating of evoked responses to sensory stimuli. Many people with schizophrenia are heavy smokers, but the properties of the nicotinic receptor favor only short-term activation, which may explain why cigarette smoking is only a transient symptomatic remedy. This paper reviews the clinical phenomenology of inhibitory gating deficits in people with schizophrenia, the neurobiology of such gating mechanisms, and the evidence that some individuals with the disorder may have a heritable deficit in the nicotinic cholinergic receptors involved in this neurobiological function. Inhibitory gating deficits are only partly normalized by neuroleptic drugs and are thus a target for new therapeutic strategies for schizophrenia.
Antipsychotic Agents↗
Past and future priorities in health promotion in the United States: a survey of experts.
BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to determine past and future priorities of the health promotion industry. Parameters included target markets, program staff, ethical issues, corporate programs, and program sites. METHODS: This study focused on the predictive perceptions of 76 prominent health and fitness professionals. Participants completed an inventory designed to compare past and future practices in health promotion. The Wilcoxon rank-sign test was used to determine changes in perceived importance from past to future periods. RESULTS: The most important markets in the future were women and the elderly. Predictions regarding staffing included an expected increase in staff size in many program settings, a high importance rating for marketers and health educators, and standardized training and certification for health promotion personnel. Many employers in the future were predicted to link medical care costs and reimbursements with lifestyle behaviors, support confidentiality of health status information, and offer voluntary participation in health promotion programs to all employees. Employers were also predicted to provide more healthful work environments. DISCUSSION: Future success of these projected programs will depend upon administrative flexibility, creativity, and strategic planning.
Adult↗
Lessons in teamwork.
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Cooperative Behavior↗
Are HMOs the answer?
Although many differ on how to stem rising health care costs, there is general agreement that the 11.5% of GNP currently being spent is too high. Furthermore, health care is outstripping other parts of the economy in growth. Combined with the current de facto system of shifting costs onto an already burdened corporate America, this growth has alarmed some observers. Health care analysts voiced their concern at a recent national conference, and cast a strong "yes" vote for HMOs as the single most plausible delivery system capable of meeting the nation's growing needs.
Delivery of Health Care↗
Parent participation in the care of high-risk infants.
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Female↗
Selected National League for Nursing achievement test scores as predictors of state board examination scores.
In a study to formulate regression equations which could be used to predict performance on the licensing examinations of graduates of an associate degree nursing program, selected sets of National League for Nursing achievement test scores were found to be effective predictors of state board examination (SBE) scores. When test score records of graduates for the years 1969-1974 were subjected to stepwise multiple regression analysis, prediction equations were empirically validated by correlation of predicted SBE scores with actual SBE scores obtained by graduates of the program.
Achievement↗
Skin cancer detection and prevention: a community program promoting sun safe behaviors.
New cases of skin cancer will be diagnosed over one million times in the United States in 1999. Basal and squamous cell types can cause significant cosmetic morbidity. Malignant melanoma can cause serious morbidity and mortality. Thus, early detection and prevention efforts are crucial for all skin cancers. Studies have identified genetic, hereditary, and environmental factors associated with increased risk of developing skin cancer. In this article, the incidence and risk factors are reviewed. The Howard County Skin Cancer Awareness Project, established in 1996, is presented as a community based program that aims to increase public awareness about the prevention and early detection of skin cancer. Future directions are also addressed.
Basal Cell Carcinoma↗
Hemoglobin C--G-Georgia double heterozygosity: a case report.
A 12-month-old black female with an unremarkable past medical history was admitted to the hospital with respiratory distress and fever without identified sepsis. Despite mechanical ventilation, the patient died as a result of respiratory insufficiency secondary to severe necrotizing bronchitis and bronchiolitis with pneumonia. Electrophoretic and biochemical analyses of the patient's hemoglobin showed the patient to be a double heterozygote for hemoglobin C (a beta chain variant) and hemoglobin G-Georgia (an alpha chain variant). This is the first report of this combination of hemoglobin variants.
Electrophoresis↗
Radial keratotomy in a patient with keratoconus.
A 33-year-old patient had radial keratotomy performed on both eyes for relief of longstanding myopia. Minimal reduction of myopia was obtained, and the patient underwent a second radial keratotomy in both eyes. Best corrected visual acuity decreased, and the patient had a marked, irregular astigmatism postoperatively. Careful ophthalmologic evaluation revealed that the patient had keratoconus bilaterally. Following a failed trial of contact lens wear, the patient underwent a penetrating keratoplasty of the right eye. Pathologic evaluation revealed findings of keratoconus, as well as radial keratotomy scars. This case report illustrates the importance of a complete ophthalmologic examination possibly including videokeratography, prior to keratorefractive surgery.
Adult↗
Risk status and pregnancy outcome among medicaid recipients.
Although Medicaid has increased access to medical care for low-income pregnant women, the Medicaid population remains at high risk for poor pregnancy outcomes. In 1983 the Michigan Department of Public Health conducted 1 week of in-hospital, postpartum interviews addressing risk factors for poor pregnancy outcome among 1,945 women. These births represented over 90% of the births during the study period and constituted a sample of approximately 1.5% of the yearly births in Michigan. Of these women, 24.6% reported receiving Medicaid during pregnancy. The demographic characteristics of the Medicaid women placed them at greater risk for poor pregnancy outcomes than either insured or uninsured women. In terms of medical services, Medicaid recipients began prenatal care later and had fewer visits. In terms of behavioral risks, more Medicaid recipients reported tobacco and alcohol use than did the other mothers. Finally, the infants of Medicaid recipients were 200 g lighter than the other infants. We suggest that the Medicaid program--the major source of prenatal health care for these women--is not adequate to address their risks for poor pregnancy outcomes.
Adolescent↗
Aorto-caval fistula: a clinical spectrum.
Ten cases of aortocaval fistula (ACF) associated with abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) were reviewed. In 5 cases the ACF became apparent after evacuation of the thrombus; only 5 patients presented with features of patent ACF. Four patients in addition presented with extra-caval rupture of the aneurysm. Based on these variables, a classification relating ACF and AAA was developed. In this series all patients were male with a mean aneurysm size of 8.5 cm. All patients required bifurcation grafts for reconstruction. A multifactorial etiology related to enlargement and rupture of all aneurysms seems to apply to ACF. Eight of 10 patients survived. Awareness of this entity and proper preparation allow for successful outcome in the treatment of this condition.
Aged↗
The generation of superoxide anions by polymorphonuclear leucocytes from patients with ankylosing spondylitis in response to the stimulant f-met-leu-phe.
Superoxide anion (O2-) generation in response to the chemoattractant f-met-leu-phe was measured in PMNL from 30 patients with ankylosing spondylitis and in PMNL from 27 controls. At a concentration of stimulant above that necessary to achieve maximal response, no differences in O2- production between the groups were noted. With a lower concentration of stimulant, cells from patients with AS or RA taking non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs had lower levels of O2- generation, compared both to controls and to AS patients, off medication. Results suggest any decrease in O2- generation seen in patients with AS is likely to be related to therapy and not to the disease or to possession of HLA B27.
Anions↗
MR imaging of acute spinal cord trauma.
The thoracic spinal cords of five mongrel dogs were imaged with a 1.5 T MR scanner before and after trauma induced by a well-established method of spinal cord impaction that produces central cord hemorrhagic necrosis. The anesthetized dogs were studied acutely with a 5-in. circular surface coil, 12-cm field of view, sagittal and axial partial-saturation (TR = 600, TE = 25 msec) and spin-echo (TR = 2000, TE = 25-100 msec) techniques. One normal dog was used as a control. The cords were surgically removed and histologically examined. Direct correlation of the pathologic findings and imaging data showed that at the level of trauma there was obliteration of epidural fat and CSF spaces secondary to central cord hemorrhage and edema. The traumatized cords expanded to fill the bony canal, and there was loss of visualization of the internal anatomy of the cord (gray- and white-matter structures). We conclude that MR can accurately identify cord hemorrhage and edema within a few hours of spinal trauma.
Animals↗
Temperature measurement in infants.
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Axilla↗
The activity of natural killer cells in patients with rheumatoid arthritis: I. The effect of drugs used in vivo.
The role of natural killer (NK) cells in vivo remains uncertain, but they have been implicated in a number of protective and aggressive host responses. We have found the NK activity of most patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) to be significantly depressed below the values for a control healthy population. This depression is not related to the use of myochrysine, methotrexate or penicillamine. Auranofin, which has a stimulatory effect in vitro, seemed in vivo to cause a further depression. ASA and indomethacin, when given to normal subjects, stimulated NK activity. The reduced NK activities seen in patients with RA taking these and other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory agents remains unexplained.
Arthritis, Rheumatoid↗