Search PubMed⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

D A Grimes

Publications and source records attributed to D A Grimes.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources
PubMed2001

Biphasic versus triphasic oral contraceptives for contraception.

BACKGROUND: Side effects caused by oral contraceptives discourage compliance with and continuation of oral contraceptives. A suggested disadvantage of biphasic oral contraceptive pills as compared to triphasic oral contraceptive pills is an increase in breakthrough bleeding. We conducted this systematic review to examine this potential disadvantage. OBJECTIVES: To compare biphasic oral contraceptives with triphasic oral contraceptives in terms of efficacy, cycle control, and discontinuation due to side effects. SEARCH STRATEGY: We searched computerized databases MEDLINE, EMBASE, POPLINE and the Cochrane Controlled Trial Register. Additionally we searched the reference lists of potentially relevant articles and book chapters. We also contacted the authors of relevant studies and pharmaceutical companies in Europe and the U.S. SELECTION CRITERIA: We included randomized controlled trial comparing any biphasic oral contraceptive with any triphasic oral contraceptive when used to prevent pregnancy. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS: We examined the studies found during the various literature searches for possible inclusion and assessed their methodological quality using the Cochrane guidelines. We contacted the authors of all included studies and of possibly randomized studies for supplemental information about the study methods and outcomes. We entered the data in RevMan 3.1 and later imported them into RevMan 4.1. We calculated Peto odds ratios for incidence of incidence of discontinuation due to medical reasons, intermenstrual bleeding, absence of withdrawal bleeding, and discontinuation due to intermenstrual bleeding. MAIN RESULTS: Only two trials of limited quality met our inclusion criteria. Larranaga (1978) compared two biphasic and one triphasic pills, each containing levonorgestrel and ethinyl estradiol. No important differences emerged, and the frequency of discontinuation due to medical problems was similar with all three pills. Percival Smith (1990) compared a biphasic pill containing norethindrone (Ortho 10/11) with a triphasic pill containing levonorgestrel (Triphasil) and another triphasic pill containing norethindrone (Ortho 7/7/7). The biphasic pill had inferior cycle control compared with the levonorgestrel triphasic pill. The odds ratio of cycles with intermenstrual bleeding was 1.7 (95%CI 1.3-2.2) for the biphasic pill compared with the triphasic levonorgestrel pill. The odds ratio of cycles without withdrawal bleeding was 6.5 (95%CI 3.1-13). In contrast, cycle control with the biphasic pill was comparable to that with the triphasic pill containing the same progestin (norethindrone). REVIEWER'S CONCLUSIONS: The available evidence is limited and of poor quality; the internal validity of these trials is questionable. Given the high losses to follow-up after randomization, these reports may be better considered observational in nature. Given that caveat, the biphasic pill containing norethindrone was associated with inferior cycle control compared with the triphasic pill containing levonorgestrel. This suggests that the choice of progestin may be more important that the phasic regimen in determining bleeding patterns.

Contraception↗
PubMed2001

Inherited myoclonus-dystonia: evidence supporting genetic heterogeneity.

Inherited myoclonus-dystonia (IMD) is a new term used to describe an autosomal dominant form of myoclonus. Recently a family with IMD was linked to a region on chromosome 11q23 and a possible mutation identified in the D2 dopamine receptor. We have identified a large family with 12 affected individuals. Using linkage analysis and direct sequencing, the D2 receptor gene was excluded as a cause of myoclonus in this family. These results indicate that the Val154Ile D2 receptor substitution is not the universal cause of IMD. This suggests either that it is a rare, family specific polymorphism not causative of IMD, or that IMD is genetically heterogeneous.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2001

Emergency contraception over-the-counter: the medical and legal imperatives.

Requiring a physician's prescription for hormonal emergency contraceptive pills makes no sense. Unintended pregnancies remain endemic in the United States, and wider use of emergency contraceptive pills could substantially help. However, the prescription requirement poses an unnecessary barrier to prompt, effective use of this preventive therapy. According to the Durham-Humphrey Amendment of 1951, the default option for all new drugs is, in principle, over-the-counter, unless a drug is addictive or dangerous when self-administered. Clearly, hormonal emergency contraception is neither of these. Emergency contraceptive pills meet all the customary criteria for over-the-counter use: low toxicity, no potential for overdose or addiction, no teratogenicity, no need for medical screening, self-identification of the need, uniform dosage, and no important drug interactions. The Food and Drug Administration is authorized, and, by its own regulations, should be required to switch hormonal emergency contraception to over-the-counter status without delay. The current prescription requirement is not only gratuitous but also harmful to women's health because it impedes access to this important therapy.

Contraceptives, Postcoital↗
PubMed2001

Lay persons' understanding of the risk of Down's syndrome in genetic counselling.

Genetic counselling traditionally expresses risk in proportions (e.g. 1 in 112) rather than as rates (e.g., 8.9 per 1,000). The justification for this practice is unclear. To assess the understanding of lay persons of the risk of Down's Syndrome, whether expressed as rates or as proportions, we analysed 589 self-administered questionnaires. Overall, respondents understood rates significantly better than proportions (76.2% vs 72.3% correct, respectively; P = 0.03) Evidence from two studies in disparate populations suggests that rates are better understood and thus are the preferred way to explain genetic risk to lay persons.

Adult↗
PubMed2001

Insertion of an intrauterine contraceptive device after induced or spontaneous abortion: a review of the evidence.

OBJECTIVE: Assess the safety and efficacy of intrauterine contraceptive device (IUCD) insertion immediately after induced or spontaneous abortion. DESIGN: Systematic search for randomised trials that had at least one treatment arm that involved IUCD insertion immediately after an induced or spontaneous miscarriage using Medline, Popline, EMBASE, and review articles supplemented by correspondence with investigators. POPULATION: Women of any age or gravidity who had an IUCD inserted immediately after evacuation for spontaneous or induced abortion. METHODS: Articles were abstracted and the raw data from tables were analysed with RevMan 3.1 software. We focused on Tietze-Potter gross life table probabilities with denominators of person-time of exposure. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Rates of perforation, expulsion, pelvic inflammatory disease, contraceptive failure, and method continuation. RESULTS: Complication rates for immediate post-abortal IUCD insertion were low. Perforation was rare with a rate of approximately one per 1,000 insertions. One year gross cumulative expulsion rates ranged from 1.8% to 12.6%, pregnancy rates from 0.6% to 2.1%, and continuation rates from 54% to 90%. The net discontinuation rate due to pelvic inflammatory disease was low, ranging from 0.0 to 0.8 per 100 women at one year. Increasing gestational age at insertion was associated with increased expulsion rates. CONCLUSIONS: Post-abortal IUCD insertion is safe and effective. The risks of perforation, expulsion, pelvic inflammatory disease and contraceptive failure were low and similar to those reported for interval insertion. Second trimester gestational age is associated with an increased risk of expulsion. Immediate insertion may have a higher expulsion rate than delayed insertion. However, these risks may be outweighed by the benefit of immediate contraception.

Abortion, Induced↗
PubMed2000

Intrauterine device and upper-genital-tract infection.

Concern about upper-genital-tract infection related to intrauterine devices (IUDs) limits their wider use. In this systematic review I summarise the evidence concerning IUD-associated infection and infertility. Choice of an inappropriate comparison group, overdiagnosis of salpingitis in IUD users, and inability to control for the confounding effects of sexual behaviour have exaggerated the apparent risk. Women with symptomless gonorrhoea or chlamydial infection having an IUD inserted have a higher risk of salpingitis than do uninfected women having an IUD inserted; however, the risk appears similar to that of infected women not having an IUD inserted. A cohort study of HIV-positive women using a copper IUD suggests that there is no significant increase in the risk of complications or viral shedding. Similarly, fair evidence indicates no important effect of IUD use on tubal infertility. Contemporary IUDs rival tubal sterilisation in efficacy and are much safer than previously thought.

Chlamydia Infections↗
PubMed2000

Antibiotic prophylaxis for intrauterine contraceptive device insertion.

BACKGROUND: Concern about the risk of upper genital tract infection (pelvic inflammatory disease) often limits use of the IUD, a highly effective contraceptive. Prophylactic antibiotic administration around the time of induced abortion significantly reduces the risk of postoperative endometritis.(Sawaya, 1996) Since the risk of IUD-related infection is limited to the first few weeks to months after insertion,(Lee, 1983; Farley, 1992) contamination of the endometrial cavity at the time of insertion(Mishell, 1966) appears to be the mechanism, rather than the IUD or string itself. Thus, antibiotic administration before IUD insertion might reduce the risk of upper genital tract infection from passive introduction of bacteria at insertion. OBJECTIVES: To assess the effectiveness of prophylactic antibiotic administration before IUD insertion in reducing IUD-related complications and discontinuations within three months of insertion. The primary outcome was pelvic inflammatory disease (four reports) or early removals of the device (two reports). SEARCH STRATEGY: We searched both MEDLINE and EMBASE, handsearches of journals through CENTRAL, and lists of references. We also wrote to international experts in the field to identify unpublished studies. SELECTION CRITERIA: We included randomized controlled trials using any antibiotic compared with a placebo. We found four such trials; two had pilot study data available. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS DATA EXTRACTION: We used searches of MEDLINE, EMBASE, and handsearches of journals available through CENTRAL. We also reviewed lists of references in original research and in review articles. We wrote to experts to identify unpublished trials and made telephone calls to authors to supply missing information. Two independent reviewers abstracted data. We assessed the validity of each study using methods suggested in the Cochrane Handbook. DATA SYNTHESIS: We generated 2x2 tables for the principal outcome measures. We used the Peto modified Mantel-Haenszel technique to calculate odds ratios and assessed statistical heterogeneity between studies. MAIN RESULTS: The odds ratios for pelvic inflammatory disease associated with use of prophylactic doxycycline or azithromycin compared with placebo or no treatment was 0.89 (95%CI 0.53-1.51). Use of prophylaxis was associated with a small reduction in unscheduled vists to the provider (OR 0.82; 95% CI 0.70-0.98). Use of doxycycline or azithromycin had little effect on the likelihood of removal of the IUD within 90 days of insertion (OR 1.05; 95% CI 0.68-1.63). Significant heterogeneity did not exist between studies. REVIEWER'S CONCLUSIONS: Use of either doxycycline 200 mg or azithromycin 500 mg by mouth before IUD insertion confers little benefit. While the reduction in unscheduled visits to the provider was marginally significant, the cost-effectiveness of routine prophylaxis remains questionable. A uniform finding in these trials was the low risk of IUD-associated infection, with or without use of antibiotic prophylaxis.

Antibiotic Prophylaxis↗
PubMed2000

Abortion surveillance at CDC: creating public health light out of political heat.

In the late 1960s, states began to liberalize their abortion laws, and a new era in women's health began. Under the leadership of Jack Smith, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) established a voluntary abortion surveillance system that provided the first nationwide information on the numbers and characteristics of women having abortions. Studies of abortion morbidity done by the CDC revealed that suction curettage was safer than sharp curettage, local anesthesia was safer than general anesthesia, free-standing clinics were safer than hospitals, and dilation and evacuation (D&E) was safer than the alternative of labor induction for early second-trimester abortions. This evidence, which contradicted traditional medical tenets, rapidly changed the practice of abortion in the United States. CDC also established a surveillance system for abortion deaths. This demonstrated a rapid improvement in the safety of abortion in the early 1970s. Lessons learned from mortality investigations helped to change practice as well.Today, more is known about the epidemiology of abortion than any other operation in the history of medicine. In the midst of strident debate over the abortion issue, CDC abortion surveillance data have helped to guide judicial rulings, legislative actions, and Surgeon General's reports, which have supported safer choices for women of reproductive age. When medical historians of the future look back on this century, the increasing availability of safe, legal abortion will stand out as a public health triumph.

Abortion, Induced↗
PubMed2000

A faculty development course in obstetrics and gynecology.

Sponsored by the nonprofit Berlex Foundation, this 6-day Faculty Development Course introduces small groups of new faculty to research design, critical appraisal of the literature, scientific writing, and evidence-based medicine. The course includes didactic presentations, small group discussions, and individual protocol development. Its influence on academic careers is impossible to determine, because defining an appropriate comparison group is not feasible. However, the cumulative effect should be to increase the research expertise of some young faculty in academic departments nationwide. In addition, many participants have introduced the principles of evidence-based medicine in their own teaching programs.

Curriculum↗
PubMed2000

Evidence-based family planning: the paradigm for the third millennium.

Evidence-based medicine applies clinical epidemiology to the care of the individual patient. In contrast, autocratic or authoritarian medicine rests largely on expert opinion and clinical tradition. The need for evidence-based medicine in family planning practice is acute, as counselling for intrauterine devices and tubal sterilization attests. Two international evidence-based guidelines in family planning, both published in 1996, represent a major advance in clinical practice. In addition, the Cochrane Collaboration, a global effort to identify and synthesize randomized controlled trials in medicine, now includes topics on fertility regulation. Evidence-based clinical guidelines and Cochrane systematic reviews are valuable tools for family planning practice. The use of evidence-based medicine will improve clinical care today, and, more importantly, in the millennium which is just beginning.

Evidence-Based Medicine↗
PubMed2000

Late adult onset chorea with typical pathology of Hallervorden-Spatz syndrome.

Senile chorea is a well recognised but poorly understood clinical entity characterised by a slowly progressive, generalised chorea in elderly people without mental deterioration or a clear underlying cause. The Hallervorden-Spatz syndrome is typically thought of as a paediatric condition with extrapyramidal features and dementia. However, it has been described in adults usually presenting with parkinsonism plus dementia. An elderly woman with slowly progressive chorea without dementia was found at postmortem to have the pathological features originally described by Hallervorden and Spatz. This association has not previously been reported.

Age of Onset↗
PubMed1999

Dementia as the most common presentation of cortical-basal ganglionic degeneration.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the clinical presentations and dominant symptoms of patients with postmortem proven cortical-basal ganglionic degeneration (CBGD) from one neuropathology center. BACKGROUND: CBGD is a rare but increasingly recognized condition with clinical and pathologic features that continue to evolve. Attempts have been made to develop clinical criteria to enhance the specificity of diagnosis, but it is not clear what proportion of patients harboring CBGD disease present in the "classical" fashion versus other presentations. Previous large-case series that emphasize a parietal/perceptual-motor presentation may be biased because the cases mainly originate from movement disorder centers. METHODS: Thirteen cases of pathologically confirmed CBGD with sufficient clinical data were identified from a single neuropathology center between 1981 and 1996. RESULTS: Before death, only 4 of the 13 patients had a clinical diagnosis of CBGD, 6 had a clinical diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease (AD), 1 had AD and parkinsonism, and 2 had an atypical dementia of the frontotemporal type. Nine of 13 cases had early dementia. CONCLUSIONS: Dementia was the most common presentation of CBGD in this study. Despite the best efforts to define criteria to enhance the specificity of a diagnosis of CBGD, it is becoming clear that the clinical syndrome that accompanies this disease is quite varied. Unfortunately, patients fulfilling classical diagnostic criteria may represent a minority of those with this pathologic diagnosis.

Aged↗
PubMed1999

Motor neuron disease-inclusion dementia presenting as cortical-basal ganglionic degeneration.

The frontotemporal dementias are a group of relatively new and evolving clinical and pathologic entities. The predominant frontal-temporal atrophy causes a variety of clinical syndromes, usually dominated by disturbances in behavior, mood, and speech. The motor neuron disease-inclusion dementia (MNDID) subtype is characterized by the accumulation of specific intraneuronal ubiquitin-immunoreactive inclusions with the complete absence of tau immunoreactivity. We present a patient with the clinical and neuroimaging characteristics of a highly asymmetric neurodegenerative condition distinguished by limb rigidity, bradykinesia, dystonia with an alien limb phenomenon, cortical sensory findings, and limb apraxia. His premorbid diagnosis was cortical-basal ganglionic degeneration but he had the typical histologic features of a frontotemporal dementia of the MNDID subtype.

Basal Ganglia Diseases↗