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Biomedical subjects

D A Miles

Publications and source records attributed to D A Miles.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources
PubMed1993

Controlled trial evaluation of an asthma education programme for adults.

BACKGROUND: To improve asthma control and reduce readmission rates through increased knowledge and the development of self management skills, a brief (three hour) adult education programme was developed. METHODS: The course was designed to improve inhaler skills and to teach how to adjust drug doses according to peak flow (PEF) measurements and a treatment plan. It was evaluated in a randomised controlled trial in 76 patients admitted to hospital for asthma by using questionnaires, spirometry, and home monitoring of PEF at entry and at five and 10 months after intervention. The questionnaire provided measures of knowledge about asthma, self management behaviour appropriate to asthma control, asthma symptom frequency and severity, and psychosocial disturbance attributable to asthma. RESULTS: During the 10 months observation period the readmission rate for the educated group was one seventh that of the control group and attendance at accident and emergency departments also decreased. No consistent differential improvements were observed in spirometric results, average PEF, or mean daily variability of PEF. Both groups showed improvements in measures of asthma knowledge, behaviour, symptoms, and psychosocial disturbances. However, the intervention group showed a significantly greater improvement in some measures of asthma knowledge and self management skills. CONCLUSION: Despite minimal effect on measures of airway function, substantial changes in illness behaviour and use of health care facilities can be achieved by a brief asthma education programme.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1993

Imaging using solid-state detectors.

Whether they know it or not, many dentists already have adapted solid-state imaging devices into their offices in the form of an intraoral or video-camera system for esthetic dentistry and patient education. These dentists own charge-coupled devices. The technology, however, had been accepted well before instruction in the imaging principles was available. With the addition of digital radiographic systems, the dentist who is "buying into" these contemporary imaging devices must become familiar with the imaging principles behind them, and with the applications of these systems to dental problems or tasks. This article attempts to bring the dentist "up to speed" with this technology and discusses its present and future applications. In this way, the clinician will move past the simple "show-and-tell" stage or patient education and begin to see the true potential of imaging for more accurate detection of disease, for quantitating changes in that disease through time, and for making better clinical decisions about patient treatment.

Computer Systems↗
PubMed1993

Implant radiology.

Implant procedures are becoming commonplace in the dental office. Root form implants are placed by the general dentist, and no longer remain in the realm of dental specialists. Pre- and postsurgical radiographic evaluation of endosseous or root form implants is central to the success of the procedure. This article reviews the applications and limitations of available imaging modalities--from intraoral radiographs to computed tomography imaging--to help the clinician decide which imaging technique is best suited to the task of radiographic evaluation of implants and implant sites.

Dental Implantation, Endosseous↗
PubMed1993

Advances in diagnostic imaging in dentistry.

Advances in optical and x-ray imaging will affect dramatically the practice of dentistry in the next decade. "Hard copy" of these images will be on thermographic paper from videoprinters as well as x-ray film. Reconstruction of images in both (two and three dimensions) will allow better visualization of disease processes and allow quantification of disease changes over time, thus assisting the treatment planning decisions of the dentist and improving patient care. Some of these innovations are here, others are in the research and development stage. All dentists eventually will use these techniques routinely.

Diagnosis, Oral↗
PubMed1993

Morbidity and treatment in general practice in Australia.

More detailed analysis of this data will continue. It will be combined with other more specific studies to provide a more focused view of some aspects of general practice. Requests for individual analyses of selected data will be accepted by the Family Medicine Research Unit. Contact Helena Britt on (02) 745 2633. The Unit has provided Australian Family Physician with 500 copies of the full report for distribution to interested practitioners. Such copies can be obtained by contacting Mrs Judy Brook, Secretary, Australian Family Physician, 2nd Floor, 70 Jolimont Street, Jolimont 3002. Fax: (03) 289 1211. Telephone: (03) 654 3000.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1993

Recruiting general practitioners for survey research.

Recruitment is often a lengthy process and sometimes a frustrating one. It is not simply a matter of contacting those selected and asking for this participation. After obtaining a list from which to select a sample, a contact list must be created, initial contact must be made and direct contact initiated, often requiring great powers of persuasion. It is often difficult to convince someone that your project is important. However, the time and energy expended is ultimately worth it. Just one positive enthusiastic response is enough to make you forget all the difficulties. What could be done to make it simpler in the future? Some kind of list, regularly updated, of all general practitioners would make researchers' jobs much easier by providing a reliable and current sampling frame. It would also promote general practice as a specialty. The problem of a definition of general practice is currently being considered. Overall, there needs to be more recognition of the time practitioners put in to such surveys and the additional demands it places on their already busy lives. General practice research has to be designed to fit into the practitioner's schedule. Researchers should co-ordinate their projects so that repeated requests are not made to the same practitioner. To some extent this problem is being tackled in New South Wales at present by the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners and University researchers. There is also a need for feedback from participating practitioners as to their own thoughts about the direction and design of general practice research. This would help to encourage continued participation and create goodwill for future surveys.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Health Surveys↗
PubMed1992

Presurgical tomographic assessment for dental implants. 1. A modified imaging technique.

A modified technique for presurgical evaluation of intraosseous implant placement using linear tomography has been developed. The simplified technique is applicable to tomographic systems equipped with a cephalometric head positioner (cephalostat) and a fiberoptic positioning light system. It provides precise cross-sectional images for the assessment of bone morphology and associated anatomic structures. This technique is more comfortable for patients who are unable to tolerate the positioning of submentovertex projections used to estimate horizontal angulation of the head position and to determine the depth of radiographic cut. Instead, the positioning light and casts are used to make these two determinations.

Dental Implantation, Endosseous↗
PubMed1991

Characteristics of attenders and non-attenders at an asthma education programme.

BACKGROUND: A controlled trial of asthma education was conducted but only 51 out of 164 eligible patients participated. METHODS: Differences between subjects who participated in the trial and those who expressed initial interest but subsequently declined were studied. RESULTS: Women, non-smokers, and those whose attending physician was concerned in the study were significantly more likely to attend the programme. Higher socioeconomic status was associated with greater attendance, but this did not reach significance. Psychosocial malfunctioning due to asthma was also associated with attendance, but this was not significant when sex and education level were taken into account. There was no difference between attenders and non-attenders with respect to age, number of previous admissions, airway function, self reported asthma severity, knowledge about asthma, and self management practices. CONCLUSION: The results suggest that many asthmatic patients recovering from a severe exacerbation of airflow obstruction will not participate in hospital based health education programmes. Alternative strategies may be required to improve the self management behaviour of these patients.

Adult↗
PubMed1989

Video enhancement of dental radiographic films.

A prototype video image display system, a real-time analog enhancer (RAE), was compared to conventional viewing conditions with the use of nonscreen dental films. When medium optical density films were evaluated, there was no significant difference in the number of radiographic details detected. Conventional viewing conditions allowed perception of more details when dark films were evaluated; however, the RAE unit allowed the perception of more details when light films were viewed.

Computer Systems↗
PubMed1989

Information yield: a comparison of Kodak T-Mat G, Ortho L and RP X-Omat films.

The information yield from two rare-earth screen-film combinations, Lanex Regular/T-Mat G (TMG) and Lanex regular/Ortho L (OL) has been compared with that from a conventional calcium-tungstate combination, X-Omatic regular/RP X-Omat (XRP), by means of perceptibility curves generated from an aluminum test object. The TMG and OL systems were faster than the XRP and the OL had the widest latitude. The maximum number of details perceived was similar for all three systems. The results support the suggestion that the TMG and OL systems permit more information to be perceived than XRP and that the newer imaging systems do not lose information despite their increased speed.

Radiography, Dental↗
PubMed1989

Information gain at reduced exposure time using a prototype video-enhancement device.

An experimental imaging device based on analogue video-enhancement was evaluated by comparing the information yield of three different screen/film radiographic combinations with that from conventional viewing methods. Twenty radiographic images of variable density for each screen/film combination were produced by exposing a test object for between 0.1 and 6.6 s and examined by 10 observers in two trials. Perceptibility curves were generated from the data to measure the information yield of each system. Multiple non-parametric t tests demonstrated no loss of information with the experimental device in the diagnostically useful exposure range (15-60 impulses). In addition, this range was extended, with the faster film/screen combinations, to lower exposures (8-12 impulses), suggesting that the device also has the potential to reduce radiation exposure.

Radiographic Image Enhancement↗
PubMed1987

Hemimaxillofacial dysplasia: a newly recognized disorder of facial asymmetry, hypertrichosis of the facial skin, unilateral enlargement of the maxilla, and hypoplastic teeth in two patients.

Hemimaxillofacial dysplasia is a newly recognized disorder consisting of unilateral enlargement of the maxillary alveolar bone and the gingiva associated with hypoplastic teeth, facial asymmetry, and hypertrichosis of the facial skin on the ipsilateral side. The overall pattern of abnormalities in both of the patients presented in this article differs significantly from previously reported types of maxillofacial asymmetry. The occurrence of the same abnormalities in two or more unrelated patients suggests, but does not prove, that pathogenesis in both cases may be the same. The present disorder needs further delineation. At present, neither the cause nor the pathogenesis is understood.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1987

The lateral craniofacial cephalometric radiograph.

A technique is presented that allows the clinician to produce a lateral skull cephalometric radiograph that is suitable for construction of the architectural and structural analysis of Delaire involving only minor alterations in existing equipment. An appropriate combination of film type screen and cassette is recommended.

Cephalometry↗