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Biomedical subjects

D Ashby

Publications and source records attributed to D Ashby.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources
PubMed1990

Malignant hyperthermia: a potential crisis in the postanesthesia care unit.

This article pertains to malignant hyperthermia (MH). The disease and its physiologic aspects are described, and a general overall view of what takes place at the cellular level during an MH crisis is presented. Also described is the drug of choice, dantrolene sodium, and its functioning during an MH crisis. The care of an MH patient in the PACU is presented, correlating all the above mentioned aspects of MH.

Dantrolene↗
PubMed1989

The ordered logistic regression model in psychiatry: rising prevalence of dementia in old people's homes.

Ordered logistic regression is an extension of binary logistic regression, and is particularly well suited to the analysis of many psychiatric scores. Its use is demonstrated in a pair of linked cross-sectional surveys of dementia in residents of old people's homes, first to model the association of dementia with demographic characteristics, and then to explore possible reasons for a rise in the prevalence of dementia in the homes over a four-year period.

Age Factors↗
PubMed1989

The accuracy of measurement of residual urine in women by urethral catheterisation.

Two potential sources of error in the measurement of residual urine volumes in women were quantified. These were (i) whether a diuresis is operating at the time of measurement, and (ii) the time between voiding and residual urine volume collection. A regime is suggested for the accurate measurement of residual urine in women by urethral catheterisation.

Diuresis↗
PubMed1989

Maximum and average urine flow rates in normal male and female populations--the Liverpool nomograms.

The study of voiding in men and women has been handicapped by the lack of a normal reference range covering urinary flow rates over a wide range of voided volumes. Normal volunteers (331 males and 249 females) were studied. Each voided once into a calibrated Dantec Urodyn 1000 mictiograph. On a second occasion 282 men and 46 women voided. The maximum and average urine flow rates of the first voids in both sexes were compared with the respective voided volumes. Nomogram charts, in centile form, for both the maximum and average urine flow rates were constructed using statistical transformations of the data. Males showed a significant decline in both urinary flow rates with age, although there was no statistically significant variation in either urine flow rate with respect to first versus repeated voiding. Females showed no statistically significant variation in either urine flow rate with respect to age, parity or first versus repeated voiding. The maximum and average urine flow rates in both sexes showed an equally strong relationship to voided volume. No artificial restriction of voided volume, e.g. minimum 200 ml, appeared appropriate. These nomograms offer reference ranges for both maximum and average urinary flow rates in both sexes covering a wide range of voided volumes (15-600 ml).

Adolescent↗
PubMed1989

Diurnal variations in serum biochemical and haematological measurements.

Twenty five biochemical and haematological measurements were determined on nonfasting blood and serum samples collected between 9 am and 7 pm from a representative group of 7685 British middle-aged men. Most measurements showed significant diurnal variations, but only for bilirubin, phosphate, and triglyceride did time of day account for more than 5% of the between subject variance. Serum bilirubin concentrations showed a pronounced downward trend in the afternoon, the mean value after 6 pm being 30% lower than the mean value in the morning. Mean serum triglyceride and phosphate concentrations increased steadily through the day. Mean concentrations of potassium, haemoglobin, and haematocrit and red cell count were higher in the morning, while urea and creatinine concentrations and white cell count had higher means in the afternoon. Glucose showed a pattern consistent with short term response to meals. The effects of these diurnal trends on routine use of biochemical tests needs careful consideration, and a greater understanding of their biological mechanisms is required.

Adult↗
PubMed1988

Psychiatric illness in elderly residents of Part III homes in one London Borough: prognosis and review.

The psychiatric morbidity among 390 (89%) residents of the 12 Part III homes managed by the London Borough of Camden has been assessed using a standard interview, for comparison with data obtained from residents in a previous survey. Fewer residents were now assessed as having no evidence of dementia or depression, the proportion with some degree of dementia having risen in the 3.6-years follow-up period. Of the original residents, 64% were no longer present by the time of the second survey; the great majority were likely to have died. Residents who had previously been assessed as severely demented or depressed were over-represented in this group. Of the residents who remained, only 17% of those previously depressed had recovered. This evidence suggests that Part III homes are continuing to amass a large number of residents suffering from dementia and depression. The need for adequate psychogeriatric services to Part III homes remains pressing.

Aged↗
PubMed1988

Blood cadmium concentrations in the general population of British middle-aged men.

Blood cadmium concentrations were determined for 6919 men aged 40-59 randomly selected from general practice registers in 24 British towns. The mean and median blood cadmium were 1.9 and 1.4 micrograms/1 respectively and the distribution was highly skewed. The mean levels in non-smokers was 1.0 micrograms/l and current smokers showed a marked gradient with the daily amount smoked, with a mean of 3.9 micrograms/l in men smoking 40 or more cigarettes per day. Whereas 95% of men who never smoked had blood cadmium less than 2.0 micrograms/l, 80% of men smoking 20 or more cigarettes a day exceeded this figure. 1% of the men had blood cadmium concentrations greater than or equal to 7 micrograms/l virtually all of whom currently smoked cigarettes. Blood cadmium levels in ex-smokers were much lower than in current smokers even for those who had stopped within the past year. However, the mean levels in ex-smokers remained higher than the 'never smoked' for several years after stopping. There was little evidence that age, social class, or alcohol consumption were associated with blood cadmium levels after allowance for cigarette smoking. There is substantial geographic variation in mean blood cadmium for middle-aged men which could not be completely accounted for by smoking differences. Towns in the south and east of England all had mean levels under 2.0 micrograms/l whereas the majority of towns in other parts of Britain had mean levels greater than 2.0 micrograms/l. Possible reasons for this geographic pattern (e.g. geochemistry, industrial exposure, dietary differences) need further exploration.

Adult↗
PubMed1988

The relationship between blood lead, blood pressure, stroke, and heart attacks in middle-aged British men.

The relationship between blood lead concentration and blood pressure is examined in a survey of 7371 men aged 40 to 59 from 24 British towns. After allowance for relevant confounding variables, including town of residence and alcohol consumption, there exists a very weak but statistically significant positive association between blood lead and both systolic and diastolic blood pressure. These cross-sectional data indicate that an estimated mean increase of 1.45 mm Hg in systolic blood pressure occurs for every doubling of blood lead concentration with a 95% confidence interval of 0.47 to 2.43 mm Hg. After 6 years of follow-up, 316 of these men had major ischemic heart disease, and 66 had a stroke. After allowance for the confounding effects of cigarette smoking and town of residence there is no evidence that blood lead is a risk factor for these cardiovascular events. However, as the blood lead-blood pressure association is so weak, it is unlikely that any consequent association between lead and cardiovascular disease could be demonstrated from prospective epidemiological studies. An overview of data from this and other large epidemiological surveys provides reasonably consistent evidence on lead and blood pressure. While NHANES II data on 2254 U.S. men indicate a slightly stronger association between blood lead and systolic blood pressure, data from two Welsh studies on over 2000 men did not show a statistically significant association. However, the overlapping confidence limits for all these studies suggest that there may be a weak positive statistical association whereby systolic blood pressure is increased by about 1 mm Hg for every doubling of blood lead concentration.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adult↗
PubMed1988

Effect of thymosin (fraction 5) on the plasma levels of glucose and glucoregulatory hormones in humans.

Several interactions between thymosin (fraction 5) and the endocrine system have been described in animals, but its effects in humans have not been studied. Plasma levels of glucose, insulin and glucagon were obtained in response to a glucose load before and after treatment with thymosin in eight patients. The glucose tolerance was normal in all subjects and remained so following thymosin administration. No significant changes in the levels of glucagon and insulin were obtained. In six patients, baseline levels of plasma cortisol and ACTH were also obtained. Four out of six patients demonstrated an increase in ACTH levels although the mean differences did not achieve statistical significance. Plasma cortisol levels also did not change significantly. We conclude that thymosin given over a short term is unlikely to significantly influence carbohydrate metabolism. Since four out of six patients showed an increase in basal ACTH levels, it suggests that thymosin may affect the hypothalamic pituitary/adrenal axis. However, further study is needed for complete evaluation of these effects.

Adrenocorticotropic Hormone↗