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Biomedical subjects

D Barlow

Publications and source records attributed to D Barlow.

At least 127 records · Page 7Linked to original sources

Effect of subdermal oestrogen and oestrogen/testosterone implants on calcium and phosphorus homeostasis after oophorectomy.

Various biochemical aspects of calcium metabolism were studied serially in 32 post-menopausal patients treated with subdermal implants of oestrogen, either alone or in combination with testosterone. Significant reductions in serum calcium, serum phosphate, the renal phosphate threshold (TmPO4) and the urinary calcium/creatinine ratio were observed for periods of up to 6 mth in both treatment groups as compared with baseline. The findings suggest that oestrogen replacement therapy by subdermal implant is effective in reversing the characteristic alterations in calcium metabolism which occur in the post-menopausal patient. The addition of testosterone does not appear to confer any additional benefit with respect to the parameters assessed.

Adult↗

Anaerobic vaginosis. Clinical and diagnostic aspects.

Anaerobic vaginosis (non-specific vaginitis) is a common vaginal infection in patients attending departments of genito-urinary medicine. Clinical features, including signs and symptoms, are described, as also are the simple tests which can be used in the clinic to confirm the diagnosis. It is suggested that greater agreement on the precise nature of these clinical features will facilitate comparison of results from different centres. The close correlation between the results of in-clinic tests (microscopy, amine-testing and pH measurement) and laboratory investigations shows these latter, expensive tests to be unnecessary.

Bacteria, Anaerobic↗

Anaerobic vaginosis (non-specific vaginitis): clinical, microbiological, and therapeutic findings.

The effect of metronidazole on anaerobic vaginosis (non-specific vaginitis) was assessed in a double-blind, placebo-controlled study of 40 women. 19 of 20 women given metronidazole 400 mg twice a day for seven days were clinically and microbiologically cured by the time they completed treatment. All 20 women given a placebo were treatment failures, but when they were given a single 2 g dose of metronidazole, 15 showed clinical and microbiological cure a week later. 14 of the responders showed a recurrence of infection a month after treatment; this was probably due to reinfection, although persistence of infection cannot be ruled out. Findings in the clinic correlated closely with subsequent microbiological results in 133 out of 140 patient-visits, which suggests that there is no need for expensive and time-consuming laboratory investigations in this condition.

Aerobiosis↗

Imported penicillinase producing Neisseria gonorrhoeae becomes endemic in London.

We review all cases of gonorrhoea caused by penicillinase producing Neisseria gonorrhoeae (PPNG) seen between 1976 and 1983 at the sexually transmitted disease (STD) clinic of this hospital, which accounted for 11% of all such cases reported in that period in the United Kingdom. While the overall incidence of gonorrhoea remained relatively stable in this clinic, that of PPNG rose to 4.4% of all such cases by 1982. Until last year, 75% of these cases were imported, mainly from Nigeria and Ghana, but a marked change was seen in the second half of 1982, when 71% of cases were indigenous in origin. Casual partners and prostitutes in London were mentioned as the source of infection by 34% of patients, a much higher percentage than that seen previously. Such sources are notoriously difficult to trace and these figures show a very disturbing trend. Although rectal infection tends to be asymptomatic, PPNG was isolated in rectal cultures from two of five homosexuals and 19 of 26 women. There is therefore a risk that PPNG could spread rapidly through the homosexual population. We suggest that spectinomycin should no longer be the first drug of choice in the treatment of gonorrhoea caused by PPNG but should be replaced by the newer cephalosporins.

Africa, Western↗

Metronidazole in treatment of non-specific vaginitis. Clinical and microbiological findings in ten patients given 2 grams of metronidazole.

A 2 gram single dose of metronidazole was given to ten patients suffering from nonspecific vaginitis. At follow-up a week later seven of these patients were clinically and microbiologically free from infection. The remaining three patients had persisting symptoms and both clinical and microbiological findings confirmed treatment failure. Despite the small numbers entered into the trial to date, a cure rate of only seven out of ten patients suggests that a 2 gram single dose of metronidazole is inadequate treatment for non-specific vaginitis.

Bacterial Infections↗

Clinic diagnosis of anaerobic vaginosis (non-specific vaginitis). A practical guide.

Anaerobic vaginosis (non-specific vaginitis) can be readily diagnosed at the time of first attendance without recourse to expensive and time-consuming laboratory investigations. Diagnosis is based on careful history-taking, clinical examination, and simple investigations in the clinic. Although the presence of a malodorous vaginal discharge and the finding of clue cells on microscopy (in the absence of Trichomonas vaginalis) are sufficient for the diagnosis, a positive amine test and a vaginal pH of more than 5.0 are useful confirmatory tests.

Amines↗

The effects of a subjective monitoring task in the physiological measure of genital response to erotic stimulation.

Instrumentation has been developed which promises to further our understanding of the relationship between cognitive and physiological factors in the sexual arousal process. Past research has examined this relationship by continuous measurement of genital response, and discrete posttest measurement of subjective arousal. The self-report or "cognitive lever" allows individuals to rate feelings of arousal continuously throughout a stimulus interval by positioning a lever device along a calibrated scale. In this way, structural patterns of physiological and cognitive response can be examined. However, since attention has been shown to be an important cognitive operation in the processing of sexual stimuli, there is concern that this subjective measuring task may confound laboratory assessment by altering genital responsivity through distractive or possibly facilitative mechanisms. In order to test the methodological limitations of the cognitive lever, 14 male and female college students were exposed to duplicate viewings of erotic videotapes while alternately using and not using the self-report device. Results indicated that lever usage was not obtrusive in females, but was in males to the point of altering physiological response. In addition, the study took advantage of the continuous, concurrent measurements and examined patterns of convergence and divergence between the two. Results of correlational analyses indicated, in line with past research, that for men greater degrees of erection result in significantly higher subjective-objective agreement. Patterns for women as a group were much less clear, with only two significant correlations appearing. Finally, the limitations of the cognitive lever were discussed.

Adult↗

The need for a chlamydial culture service.

In a prospective study of unselected, female patients attending a sexually transmitted disease clinic one in eight patients would have been errouneously declared free of infection in the absence of a chlamydial culture service. Chlamydia trachomatis is now accepted as a causative organism of non-specific urethritis and post-gonococcal urethritis in men and non-specific genital infection in women. Thus, facilities for isolation of C. trachomatis should be an essential aid in the management of women attending STD clinics. Male patients would also benefit if such facilities were readily available.

Bacteriology↗

Gonorrhoea in women. Diagnostic, clinical, and laboratory aspects.

Examination of the case-notes of all women seen at a large metropolitan clinic during 1976 showed 607 episodes of gonorrhoea (92.3% of all such cases seen in the hospital), of which 3 were in prepubertal girls. Gonorrhoea occurred more often and at an earlier age in Negroids than in Caucasians. In about 30% of patients gonococci could be found in only one of the sites tested (cervix 18%, urethra 6%, rectum 4.8%, and throat 1.5%). Microscopical examination of gram-stained cervical and rectal samples was of value, but that of urethral samples made no significant contribution to the diagnosis. 31% of the gonococcal isolates showed diminished sensitiivty to penicillin, but none showed significant resistance to spectinomycin, kanamycin, or sulphamethoxazole. The complication rate was lower than that reported from the United States. Overall, 40% of patients were symptom-free. The presence of other infection significantly increased the probability of a patient with gonorrhoea having symptoms. "Epidemiological" treatment would have led to the unnecessary treatment of 142 females and would have included only 4 of 16 patients with gonorrhoea who defaulted before treatment could be given.

Adult↗

Infection of the uterine cervix with Chlamydia trachomatis.

For identification of those variables in the history and in the clinical and routine laboratory examination that are most likely to indicate infection of the uterine cervix with Chlamydia trachomatis, 284 women attending a venereal disease clinic were studied, were studied, of whom 58 (20.4%) yielded the organism from the cervix. Women with chlamydial cervical infection showed no distinctive symptoms. Although associations were found between the presence of C. trachomatis and cervical discontinuity, purulent cervical exudate, and inflammatory changes in cervical cytology, these signs were not pathognomonic of chlamydial infection since they were also seen in some women infected with other microorganisms. There was a significant relationship between the presence of antibodies, detected by immunofluorescence, and the recovery of C. trachomatis in cell culture. There were no associations between ethnic group, history of sexually transmitted disease, method of contraception, phase in the menstrual cycle, or numbers of sexual contacts and infection with C. trachomatis.

Adolescent↗

The condom and gonorrhoea.

The use of the condom by male patients attending a clinic specialising in sexually transmitted diseases has been assessed over a period of six months. Condom users were divided into those who used them properly and invariably, and those who did not. In the group studied, correct use of the condom was associated with a significantly lower probability of acquiring gonorrhoea (P less than 0-001) and a significantly higher chance of there being no sexually transmitted disease diagnosed (P less than 0-0005). The diagnosis-rate of non-specific urethritis, however, did not differ among the groups.

Contraceptive Devices, Male↗

American mucocutaneous leishmaniasis.

Presented is a well-documented, autochthonous case of mucocutaneous leishmaniasis, a protozoan disease endemic to Asia, Africa, Southern Europe, South America, and Central America, which until recently was not found in North America. Diagnosis is made by positive culture on NNN media, positive serodiagnosis, positive Montenegro skin test, the presence of Leishman-Donovan bodies on Giemsa stain with light microscopy, and the presence of the kinetoplast within the organism on electron microscopy. The recommended treatment is sodium antimony gluconate given intramuscularly, 600 mg daily for seven to ten days.

Humans↗