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Biomedical subjects

D C Sutherland

Publications and source records attributed to D C Sutherland.

45 records · Page 3Linked to original sources
PubMed1979

Transfer factor and hepatitis B: a double blind study.

A prospective, double blind placebo-controlled trial was carried out on twenty-nine patients with hepatitis B. Thirteen received transfer factor and sixteen placebo. There were no significant differences between the two groups in any clinical or laboratory measurements made, although a rapid early reduction of serum aspartate transaminase levels by transfer factor is possible. Similarly, no significant changes were delineated by the in vitro measurements of lymphocyte function. Transfer factor did not alter the natural course of hepatitis B.

Adult↗
PubMed1978

Antinuclear antibodies in patients receiving non-practolol beta-blockers.

Antinuclear antibodies (ANA) were found in 54 (7.0%) out of 767 treated hypertensive patients compared with 59 (2.4%) out of 2470 healthy controls. Inclusion of a non-practolol beta-blocker in the treatment regimen did not significantly affect the incidence of ANA. ANA was found in significantly more patients being treated with methyldopa (13.0%) than patients receiving other hypotensive agents (3.8%). Non-practolol beta-blockers in combination with methyldopa did not increase the incidence of ANA further.

Adrenergic beta-Antagonists↗
PubMed1977

Transfer factor therapy: clinical experience and the role of the E rosette assay.

Transfer factor has been administered to 17 patients, most with infectious diseases of various kinds. In 12 patients the therapy was followed by a definite clinical improvement although in most cases conventional chemotherapy was given concomitantly. In all cases where clinical improvement followed the sheep red cell or E rosette assay showed low values initially, with an improvement following therapy. This test of T lymphocyte function may be useful both in predicting patients likely to respond to transfer factor, and in monitoring response to treatment. As no specific assay of transfer factor activity is available, an in vivo rise in E rosette formation following transfer factor administration serves as a crude indicator that the injected material has some biological activity.

Abscess↗
PubMed1976

T-lymphocyte colonies in malignant disease.

T-lymphocyte colonies have been cultured in 106 subjects comprising healthy individuals and hospital inpatients as controls and patients with a wide variety of malignancies. Abnormal results were recorded in 89% of patients with malignant disease and in 23 of 24 patients with carcinomas (96%). This test may be valuable in research, and in diagnosis and monitoring of progress in malignant disease.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1976

Practolol and the safety of other beta blockers.

Recognition of the "occulomucocutaneous syndrome" related to practolol administration has caused the safety of other beta-blocking agents to come under close scrutiny. No satisfactory means of screening for at-risk patients is available. ANF estimation, has considerable limitations as both a screening and a diagnostic procedure. Patients with skin lesions alone may not be positive, while even advanced cases often show very low titres. There are important technical difficulties with the assay and interpretation of results is hindered by an increase in incidence of the antibody with age, in females, and in patients on a wide variety of other therapeutic agents.

Adrenergic beta-Antagonists↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Improving medical diagnoses by understanding how they are made.

While a correct diagnosis is essential to appropriate patient management, scant attention is paid to the processes by which medical diagnoses are arrived at. While mismanagement may arise from a lack of relevant knowledge or the misuse of available data, this is probably uncommon. In many cases in which diagnistic errors occur, an initial faulty triggering of an inappropriate hypothesis is followed by a premature closure, excluding the search for further data that might be relevant to the diagnostic process. Often this is followed by anchoring, so that even when additional relevant data becomes available, the new information is ignored, and the original, faulty diagnosis is retained. Disturbingly, these errors may not be a reflection of lack of training or experience, and must be guarded against by even the most senior clinicians. Perhaps a systematic review of diagnostic accuracy should become a routine part of institutional quality assurance programmes.

Diagnostic Errors↗
PubMedDate not supplied

A pilot randomized controlled trial of dexamphetamine in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome.

This study determined whether dexamphetamine improved symptoms and quality of life in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome. The setting was a specialized clinic within a tertiary referral hospital. This was a 6-week parallel-group, placebo-controlled trial with random allocation. There was a 2-week dose-adjustment phase and a 4-week stable treatment period. Outcome measures were the Fatigue Severity Scale, the Medical Outcomes Study 36-item Short-Form Health Survey, and two patient-determined outcomes. Ten patients were randomly assigned to dexamphetamine, and 10 were assigned to placebo. Fatigue Severity Scale scores improved in nine of 10 dexamphetamine and four of 10 placebo patients. The change in mean score was statistically significant. There were large but statistically nonsignificant changes in scores for the Short-Form Health Survey domains vitality and physical functioning. Dexamphetamine may be useful in the management of chronic fatigue syndrome; a larger and longer trial is justified by these results.

Adolescent↗