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Biomedical subjects

D Hall

Publications and source records attributed to D Hall.

At least 235 records · Page 13Linked to original sources
PubMed1979

An investigation into the incidence and sources of klebsiella infections in hospital patients.

Coliforms isolated from infections over a period of 22 months were examined and 16% were shown to be klebsiellas. The biochemical reactions and serotypes of these klebsiellas were determined and the relationship between species, serotype and type of infection investigated. Although no obvious outbreaks of infection occurred during this period a number of clusters of isolations of the same serotype of klebsiella were found. Using an enrichment method for the isolation of klebsiellas from faeces, sero and bacteriocin typing, and the examination of ten colonies, it was demonstrated that half of the patients carried a klebsiella of the same type in the bowel as caused the infection.

Bacteriological Techniques↗
PubMed1979

ECG changes during long-term minoxidil therapy for severe hypertension.

A prospective assessment of the effects of minoxidil on the ECG was carried out in a series of 80 patients with severe hypertension, representing an observation of 139.6 patient years. In combination with beta-adrenergic blocking agents and diuretics, minoxidil resulted in substantial reductions in blood pressure at rest and during exercise. Concomitant with the initiation of minoxidil treatment, ECG changes consisting of flattening or inversion of the T waves, ranging from slight to very marked, were observed in 90% of the patients. While these changes may be potentially disconcerting, the observations of this study show that they are not related to changes in heart rate or other clinical criteria associated with myocardial ischemia. They are not influenced by exercise or beta-blockade and they generally revert to control appearance during chronic treatment, at which time accompanying improvement in preexisting abnormalities of the T wave was frequently seen. During long-term treatment, a substantial reduction of increased QRS voltages was observed.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1979

Urinary excretion of water and electrolytes during open-sea saturation diving to 850 fsw.

The dive was carried out in the open sea to a depth of 850 fsw (26.7 ATA) for 6 days (DD 1--6) in the saturated mode, with personnel transfer capsule (PTC) excursions between 0 and 150 fsw and diver excursions between 0 and 50 fsw from the saturation base. Each diver had two excursion dives on alternate days. Although each PTC excursion lasted approximately 7 h, the actual time spent in the water averaged 10.5 min per diver. For 12 divers, daily excretion of water, electrolytes, aldosterone, and antidiuretic hormone (ADH) was studied, along with plasma composition (including prolactin), before, during, and after hyperbaric exposure. A significant increase in urine flow was observed on DD2--4 (1604 ml/day predive vs. 2300 ml/day on DD 4; P less than 0.05), after which the degree of diuresis decreased to about 1800 ml/day. Urine osmolality changed inversely with urine flow, with the lowest value of 532 mOsm/kg on DD 4. During the postdive period, both urine flow and urine osmolality returned to the predive level. The endogenous creatinine clearance was maintained at about 200 liters/day throughout the dive. The fractional excretion of Na+ remained unchanged while that of K+ increased significantly during hyperbaric exposure, thus decreasing the urinary Na+/K+ ratio. The fractional excretion of total osmotic substances showed a small hyperbaric exposure. Body weight decreased progressively during the initial 4 days of pressure exposure, equalling 2.6 kg on DD 4. These findings suggest that the observed diuresis may be accompanied by a net loss of body water. Neither the plasma prolactin level nor urinary excretion of aldosterone and ADHshowed any consistent change throughout the dive. It thus appears that, although there is a small osmotic component, the observed diuresis is primarily due to the ADH-independent inhibition of fre water reabsorption from the collecting duct by means of a mechanism yet to be identified.

Adult↗
PubMed1978

Abuse of indigenous psilocybin mushrooms: a new fashion and some psychiatric complications.

The use for hallucinogenic purposes of an indigenous mushroom, Psilocybe semilanceata indigenous to Britain is reported in three patients. Typical psychedelic, transient psychotic and more prolonged schizophrenia-like states were seen, with sympathomimetic signs noted in two cases, in one being prolonged. Enquiry about such mushroom abuse should be considered in individuals presenting to medical or psychiatric emergency clinics.

Adult↗
PubMed1978

New treatment for herpes simplex virus type 2 [ultrasound and zinc, urea, and tannic acid ointment]. Part I--Male patients.

Twenty-three male patients with herpes simplex virus type 2 blisters on the prepuce, glans penis, and penile shaft were divided into two groups. Ten patients served as controls, and thirteen patients were treated with ultrasound (1 watt/cm2 for 60 seconds) and Herpigon on three consecutive days. Results showed a negative virus culture after three days of treatment and significant reduction of recurrent infection in the treated group while the control group experienced recurrent infection within 62-80 days. This method offers a new therapeutic treatment for genital herpes simplex virus.

Adult↗
PubMed1978

Natural childbirth. A review and analysis.

A review and critique of the literature relating to the effectiveness of psychoprophylaxis (natural childbirth) is made. Based on this review, it is concluded that a variety of methodologic errors have confounded the measurement of treatment effects. An outline of these issues is presented, and it is pointed out that an elucidation of the relationship between treatment and outcome cannot occur until researchers become aware of certain factors that are essential to the validity of their experiments. These factors include the following: 1) the use of a random assignment of subjects to treatment and control groups; 2) the inclusion of a group of controls that receive an attention-placebo treatment; 3) the utilization of obstetricians who are unaware of the type of preparation their patients have received; 4) a careful specification of the details of each treatment procedure; and 5) the utilization of psychologic tests that are appropriate for the purpose of measuring pain and anxiety reduction.

Anesthesia, Obstetrical↗
PubMed1977

Rapid fluorimetric assay of minocycline in plasma or serum: comparison with microbiological assay.

1. Plasma concentrations of minocycline were assayed by measuring the fluorescence emission of an aluminum-minocycline chelate in a spectrofluorimeter. 2. The assay gives reproducible results over the concentration range 0.05-5.0 mug ml-1, and compared favourably with results achieved using a conventional large plate agar diffusion microbiological assay in a double-blind comparison of the two methods. 3. Fluorimetric assay of minocycline in plasma was found to correlate closely with antibiotic activity (r = 0.95). The method is easy and economical to perform, results being obtained in 1 h.

Bacillus cereus↗
PubMed1977

Collagen synthesis in normal and osteoarthritic human cartilage.

Collagen metabolism in osteoarthritic human articular cartilage was compared to that in normal cartilage and was also correlated with the degree of severity of the osteoarthritic lesion as determined by a histological-histochemical grading system. No correlation was apparent between the concentrations of DNA, hydroxyproline, and hydroxylysine and the degree of severity of the osteoarthritic lesion (except in far-advanced lesions). Similarly, there was no correlation in levels of these components in tissues from the normal vs. osteoarthritic group. The similarity of the values of the ratio hydroxylysine/hydroxyproline in osteoarthritic tissue compared with normal, and the lack of variation in these with increasing severity of the disease process argues against the possibility that osteoarthritis is associated with a major shift in the synthesis of type II collagen to type I. [3H]Proline incorporation into osteoarthritic cartilage was increased fourfold as compared to normal cartilage and varied with advancing histological-histochemical grade. Measurement of the specific activity of insolubilized hydroxyproline-containing material of the cartilage matrix, as an index of the turnover of collagen, showed a sixfold increase in osteoarthritic cartilage which also varied with grade. These data suggest that collagen synthesis in these tissues is substantially greater than in nonosteoarthritic tissues and varies directly with the severity of the disease process up to a point and then varies inversely as the lesion becomes more severe.

Cartilage, Articular↗
PubMed1977

Biochemical and metabolic characteristics of articular cartilage from osteonecrotic human femoral heads.

The cartilage from nine osteonecrotic femoral heads (six post-traumatic and three corticoid-induced) was obtained at the time of total hip replacement and studied by biochemical and metabolic techniques. The data obtained were compared with those previously obtained in normal hips and were correlated with diagnosis, topographical site, histology, and grading according to a histological-histochemical technique previously described. The results demonstrated surprisingly good preservation of cartilage and no significant alteration in the biochemical and metabolic parameters. These findings showed limited correlation with the topographical site and no correlation with the cause of the necrosis or histological alteration. The results do not support concepts of either accelerated metabolic activity or chondrolytic change.

Adult↗