Biomedical subjects

D Lahav

Publications and source records attributed to D Lahav.

3 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed1997

Clock drawing test in elderly schizophrenia patients.

OBJECTIVE: Clock drawing has been studies in Alzheimer's disease but not in elderly schizophrenics. We examined clock drawing ability in elderly schizophrenia patients and sought possible correlations with demographic, clinical and cognitive variables. DESIGN: Retrospective analysis of the clock drawing item from the Cambridge Cognitive Examination (CAMCOG) presented to three independent raters. SETTING: Long-stay 'open' departments of a public psychiatric hospital in Israel. PATIENTS: Thirty-one physically well psychiatric inpatients suffering from schizophrenia (DSM-III-R, APA), between ages 60 and 76 years. MEASURES: The Clock Drawing Interpretation Scale (CDIS). RESULTS: The mean CDIS score was 14.4 (out of 20), and 61-84% of patients scored beneath the normal range (> 18). Interrater reliability was high (0.91-0.96). A moderate but significant correlation was found between CDIS and duration of illness as well as total scores on the Manchester Scale, the CAMCOG and the Mini-Mental State Examination, but not with the other variables studies. CONCLUSIONS: Clock drawing skills of a significant portion of long-term institutionalized elderly schizophrenics are impaired. When this test is used as a screening device for Alzheimer's disease in these patients, the results should be interpreted cautiously. Clock drawing abilities in these patients seem to be related to cognitive and non-cognitive (psychiatric state) factors, as well as to illness duration.

Aged↗

PubMed1997

Early sonographic diagnosis of Jarcho-Levin syndrome: a prospective screening program in one family.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the possibility of early diagnosis of Jarcho-Levin syndrome by ultrasound examination of the fetus. Over a period of 5 years, nine women from one Arab family, known to carry an autosomal recessive form of the disease, were prospectively and repeatedly examined using ultrasound. Out of eight pregnancies, four fetuses were diagnosed as being affected by the disease as early as 12 gestational weeks. Three elected to terminate the pregnancy before viability and one was born at term. There were no misdiagnoses. We conclude that early prenatal ultrasonographic diagnosis of Jarcho-Levin syndrome is feasible, although later sonographic confirmation is often warranted.

Abnormalities, Multiple↗

PubMed1995

[Laparoscopic surgery].

Laparoscopy is a common and important technique in gynecology, oncology and general surgery. At first laparoscopy was used only as a diagnostic tool, but today it is also used for operations. We describe our experience with laparoscopies in 1155 patients, 923 of which were operative and 232 for diagnosis. Complications included: herniation (2 cases), subcutaneous hematoma (16), wound infection (6) and serous discharge (2). The laparoscopic technique is highly successful and efficient for both diagnosis and surgery. The complication rate is lower, hospitalization and recovery times shorter, and the cosmetic results are excellent.

Hematoma↗