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Biomedical subjects

D McCallum

Publications and source records attributed to D McCallum.

9 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1992

Involving the patient can free resources.

Involving the patient in the scheduling of theatres by a Diary Booking System improves patient choice and thus the quality of service offered. To assess the feasibility and cost effectiveness of such a system, a trial was conducted within ENT surgery. One consultant's theatre schedules were analysed before and after the introduction of a diary booking system. A second consultant's schedules, not using a diary booking system, were analysed to confirm the absence of seasonal variation or other factors. The trial consisted of three months' schedules before introduction and three months after introduction. The feasibility of the system was confirmed. The trial reduced cancellations by 32% and failures to attend by 68%. The introduction of the Diary Booking System increased the number of operations conducted by nearly one per session.

Appointments and Schedules↗
PubMed1986

Lack of significant long-term sequelae following traumatic myocardial contusion.

We assessed the possibility of long-term functional cardiac sequelae in patients who had sustained a traumatic myocardial contusion (group 1) by comparing this group with a cohort group of patients with similar traumatic injuries but exclusive of the cardiac component (group 2). More than one year following injury, patients in group 1 were qualitatively indistinguishable from patients in group 2 according to the New York Heart Association classification. Both the left and the right ventricular ejection fractions, less in group 1 than in group 2 immediately following trauma, were similar between groups during follow-up study at rest. During exercise to maximal work load at follow-up, changes in the mean right and left ventricular ejection fractions were also similar between the two patient groups. We therefore concluded that traumatic myocardial contusion to the left and/or right ventricle almost always resolves without significant functional sequelae within one year of injury.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Effects of taipan (Oxyuranus scutellatus) venom on erythrocyte morphology and blood viscosity in a human victim in vivo and in vitro.

The case of a snake handler with envenoming due to Australian taipan (Oxyuranus scutellatus) showing marked morphological changes in his red blood cells is presented. The red cells underwent sphero-echinocytic transformation and in subsequent experiments in vitro the effects of taipan venom on red cells were further characterized. Taipan venom induced sphero-echinocytic transformation at nanogram/ml concentrations and led to a marked increase in whole blood viscosity. These changes have not been featured in previous reports of taipan envenomation and are reported to highlight the diagnostic value of blood film examination in cases of suspected envenomation. The significance of the hyperviscosity, and consequent reduction in blood fluidity, is unknown and requires further investigation.

Adult↗