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Biomedical subjects

D Pickering

Publications and source records attributed to D Pickering.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

Electrocardiographic signs of pulmonary hypertension in children who snore.

Two children presented with sleep disturbances due to enlarged tonsils and adenoids. One child died during induction of anaesthesia, and postmortem examination showed hypertrophy of the right ventricle and atrium. As a result a prospective survey was carried out of children undergoing tonsillectomy or adenoidectomy, or both. During a nine-month period an electrocardiogram was taken in 92 children. Three electrocardiograms (3.3%) showed evidence of right heart strain. The children with abnormal electrocardiograms had symptoms of sleep disturbance with apnoea, snoring, and daytime somnolence. These symptoms and the electrocardiographic changes were reserved by adenotonsillectomy. The prevalence of pulmonary hypertension in children with enlarged tonsils and adenoids is still underestimated. When signs and symptoms of sleep disturbance, particularly snoring, are present an electrocardiogram should be obtained and a cardiologist's opinion sought before embarking on routine surgery in view of the potentially fatal consequences.

Adenoids↗

Precordial catch syndrome.

Seventeen cases of precordial "catch" are reported. The children varied in age from 8 to 16 years. The characteristics of this painful condition are discussed; in particular, the diagnostic indication of the site of the pain over an intercostal space, with the finger tip, is stressed. Anxiety in the child, or the parents, in relation to the complaint is discussed. Several methods of treatment are recommended.

Adolescent↗

An evaluation of three litter control procedures--trash receptacles, paid workers, and the marked item technique.

This study assessed the effectiveness of three litter control procedures on the grounds of a residential retardation facility. Fifty-seven areas were divided into five groups according to the amount of litter they contained. Daily litter counts were made in one randomly chosen area for four of the groups and weekly litter counts were made from one randomly chosen area from the fifth group. After the baseline period, trash receptacles were placed a high traffic areas on the grounds of the facility. This was followed by the payment of two resident workers for picking up trash. In the next phase, marked pieces of litter were placed on the grounds, and residents voluntarily collected litter and turned it in at a central location. When a marked piece was turned in, that resident received $1.00 and had his or her picture taken and posted. This phase was followed by a return to the trash receptacles phase and then a return to the marked item phase. The results indicated that the marked item procedure was effective in reducing the amount of litter on the campus grounds, but the use of trash receptacles and the payment of resident workers for picking up litter did not noticeably reduce the amount of litter. The results are discussed in terms of the cost effectiveness of the procedures.

Cost-Benefit Analysis↗

Poor response to oral indomethacin therapy for persistent ductus arteriosus in very low birthweight infants.

Administration of oral indomethacin to treat cardiorespiratory failure in 7 low birthweight infants, after failure of conventional therapy, produced an improvement in only 2 infants. These infants had a higher birthweight than the group as a whole. Surgical ligation, rather than oral indomethacin, may be the treatment of choice for persistent ductus arteriosus in very low birthweight infants.

Ductus Arteriosus, Patent↗

Ligation of patent ductus arteriosus in the very low birthweight newborn infant.

Surgical closure of a patent ductus arteriosus was performed in 8 low birthweight infants suffering from cardiorespiratory failure secondary to a large left-to-right shunt. Mortality from the operation was nil, but only 4 (50%) ultimately survived. Earlier intervention may reduce mortality in these high-risk infants.

Ductus Arteriosus↗

Cardiac biopsy in childhood.

Endomyocardial biopsy was attempted in 18 children aged 5 months to 15 years with 82% success. Biopsies obtained from 15 children were examined by light and electron microscope making positive morphological diagnoses in 3 cases. The biopsy findings were actively helpful in 7 other cases, which contrasts with experience in adult biopsy series. This is a low risk procedure which does not add to the hazards of cardiac catheterization in children.

Adolescent↗

Persistent ductus arteriosus complicating the respiratory distress syndrome.

Persistent ductus arteriosus (PDA) complicated the clinical course in 45 (15%) of 299 babies with the respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) presenting over a 3-year period. The incidence of PDA complicating RDS rose with decreasing birthweight and was highest in babies with severe RDS as judged by the use of assisted ventilation. In babies with a birthweight of less than 1500 g, PDA occurred as a complication of RDS in 25% of cases. In babies who recieved intermittent positive pressure ventilation (IPPV) for management of RDS, the incidence of PDA was 35%. Overall mortality for babies with RDS was 17%; when PDA occurred as a complication mortality was 31%. In survivors, spontaneous closure of the PDA occurred in all except one infant. The development of signs of PDA in 19 babies either necessitated a renewal of IPPV or prevented "weaning" from IPPV or from continuous positive airways pressure. 9 (47%) of these babies died, 8 of them after the first week of life. The frequency of PDA complicating RDS and the relatively high mortality in this conservatively-treated group of babies is emphasized. The incidence reported here is likely to increase with the increased survival of very low birthweight infants with severe RDS. The high incidence of late deaths in babies who develop signs of PDA associated with an inability to wean from assisted ventilation suggests that early surgical ligation of the PDA in these babies should be considered. The results of a conservative approach to management of these infants are presented.

Birth Weight↗

Cystinotic rickets treated with vitamin D metabolites.

A 22-month-old girl with cystinotic rickets was given 1 microgram 1,25-dihydroxycholecalciferol (1,25-DHCC) daily in addition to standard treatment. Her rickets healed and linear growth rate appeared to increase. It is suggested that the effect of 1,25-DHCC and its metabolically active analogues on cystinotic rickets should be further studied.

Cystinosis↗

Astrovirus associated gastroenteritis in a children's ward.

During an outbreak of gastroenteritis in a paediatric ward astroviruses were found in faeces from 17 to 27 symptomatic children and from four of 14 members of the staff with diarrhoea. No viruses were found in 10 asymptomatic children. Fourteen of the 21 astrovirus excretors were free of any recognised pathogens, but in the other seven, rotaviruses or pathogenic bacteria were also present. Serological evidence of astrovirus infection was obtained in five adults and two children.

Antibodies, Viral↗