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Biomedical subjects

E Pfeiffer

Publications and source records attributed to E Pfeiffer.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1995

Institutional placement for patients with Alzheimer's disease. How to help families with a difficult decision.

Family members confronting the difficult decision of whether to place a patient with Alzheimer's disease in an institution find it helpful to have explicit criteria on which to base their decision. Regular incontinence of bladder and bowel, inability of the patient to cooperate in his or her care, inability of the patient to realize that he or she is at home with familiar caregivers, the withdrawal of a paid caregiver, risk to the health of the primary caregiver, and primary caregiver burnout are all grounds for considering institutional placement. Options include assisted living facilities, dementia-specific assisted living facilities, general nursing homes, and nursing homes with dementia-specific care units. Institution-like care can be provided at home, but this is expensive and may be inconvenient and stressful for family members. Hospice care is appropriate at the end of the patients's life.

Alzheimer Disease↗
PubMed1990

Comparative tumorigenicity of picene and dibenz[a,h]anthracene in the mouse.

The carcinogenic activity of the two polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), picene (benzo[a]chrysene) and dibenz[a,h]anthracene (DBA), was determined in NMRI mice by five different experimental protocols in order to find out if picene is a carcinogen as predicted by recent quantum mechanical calculations in contrast to earlier observations which could not confirm any carcinogenic activity of picene. Single s.c. treatment of adult mice with picene or DBA (308 nmol/animal, each) led to the formation of fibrosarcomas in 63.3% of treated animals regardless of the PAH used. Chronic epicutaneous application of both PAHs (total dose 1.36 mumol) to the back of mice resulted in the development of papillomas with a tumor rate of 22% in the case of picene and of 32% in the case of DBA. When newborn mice were s.c. treated once on day 2 of their life with each of the two PAHs (400 nmol/animal), 27.8% of treated animals developed lung adenomas after 40 weeks in the case of picene compared to 92.1% in the case of DBA. Histopathological examination of the tumors in the three experimental models revealed no difference in the type of tumor between picene and DBA. Epicutaneous application of both PAHs (600 nmol/animal) followed by chronic treatment with 12-O-tetradecanoyl-phorbol-13-acetate for 24 weeks led to the formation of papillomas in 93% of animals treated with DBA while picene showed no tumorigenic activity at all. Initiation of tumorigenesis in the two-stage tumor model with 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene (1 mumol/animal) and chronic treatment with picene (total dose 4.8 mumol) for 24 weeks was equally ineffective in producing tumors in NMRI mice. This rare biological property of picene, which is a complete carcinogen, yet at most a very weak tumor initiator, is explained in terms of its inefficient biotransformation to mutagenic and carcinogenic metabolites as compared to the strong tumor initiator DBA.

Animals↗
PubMed1989

Comparative studies of conversion disorders in childhood and adolescence.

In a syndrome validation study, four groups of patients suffering from conversion disorders, anxiety states, obsessive-compulsive disorder and emotional disorders, as well as a healthy control group, were compared. The following findings emerged: besides female preponderance and greater age, a higher rate of low SES subjects and social migration patients suffering from conversion disorders displayed a greater proportion of psychiatric and medical diseases in their parental heritage.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1988

Polyclonal IgG synthesis of mononuclear cells induced by the homopolymer of 4,6-dideoxy-4-formamido-alpha-D-mannopyranosyl units isolated from Brucella melitensis.

Brucella melitensis attaches selectively to B lymphocytes. The bacterium induces in vitro only a slight proliferation of mononuclear cells and inhibits the spontaneous IgG synthesis. In order to characterize these effects, the O-chain of the lipopolysaccharide of Brucella melitensis (a polysaccharide consisting of poly-4,6-dideoxy-4-formamido-alpha-D-mannoside) was prepared and its influence on lymphocyte functions tested. This compound had no effect on blast transformation whereas IgG synthesis of the cells was stimulated more than tenfold by the addition of the Brucella polymannoside.

Antibody Formation↗
PubMed1983

An evaluation of the reliability and validity of the Functional Assessment Inventory.

The reliability of the Functional Assessment Inventory (FAI) was evaluated using a sample of VA domiciliary and nursing home patients. The interobserver and interrater reliability coefficients of the summary rating scales, based on a single assessment, tended to be higher than their test-retest reliability coefficients, based on two independent assessments separated by a modal four-week interval. Validity coefficients, using the OARS instrument ratings as criteria, also based on two independent assessments several weeks apart, were, on the average, as high as the test-retest reliability coefficients. More specifically, the mental health, physical health, and activities of daily living rating scales, along with the objectively scored Short Portable Mental Status Questionnaire and Short Psychiatric Evaluation Schedule, tended to yield relatively similar scores with repeated measurement, while the social resources and economic resources scales were somewhat less stable, a discrepancy possibly explained by the homogeneous nature of the social and economic status of most of the patients (institutionalized veterans). Thus the reliability and validity of the FAI are satisfactory, but the stability of some of its scales requires further investigation.

Activities of Daily Living↗
PubMed1981

Functional assessment of elderly subjects in four service settings.

Rapid, reliable and valid assessment of the functional status of elderly persons is a prerequisite for the efficient provision of appropriate types of services. The Functional Assessment Inventory, a 30-minute, multidimensional functional assessment questionnaire, is an abbreviated modification of the OARS Multidimensional Functional Assessment Questionnaire. It was administered by interviewers to a stratified sample of 244 elderly persons in a rural county of Florida, in four service settings. These four sites were: nursing homes (63 subjects), adult congregate living facilities (ACLF) (62 subjects), adult day care programs (60 subjects), and senior centers (59 subjects). Patterns of functional impairment for each setting were identified. Nursing home patients showed impairment in all dimensions (physical, mental, economic, social, and activities of daily living) with mental and ADL impairments predominating. ACLF subjects showed social, mental and ADL impairments. Subjects in adult day care and senior centers were less generally impaired on all dimensions, ith physical, mental and ADL impairments predominating in the day care subjects, and social impairments predominating in the senior center subjects. The respondent refusal rate was less than 10 percent. The findings suggest potential for the widespread use of the new shorter Functional Assessment Inventory for determining the type, level, and appropriateness of services for the elderly.

Activities of Daily Living↗
PubMed1979

Treatment modalities in the affective disorders of old age.

In summary, I have reviewed the application of three major treatment modalities, psychotherapy, drug therapy, and electroconvulsive therapy, to the affective disorders of old age. Older patients are remarkably responsive to each of these forms of psychotherapy. Certain modifications in therapeutic approach must be introduced to make them effective. However, once these modifications are implemented many older patients can return to normal and satisfying lives following effective treatment of their affective disorders.

Affective Symptoms↗
PubMed1979

[Travellers' diarrhoea. I. Field study on frequency and causes in German tourists (author's transl)].

Even after successful localization of dangerous epidemics, infectious diseases represent a troublesome accompaniment of growing tourism to warm countries. Classical pathogens of diarrhoea are subjected to a worldwide control network to prevent this disease at least from being spread. Close surveillance has shown that, additionally, less clearly defined pathogens exist which affect a high percentage of tourists and cause a usually harmless but nevertheless often very annoying diarrhoea. In a tropic insular state a field study was carried out with voluntary assistance of German flight passengers in order to investigate the qualitative and quanitative importance of travellers' diarrhoea and to supplement American observations mainly gained in Mexico. In a first study we found that pathogens were detected only in six out of 173 stool samples: the pathogens were Salmonellae which had caused clinical symptoms in two cases only. With respect to diarrhoea with different origin which affected some 20 per cent of our examinees we will inquire into the importance of E. coli as pathogen, which is generally classified harmless but liable to interfere considerably with holidays and recreation.

Diarrhea↗