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Biomedical subjects

E Porter

Publications and source records attributed to E Porter.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2006

Neonatal nephrocalcinosis: long term follow up.

AIMS: To assess the spontaneous resolution of neonatal nephrocalcinosis and its long term effects on renal function. METHODS: Fourteen very low birthweight preterm babies with nephrocalcinosis were followed up at 5-7 years of age; 14 controls were matched for sex, gestation, and birth weight. Height, weight, blood pressure, and renal symptomatology were recorded, and a renal ultrasound scan was performed. Early morning urine osmolality and creatinine ratios of albumin, phosphate, calcium, oxalate and beta microglobulin were determined. Urea and electrolytes in the study group were determined, and glomerular filtration rate (GFR) and TmP/GFR (tubular reabsorption of phosphate per GFR) were calculated. Statistical analysis was performed on a group basis using the Mann-Whitney confidence interval. RESULTS: Mean age was 6.9 years (range 5.81-7.68). An early morning urine osmolality >700 mOsm/kg was achieved in all cases. In two cases and four controls, the calcium/creatinine ratio was >0.7 mmol/mmol. In all cases, the GFR was normal (median 132.6 ml/min/1.73 m(2) (range 104.1-173.1)). Median TmP/GFR was 1.22 mmol/l (0.73-1.61), with two having levels below the normal range. These did not have persisting nephrocalcinosis. Nephrocalcinosis was found in three of the 12 cases scanned and one control. There were no significant differences in urine biochemistry. CONCLUSIONS: Resolution of nephrocalcinosis occurred in 75% of cases. No evidence was found to suggest that nephrocalcinosis is associated with renal dysfunction in the long term. There was evidence of hypercalciuria in the cases and controls, suggesting that prematurity may be a risk factor.

Birth Weight↗
PubMed2001

Are serum anticonvulsant levels in people with epilepsy appropriately monitored?

The medical care of people with epilepsy has often been described as being poor, although objective markers for the quality of epilepsy care are lacking. This paper describes the results of using a simple quality marker, appropriate measuring of serum anticonvulsant levels, in assessing the quality of epilepsy care. The checking of serum phenytoin levels in certain clinical circumstances is advocated, whereas the checking of serum sodium valproate levels is not generally supported. A total of 1254 people with epilepsy in the community had their medical records examined for evidence of checking of anticonvulsant levels and 1204 of these individuals completed questionnaires about their epilepsy and its treatment. Of those on phenytoin, only 26% to 47% had phenytoin levels checked appropriately; 23% of patients on sodium valproate were inappropriately having their serum levels checked. The only clinical or organizational factor that predicted whether checking of serum phenytoin levels was performed was whether or not patients reported three common phenytoin side-effects but this still showed a small effect size (odds ratio 2.4).

Anticonvulsants↗
PubMed1998

Pre-dialysis: initiatives in Canada.

Predialysis care in Canada is well developed in some centers, but not in others. In response to this, a multidisciplinary Canadian Predialysis Education Advisory Board was established in 1997. Its purpose is to develop a standardized, national core curriculum for pre-dialysis patient education. This article describes the activities of this committee and plans for the future.

Canada↗
PubMed1997

Perceived risks to independent living: the views of older, community-dwelling adults.

The purpose of the present study was to gather the perceptions of older, community-dwelling adults about factors they considered essential for them to remain living within the community. In-depth interviews were conducted with 103 men and women over the age of 65 years who were living in their own home or apartment, within an urban center. Factors such as finances, health, family support, a sense of identity, and a feeling of independence were perceived by older adults to contribute to their ability to remain living in the community. Importantly, older adults viewed threats to this continued independent living as both (a) factors connected to losses and maintenance of capability, but also (b) as impediments to further growth of their personal well-being.

Activities of Daily Living↗
PubMed1994

Getting to know your preceptor.

The report of the post registration and practice project (PREP) recommends that a preceptor should be available to provide support for every newly-registered health visitor. Elizabeth Porter describes their role.

Community Health Nursing↗
PubMed1994

Training for health visitors in the 'Look after yourself' programme.

'Look after yourself' and the subsequent 'Look after your heart' programmes are widely used by health visitors in local health promotion initiatives. Elizabeth Porter argues for training in LAYH: LAY tutoring to be included in the health visitor education syllabus, and reports on the success of this initiative at Southampton University.

Community Health Nursing↗
PubMed1992

Effects of hyperbaric oxygen and a perfluorooctylbromide emulsion on the radiation responses of tumors and normal tissues in rodents.

Perfluorochemical emulsions are being examined in many laboratory and clinical studies as possible adjuncts to radiotherapy and chemotherapy. The studies reported here examine the clinical potential of hyperbaric oxygen (HBO) in combination with a highly concentrated perfluorochemical emulsion (Oxygent) containing 100% w/v perfluorooctylbromide (PFOB). HBO alone produced only a small improvement in the radiation response of BA1112 tumors in WAG/rij rats, while regimens combining HBO with Oxygent produced much greater radiation sensitization. A sham emulsion, formulated without the O2-carrying PFOB, did not alter the radiation response of the tumors in comparison with that seen with HBO alone. Neither HBO nor Oxygent plus HBO altered the radiosensitivity of bone marrow progenitor cells in BALB/c mice. HBO alone augmented skin reactions in BALB/c mice, but addition of Oxygent did not alter the skin reactions in comparison to those seen with HBO alone. Regimens combining Oxygent with HBO selectively increased the radiation sensitivity of tumors relative to normal tissues, thereby enhancing the therapeutic ratio. These results support the potential usefulness of perfluorochemical emulsions and HBO in clinical radiation therapy.

Animals↗
PubMed1992

Preclinical evaluation of Oxygent as an adjunct to radiotherapy.

These studies examine the potential value of a concentrated emulsion of perfluorooctylbromide (perflubron; Oxygent, Alliance Pharmaceutical Corp.) as an adjunct to radiotherapy. The effects of Oxygent on solid tumors were examined using EMT6 mammary tumors in BALB/c mice and BA1112 rhabdomyosarcomas in WAG/rij rats. Treatment with Oxygent plus O2, carbogen (95% O2/5% CO2), or hyperbaric oxygen (HBO) increased the effects of radiation on the tumors. Analyses of tumor cell survival curves and measurements of intratumor pO2 showed that this potentiation reflected an increase in the proportion of well-oxygenated tumor cells. Neither treatment of the animals with carbogen, O2, or HBO alone nor treatment of air-breathing rodents with Oxygent produced changes of similar magnitude. Treatment with a vehicle emulsion containing all the components of Oxygent except the perflubron did not alter tumor radiosensitivity, showing that tumor radiosensitization required the oxygen-transporting perfluorocarbon, and did not result from any biologic or physiologic effects of other components of the emulsion. These studies also examined the effects of Oxygent on the radiation responses of mouse skin and bone marrow. Oxygent selectively increased the radiation sensitivity of tumors relative to these normal tissues, thereby increasing the therapeutic ratio and producing therapeutic gain. Oxygent appears to warrant further testing as an adjunct to cancer therapy.

Animals↗
PubMed1991

Modulation of tumor oxygenation and radiosensitivity by a perfluorooctylbromide emulsion.

The effect of a concentrated perfluorooctylbromide emulsion (Oxygent) on the radiosensitivity and oxygenation of solid tumors was examined using EMT6 mammary tumors in BALB/c mice and BA1112 rhabdomyosarcomas in WAG/rij rats. Treatment with Oxygent plus carbogen or oxygen breathing increased the radiosensitivity of both tumors. Analysis of tumor cell survival data and polarographic measurements of intratumoral pO2 indicated that this potentiation reflected an increase in the proportion of well-oxygenated tumor cells. Treatments with carbogen breathing alone, with Oxygent plus air-breathing, or with a vehicle emulsion containing all the components except the perfluorocarbon did not produce comparable improvements in tumor radiosensitivity. Concentrated perfluorooctylbromide emulsions appear to warrant further development and preclinical testing as adjuncts to cancer therapy.

Animals↗
PubMed1990

Effects of a perfluorochemical emulsion on the response of BA1112 rat rhabdomyosarcomas to continuous low-dose-rate irradiation.

The effects of the combination of a perfluorochemical emulsion (Fluosol DA, 20%) and carbogen (95% O2, 5% CO2) on the response of BA1112 rat rhabdomyosarcomas to continuous low-dose-rate irradiation were examined. Tumors were irradiated locally in unrestrained, unanesthetized rats at a dose rate of 0.98 Gy/h, using a specially designed 241Am irradiator system. Cell survival was measured using a colony formation assay. The tumor cell survival curves were fitted to linear relationships of the form ln S = - alpha D, where alpha for air-breathing rats was 0.104 +/- 0.005 Gy-1, as compared to 0.137 +/- 0.009 Gy-1 for rats treated with Fluosol plus carbogen. The increase in the slope of the survival curve produced by the treatment with Fluosol and carbogen was highly significant with a P value of 0.0015. The radiosensitization factor for the combination of Fluosol/carbogen plus continuous low-dose-rate irradiation was 1.32 +/- 0.11. Slightly less radiosensitization was observed with continuous low-dose-rate irradiation than in previous experiments using acute high-dose-rate irradiation. The diminished sensitization with Fluosol/carbogen during continuous low-dose-rate irradiation probably reflects the intrinsically lower oxygen enhancement ratio (OER) of low-dose/low-dose-rate irradiation, reoxygenation of the tumors during the prolonged treatment times used for continuous low-dose-rate irradiation, and the decrease in the levels of circulating perfluorochemicals during the 30-h irradiations. More importantly, the significant level of radiosensitization observed in the experiments with continuous low-dose-rate irradiation suggests that hypoxic cells persist in BA1112 tumors during continuous low-dose-rate irradiations and that the response of these tumors to continuous low-dose-rate irradiation can be improved by adjunctive treatments which oxygenate these radioresistant hypoxic tumor cells.

Americium↗