Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to F Gill.
Eleven patients with sickle cell disease and neurological symptoms underwent MRI examination. Cerebral infarcts of two types were found, those in the vascular distribution of the middle cerebral artery and those in the deep white matter. In the patient whose hydration and whose oxygenation of erythrocytes has been treated, MRI offers diagnostic advantages over arteriography and CT.
The glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G-6-PD) gene is located on the X-chromosome. Normal males have a single gene and produce a single G-6-PD type, while normal XX females may be heterozygotes for two different G-6-PD genes. We report the case of a phenotypic male who was found to be heterozygous for two G-6-PD enzymes. Cytogenetic analysis showed that he was a 46,XX male.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
In Pennsylvania, the prevalence of hemophilia is one per 10,000 males. Factor VIII deficiency is five times more frequent than Factor IX deficiency, and 34% of the patients have no relatives affected with the disease. The mean age is 23 years old, and 50% of the patients are less than 20 years old. Approximately one-third of the patients with Factor VIII deficiency and one fourth of the patients with Factor IX deficiency have levels of less than 0.01 mu/ml. By clinical criteria, 55% of those with Factor VIII deficiency are severe compared to 45% of those with Factor IX deficiency. Factor VIII-deficient patients are treated an average of 18 times per year compared to ten times per year for patients with Factor IX deficiency. Hemarthroses account for 70% of the hemorrhages treated and for 40% of the concentrate usage. Home therapy patients use an average of 45,950 Factor VIII units per year at a cost of ø170 per patient and their use accounts for 60% of the total Factor VIII usage of 1.7 million units. Less than five days per patient per year are lost from school or work because of bleeding, and patients are hospitalized for bleeding an average of only two to three days per patient year. Adverse immediate reactions to therapy are infrequent. Five percent of patients have persistence of the hepatitis B virus, and 7.5% have inhibitors. The mortality rate is 0.04% per year, with half of the deaths being hemophilia-related.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
A review of the agents causing septicemia in cancer patients during a nine-year period (1968--76) revealed that Gram-positive organisms (especially S aureus) have become the most frequent isolates during the last two years. This unanticipated increase (P less than 0.001) in the number of Gram-positive isolates could not be related to horizontal transmission nor to changes in patient characteristics or therapy.
The failure of a 3-week course of chloroquine to eliminate an infection of Babesia microti acquired on Martha's Vineyard led to tests of selected drugs in hamsters infected with the strain from this patient. The results showed response to several antitrypanosomal drugs (pentamidine and 4,4'-diazoaminobenzamidine) but not to antimalarial drugs (chloroquine, sulfadiazine, and pyrimethamine).
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
There was decreased synthesis of the beta-globin chain in the peripheral blood, and equal synthesis of alpha- and non-alpha-chains in the bone marrow of three patients with hemoglobin Lepore trait, similar to the findings in patients with heterozygous beta-thalassemia. There is a relative instability of the synthetic mechanism for normal beta-chain in these patients.
Forty-eight patients with 51 episodes of infective endocarditis caused by streptococci were studied in a comparison of the efficacy of single antibiotic therapy versus that of combination therapy. There was no statistical difference in terms of clinical course, toxicity, and mortality between the group given a single drug and that given combination therapy. However, one patient experienced two relapses, in both instances after high-dose penicillin therapy. The species and antibiotic susceptibilities of the infecting organisms were determined. The majority of isolates were alpha-hemolytic, with Streptococcus sanguis recovered most commonly. Streptococcus bovis and group B beta-hemolytic streptococci were the next most frequent isolates.
Surgically explanted vascular grafts, including 47 autografts, 14 allografts, 103 chemically processed human umbilical vein (HUV) grafts, and 406 polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) grafts, were studied histopathologically. Autografts, HUV, and PTFE grafts were implanted mostly in the femoropopliteal position, whereas allografts were used as a blood access for hemodialysis. The main cause for explantation in autografts (53.6%), HUV (74.8%), and PTFE (61.3%) was thrombosis, whereas allograft failure was usually related to aneurysmal degeneration (72.7%). The infection rates of HUV (20.9%) and PTFE (25%) grafts were higher than those of autografts (4.8%) and allografts (9.1%). Furthermore, bacterial colonization occurred more frequently in HUV (63.9%) and PTFE (64.7%) than in autografts (6.7%) and allografts (0%). Leukocyte infiltration was detected mostly in HUV (39.4%) and PTFE (27%) explants. Autografts and allografts both showed a 7.1% rate of lipid uptake, whereas lipid retention was observed in 84.9% of HUV and 79.8% of PTFE grafts. These results suggest that biologic vascular grafts are to be used preferentially in small diameter arterial reconstruction because of their resistance to bacterial colonization and lipid uptake.
OBJECTIVES: To test the hypothesis that noise exposure may cause hearing loss in classical musicians. DESIGN: Comparison of hearing levels between two risk groups identified during the study by measuring sound levels. SETTING: Symphony orchestra and occupational health department in the west Midlands. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Hearing level as measured by clinical pure tone audiometry. RESULTS: Trumpet and piccolo players received a noise dose of 160% and 124%, respectively, over mean levels during part of the study. Comparison of the hearing levels of 18 woodwind and brass musicians with 18 string musicians matched for age and sex did not show a significant difference in hearing, the mean difference in the hearing levels at the high (2, 4, and 8 KHz) audiometric frequencies being 1.02 dB (95% confidence interval -2.39 to 4.43). CONCLUSIONS: This study showed that there is a potential for occupational hearing loss in classical orchestral musicians.