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Biomedical subjects

F Taylor

Publications and source records attributed to F Taylor.

At least 73 records · Page 4Linked to original sources
PubMed1988

Frequency and severity of infections in day care.

This study was undertaken to compare prospectively the frequency, nature, and severity of infections experienced by children in three types of child care arrangements: home care, group care (two to six children), and day care (seven or more children). Children were enrolled at birth and observed for 12 to 18 months. At entry there were 159 children in home care, 40 in group care, and 45 in day care. The families were telephoned every 2 weeks to record on a standardized form the type and severity of illnesses experienced during the previous interval. Severe illnesses were defined by high fever, duration exceeding 10 days, or physician visit. Children remaining in their original child care group for at least 1 year were compared with regard to the frequency and severity of illness. Children in group care and day care were more likely than children in home care to experience at least six respiratory infections, more than 60 days of illness, and more than four severe illnesses (P less than 0.01). Similarly, life table analyses showed that children in home care had fewer episodes of infection than did children in day care (P less than 0.01). Although no children were hospitalized because of acute infections during the first year of study, hospitalization for myringotomy and tube placement occurred in 21% of children in day care and 3% of children in home care (P less than 0.01).

Actuarial Analysis↗
PubMed1988

Guidelines for the control of human immunodeficiency virus infection in adolescents.

Although adolescents account for only 0.4% of reported cases of the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) in the United States, they are sexually active and, therefore, at risk of acquiring human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. To address issues of HIV control in adolescents, we developed guidelines that emphasize education and medical care and deemphasize antibody testing. For adolescents known to be infected with HIV, we recommend no restrictions on access to educational or treatment programs except when their health providers recommend such restrictions to protect them from exposure to opportunistic infections. For adolescents of unknown antibody status with a possible previous exposure to HIV, we recommend that as long as the incidence of HIV infection and clinical AIDS remains low, there should be no restrictions on residential placements and no routine antibody testing.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗
PubMed1987

Parental and physician-related determinants of consent for neonatal autopsy.

We undertook a cross-sectional epidemiologic study of potential determinants of parental consent for neonatal autopsy at the Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston. Data were abstracted from maternal and infant medical records in 184 cases of neonatal death occurring between January 1982 and October 1984. The overall consent rate for neonatal autopsy was 72%. Multivariate analysis by logistic regression found previous fetal loss, gestational age, and cause of death to be significantly different between the groups of consenters and nonconsenters. Parents least likely to consent to autopsy were those who had no history of previous fetal loss, who had pregnancies in which the birth weight of the infant was less than 1000 g or the gestational age was less than 28 weeks, or those who had an infant die of extreme prematurity. Factors not significantly associated with consent were maternal age, race, marital status, transfer status, type of prenatal care, the infant's sex, and the staff position of the requester. A second phase of the study surveyed physicians' attitudes regarding the importance of neonatal autopsy. The staff position and previous experience of the physician-requester, in addition to the presumed cause of the infant's death, were significantly associated with the rating assigned to the importance of the autopsy. These findings suggest that the mother's past and present obstetrical experience, the presence of extreme prematurity, and possibly the attitude and experience of the physician requesting autopsy permission may exert important influences on the likelihood of obtaining consent for a neonatal autopsy.

Adult↗
PubMed1986

Antidiuretic effect and pharmacokinetics of oral 1-desamino-8-D-arginine vasopressin. 1. Studies in adults and children.

The dose-response relationships and pharmacokinetics of orally administered 1-desamino-8-D-AVP (DDAVP) were investigated. In water-loaded normal subjects marked reductions in urine flow rate and increases in urinary osmolality occurred. The responses were maximal 2 h after ingestion of 50, 100, and 200 micrograms, and lasted at least 6 h. Plasma DDAVP levels increased in a dose-dependent fashion and its disappearance from the plasma followed an exponential time course, with a half-life 86 to 142 min. In water-loaded adults with central diabetes insipidus (CDI), 200 micrograms oral DDAVP caused marked antidiuresis and mean urinary osmolality increased from 107 mosm/kg to 554 mosm/kg after 3 h. In these patients the effect also lasted at least 6 h. Children with CDI were less sensitive than normal subjects to the 50-microgram dosage and required 100 micrograms orally to achieve a duration of action similar to that resulting from 200 micrograms in adults. Oral DDAVP may be useful for treating some patients with CDI.

Administration, Intranasal↗
PubMed1985

Flow-through pH-stat method for lipase activity.

A new method for lipase activity which combines the simplicity and rapidity of continuous pH-stat methods with the flexibility in choice of conditions (pH, temperature, etc.) of manual methods is described. The lipase-catalyzed hydrolysis of olive oil and titration of fatty acid products can be carried out separately in two small continuously stirred reactors in series. The response is linear with enzyme dilution.

Autoanalysis↗
PubMed1985

Patterns of gastrointestinal hemorrhage in hemophilia.

Peptic ulcer has been reported to be the cause of bleeding in 53%-85% of hemophiliacs with gastrointestinal hemorrhage (GIH). The management of GIH in hemophiliacs during the past decade has been affected by the availability of plasma concentrates, an increasing occurrence of chronic liver disease, and widespread use of endoscopic procedures. To determine the present patterns of GIH, we reviewed our experience at the Hemophilia Center of Western Pennsylvania during the last 10 yr. Twenty-five (10.3%) of 243 hemophiliacs experienced 41 episodes of GIH. The severity of hemophilia and a history of retroperitoneal hemorrhage were significant risk factors for GIH. Duodenal ulcer (22%), unknown site (22%), and gastritis (14%) were the three most common diagnoses. The use of fiberoptic endoscopy resulted in the recognition of diagnoses such as gastritis, esophagitis, Mallory--Weiss syndrome, and esophageal varices. Red cell transfusion requirements of hemophiliacs with GIH were no different than those of nonhemophiliacs with GIH (p greater than 0.05). The amount of factor VIII replacement used by hemophiliacs with GIH correlated with the severity of gastrointestinal bleeding (p less than 0.01), but not with the cause of gastrointestinal bleeding (p greater than 0.05). In conclusion, hemophiliacs develop GIH secondary to a variety of causes as do nonhemophiliacs. Fiberoptic endoscopy, after correction of factor VIII level to 0.40 U/ml, is a safe and valuable diagnostic procedure in hemophiliacs. The specific etiology of GIH in hemophiliacs should be aggressively sought and appropriate specific therapy provided.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1985

Effects of the irreversible ornithine decarboxylase inhibitor, alpha-difluoromethylornithine, aflatoxin B1, and choline deficiency on hepatocarcinogenesis.

Liver carcinogenesis was induced in rats by aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) enhanced by a choline-deficient diet. In Experiment 1, the ornithine decarboxylase inhibitor, alpha-difluoromethylornithine (DFMO), was administered by gavage to one group only during AFB1 administration; another group received DFMO during AFB1 administration and for 2 months after carcinogen administration. These two groups were compared to two control groups, one given AFB1 and fed the choline-deficient diet and another fed the deficient diet only. In a second experiment, DFMO was administered at a concentration of 2% in the water for 3 weeks and then at 1% for the remainder of the study. Rats from each group in Experiment 1 were killed at 2, 8, and 10 months after AFB1 administration and the development of tumors was followed by histology; autoradiography of [3H]thymidine incorporation into DNA; enzyme histochemistry; and alpha-fetoprotein determination. The group given DFMO during AFB1 administration was not significantly different from the AFB1-treated control group at 2 and 8 months after AFB1 administration. However, at 10 months following AFB1 and DFMO administration, the [3H]thymidine-labeling index and glucose-6-phosphatase staining were significantly increased. This group had three animals bearing hepatocellular carcinomas as compared to none in the controls. The group given DFMO for 2 months after AFB1 administration had a significantly depressed growth rate 2 months later, but this difference was not apparent after 8 months. After 10 months, there was a significantly increased [3H] thymidine-labeling index and increased volume fraction of gamma-glutamyltranspeptidase in the AFB1-DFMO-treated group as compared to the controls. DFMO appeared to inhibit growth under some conditions, but if administration was discontinued after AFB1 exposure, it appeared to enhance tumorigenesis. In Experiment 2, where a larger dose of AFB1 was used and DFMO was administered in the water from start to finish of the experiment, DFMO inhibited tumor induction and depressed the appearance of markers examined during carcinogenesis. These data indicate that the regimen used for DFMO administration can markedly affect tumor induction.

Aflatoxin B1↗
PubMed1984

Myosatellite cells, growth, and regeneration in murine dystrophic muscle: a quantitative study.

Patterns of growth and regeneration in 2-, 4-, 8-, and 17-week-old murine dystrophic (129 ReJ dy/dy) extensor digitorum longus muscles have been determined. Necrosis and myofiber loss, hypertrophy, and regeneration result in a reduced population of myofibers whose diameter distribution is more extensive than that found in the extensor digitorum longus muscles of age-matched normal mice. At the onset of dystrophic symptoms (2 weeks postnatal), the ratio of myosatellite cell nuclei to the total sublaminal nuclear population (myonuclei + myosatellite cells) is similar to that found in 2-week-old control muscles. The frequency of finding myosatellite cells decreases with age in both control and dystrophic muscles. Myosatellite cells account for 11%, 6%, 5%, and 3% of the total sublaminal nuclear population in control muscle and 12%, 8%, 6%, and 5% of the total sublaminal nuclear population in dystrophic muscle at 2, 4, 8, and 17 weeks, respectively. No preferential association of myosatellite cells with myofibers of a particular diameter is found in control muscle or in the two youngest dystrophic groups. At 8 and 17 weeks, myosatellite cells are less frequently encountered on small-diameter, regenerating myofibers of dystrophic muscle, and they are preferentially associated with large diameter, hypertrophied myofibers. The labeling index of myosatellite cells decreases with age in both normal and dystrophic muscle. At all ages the myosatellite cell labeling index is higher in dystrophic muscle (23%, 7%, 5%, and 2% at 2, 4, 8, and 17 weeks, respectively) than in normal muscle (5%, less than 1% at 2 and 4 weeks, respectively), with no labeled myosatellite cells being found in 8- and 17-week-old normal muscles. It is suggested that the magnitude of the regenerative response of dystrophic murine muscle decreases with age and that this factor may be responsible for the inability of the regenerative response of dystrophic muscle to keep pace with the rapid muscle deterioration.

Animals↗
PubMed1983

Legionellaceae in the hospital water-supply. Epidemiological link with disease and evaluation of a method for control of nosocomial legionnaires' disease and Pittsburgh pneumonia.

An epidemiological link was found between contamination of a hospital water-supply by Legionella pneumophila and by Pittsburgh pneumonia agent (PPA) and subsequent cases of nosocomial legionnaires' disease and Pittsburgh pneumonia. The extent of L pneumophila isolation from the water-supply paralleled the occurrence of disease. Whenever L pneumophila was isolated from more than 30% of ten selected water sites, nosocomial legionellosis occurred. The temperature of the hot water tanks was raised to 60-77 degrees C for 72 h, and water outlets were flushed for 30 min with hot water. A decline in numbers of L pneumophila and PPA in the water-supply was followed by a fall in the incidence of legionnaires' disease and Pittsburgh pneumonia. In addition, intermittent raising of the temperature in the hot water system decreased both the number of months in which disease occurred and the proportion of nosocomial pneumonias caused by these organisms.

Cross Infection↗