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Biomedical subjects

G L Cooper

Publications and source records attributed to G L Cooper.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1986

Microbial examination of kidney lithotripter tub water and epidural anesthesia catheters.

Kidney lithotripsy patients frequently receive epidural anesthesia via indwelling epidural catheters. In our hospital, patients are immersed in a tub of warm, continuously-flowing tap water. The epidural catheter-entry site is covered by a transparent occlusive dressing. To determine the risk of microbial colonization of the epidural catheter during lithotripsy, we performed quantitative cultures of tub water and semiquantitative cultures of catheters in 63 lithotripsy procedures. Most of the tub water organisms were typical tap water and skin flora isolates. Total colony counts were generally low with no significant progression during the course of serial procedures. Forty-two epidural catheters were cultured; 34 (81%) were sterile, 8 (19%) were colonized with small numbers of flavobacteria or coagulase-negative staphylococci. Only four catheters had organisms present on catheter segments covered by the transparent occlusive dressing (in each case there was a single colony forming unit per semiquantitative plate) and these organisms were probable contaminants. We conclude that with our current lithotripsy procedures, the risk for the development of epidural catheter-associated infection seems to be low.

Anesthesia, Epidural↗
PubMed1986

An audit of the management of patients with epilepsy in thirty general practices.

An audit of the management of epilepsy in 30 general practices is presented. A total of 377 patients from widely dispersed practices in the UK independently completed questionnaires which mirrored similar questionnaires answered by their doctors. A lack of detailed awareness by the doctor of how epilepsy was affecting the patient was detected. Many patients were found to have difficulty in communicating anxieties and problems associated with the disease to their general practitioner. Use of drug monotherapy and anticonvulsant blood level monitoring was sub-optimal. This multi-centre study supports previous single-centre reports of certain deficiencies in long-term management of epilepsy in general practice.

Activities of Daily Living↗
PubMed1985

Rapid diagnosis of intravascular catheter-associated infection by direct Gram staining of catheter segments.

We conducted a study to determine the usefulness of the Gram stain in the detection of intravascular catheter-associated infection. A total of 330 intravascular catheters were prospectively collected from adults and children suspected of having such an infection. Semiquantitative solid-agar cultures of the distal catheter tip were correlated with blood cultures. Catheter-associated bacteremia occurred in 34 per cent of cases in which catheter tips were colonized (greater than or equal to 15 colonies per agar plate). There were no cases of catheter-associated bacteremia in patients with uncolonized catheters. Immediately after culture, whole catheter segments were stained by the Gram technique. Gram-negative and gram-positive bacteria and yeast were easily identifiable under oil immersion (X 1000), located predominantly on external catheter surfaces. Any catheter with at least one organism per 20 oil-immersion fields was designated as positive by Gram stain, but the majority of the 41 positive catheters had much larger numbers of organisms. The Gram stain of the catheter tip was 100 per cent sensitive and 96.9 per cent specific for the detection of catheter-tip colonization, with positive and negative predictive values of 83.9 and 100 per cent, respectively. We conclude that a Gram stain of the distal catheter tip is a simple, inexpensive, and accurate test for the rapid diagnosis of intravascular catheter-associated infection.

Adult↗
PubMed1985

Exercise and resting blood pressure and heart rate changes 24 h after dosing in patients with essential hypertension receiving 16/260 oxprenolol Oros once daily.

Nineteen patients receiving oxprenolol slow-release (SR) 160 mg (three patients) or 320 mg (16 patients) once daily for mild to moderate hypertension were treated with oxprenolol Oros 16/260 once daily for 3 weeks following a 2 week placebo wash-out period. Repeated dosing with both Oros and SR oxprenolol preparations, in comparison with placebo, significantly reduced supine systolic and diastolic blood pressures, and pulse rate at 24 h after dosing. Single Oros doses also significantly reduced pulse rate and diastolic, but not systolic, blood pressure at 24 h. The reduction in supine systolic blood pressure was greater during repeated dosing with oxprenolol SR than after a single dose of the Oros preparation. Control of supine diastolic blood pressure (less than or equal to 90 mm Hg) at 24 h after dosing was achieved in 13 out of 18 patients with oxprenolol SR (two out of three patients given 160 mg, and 11 out of 15 given 320 mg). Similar control was achieved in 11 out of 18 patients after a single dose of oxprenolol Oros, and in 13 out of 17 patients treated for 3 weeks. The mean percentage reduction in exercise heart rate (EHR) compared to placebo, at 24 h after dosing, was 16% following Oros treatment for 3 weeks, and 12% following SR administration. After a single dose of oxprenolol Oros EHR, was reduced by 9% at 24 h compared to placebo. At 3 weeks the Oros formulation was significantly better than the SR tablet at reducing EHR. Oxprenolol Oros 16/260 was effective over 24 h and well tolerated.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adult↗
PubMed1984

Lack of utility of routine screening tests for early detection of peritonitis in patients requiring intermittent peritoneal dialysis.

A prospective study was undertaken to examine the clinical presentation of peritonitis in patients maintained on intermittent peritoneal dialysis and to determine the value of qualitative and quantitative dialysate cultures, gram stain, neutrophil counts, and a semi-quantitative leukocyte test strip for case detection. Seven cases of peritonitis developed among 30 patients who underwent 553 dialyses. In most cases, neutrophil counts, cultures, and leukocyte test strip determinations were done within 48 hours prior to the clinical onset of peritonitis and in all instances failed to provide clues for incipient infection. Peritonitis was associated with a dialysate neutrophil count of greater than 500/mm3 and leukocyte test strips were highly sensitive and specific for the detection of this quantity of neutrophils. A total of 16 dialysate cultures was positive in asymptomatic patients who did not have peritonitis. None of these patients subsequently developed peritonitis with the same organism. Dialysate gram stains, cultures, neutrophil counts or leukocyte test strips did not provide an early diagnosis of peritonitis and their use in the absence of symptoms is therefore not recommended.

Diagnostic Tests, Routine↗
PubMed1984

Clomipramine and diazepam in the treatment of agoraphobia and social phobia in general practice.

A multi-centre, double-blind trial was carried out in general practice to compare the effectiveness and tolerability of clomipramine and diazepam in patients with agoraphobia or social phobia. Patients were allocated at random to receive one or other of the trial drugs over a period of 12 weeks and dosage was adjusted to need. During the last 4 weeks daily dosage ranged from 25 to 150 mg clomipramine and from 10 to 30 mg diazepam. Analysis of results from 33 patients (15 clomipramine, 18 diazepam) showed that clomipramine was significantly superior to diazepam in improving and maintaining improvement in situational anxiety, interference in lifestyle, accompanied travel distance and total score on an agoraphobia inventory. Tolerability of clomipramine was comparable to that of diazepam.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1976

Perceptions of color preferences-a clue to marital prediction?

In a study of marital adjustment prediction (N = 75 couples), each spouse was asked to indicate a color preference for nine common household articles and predict which color the spouse would choose. A discrepancy score between perceived and actual choices was calculated and compared with scores on the Nye-MacDougall Martial Adjustment Scale. The correlation coefficient between the discrepancy score and ego's marital adjustment was -.27 for the sample as a whole, -.33 for husbands, and -.21 for wives. The correlation between the discrepancy score and mate's marital adjustment was -.17 for the whole sample, -.10 for husbands, and -.23 for wives.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Egg production drops in breeder turkeys associated with western equine encephalitis virus infection.

Egg production drops associated with western equine encephalitis (WEE) virus infection occurred in three turkey breeder flocks in California during summer 1993 and again in one flock the following year. Egg production losses totaled 8.76%, 9.57%, 9.71%, and 10.12% and were accompanied by an increase in small white-shelled and shell-less eggs. The outbreaks coincided with peak WEE virus activity in the state on the basis of statistics compiled by the California Department of Health Services on seroconversion rates in sentinel chicken flocks. Paired serum samples taken 2-3 wk apart showed increased titers to WEE between acute and convalescent sera in turkeys from three affected flocks. Convalescent sera were not available for testing from the fourth flock. WEE virus was isolated from one breeder hen submitted to the diagnostic laboratory during the early stages of the outbreak.

Animal Husbandry↗
PubMedDate not supplied

An outbreak of erysipelas in 2-day-old poults.

Systemic erysipelas infection was seen in 2-to-4-day-old poults from three separate ranches owned by the same company. The affected poults were all from the same breeder source; poults from other breeder sources were seemingly unaffected. Mortality increased on days 2 and 3, ranging from 2% to 8.5%. Birds submitted were dehydrated and very weak, with one half of the poults submitted having died during transport to the lab. Gross lesions included swollen, congested livers and spleens, as well as hemorrhagic breast muscle in one case. Toes were swollen and reddish-purple in color. The poults had been toe-trimmed during hatchery processing using a commercial microwave. Histologically, periportal inflammation with heterophilic infiltration in the liver was noted. Spleens showed hyalinization of arteries, lymphoid depletion, and necrosis. Toe joints showed purulent synovitis and cellulitis. Gram stains done on impression smears of liver and spleen showed rare to moderate numbers of small gram-positive rods. Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae was isolated from 18 of 22 livers cultured, five of six toe joints cultured, and from the yolk sac in two birds.

Animals↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Avian paramyxovirus type 1 infections in racing pigeons in California. I. Clinical signs, pathology, and serology.

An outbreak of diarrhea and neurological disease in California racing pigeons caused by avian paramyxovirus type 1 (PMV-1) is documented. Predominant clinical signs were polydipsia, ataxia, poor balance, torticollis, head tremors, inability to fly, and diarrhea that was unresponsive to therapy. Gross pathologic findings were often unremarkable or non-specific. The predominant histologic lesions were interstitial nephritis, chronic tubular necrosis, lymphoplasmacytic infiltration within the kidney, liver, and pancreas, and focal non-suppurative encephalitis. Pigeons from 20 submissions demonstrated characteristic clinical signs of PMV-1 infection. Pigeons from 17 submissions exhibited typical histopathology. Serologic evidence of PMV-1 infection was present in pigeons from 13 submissions, and PMV-1 was isolated from pigeons received in six submissions. None of these pigeons had been vaccinated against PMV-1.

Animals↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Spondylitis in turkeys associated with experimental Pasteurella anatipestifer infection.

Nine previously vaccinated turkeys were inoculated intravenously with Pasteurella anatipestifer, and blood samples were taken periodically to evaluate the potential of chronically infected turkeys to serve as reservoirs of infection for blood-feeding arthropod vectors. Vertebral osteomyelitis (spondylitis), as yet unreported in the literature in association with infection with the organism, was found in the thoracic vertebrae of five out of nine inoculated turkeys, and P. anatipestifer was isolated from the thoracic vertebrae of three of the five. The organism was isolated from the peripheral blood of six turkeys 24 hours postinoculation and from the peripheral blood of one turkey 7 days postinoculation. The organism was also isolated from the heart blood of two birds at necropsy--from one at 21 days and, following an intramuscular injection of dexamethasone, from the other turkey at 38 days postinoculation.

Animals↗
PubMedDate not supplied

California National Animal Health Monitoring System for meat-turkey flocks, 1988-1989: diagnostic testing results.

Six hundred fourteen meat turkeys were submitted for necropsy from 24 California ranches as part of the National Animal Health Monitoring System (NAHMS). Enteritis was the most frequent pathologic diagnosis in birds 18 days old or younger and the second most frequent diagnosis in birds 19-70 days old. Hemorrhagic enteritis was the most frequent diagnosis in birds aged 19-70 days. Tibial dyschondroplasia, bronchopneumonia, and ascaridiasis were ranked one through three in frequency of diagnoses in birds over 70 days of age. Salmonella was isolated from 71% of flocks tested, and Mycoplasma meleagridis was isolated from 33% of tested flocks over 70 days of age. Antibodies to several disease agents were detected, including hemorrhagic enteritis (100% of flocks over 70 days old) and Newcastle disease (63% of flocks over 70 days old).

Animals↗