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Biomedical subjects

G Morrow

Publications and source records attributed to G Morrow.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1992

Mandatory testing?

Explore the source record for details and available documents.

AIDS Serodiagnosis↗
PubMed1979

A survey of psychotropic drug prescriptions in an oncology population.

The present study examined the prescription practices concerning psychotropic drugs in 5 major oncology centers over a 6 month period. During the survey period 1579 patients were admitted to the collaborating institutions, and 51% of them were prescribed at least one psychotropic medication. Hypnotics were the most frequently prescribed drugs, accounting for 48% of total prescriptions, followed by anti-psychotics at 26% and anti-anxiety agents at 25%. Anti-depressant drugs accounted for only 1% of psychotropic prescriptions. Analysis of prescription rationales revealed that 44% of the psychotropic prescriptions were written for sleep, while 25% were given for nausea and vomiting; approximately 17% were attributed to psychological distress, and 12% were associated with diagnostic medical procedures. The overall rate of prescription was approximately 2 psychotropic drugs per patient per admission, with only 2% of prescriptions resulting in chart-documented side effects. At the level of individual compounds, 3 distinct drugs accounted for 72% of total prescriptions--flurazepam (33%), prochlorperazine (21%), and diazepam (17%).

Anti-Anxiety Agents↗
PubMed1978

A new variant of methylmalonic acidemia-defective coenzyme-apoenzyme binding in cultured fibroblasts.

Cultured fibroblasts from a patient with methylmalonic acidemia, clinically responsive to vitamin B-12, were studied in vitro. Kinetic analysis revealed abnormal binding of the coenzyme, 5'-deoxyadenosylcobalamin, for its methylmalonyl-CoA carbonylmutase apoenzyme, i.e., KM of 3.8 X 10(-5) M versus control KM of 1.5 X 10(-8) M. These data are interpreted as indicating a structural defect of the apoenzyme at the coenzyme binding site, and represent another variant of this genetic disorder.

Amino Acid Metabolism, Inborn Errors↗
PubMed1978

A simple technique for increasing cancer patients knowledge of informed consent to treatment.

Seventy-seven sequential patients referred to a radiation oncology clinic for treatment of malignant neoplasms were tested for their immediate recall of information presented, recorded, and signed on informed consent documents. An experimental group of 40 patients were given the intervention of taking the completed form home before signing. Results support the usefulness of the intervention. The experimental patients were found to possess greater information than the 37 patients who signed the form after the usual clinic procedure in virtually every area required of informed consent. The most significant gains were made in patients' understanding of proposed treatment procedures and appropriate treatment alternatives. Women recalled more information relevant to informed consent than did men. Results also indicated a tendency for younger patients to recall more informed consent information than older patients.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1978

Interaction of maternal and neonatal obesity.

Maternal weight and height before pregnancy and weight gain during pregnancy were recorded for each of 109 mothers who were delivered of normal infants after gestations of 37 to 43 weeks. Infant parameters obtained included gestational age, birth weight, bilateral mid-arm circumference, and eight skin fold thickness measurements. The eight skin fold thicknesses were summed (SSFT) for each infant. Infants with SSFTs greater than 40 mm (N = 8) for the group were classified as "fatter" infants. All of the fatter infants were large for gestational age (LGA), but accounted for only one third of the LGA infants in the study. Birth weight, length, and cross-sectional mid-arm fat area were significantly increased in the fatter LGA group when compared to other LGA infants. Cross-sectional mid-arm muscle area was not significantly different for the fatter LGA infants compared to the other LGA group. Mothers were defined as obese or nonobese according to pregnant weight for height. Obese mothers had infants with significantly increased SSFTs when compared with infants of nonobese mothers. Mulitple regression analysis showed that both prepregnant weight for height and weight gain during pregnancy were associated with increased subcutaneous fat in the neonate. Weight gain during pregnancy was associated with increased neonatal fatness and length, while prepregnant weight for height was associated with neonatal fatness independent of neonatal length.

Birth Weight↗
PubMed1977

Retinoblastoma in a patient with a 13qXp translocation.

An infant girl with failure to thrive and bilateral retinoblastoma had a translocation of the long arm of chromosome 13 to the short arm of the X chromosome, and possible loss of a portion of the q 14 band. The lack of other major organ malformations in this patient emphasized the importance of considering chromosomal aberrations as a possible etiology of retinoblastoma in patients with nonspecific psychomotor retardation.

Adult↗
PubMed1977

Field desorption mass spectrometry of phospholipids. III. Survey of structural types.

A survey has been conducted of the behavior of a wide variety of phospholipids and related materials under field desorption mass spectrometric conditions. Phosphatidyl cholines, both acyl and alkyl, phosphatidyl ethanolamies, phosphatidic acids, the corresponding lyso compounds, glycerophosphoryl lipids and sphingolipids are among the species studied. Most of the 50 compounds measured as single species gave M + H as base peak, some associated ions, and fragment ions which became increasingly significant at higher anode temperatures. Problems encountered include interference from organic impurities and alkali metal ions, poor reproducibility of minor ions due to low ion collection rates and potential confusion in structrual assignments caused by reactions occurring on the anode prior to desorption. Various approaches to overcome these difficulties are discussed, and the potential of the field desorption technique for species specific analysis of naturally occurring phsopholipid mixtures is demonstrated by three examples.

Amniotic Fluid↗
PubMed1977

Effect of valine on propionate metabolism in control and hyperglycinemic fibroblasts and in rat liver.

Measurement of methylmalonyl-CoA mutase and propionyl-CoA carboxylase activities in lysates from fibroblasts derived from control, nonketotic hyperglycinemia, propionic acidemia, and both vitamin B12-responsive and -nonresponsive variants of methylmalonic acidemia showed only one abnormality: a 59% decrease in carboxylase activity in the nonketotic hyperglycinemic lysates (P less than 0.01). When fibroblasts from all cell types were grown on valine-supplemented (24 mM) media, mutase activity was generally inhibited. As for carboxylase activity, control lines were inhibited 35% as compared to controls without valine and propionic acidemia activity was undetectable. On the other hand, carboxylase activity in both methylmalonic acidemia variants was increased 40% and nonketotic hyperglycinemia carboxylase activity was increased 80% (P less than 0.01) when grown on valine-supplemented media. Isoleucine could not substitute for valine in producing increased carboxylase activity in these mutants. Glycine cleavage activity in fresh rat liver homogenates (11.1 micronmol/gm protein/90 min) did not vary significantly when 24 mM valine was added to the reaction (9.9 micronmol/mg protein/90 min). Therefore, the hyperglycinemia observed in both ketotic and nonketotic forms is probably not caused by a direct effect of valine on the glycine cleavage reaction. These data suggest that the presence of increased amounts of propionic acid in serum or urine does not necessarily rule out the possibility of nonketotic hyperglycinemia due to the decreased activity of the carboxylase enzyme.

Carboxy-Lyases↗
PubMed1977

Detection of errors in methylmalonyl-CoA metabolism by using amniotic fluid.

We report a method for rapid prenatal detection of methylmalonic acidemia, consisting of measuring methylmalonly-CoA mutase (EC 5.4.99.2) activity in non-cultured amniotic cells and measuring the concentration of methylmalonate in the amniotic fluid. Immediate stabilization of the mutase activity in the non-cultured amniotic cell by its coenzyme adenosycobalamin, and use of methylmalonyl-CoA with high specific activity gives mutase activity comparable to that of cultured amniotic cells or normal fibroblasts. Consequently, findings of low mutase activity and a hight concentration of methylmalonate in the amniotic fluid allows accurate diagnosis of the vitamin B12-nonresponsive form of methylmalonic acidemia. These results can be obtained in two days. For the vitamin B12-responsive form, the correct diagnosis depends upon finding amniotic fluid methylmalonate, because cells from these patients will display normal methylmalony-CoA mutase activity after adenosylcobalamin is added. Problems in interpreting data on bloody samples and the limitations of the method are discussed.

Amniotic Fluid↗