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Biomedical subjects

G R Scott

Publications and source records attributed to G R Scott.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1997

Trends in survival of HIV infected patients attending the Department of Genito-Urinary Medicine, Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh.

In the early 1980s, median survival for patients with the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) was only 11 months. Survival improved in the mid-1980s, reaching a median of 20 months. We have looked at the trends in survival of patients attending the Genito-urinary Medicine Department of Edinburgh Royal Infirmary between 1984 and 1996. Patients with an AIDS diagnosis between 1988 and 1991 had a median survival of 28 months, whereas patients given an AIDS diagnosis between 1992 and 1996 had a median survival of only 15 months (p = 0.01). However, survival from the point at which the CD4 lymphocyte count fell below 200 (CD4 200) remained unchanged. Patients diagnosed as AIDS after 1992 were more likely to have received prophylaxis against Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia or anti-retroviral therapy prior to an AIDS diagnosis. This may have resulted in the postponement of an AIDS defining diagnosis until the patients were more severely immuno-compromised, but has conferred no overall survival benefit.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗
PubMed1996

Natural transmission of orf virus from clinically normal ewes to orf-naive sheep.

The apparent natural transmission of orf virus from clinically normal ewes to susceptible sheep was observed during a border disease vaccine experiment. The 14 susceptible sheep were persistently infected with border disease virus and had been reared indoors in isolation from other sheep since birth. Their ages ranged from two to four years and they were housed in two groups; group 1 consisted of four sheep persistently infected with the Moredun strain of border disease virus and group 2 consisted of 10 sheep persistently infected with the Oban strain of the virus. On day 0, six sheep were removed from group 2 and rehoused. To the remaining four sheep in each group were added eight four- to six-year-old pregnant conventionally reared ewes at 48 days gestation. Fourteen days later the four sheep in group 1 were moved to another pen housing eight similar five-year-old pregnant ewes at 48 days' gestation, and the four sheep from group 2 were rehoused with their original stallmates. Twenty-one days later lip lesions typical of orf were first observed on the sheep from both groups and the disease spread to all the sheep persistently infected with border disease virus over the next four weeks. Virological and serological evidence demonstrated that the source of infection for the sheep was almost certainly the conventionally reared ewes, on which no lesions resembling orf were observed at any time during the study.

Animals↗
PubMed1996

Microbiological research at the Centre for Tropical Veterinary Medicine (CTVM).

The nature of the research carried out by the staff of the Microbiology Section of the Centre for Tropical Veterinary Medicine (CTVM) at home and abroad is illustrated by precis of projects on rinderpest, orf in goats and sheep, bovine dermatophilosis, contagious caprine pleuropneumonia, tick-borne fever in goats and sheep, bovine petechial fever, and caprine cowdriosis.

Animals↗
PubMed1996

Technology transfer in tropical animal health and production at the Centre for Tropical Veterinary Medicine (CTVM).

Although this is an edition of the Journal celebrating the 25th anniversary of the Centre for Tropical Veterinary Medicine (CTVM), tropical veterinary medicine has been taught at the Edinburgh Veterinary School for 65 years. During that time the emphasis has changed from the training solely of British veterinarians for work in the tropics to training both veterinarians and those from other disciplines from the tropics and subtropics. As a result CTVM graduates now work in most countries of the world in many different roles. The CTVM was formed 25 years ago to meet the increased demand for inservice postgraduate training for veterinarians from tropical countries. These 25 years have seen considerable changes in the training programmes offered by the CTVM to meet the developing needs of these countries. During this period the original DTVM course has been replaced by five MSc courses some of which are open to non veterinarians. The profile of the students attending these courses has constantly changed with the result that more than 1,100 students from 108 countries have attended during the 25 year period. The courses are constantly developing and now most are offered in modular form, one is available as a bilingual course (English/French) and some modules can be taught as "turnkey" courses in tropical countries. The links with research workers at the CTVM and those in the Edinburgh Centre of Rural Research (ECRR) have ensured that teaching programmes have been and continue to be relevant to current needs. In addition the CTVM graduates have proved to be a successful way of channelling research findings from these programmes to the tropics. The CTVM has provided a unique environment 55 degrees N of the equator where veterinarians and others interested in animal production and health from six continents can have access to up-to-date information and to exchange ideas with each other. Many subsequently return for refresher courses or just to renew old acquaintances.

Animal Husbandry↗
PubMed1994

Lymphocyte proliferative responses and the occurrence of dermatophilosis in cattle naturally infested with Amblyomma variegatum.

The proliferative response of lymphocytes from tick-infested Zebu type, N'Dama and Friesian cattle and acaricide-treated Zebu types and Friesians in concanavalin A (Con A) stimulated cultures was monitored regularly for periods ranging from 11 to 27 months. The numbers of ticks on the animals and the presence of dermatophilosis were also noted. The Friesian cattle carried most and the N'Dama fewest Amblyomma variegatum ticks. The tick-infested Friesians all developed severe clinical dermatophilosis within 5 months of becoming tick-infested. Dermatophilosis lesions on the tick-infested Zebu type and N'Dama cattle were less common and less severe especially in the N'Damas. The proliferative response of lymphocytes from tick-infested Friesians in Con A stimulated cultures fell to almost half that of the acaricide-treated Friesians soon after the former became tick-infested. The tick-infested Zebu types also developed a depressed response compared with the tick-free Zebu group over a 27 month study period. However, the responses of the N'Damas was similar to that of the tick-free Zebu types. The addition of autologous serum to Con A stimulated cultures of lymphocytes derived from the tick-infested Zebu types and N'Damas suppressed their proliferative response compared with that of similar cultures for the tick-free Zebu types.

Actinomycetales Infections↗
PubMed1994

Sequential pathology of tick-borne fever.

The sequential pathology and clinical responses of 12 sheep infected with the Sourhope strain of Cytoecetes phagocytophila are described. During the experimental period of 3 weeks, the clinical effects were mild, as is usual. There was transient leucopenia, affecting mainly lymphocytes, eosinophils and neutrophils. Parasitaemia was detected from days 5 to 16, approximately. A mild but consistent histopathological response up to day 21 comprised (i) pulmonary alveolitis with minimal shedding of cells, (ii) follicular and especially parafollicular lymphoreticular reactions in lymph nodes and spleen, (iii) mesangial glomerulitis, and (iv) in the cranial nervous system marked choroiditis but minimal reaction in the brain. Two forms of intracytoplasmic inclusions were found, a smaller, granular basophilic structure occurring in clumps and an intravacuolar pleomorphic form. In tissue sections they were mainly associated with lymphoid and macrophagic cells. The significance of these findings is discussed including the problems of differential diagnosis in complex infections.

Animals↗
PubMed1994

Viral haemagglutination of glutaraldehyde-fixed sheep erythrocytes.

Sheep erythrocytes stabilized by treatment with glutaraldehyde were used successfully in haemagglutination tests with Newcastle disease, and equine influenza viruses. The fixation enabled storage of the cells for at least 21 days without altering their agglutinable properties. Stability was best when the cells were stored at -114 degrees C in the vapour phase of liquid nitrogen.

Animals↗
PubMed1993

Efficacy of epidural anesthesia in free flaps to the lower extremity.

Epidural anesthesia is an effective means of providing pain control and chemical sympathectomy at the spinal nerve root level. The purpose of this study is to compare the efficacy of the combination of epidural and general anesthesia to general anesthesia alone in patients undergoing free flaps to the lower extremity. A retrospective review of 35 consecutive patients (36 operations) from November of 1988 to November of 1990 undergoing free tissue transfer to the lower extremity was undertaken. Sixteen patients had epidural and general anesthesia, and 19 (20 operations) had general anesthesia alone. There were no significant differences in the age or sex of the patients, the distribution between acute and chronic wounds, or the number of cigarette smokers in the two groups. There were no flap losses in the epidural group (100 percent success) and one major, but nonmicrovascular complication (6 percent). In the nonepidural group, there were one flap loss (95 percent success) and five major complications (25 percent). These included three microvascular complications (15 percent). There were significantly fewer patients with postoperative atelectatic fevers in the epidural group versus the nonepidural group. In this consecutive series of patients, epidural supplementation of general anesthesia for free flaps to the lower extremity was associated with uniformly successful flap survival and a lower rate of microvascular complications compared to general anesthesia alone.

Adult↗
PubMed1993

The association between HIV media campaigns and number of patients coming forward for HIV antibody testing.

AIM: To assess the relationship between national and local media campaigns with respect to the number of patients requesting HIV antibody tests as a surrogate marker of the effectiveness of different campaign strategies. METHODS: Analysis by month of the numbers of HIV tests performed in the regional genitourinary (GUM) clinic for Lothian over a 5 year period and in the whole of Lothian Region, Scotland over a 3 year period. Changes in testing rates were monitored with respect to media campaigns over the same time period. RESULTS: Television based media campaigns produced the greatest increase in testing rates (average 46% increase over 2 months) compared with newspapers and poster campaigns (average 6% increase over 2 months). Regional HIV testing rates correlated significantly with GUM clinic testing rates. No increase in positive HIV tests was seen following media campaigns. CONCLUSIONS: Using HIV testing rates as a surrogate marker, television based media campaigns appear to be the most effective way of increasing awareness of HIV. The effect of media campaigns is short-lived indicating a need for constant reminder of the dangers of HIV infection. The increase in HIV testing occurs largely in the "worried well" with few additional HIV positive patients being identified.

AIDS Serodiagnosis↗
PubMed1993

Condylomata acuminata in pre-pubertal children.

The medico-legal significance of anogenital warts as a marker of sexual abuse in children is unclear. This review article presents three case reports and discusses the possible modes of transmission of papilloma virus in children. Although genital warts can indicate sexual abuse, non-sexual transmission may also occur.

Child↗
PubMed1993

Trichomonas vaginalis infection in pre-pubertal girls.

This short paper discusses the implications of Trichomonas vaginalis infection of the genital tract in children with respect to suspected child abuse. Two case reports are described to illustrate the problems that can arise in the investigation of such cases T. vaginalis is usually transmitted sexually but the potential for non-sexual transmission does exist.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1992

Palatine torus in the Greenlandic Norse.

Physical anthropologists have long been intrigued by the distinctive oral tori expressed by the medieval Norse populations of Iceland and Greenland. To assess the temporal and spatial variation of one form of oral tori, palatine torus, observations were made on all available Greenlandic Norse skeletons, as well as on samples of medieval Icelanders and Norwegians. In terms of temporal variation, 12th to 14th century (medieval) Greenlanders from the Eastern and Western settlements exhibited higher frequencies and more pronounced expressions of palatine torus compared with early 11th century Greenlanders. The early Greenlandic sample closely approximated the medieval Icelandic and Norwegian samples for total torus frequency, although the Norwegians exhibited the trait to a less pronounced degree. As degree of expression is the most distinctive aspect of torus variation among the Norse, some combination of environmental factors, including increased masticatory stress and chronic undernutrition, probably accounts for most of the difference between settlement period and medieval Greenlanders. Although palatine torus may be hereditary in part, environmental factors play a significant role in the expression of this trait.

Greenland↗
PubMed1992

Seasonal variation in gonorrhoea.

Seasonal variations in the incidence of gonorrhoea were observed in the 1970's with a peak in the third quarter of the year and a trough in the first and fourth quarters. The aim of this study was to determine what, if any, seasonal trends were present in Scotland and Lothian between 1984 and 1989 and postulate mechanisms to explain our observations. We observed a change in the previously reported pattern with regular peaks of infection in the first and third quarters of the year for Scotland but no regular trend in the Lothian region. The most likely explanation for the observed trends are changes in sexual behaviour related to summer vacations and seasonal work patterns but other unidentified factors probably also contribute.

Female↗
PubMed1992

Genital herpes: audit of cases referred by general practitioners to a department of genito-urinary medicine.

An audit was carried out of all cases of genital herpes referred by a general practitioner to a department of genito-urinary medicine from 1987-1990. Attention was paid as to whether or not the diagnosis had been made correctly and what drugs, if any, the patient had been prescribed. A total of 196 patients (78 men, 118 women) were eligible for study. GPs correctly diagnosed herpes in 32/78 (41%) of the men. Among the 46 who were not diagnosed, 12 were prescribed antibacterial drugs, three were prescribed antifungal cream, two were prescribed a combination of the above and three received miscellaneous non-antiviral agents. GPs correctly diagnosed 56/118 (47%) of the women. Sixty-two women were not diagnosed, of whom 17 were prescribed anti-bacterial drugs, 21 were prescribed antifungal cream, seven were prescribed a combination of these and six received miscellaneous non-antiviral agents. GPs appeared to have difficulty in diagnosing genital herpes in these patients, with the result of prescription of inappropriate and expensive medications.

Family Practice↗