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Biomedical subjects

G Taylor

Publications and source records attributed to G Taylor.

At least 289 records · Page 16Linked to original sources
PubMed1990

Surgical wound infections occurring in day surgery patients.

The occurrence of surgical wound infection in outpatient day surgery has not been extensively studied despite the increasing popularity of this mode of treatment. The present study was conducted to determine the frequency of surgical wound infections in a day surgery population. We randomly selected during a 6-month period 635 (25%) of 2540 patients undergoing a day surgery procedure in which a skin incision was made. The patients were telephoned 1 month after their procedure by an infection control practitioner. Infection was diagnosed if the patient reported that (1) their physician had made a diagnosis of a wound infection or (2) pus was or had been issuing from the wound. Of the 515 patients contacted, 72% had undergone a clean and 28% a clean-contaminated procedure. Patient risk factors for infection were almost completely absent in our day surgery patients. Twenty-six wound infections were diagnosed, 19 of which were identified by physicians' diagnosis and 7 by patient description, for a rate of 5.05%. Two patients required hospitalization for their infections, and 14 were treated with antibiotics. The clean wound infection rates were 4.62%, less than half the infection rate seen in our patients undergoing inpatient surgery at 1 month follow-up by the same surveillance technique. We conclude that day surgery infection rates are much lower than inpatient surgery infection rates at our facility, probably because of a relative absence of risk factors in the day surgery patients.

Ambulatory Surgical Procedures↗
PubMed1990

Effect of surgeon's diagnosis on surgical wound infection rates.

To determine the impact of a surgeon's diagnosis of surgical wound infections on infection rates, during a 6-month period we prospectively examined patients undergoing surgical wound surveillance for any of four services (orthopedic surgery, general surgery, neurosurgery, or cardiovascular surgery). Criteria were judged as standardized if the infection control practitioner observed pus, redness, or drainage associated with positive culture or if a diagnosis of deep-seated infection was made. Surgeon's diagnosis was judged as a nonstandardized criterion. Using the Centers for Disease Control's criteria, we identified 113 surgical wound infections in 3024 patients undergoing surgical procedures in the four services. Of these, 95 (84%) met objective criteria (pus observed in 53%; drainage, redness, and positive culture in 20%; and deep-seated infection in 11%). In 18 patients (16%), the nonstandardized criterion alone was used for diagnosis. There was wide variation in use of the nonstandardized criterion, ranging from 5% of orthopedic infections to 21% of cardiovascular surgery infections and 40% of neurosurgical infections. For individual surgeons with at least one wound infection, the range of surgeon's diagnosis was up to 67%. We conclude that a surgeon's diagnosis can have a major impact on surgical wound infection rates; this impact is not borne equally among surgical services or individual surgeons.

Alberta↗
PubMed1990

Differential effects of anesthetic regimens on gentamicin pharmacokinetics in the rat: a comparison with chronically catheterized conscious animals.

The intravenous disposition of gentamicin was compared in the conscious chronically catheterized rat with that in rats anesthetized using five injectable laboratory anesthetics. Gentamicin plasma clearance in the conscious rat was significantly higher than in animals anesthetized with urethane, fentanyl/fluanisone/midazolam, pentobarbitone, or ketamine/midazolam but similar to that in rats anesthetized with alphaxolone/alphadolone. Urethane anaesthesia resulted in a significantly lower gentamicin clearance than in all other groups. Gentamicin clearance in rats anesthetized with alphaxolone/alphadolone was significantly higher than in rats anesthetized with either fentanyl/fluanisone/midazolam or urethane. No significant differences in the volume of distribution of gentamicin were observed between any of the groups studied, either anesthetized or conscious. Carboxyinulin blood clearance in the conscious group was significantly higher than that with urethane, fentanyl/fluanisone/midazolam, pentobarbitone, or ketamine/midazolam but not significantly different from alphaxolone/alphadolone-anesthetized animals. The differences in carboxyinulin clearance were noted to be proportional to the differences in gentamicin clearance (r2 = 0.98). These results demonstrate that the choice of anesthetic used in laboratory pharmacokinetic studies is important. Gentamicin clearance was higher in conscious than anesthetized rats, and it may be prudent to use chronically catheterized animals in pharmacokinetic studies.

Anesthetics↗
PubMed1990

Gallium-67 as a potential marker for aluminium transport in rat brain: implications for Alzheimer's disease.

Evidence of a link between aluminium and Alzheimer's disease, parkinsonism-dementia of Guam, and dialysis encephalopathy raises questions regarding the role of this element in the pathogenesis of these conditions. Therefore, we have investigated the use of gallium-67 (67Ga) as a marker for brain uptake of aluminium. The binding of 67Ga to plasma proteins has been studied, and the blood-brain barrier permeability and autoradiographic distribution of this isotope in rat brain determined in vivo. The autoradiographic distribution of 125I-Fe-transferrin receptors in rat brain has also been determined in vitro. Results show that 67Ga was bound to plasma transferrin, entered the brain with a blood-brain barrier permeability of 2.48 x 10(-6) ml/min/g, and showed a marked regional distribution that was very similar to that of 125I-Fe-transferrin receptors. Our data suggest that the vulnerability of the hippocampus, amygdala, and cerebral cortex in conditions such as those mentioned above may be partly due to an increased uptake and deposition of aluminium in these regions by the iron transport system.

Aluminum↗
PubMed1990

Differential influence of laboratory anaesthetic regimens upon renal and hepatosplanchnic haemodynamics in the rat.

Renal blood flow in rats anaesthetized with the combination alphaxolone/alphadolone (3.90 mL min-1 (g tissue)-1) was significantly (P less than 0.05) greater than in rats anaesthetized with ketamine midazolam (3.24 mL min-1 (g tissue)-1, pentobarbitone (3.19 mL min-1 (g tissue)-1), fentanyl/fluanisone midazolam (2.84 mL min-1 (g tissue)-1) or urethane (1.99 mL min-1 (g tissue)-1). Renal blood flow in the urethane anaesthetized rats was significantly (P less than 0.05) lower than in animals anaesthetized with the other anaesthetic regimens, and is consistent with literature reports of a depressive effect of urethane anaesthesia upon xenobiotic renal clearance in the rat. Hepatosplanchnic blood flow was highest in the alphaxolone/alphadolone anaesthetized animals (71.7 mL min-1 kg-1), with the urethane anaesthetized animals demonstrating a significantly (P less than 0.05) lower (33.4 mL min-1 kg-1) blood flow. The fentanyl fluanisone/midazolam (65.4 mL min-1 kg-1), pentobarbitone (61.1 mL min-1 kg-1), and ketamine/midazolam (51.4 mL min-1 kg-1) regimens resulted in hepatosplanchnic blood flows of intermediate magnitude. The observed marked differential effects of the anaesthetic regimens upon renal and hepatosplanchnic blood flows may dramatically influence drug disposition in the experimental animal, and be of significance to laboratory pharmacokinetic studies in which anaesthesia is used.

Anesthetics↗
PubMed1990

Effect of bacterial products on neutrophil migration in vitro.

Chronic bronchial inflammation is associated with migration of large numbers of granulocytes into the bronchial tree. A study was designed to find out whether products of bacteria commonly isolated in chronic bronchial infection stimulate neutrophil migration in vitro. Neutrophils from healthy donors were studied by a modified Boyden chamber technique. Bacterial culture filtrates stimulated neutrophil migration over a wide dilution range and the chemotactic activity was heat stable. Culture filtrates derived from Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Streptococcus pneumoniae, and Haemophilus influenzae were significantly chemokinetic and directionally chemotactic, whereas filtrates from Staphylococcus aureus were only chemotactic. Gel filtration of S aureus and P aeruginosa culture filtrates yielded high, medium, and low molecular weight fractions showing chemotactic activity. S pneumoniae and H influenzae yielded fractions with only low molecular weight chemotactic activity. Neutrophil chemotactic responses, occurring in response to all bacterial species tested, appear to represent a defence mechanism by the host. Chemoattractant activity may, however, contribute to bronchial damage mediated by products released from continuously attracted, activated neutrophils.

Bacteria↗
PubMed1990

Partitioning of oxaminiquine into brain tissue following intravenous administration to female Wistar rats.

Brain and plasma concentrations of oxaminiquine were determined following intravenous dosing (15 mg kg-1) in female Wistar rats. Maximum brain concentrations were achieved one hour after dosing and at all sampling times oxamniquine levels were higher in brain tissues compared to the corresponding plasma samples. It is concluded that the reported adverse neurological effects associated with the clinical use of oxaminiquine in man may be due to the passage of sufficiently large quantities of this drug into the CNS.

Animals↗
PubMed1990

A study of HTLV-I and its associated risk factors in Trinidad and Tobago.

Seroprevalence of human T-lymphotropic virus type 1 (HTLV-I) among a sample of persons selected from a government register of businesses in Trinidad was 3.2% in 1,025 persons of African descent compared to 0.2% among 487 persons of Asian descent and 0% among 46 persons of European-descent. In Tobago, from a coastal village, among persons of African ancestry ascertained as part of a cardiovascular survey, the rate was 11.4%, which was significantly higher when corrected for age and race than the rate in Trinidad. The seroprevalence rate of antibodies to hepatitis A and B was also significantly elevated in Tobago compared to Trinidad. HTLV-I seroprevalence rates were higher in females than males while hepatitis A and B rates were not significantly different in the two sexes. For males, age was a significant determinant of HTLV-I seropositivity, while for females, age, markers of poor sanitation, and hepatitis B were each independently linked to HTLV-I seropositivity. The frequent occurrence of multiple infectious exposures in persons of lower socioeconomic circumstances in this tropical environment may result in immune activation that heightens susceptibility to HTLV-I infection.

Adult↗
PubMed1990

Endoscopic ultrasonography.

Endoscopic ultrasonography is a new and interesting technique. It is the only imaging technique that provides images of the gastrointestinal wall. Because of the high frequency used in EUS, it may provide high resolution images of gastrointestinal organs such as the pancreas. Although the equipment used for EUS is similar to that used for more familiar diagnostic and therapeutic endoscopic procedures, there are substantial differences as well. The EUS procedure is more complex and difficult than many standard endoscopic procedures, and it requires close cooperation between the endoscopist, nurse and the patient. Despite the cost and difficulties of establishing this procedure in an endoscopy unit, EUS offers considerable promise as a new method of investigation.

Endoscopes↗
PubMed1990

Practical aspects of mammographic-pathological correlation: experience with needle localization.

Preoperative mammographic needle localization of a lesion and specimen radiography facilitate accurate excisional biopsy of a nonpalpable breast lesion. The pathological diagnosis must be correlated with the mammographic indication for biopsy to ensure optimal patient care. We describe our approach to pathological correlation and outline the practical aspects and potential pitfalls of our practice. Optimal mammographic-pathological correlation requires cooperation between radiologist, surgeon and pathologist.

Adult↗
PubMed1990

The work of a lipid clinic: an audit of performance.

An audit of the work of a lipid clinic revealed the need to promote awareness of the problem of hypercholesterolaemia, particularly among the ethnic minority groups. Significant reductions in serum lipid levels and blood pressure were achieved, though target levels were reached in only 40 per cent of patients. Efforts to encourage weight reduction among the obese and to discourage smoking had limited success. The establishment of a lipid clinic ensures ready access to paramedical advice and permits effective treatment of hyperlipidaemia and other coronary risk factors. Such a service costs approximately 500 pounds per patients per year.

England↗
PubMed1989

DNA fingerprinting.

Explore the source record for details and available documents.

Forensic Medicine↗
PubMed1989

The influence of liposomal encapsulation on sodium cromoglycate pharmacokinetics in man.

The pharmacokinetics of pulmonary-administered sodium cromoglycate (SCG) has been studied in five healthy volunteers. SCG, 20 mg, was inhaled as a solution and encapsulated in dipalmitoyl phosphatidylcholine/cholesterol (1:1) liposomes. Liposomal SCG produced detectable drug levels in plasma from four volunteers taken 24 and 25 hr after inhalation. Inhaled SCG solution, although producing peak plasma levels more than sevenfold greater than liposomal drug, was not detectable in 24-hr samples from any volunteer. The decline in plasma levels following inhalation of liposomal SCG (reflecting the absorption phase) was best described by a biexponential equation. The two absorption rate constants differed by more than an order of magnitude. The rapid absorption phase was probably due to free or surface-adsorbed SCG in the liposomal formulation, since the absorption rate constant for this phase did not differ significantly from the absorption rate constant for SCG in solution. The phase of slow drug absorption may then be attributed to absorption of drug released from vesicles. The data indicate that encapsulation of SCG prior to pulmonary administration prolonged drug retention within the lungs and altered its pharmacokinetics.

1,2-Dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine↗
PubMed1989

Effect of pyocyanin and 1-hydroxyphenazine on in vivo tracheal mucus velocity.

Products of the bacterium Pseudomonas aeruginosa have been shown to slow the beating of human respiratory tract cilia in vitro. We have tested the effects of two of these compounds, pyocyanin and 1-hydroxyphenazine (given as a bolus dose dissolved in 2 microliters Ringer solution), on tracheal mucus velocity of radiolabeled erythrocytes in anesthetized guinea pigs. 1-Hydroxyphenazine (200 ng) caused a rapid slowing of tracheal mucus velocity (maximum fall 47% at 20 min) with recovery by 1 h. The effect of pyocyanin was slower in onset, 600 ng causing 60% reduction in tracheal mucus velocity at 3 h, and no recovery occurred. A combination of pyocyanin and 1-hydroxyphenazine produced an initial rapid slowing equivalent to the same dose of 1-hydroxyphenazine given alone, but the later slowing attributed to pyocyanin was greater than the same dose administered alone. This study demonstrates one mechanism by which products of P. aeruginosa may facilitate its colonization of the respiratory tract.

Animals↗