Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to H S Kohli.
Subcutaneous phaeohyphomycosis caused by dematiaceous fungi has rarely been described in immunocompromised patients. We report a case of subcutaneous infection caused by Phialophora parasitica in a renal transplant recipient. The role of early identification of the offending fungal species followed by a wide local excision in the management of such patients has been discussed.
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Following concern about long waiting times, a survey was carried out in the Accident and Emergency (A&E) department of Monklands District General Hospital over 5 consecutive days to investigate factors related to the bypassing of general practitioners (GPs) by 'self-referred' patients and inappropriate use of the department. Two hundred and forty-five (90.7%) of 270 non-emergency patients who attended the department during GP surgery hours completed a self-administered questionnaire. Variables measured included recent use of health services, perceptions of the GP service and the A&E service and reasons for bypassing the GP. Of the 245 patients, 49 (20%) were defined as inappropriate and 152 (62%) were self-referred. Self-referred patients were no more likely to use the A&E department inappropriately than those who were referred.
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Thirty-one infants and children with acute failure were treated with peritoneal dialysis using a surgically placed Tenckhoff catheter. In 10 patients a peritoneal dialysis cycler was used, and 21 were dialyzed by the manual method. Initially, hourly exchanges were given for 24 to 48 h and, as the patients stabilized, 10 exchanges per day at 1-h intervals were given. The mean stabilization period was 36 +/- 8 h. The predialysis mean serum creatinine was 5.8 +/- 1.8 mg% and the serum creatinine while on daily dialysis was 2.8 +/- 1.1 mg%. Peritoneal dialysis succeeded in controlling metabolic abnormalities and improving fluid balance. All the catheters except one functioned immediately following insertion. Median duration of catheter placement for dialysis was 18 days (range 2 to 90). The incidence of peritonitis was 12.8%, and exit site infection was 6.4%. The infection rate was decreased when a cycler was used compared with the manual method (23.8% vs. 10.0%), though not statistically significant. Two patients developed hypothermia while being dialyzed via the manual method. To conclude, 10 daily peritoneal dialysis exchanges performed at 1-h intervals after initial stabilization using a surgically placed Tenckhoff catheter is an effective and safe mode of dialytic therapy for children with acute renal failure. Complications (infection and hypothermia) are reduced with the use of a cycler.
The National Breast Screening Programme in Lanarkshire utilises a mobile screening unit to facilitate access for the catchment population. However, women who require further investigation (8% of the total) have to travel to a regional Assessment Centre in Glasgow. This Centre in Glasgow may be difficult to access by some Lanarkshire residents, especially those who need to use public transport. The objective of this study was to assess the accessibility of the Assessment Centre for a Breast Screening Programme in terms of travelling and social cost. This study was based on systematic samples of patients (n = 109) attending the Assessment Centre in a 12 month period, using a self-completion questionnaire. The sample formed 11.9% of attenders. The cost of attending the Centre is high because of the long distance (average return journey 21.5 miles, range 14-46 miles), long travel time (mean 1.73 hours, range 0.5 to 5.5 hours), multiple journeys (2-6 journeys) and high actual cost (mean 6.08 pounds, range 1 pound to 14.40 pounds). Regional Assessment Centres are necessary to maintain the appropriate level of expertise and quality of the Programme, but Assessment Centres should be sensitive to, and monitor the difficulties faced by women in attending. More generally, costs to patients to obtain a service are not usually taken into account by the service providers. Purchasers of health services should take a societal standpoint when assessing the cost effectiveness of services so that it is not at the expense of individual patients.
In October 1990 there was a severe outbreak of Escherichia coli O157 in two psychogeriatric wards of a large psychiatric hospital in Lanarkshire. There were 11 cases (eight patients and three staff), of whom four died (all patients). Two cases, one staff and one patient (the likely index case) were identified serologically after the outbreak was over. E. coli O157 was not cultured from any food, water or milk samples, and the evidence suggests that the index case had eaten food brought into the hospital. The results also suggest that the incubation period of the organism may be longer than is currently recognized, particularly for person-to-person spread. A Fatal Accident Inquiry was held into the deaths, and the Sheriff's Determination is discussed together with the implications of the results for infection control procedures.
Forty renal transplant recipients were subjected to 99m Technicium Diethylene triamine pentacetic acid (DTPA)scans at regular intervals & whenever there was suspection of rejection. Serial scans of a group of 15 recipients from immediate post transplant period till withdrawal of cyclosporine were analysed separately & the results compared to with single scan analysis. The sensitivity & specificity of DTPA scan in the absence of acute tubular necrosis (ATN) was 94.1% & 87.5%, while the positive & negative predictive values were 88.8 & 93.3% respectively. Sensitivity & specificity of serial scan analysis (88.8% and 75%) in early post transplant period was higher than that of interpretation of single scan (75% & 66%). Serial scan changes predated clinical rejection during cyclosporine withdrawal period. We conclude that DTPA scan is both a sensitive & specific non-invasive diagnostic marker of acute rejection in absence of ATN & serial scans during early post transplant period & at the time of cyclosporine withdrawal are helpful in detecting the rejection accurately & at the earliest.
Fifty two children (upto 12 years age) with acute renal failure (ARF) admitted to the Nephrology services between January, 1989 to August, 1992 were studied to determine the cause and outcome. Of these, 39 were boys and 13 girls; 27 (51.9%) patients were below 4 years of age. Hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) was the commonest cause of ARF (30.8%) followed by acute tubular necrosis (ATN) in 28.84% and acute glomerulonephritis in 19.23%. All patients had severe renal involvement with anuria in 53.6% and oliguria in 46.4% at presentation. HUS was the leading cause of anuria (53.6%), followed by obstructive uropathy (21.4%). Thirty five patients required dialytic support for a median duration of 18 days (2-90 days). The mortality was 34.6%. Seven patients of HUS, 4 patients of ARF following surgery, 3 patients each of ATN and glomerulonephritis and one patient of obstructive uropathy died. Anuria at onset, central nervous system or respiratory complications and delay in institution of dialytic support were bad prognostic factors. We conclude that early referral and prompt institution of dialytic support may be helpful in decreasing the mortality.
The changing spectrum of acute renal failure (ARF), in children has necessitated the support by peritoneal dialysis (PD) for a longer duration. Use of permanent catheters like Tenckhoff catheter can overcome many of the problems associated with the prolonged use of temporary catheters. Thirty one infants and children with mean (SD) age of 49.3(39.4) months were subjected to PD using surgically placed Tenckhoff catheter. Catheters were put under general anesthesia in 28 patients and under local anesthesia in 3 patients. The technique of catheter insertion has been described in detail. All the catheters, except one, functioned immediately after the insertion. There was no intraperitoneal hemorrhage, dialysate leak or poor catheter drainage. The mean (SD) duration of catheter placement for PD was 11.3 (16.1) days (range 2.90 days). There were 6 episodes of infections (19.2%), peritonitis in 4 (12.8%) and exit site infection in 2 (6.4%). In 2 patients, infection episodes did not respond to antibiotics and the catheter had to be removed. There was no mortality due to complications of PD procedure and catheter insertion. Acute intermittent PD using surgically placed Tenckoff catheter was done safely for prolonged duration and also had additional advantages of good catheter drainage and no intraperitoneal hemorrhage.
A total of 139 patients with acute renal failure (ARF) were studied, of which 41 (29.4%) were elderly with mean age of 67.1 years and 98 (70.6%) were younger with mean age of 32.3 years. Surgical causes accounted for 65% of geriatric ARF while medical causes were predominant in the younger patients (55.1%). Amongst the surgical causes, prostate-related problems due to obstruction or following transurethral resection of prostate were seen in 20 patients (74%). Drugs and sepsis were the predominant causes of medical ARF in the geriatric patients (85.7%). Of all the causes of geriatric ARF, which included both medical and surgical, nephrotoxic drugs either alone or in combination with other predisposing factors were the cause in 22 (51%) patients. Haemodialysis was needed in 15 of geriatric (36.6%) and 64 of younger (65.3%) ARF patients. Recovery from ARF, as evidenced by normalization of serum creatinine, was delayed in the elderly as compared to the younger patients (32.0 versus 11.4 days, P < 0.001). Mortality, though higher in the elderly as compared to the younger patients, was not significantly different (9.75% versus 6.1%).
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The accuracy of recording of data on SMR1 forms was reviewed for gastrointestinal diagnoses in the Greater Glasgow Health Board area and compared to previous studies. A total of 778 cases from 1987 formed the study sample and 761 (96.9%) were available for review. Recording on the SMR1 appears to have improved since 1971 and there were relatively few errors in the basic details. The crude agreement between DG1C data (primary diagnosis) and the casenote diagnosis was 560/761 (73.6%) with a Kappa statistic of 0.67. Agreement about the presence of arthritis (as a co-diagnosis) was poor so that uncritical use of SMR1 data might lead to serious underestimation of resource measures, such as length of stay, for patients with significant arthritis in addition to a gastrointestinal problem. In these data patients with arthritis found on casenote review and not recorded on the SMR1 had mean lengths of stay between 61% and 70% greater than patients without any evidence of significant arthritis.
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A self-completion questionnaire survey of 385 Asian and white schoolchildren, aged 13 to 16 years, was conducted at three Glasgow schools, and a number of health and social issues were studied. The aims of this study included not only the provision of baseline data on smoking and drinking, and general health and social issues among schoolchildren, but was also to examine the implications for health education and health services. The response rate was 362/385 (94%) and important differences were observed between the two groups. In particular, Asians were less likely to smoke or drink, and their attitudes towards these drugs were, broadly, negative. However, it is emphasised that the Asian community in Britain is heterogeneous and the data from Glasgow cannot be mechanistically extrapolated to other Asian communities in Britain. The results of the study provided information on the beliefs, attitudes and behaviour of Glasgow schoolchildren and gave new data on their drinking and smoking habits, especially of Asians. Health education needs to take into account ethnic differences among schoolchildren as part of a broad, materialist approach rather than an individual-based behaviouralist approach to health education.
The Acheson Report highlights confusion about responsibilities and the poor communication in the control of communicable disease. There is evidence that printed sources of information appear high in the list of reported use of information sources by doctors, although health professionals appear to make poor use of them. This interview survey, conducted by telephone, ascertained the views of 83 recipients of the Fife Community Health Report (CHR) -a monthly communicable disease/environmental health newsletter for community and primary care health staff working in Fife. The 83 individuals interviewed were representing their practice or group of health staff so that the consensus of each group was being sought in the interview. The response rate was 100 per cent and 95 per cent of the respondents stated that all the members of their practice or group read the CHR. Ninety per cent thought the CHR was relevant to their work, and 64 per cent filed it for future reference. However, criticisms were made about the quality of printing. As a result of the survey, improvements have been initiated in the CHR, including the proposed use of desk top publishing (DTP) in its production. Furthermore, the survey has initiated proposals for a similar report in the Greater Glasgow Health Board.
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