Biomedical subjects
H W Merchant
Publications and source records attributed to H W Merchant.
Iontophoretic application of idoxuridine for recurrent herpes labialis: report of preliminary clinical trials.
In clinical trials on six patients the antiviral drug idoxuridine (Stoxil) was applied by anodal (+) iontophoresis to 14 recurrent herpes labialis lesions. Results were characterized by immediate relief of discomfort and swelling, rapid appearance and coalescence of vesicles, minimal or no spread of the lesions, and accelerated healing with minimal or no scab. These encouraging trials indicate that a full-scale, double-blind, controlled clinical study should be carried out to determine whether iontophoresis is the optimal method of applying idoxuridine to the surface lesions caused by herpesvirus.
Betamethasone-17-benzoate in the treatment of recurrent aphthous ulcers.
A double-blind study of the effectiveness of betamethasone-17-benzoate in the treatment of recurrent aphothous ulcers (RAU) was concucted. The drug was found to be effective in reducing symptoms and shortening healing time but not in preventing recurrences. Evaluation of the medical histories and laboratory studies suggests that multiple factors may be involved in the etiology of RAU, as reported by others.
Clubbed fingers: indicators of serious disease.
Clubbed fingers were noted by a dentist in a woman patient having respiratory symptoms. He referred her to a physician to be examined for pulmonary disease. Bronchogenic carcinoma was diagnosed.
Personal preventive medicine: a need and a responsibility.
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Zinc sulfate supplementation for treatment of recurring oral ulcers.
Use of zinc sulfate in promotion of wound healing and in maintenance of epithelial integrity suggested its possible use in the treatment or prevention of recurrent oral ulcers. In a series of 32 patients with recurrent aphthous ulcers (RAU), serum zinc levels were observed. Seventeen patients, eight with initial serum zinc levels above 110microng/dl and nine with serum zinc levels below 110microng/dl, were provided zinc sulfate supplementation up to a total of 660 mg/day. All patients with initial serum zinc levels less than or equal to 110 microng/dl showed improvement; three of the eight patients with initial serum zinc levels above 110 microng/dl improved, five did not. Improvement consisted of 50% to 100% reduction in frequency of episodes. This suggests a combination of causes of RAU, one of which may be a local or general deficiency of zinc or a defect in metabolism, perhaps at the cellular level, related to zinc.
Oral gonococcal infection.
Oral ulcerative lesions may strongly resemble one another which can lead to erroneous assumptions in diagnosis. The importance of assembling all the pertinent facts including, at times, microscopic examination and bacterial cultures before instituting treatment is illustrated by this case report of an oral gonococcal infection.
Blood pressure measurement: problems and solutions.
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Course in personal preventive medicine.
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Letter: Economic pressures to promote self-care.
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Soft-palate pigmentation in lung disease, including cancer.
A study of patients in whom soft-palate pigmentation appeared to be associated with pulmonary disease has been reported. A significant number of these patients had diagnosed or suspected bronchogenic carcinoma. The possibility that this oral finding may be predictive of the presence of lung cancer, or of a high degree of probability of future development of lung cancer, indicates a need for additional investigation. At this point the evidence strongly suggests that when soft-palate pigmentation is seen in a patient with lung disease, cancer should be suspected until it is definitely ruled out. The paucity of patients in whom this sign is seen suggests the need for study by other investigators. ACTH levels should be evaluated, as should plasma zinc values, which have been demonstrated to decrease in lung cancer as well as other diseases. Following the patients prospectively certainly is indicated. In conjunction with the Department of Laboratory Medicine, limited initial additional investigations have been made of the carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) levels on three of the outpatients reported. These assays used the hemagglutination-inhibition technique and are limited to investigational use by the Food and Drug Administration. In this laboratory the normal CEA level is 5.2 +/- 1.6 ng./ml. Results in two patients with known chronic obstructive pulmonary disease were 5.5 and 5.6 ng./ml. The third patient with soft-palate pigmentation and an undiagnosed pulmonary problem had a CEA level of 10.2 ng./ml. She also had clubbing of the fingers. The senior author would be particularly interested in establishing a registry of similar cases observed by others.
Oral pigmentation associated with bronchogenic carcinoma.
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High blood pressure.
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Selection of patients for dental students.
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A practical medical history form and how to use it.
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Games, a strategy for learning.
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Choosing and using drugs in emergencies.
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Dentists co-operating in health care.
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