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Biomedical subjects

J A Day

Publications and source records attributed to J A Day.

18 recordsLinked to original sources

Mucormycosis in a patient with sarcoidosis.

Mucormycosis is a rare complication of sarcoidosis. We report only the third instance of mucormycosis occurring in a patient with sarcoidosis. Corticosteroid therapy, even short courses of less than one month duration, appears to be a major risk factor for the development of mucormycosis. Mucormycosis should be suspected upon the development of signs and symptoms of chronic sinusitis, necrotic nasal discharge, proptosis or periorbital edema. Mucormycosis is confirmed on routine hematoxylin and eosin stains by the identification of tissue invasion by the broad, aseptate mucor fungi. Prompt identification of the infection is essential to reduce morbidity and prevent mortality.

Adult

Spuriously high free thyroxine with the Amerlite MAB FT4 assay.

In the Amerlite MAB FT4 assay, as stated by the manufacturer, FT4 values should be normal in patients with anti-thyroid hormone autoantibodies. The case of a 69 year old woman with a spuriously high FT4 using the Amerlite MAB FT4 assay is reported. Laboratory investigations showed that her spurious FT4 result was likely to have been caused by anti-thyroid hormone autoantibodies.

Aged

Hemoptysis during sexual intercourse. Unusual manifestation of coronary artery disease.

Sexual activity increases physiologic demands on the cardiovascular system. A patient with stable angina pectoris experienced recurrent bouts of hemoptysis caused by left ventricular failure that occurred only during sexual activity. Severe atherosclerotic coronary vascular disease was confirmed by cardiac catheterization. The patient underwent successful coronary artery bypass grafting; nine months after surgery, he is sexually active and symptom-free.

Aged

Effect of massage on serum level of beta-endorphin and beta-lipotropin in healthy adults.

We conducted this study to evaluate the effect of massage on the levels of endogenous opiates in peripheral venous blood. The results were based on findings from 21 healthy, adult volunteers. After separation by sex, the volunteers were assigned randomly to either the Control Group (n = 11) that rested but received no massage or the Experimental Group (n = 10) that received a 30-minute complete back massage. We found no significant pretreatment or posttreatment difference in blood beta-endorphin or beta-lipotropin levels between the groups. The results indicate that massage did not change significantly the measured serum levels of beta-endorphin or beta-lipotropin in our healthy subjects without pain. A follow-up study using patients experiencing acute or chronic back pain is recommended. Massage is used routinely in the treatment of such patients, and endogenous opiates are recognized as a possible mechanism for pain relief.

Adult

Natural history of fever following seizure.

Generalized tonic-clonic seizure, like vigorous exercise, can cause a rise in body temperature. To describe the course of fever following a generalized seizure, the temperature curves of 93 hospitalized postictal patients were reviewed retrospectively. Forty patients (43%) had an elevation of body temperature above 37.8 degrees C (100 degrees F). No underlying infectious illness was identified in two thirds of the febrile patients, 89% of whom had become and remained afebrile by 48 hours. One third of the febrile patients who did have an infection were still febrile after 48 hours. This finding may help clinicians determine the timing of appropriate tests to rule out infections during the postictal period.

Adult

Graduate Record Examination Analytical scores as predictors of academic success in four entry-level master's degree physical therapy programs.

This study was conducted to determine the efficacy of the Graduate Record Examination-Analytical (GRE-A) score in predicting the final grade point averages (GPAs) of student in physical therapy education programs. Data from four entry-level master's degree physical therapy programs were analyzed using a step-wise multiple regression analysis procedure. The data were grouped to determine differences between the experimental and the newly revised formats of the GRE-A measure, in addition to any differences among programs. The GRE-A score was a significant (p less than .05) predictor of final GPA in some instances in two of the four programs, regardless of format. In two programs, the GRE-A score was not a statistically significant predictor, regardless of format or how scores were grouped. The GRE-A score was not as useful alone as when combined with other predictor variables such as preadmission overall GPA, sex, and race. Further research is needed with a larger sample of students to assess more thoroughly the newly revised format of the GRE-A measure.

Achievement

Beyond lecture and laboratory in the physical therapy classroom.

The purpose of this paper is to describe how two teaching models, the Inquiry Training Model and the Simulation Model, have been adapted for use in the physical therapy classroom. To help students synthesize the various physical therapy skills they were learning, variations of the Inquiry Training Model and the Simulation Model were used in addition to standard lectures and laboratories to teach the Evaluation Unit to junior level physical therapy students. The feedback obtained at the end of each class from both students and faculty members indicated that the learning experiences were considered both helpful and fun. This article summarizes the important components of the Inquiry Training Model and the Simulation Model. I recommend learning experiences based on these models to augment lecture and laboratory classes.

Feedback

Repeated gonorrhea: an analysis of importance and risk factors.

This study was designed to assess the epidemiological importance of repeated infections due to Neisseria gonorrhoeae and to analyze variables potentially associated with repeated gonorrhea. The retrospective analysis was of 7,347 patients seen during one year, and the prospective study was of a stratified randomly selected sample of 429 patients. The 492 retrospectively identified repeaters constituted 0.06% of the county population and 6.7% of the clinic population. The 492 repeaters had 21.6% of the cases of gonorrhea reported from the county and 29.4% of the cases reported from the clinic. The repeaters tended to be younger than those without repeated infection (P less than 0.001), male (62%), black (81.7%), and residents of areas of lower socioeconomic status than those who were not repeaters (P less than 0.001). Most repeaters (73.5%) had not graduated from high school. Repeaters did not have significantly greater numbers of sex partners (P greater than 0.05) or greater exposure to prostitutes or clients than those who did not have repeated infections and less frequently had sexual contact while symptomatic. Intensive follow-up of the small number of high-risk repeaters and their contacts could result in a major reduction in the number of reported cases of gonorrhea.

Adolescent

Experimental validation of self-instructional modules on the topic of donor phlebotomy.

This validation study investigated the effectiveness of an instructional unit on the topic of donor phlebotomy. The unit consisting of 3 modules based on a videotape and 3 booklets covered (1) donor selection, (2) donor arm preparation, (3) donor phlebotomy. A separate-sample pretest-post-test design was used. All 3 modules were found to be instructionally effective as measured by objective referenced tests. Student appraisal data also was collected for the purpose of revising and improving these materials.

Bloodletting

Inter-population comparisons of urinary catecholamines: a pilot study.

Urinary catecholamine excretion rates, previously shown to be related to lifestyles and environmental influences, were investigated in three traditional-living populations and in an English population. Significant inter-population differences in excretion rates and in creatinine-related excretion were observed. These included high daytime levels of adrenaline output in the traditional groups relative to the English group. Methodological problems are discussed.

Adult