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Biomedical subjects

J B Barber

Publications and source records attributed to J B Barber.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1990

Quality care issues in home care services for the minority elderly.

Equitable quality assurance protocols must consider the differences and special needs of the minority elderly. Differences including language, cultural background, and legal status will present barriers to access. Innovation is required to provide home care to minorities who reside in economically depressed, crime-ridden, and drug-infested sections of cities. Many minority elderly will require attention because they lack the education and skills to coordinate their own care. More formal and informal support services and resources are needed. Education of home health agency staff to minority needs and differences are also critical. Education of the minority patient, family, and caregivers in the use of health services is vital. To avoid institutionalization, discharge planning must provide for alternative home care. Minority representation on the home health agency staff should reflect minority representation in the population served.

Aged↗
PubMed1984

Intraoperative radiotherapy for intracranial malignancies. A pilot study.

Intraoperative radiotherapy (IOR) or "direct view" irradiation permits the delivery of a single exposure of high-energy electrons to a surgically exposed tumor. Surgical exposure permits physical retraction of normal uninvolved tissues away from the IOR beam as well as the accurate assessment of the target volume. IOR represents a "supplement" or "boost" dose to conventional fractionated external beam irradiation that is administered postoperatively. This pilot study represents the clinical experience in the US using IOR for brain tumors. At Howard University Hospital, Washington, DC, 12 patients underwent surgical resection or decompression and 1500 cGy were delivered to the tumor bed intraoperatively. After surgical recovery, 5000 cGy in 25 fractions were delivered to the whole brain and an additional 500 cGy cone-down boost were delivered to the tumor bed. This protocol was best tolerated when the cranial vault was decompressed. Two patients with meningioma are without evidence apparently NED at 8, 11, 12, and 15 months, respectively. A fifth patient died at 8 months NED from an accident. Three glioma patients died with disease at 3, 13, and 15 months, respectively. Two additional patients died 30 days after surgery. Indications, techniques, and clinical findings are presented.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1977

Another look at pseudotumor cerebri.

Thirteen black patients with diagnoses of pseudotumor cerebri (benign intracranial hypertension) were treated in Howard University (Freedmen's Hospital) between 1962 and 1974. These patients presented features similar to others reported with this syndrome as regards age, sex, habitus, menstrual irregularities, treatment, and prognosis. There was no suggestion of higher incidence of the syndrome in blacks. This paper emphasizes the unknown etiology. Only a complete patient work-up, including hemoglobin genotype, endocrine study, pulmonary function tests, blood and cerebrospinal fluid gases and, where applicable, brain Po(2), Pco(2) and pH can serve as a reasonable prelude to an experimental model for studying the pathophysiology of this poorly understood syndrome and a more rational basis for therapy. A review of the literature dealing with suspected etiology, diagnosis, and therapy is also presented.

Adolescent↗