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Biomedical subjects

J Brand

Publications and source records attributed to J Brand.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1998

Multiply-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae: failure of spread in community-based elderly care facilities.

Thirty-eight patients colonized with multiply-resistant, plasmid-mediated, expanded-spectrum beta-lactamase (SHV-2) producing Klebsiella pneumoniae (MRK), were discharged from hospital to 22 nursing or residential homes during a hospital-based outbreak, in the Grampian region of north-east Scotland. MRK colonized the urinary tract in 74%, stool in 58%, respiratory tract in 29% and wounds in 11%. Mean length of colonization was 160 days (range 7-548). Mean length of stay in the homes after aquisition of MRK was 298 days. Compared with a control group of MRK-negative residents, MRK-positive residents had histories of more hospital admissions, underlying disease and complete immobility. Evaluation of these homes showed high standards of care and good facilities. Despite prolonged carriage of MRK by the index cases there was no evidence of spread to the other 886 residents who were screened, and there was evidence of only minor environmental contamination. Given the available evidence, patients colonized with MRK can be accommodated in good-quality nursing and residential homes, on discharge from hospital, with little fear of spread to other residents.

Aged↗
PubMed1998

Successful treatment with insulin analog lispro in IDDM with delayed absorption of subcutaneously applied human regular insulin and complicated intraperitoneal insulin infusion. A case report.

OBJECTIVE: To subcutaneously administer the insulin analog lispro in a patient with delayed absorption of subcutaneously applied human regular insulin whose continuous intraperitoneal insulin infusion (CIPII) with a percutaneous access device had required multiple surgical interventions because of complications. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: In a 35-year-old woman with long-term IDDM and delayed absorption of subcutaneously applied human regular insulin, a 3-year CIPII with human regular insulin via a percutaneous access device was complicated by three catheter obstructions and one subcutaneous abscess. Each complication required the implantation of a new percutaneous access device. During a 2-day trial with continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion (CSII) of the insulin analog lispro at basal infusion rates of 0.5-1.1 U/h, stable metabolic control was achieved. A 5-h intermediate attempt with human regular insulin in CSII, however, increased blood glucose concentrations from 6.0 to 28.8 mmol/l, despite identical basal rates and additional injection of 16 U of human regular insulin. Restarting with CSII of the insulin analog lispro reinforced stable metabolic control. CONCLUSIONS: It is suggested that the insulin analog lispro is a promising approach in the treatment of IDDM with delayed absorption of subcutaneously applied human regular insulin and a suitable alternative therapy for patients with complications attributed to percutaneous access devices for CIPII.

Administration, Cutaneous↗
PubMed1998

A clinical decision analysis of cryotherapy compared with expectant management for cervical dysplasia.

BACKGROUND: Screening for precursors of cervical cancer with colposcopic examination for women with abnormal Papanicolaou (Pap) smears identifies those with cervical dysplasia. Though the majority of mild dysplasias (CIN I) will regress, many are treated with cryotherapy. METHODS: We used decision analysis to compare immediate cryotherapy with expectant management (following with another Pap smear or colposcopy, with treatment reserved for progression or a duration of 2 years). The decision tree included the possibility of more invasive surgical procedures if the cryotherapy was ineffective or if the dysplasia progressed in extent of cervical involvement or in grade. Probabilities were derived from literature review and expert judgment. The analysis considered the disutility of the follow-up examinations, cryotherapy, and the more invasive procedures, using expert assessment. RESULTS: Using the baseline assumptions, expectant management led to a better outcome for most patients (57%), who recover with no procedure. However, more patients treated with expectant management required surgical procedures (loop electrosurgical excisional procedure, conization, or, rarely, hysterectomy) than did those treated with immediate cryotherapy. In the expected disutility analysis, expectant management was better than immediate cryotherapy. Sensitivity analysis showed that three factors had the potential to change the recommendation of the analysis: (1) the probability the dysplasia will regress, (2) the disutility of the process of expectant management, and (3) the disutility of invasive procedures compared with cryotherapy. CONCLUSIONS: The analysis indicated that expectant management is preferable to immediate cryotherapy for women with histologically proven mild cervical dysplasia. However, this conclusion depended on assumptions about three factors for which there is insufficient evidence in the literature. More research is needed.

Colposcopy↗
PubMed1997

Molecular analysis of katG gene mutations in strains of Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex from Africa.

A sample of 124 isoniazid (INH)-resistant and 88 susceptible strains of Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex from south, central, and west Africa was analyzed by direct sequence analysis and PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis of their catalase-peroxidase (katG) genes. Point mutations at codon 315 were found in the genomes of 64% of INH-resistant strains, but no complete deletions were identified. Mutations at codon 463 were independent of INH resistance and were linked to the geographic origins of the strains.

Africa↗
PubMed1994

Didanosine compared with continuation of zidovudine in HIV-infected patients with signs of clinical deterioration while receiving zidovudine. A randomized, double-blind clinical trial. The Bristol-Myers Squibb AI454-010 Study Group.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the benefits of switching to didanosine compared with continuing zidovudine among patients infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) who have previously used zidovudine and have signs of clinical deterioration. DESIGN: Randomized, double-blind, two-armed, parallel, comparative clinical trial with a blinded, compassionate crossover provision at 12 weeks. SETTING: Outpatient clinics at 19 tertiary care medical centers. PATIENTS: 312 patients infected with HIV who had received zidovudine for 6 months or more, had CD4 cell counts of 300/mm3 or less, and had signs of clinical deterioration within 12 weeks before study entry. INTERVENTION: Peroral didanosine tablets (600 mg/d adjusted for weight, "high dose") or zidovudine capsules (600 mg/d). MEASUREMENTS: Primary study end points were death, a new acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS)--defining event, or the combination of two new or recurrent HIV-related diagnoses with a 50% decrease in CD4 cells. RESULTS: Switching to didanosine was associated with fewer end points than continuing zidovudine (relative risk [RR] for zidovudine:didanosine = 1.5; 95% Cl, 1.1 to 2.0). This benefit was consistent across subgroups of patients with either AIDS-related complex or AIDS and was most apparent among those with a CD4 count at entry of 100/mm3 or more (RR = 2.2; Cl, 1.1 to 4.4). CONCLUSIONS: This study shows a positive treatment effect for switching from zidovudine to didanosine among patients with either AIDS-related complex or AIDS and validates the common practice of using clinical signs or a decrease in the CD4 count as an indication for changing therapy.

AIDS-Related Complex↗
PubMed1994

HERMES: a health care workstation integration architecture.

An architecture is described that facilitates integration of existing databases and applications without modifying them. By means of this architecture, data from different sources dispersed in a network can be combined and directly used in existing applications or applications that have been developed specially for integration. This feature of combining data from different sources into one workstation is viewed as the enabling technology on which computer-based patient records can be built. The abstraction of computer-, network- and application-specific details is completely dealt with by the integration architecture. This integration architecture has been developed with extendibility and flexibility in mind, and allows for a growth-path towards application of the open system paradigm in medicine.

Computer Communication Networks↗
PubMed1994

Multiple imputation as a missing data machine.

This paper deals with problems concerning missing data in clinical databases. After signalling some shortcomings of popular solutions to incomplete data problems, we outline the concepts behind multiple imputation. Multiple imputation is a statistically sound method for handling incomplete data. Application of multiple imputation requires a lot of work and not every user is able to do this. A transparent implementation of multiple imputation is necessary. Such an implementation is possible in the HERMES medical workstation. A remaining problem is to find proper imputations.

Algorithms↗
PubMed1992

Relationship of satiety to postprandial glycaemic, insulin and cholecystokinin responses.

The effect of plasma glucose on satiety and the capacity of carbohydrates to stimulate cholecystokinin (CCK) remain unclear. The aim of this study was to test the hypothesis that the magnitude of the postprandial plasma glucose and insulin response is inversely related to the CCK response and to subjective satiety. Seven healthy, male volunteers consumed equal carbohydrate portions (0.5 g/kg body weight) of six test meals (Rice Bubbles, Sustain, Vita-Brits, All-Bran, porridge and white bread) in random order after an overnight fast. An egg and bacon meal was consumed as a non-carbohydrate control providing 0.5 g protein/kg body weight. Serum CCK, plasma glucose and insulin and subjective satiety (measured by a rating scale) were assessed over 3 h and quantified using the glycaemic index (GI), insulin index (II), the peak satiety score and area under the incremental curve (AUC). The observed GIs (mean +/- SE) ranged from 42.5 +/- 2.6 for All-Bran to 116.2 +/- 11.4 for Rice Bubbles, using white bread as the reference food (GI = 100). Peak satiety scores varied eightfold from 0.21 +/- 0.4 for Sustain to 1.64 +/- 0.4 for All-Bran. Significant inverse relationships were observed between the peak satiety score and both the glycaemic and insulin index of the seven meals (r = -0.916, p less than 0.001 and r = -0.926, p less than 0.001). A direct relationship was observed between satiety (AUC) and the CCK response (AUC) (r = 0.73 p less than 0.01). The results suggest that glycaemic and insulin responses to carbohydrate foods are inversely proportional to the CCK response and satiety.

Adult↗
PubMed1992

[What modifies the outcome of abdominal trauma? An analysis of 558 patients].

A consecutive series of 558 patients with abdominal trauma were treated at "Bergmannsheil" Trauma Center in Bochum between 1974 and 1989. The most common patient group was traffic casualties with an age of up to 30 years a total of 218 (31.1%) patients underwent surgery, in which can the diagnosis was made only by surgeons. Isolated injuries were predominantly in the spleen (33%), liver (29%), mesenterium (16.1%), bowel (14.2%), and bladder and urethra (10.1%). Eighty-three of the patients who were operated on had multiple intra-abdominal injuries; 208 (37.3%) patients were included with polytrauma. Despite the increasing number of patients with multiple injuries mortality decreased from 27.1% between 1974 and 1979 to 19.7% between 1980 and 1989. This emphasizes the progress that has been made in diagnostic methods, surgical intensive care and the improved education of trauma surgeons.

Abdominal Injuries↗
PubMed1991

Horizontal rotation of the condyle after sagittal split osteotomy of the mandible.

Displacement of the proximal segment of the condyle such that the condyle is no longer in its correct position has been cited as a major factor in postsurgical skeletal relapse after mandibular, sagittal split osteotomy. This study examined the effects of sagittal split osteotomy on the horizontal rotation of the condyle in 16 dissected mandibles for which clamp, screw, and wire fixations were used to advance the mandible or set it back. The results showed that, after sagittal split osteotomy, horizontal rotation usually occurred, regardless of the position of the distal segment or the type of fixation used. Our finding that 82% of the condylar angles increased after surgery indicates that the lateral pole of the condyle had rotated anteriorly, while the medial pole had rotated posteriorly. There were no consistent differences in horizontal rotation between the condyles on the side where the proximal segment had been fixed first and those on the side where it had been fixed second; nor did the sizes of the original intercondylar angles affect the magnitudes of change in the postoperative intercondylar angles. The only statistically significant difference (p = 0.005) between the angles after fixation by the three different methods was between screw and wire osteosyntheses when the distal segments were in the forward position. The reason for this difference is unclear.

Bone Screws↗
PubMed1989

Overview of initial clinical studies with intravenous and oral GR43175 in acute migraine.

The novel 5-HT 1-like receptor agonist GR43175 has been evaluated as a treatment for acute migraine in a series of open, dose-ranging and controlled clinical trials. Patients with severe attacks of migraine have attended special pain or headache clinics for treatment and assessment. Given intravenously as a bolus, GR43175 is capable of aborting all migraine symptoms within 10-30 min in over 90% of cases at a dose of 64 micrograms/kg. Characteristic transient and reversible side effects with such a regimen include feelings of heaviness, pressure and occasionally warmth or tingling which can be diminished by extending the duration of drug administration to a short infusion. Initial dose-ranging studies with a dispersible tablet formulation of GR43175 have revealed an efficacy of 70-85% within 2 h with doses of 70-280 mg. Furthermore, tolerability is excellent. These encouraging early results warrant larger-scale controlled studies of GR43175 in acute migraine.

Administration, Oral↗
PubMed1989

Early clinical experience with subcutaneous GR43175 in acute migraine: an overview.

In six European clinics 111 migraine patients were treated in a series of open dose-ranging studies with subcutaneous injections of 1 to 4 mg GR43175, a novel 5-HT 1-like receptor agonist. Response rates after 20-30 min were dose related and rose from 33% with 1 mg to 96% with 4 mg GR43175. Side effects were minor and transient. These promising results warrant confirmation in placebo-controlled double-blind trials. Migraine, treatment, 5-HT agonist, open studies.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1989

Treatment of acute migraine with subcutaneous GR43175 in West Germany.

A subcutaneous preparation of GR43175, a novel antimigraine 5-HT 1-like agonist, was considered to represent a convenient way of administering the drug to patients during an acute migraine attack. In a series of open, uncontrolled dose-ranging studies, 82 patients with migraine were assessed serially for changes in severity of headache and associated symptoms following subcutaneous GR43175 in doses of 1-4 mg. Subcutaneous injection of 3 mg or 4 mg was found to be most effective. Within 60 min, 90% of patients had obtained complete relief of all migraine symptoms. Tolerability was good, 59% of patients reporting no adverse effects. Those reported mainly comprised transient local irritation to the injection. There were no changes attributable to GR43175 in heart rate, blood pressure, ECG readings or laboratory parameters.

Adult↗
PubMed1988

Possible benefit of GR43175, a novel 5-HT1-like receptor agonist, for the acute treatment of severe migraine.

GR43175, a selective 5-HT1-like agonist, was given as an intravenous infusion in an open dose-ranging study to treat 46 attacks of severe migraine in 34 patients. The highest dose, 2 mg infused over 10 min in 24 severe attacks, resulted in rapid and complete relief of symptoms in 17 attacks (71%) and in improvement to a non-migrainous residual headache in 7 attacks. Treatment was well tolerated, the only adverse effects being transient feelings of heaviness and pressure, predominantly in the head. GR43175 may represent an important advance in the treatment of acute migraine.

Adult↗
PubMed1986

[Clinical experience with imipenem/cilastatin in the treatment of severe infections in general surgery].

In a prospective study 43 patients (19 men, 24 women) suffering from severe bacterial infections such as peritonitis (n = 16), soft tissue infection (n = 12), pneumonia (n = 7), septicemia (n = 6), catheter sepsis (n = 2), cholangitis (n = 4), osteomyelitis (n = 3), complicated urinary tract infection (n = 2) or endocarditis (n = 1) were treated t. i. d. with short-time i. v. infusions of 0.5 g imipenem/cilastatin for five to 37 days (means = 9). All the patients were cured or significantly improved following therapy with imipenem/cilastatin alone or in combination with surgical intervention. The most frequent isolates were Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Proteus mirabilis, Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus epidermidis and Streptococcus faecalis. 58 (83%) of the 70 pathogens isolated initially were eliminated. The 12 microorganisms (gram-negative aerobic bacteria) which persisted were non-contributory to the course of the infection and had MICs between 0.32 and 4 mg/l. The MICs for 60 isolates were less than or equal to 1 mg/l; the MICs for nine isolates were in the range of 2 to 8 mg/l. One S. epidermidis isolate presented primary resistance to imipenem (MIC 16 mg/l). The tolerability was good. Phlebitis was observed in one case only. Based on our experience we conclude that monotherapy with imipenem/cilastatin at a dosage of 0.5 g t. i. d. is appropriate for the treatment of severe bacterial infections.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1985

[The significance of preoperative and postoperative sonography for biliary tract surgery. A prospective study].

112 patients with biliary calculi and destined for cholecystectomy were sonographically investigated in a prospective study carried immediately before the operation as well as between the third and fifth, and between the seventh and ninth postoperative day. Biliary calculi were sonographically detectable in 111 of the 112 patients (sensitivity 0.99). The sonographically measured bile duct diameter agreed well with the actual bile duct diameter (r = 0.898). There was a correlation between the bile duct diameter and the severity of the underlying biliary disease. A sonographic diagnosis was successful in 11 of 17 patients with choledocholithiasis (sensitivity 0.65) whereas 10 false positive diagnoses gave a specificity of 0.88. Gallbladder wall thickness above 4 mm had a sensitivity of 0.9 and a specificity of 0.72 for the detection of severe chronic or acute cholecystitis. A high rate (50%) of postoperative subhepatic fluid collections was a conspicuous finding but these were predominantly transient or only short-lived and attained clinical significance in only 7 out of 108 patients (6.5%).

Adult↗