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Biomedical subjects

J Carroll

Publications and source records attributed to J Carroll.

229 records · Page 13Linked to original sources
PubMedDate not supplied

Transient global amnesia after sexual intercourse.

BACKGROUND: Transient global amnesia presents as paroxysmal, transient loss of memory function and has been shown to have a number of inciting factors. AIMS: To report a case and its inciting factor in order to heighten awareness of the condition. METHODS: A 56-year-old woman who presented with TGA after sexual intercourse is reported. RESULTS: The episode of TGA resolved after 14 hours. Results of laboratory tests including MRI brain and MR angiogram and venogram were normal. CONCLUSION: An inciting event can often be identified for TGA and a targeted history should be used to help elicit such events.

Amnesia, Transient Global↗
PubMedDate not supplied

The effect of ethanol drinking on opioid analgesia and receptors in mice.

Recent studies suggest substantial interactions between opioids and ethanol (EtOH). Both in vivo and in vitro experiments indicate that EtOH can regulate opioid systems and that opioids can modify EtOH consumption. In the present studies, we examined if EtOH consumption altered opioid receptors and the potency of opioid analgesics. Mice were given unlimited access to 6-7% EtOH alone for 7 days or were allowed to drink increasing concentrations (3-6%) of EtOH over 13-14 days. Controls had access to water. The EtOH groups drank significantly less volume than controls, although there were no significant differences in body weight or baseline nociception. The analgesic (tail flick) potency of SC morphine was decreased by approximately 1.6-2.0-fold in EtOH-treated mice. A single acute dose of EtOH (1 g/kg) that produced blood alcohol levels in excess of that for 7 day exposure to EtOH, did not change morphine's analgesic ED50, suggesting that chronic exposure to EtOH was necessary for the reduction in potency. The change in morphine potency was not due to pharmacokinetic differences because EtOH consumption did not modify the concentration of morphine in brain and spinal cord. The analgesic potency of a delta-opioid receptor agonist (ICV DSLET) was also decreased by approximately 2-fold. Saturation binding studies indicated no changes in the density or affinity of brain and spinal cord delta-opioid ([3H]DPDPE, [3H]DSLET, [3H]DeltorphinII) and mu-opioid ([3H]DAMGO) receptors. Similarly, there was no significant effect of EtOH on delta-opioid receptor mRNA in either brain or spinal cord preparations. Taken together, these data suggest that EtOH consumption decreases the analgesic potency of opioids in mice through a mechanism that is unrelated to pharmacokinetics or opioid receptor changes in brain and cord.

Alcohol Drinking↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Effect of sulfinpyrazone on platelet survival time in patients with transient cerebral ischemic attacks.

Platelet suppressant drugs have been suggested as beneficial for patients with transient cerebral ischemic attacks and these drugs have been shown to lengthen shortened platelet survival time. In the present study platelet survival time (autologous labeling with 51Chromium) was measured in 25 patients with transient cerebral ischemia involving a carotid distribution. Platelet survival was shortened in all patients (2.5 +/- 0.10 days; AVE t 1/2 +/- SEM; Normal 3.7 +/- 0.04 days P less than 0.001). Sulfinpyrazone increased platelet survival in 9 of 19 (47%) of patients (2.4 +/- 0.10 to 2.8 +/- 0.16 days; P less than 0.01). Of the 19 treated with sulfinpyrazone, 10 had a marked reduction in the frequency of transient ischemic episodes and an increased in platelet survival (2.6 +/- 0.16 to 3.1 +/- 0.22 days; P less than 0.01) was observed in all patients. Three patients had no benefit from sulfinpyrazone and alteration of platelet survival did not occur. Results suggest that platelet survival is shortened in patients with transient cerebral ischemia, that sulfinpyrazone increases platelet curvival and may decrease the frequency of ischemic episodes, and that there may be a relationship between clinical benefit and alteration of platelet survival time.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Attitudes of professionals to drug abusers.

Drug abusers are generally regarded as a demanding client group by health care professionals. The occupational background of health care professionals and their familiarity with drug users is likely to affect their emotional responses and attitudes. Professional carers who are more familiar with drug users, e.g. addiction counsellors and psychiatric nurses, tend to have a more positive attitude. Awareness of HIV infection may increase the fears and anxieties of professionals, resulting in a more negative attitude to drug users. Little research has been carried out into the attitudes of professional carers, particularly nurses, towards drug users. Attitudes of professional carers are very important in determining standards of care delivery and more research is needed into the effects of attitudes on the delivery of health care.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

The negative attitudes of some general nurses towards drug misusers.

This article presents some findings from an interview study which examined the attitudes of 82 healthcare professionals towards drug misuse and drug misusers. They represented a sub-sample of a larger study of 248 professionals working with intravenous drug misusers in west Scotland. It was thought that nurses' attitudes could affect their emotional responses and the subsequent care they gave to patients. The results suggested that staff have judgmental and punitive attitudes to drug misusers. Most respondents felt that drugs corrupt the young and that drug misusers should only be cared for in specialised units. Nearly half of all respondents regarded drug misusers as a threat to society due to HIV/AIDS and agreed that drug misusers should be compulsorily tested for HIV infection.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Attitude of prison nurse officers to drug misusers.

The key group involved in delivering health care to drug misusers in prison is the prison nurse officers. The literature suggests that the skills and knowledge base of this professional group has received very little attention. This study looked at the attitudes of prison nurse officers in Scotland towards intravenous drug misusers. Age, sex and grade appeared to affect attitudes, but the results were not clear cut. Some stereotyping of drug misusers was evident among respondents. Drug misusers are a marginalised group in terms of health care and it is important that their needs are addressed in prison. Prison nurse officers should be proactive in meeting such needs, and should be given adequate support to do so. This paper suggests that the skills of such staff are often not being used appropriately.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Modeling fracture risk using bone density, age, and years since menopause.

INTRODUCTION: Preventive strategies are essential for reducing the incidence of osteoporosis and its consequences. However, simple algorithms that predict an individual's future risk of fractures are scarce. The purpose of the study was to define a clinical decision aid that enables physicians to project an individual's life-time fracture risk and therefore institute preventive therapies. METHODS: A predictor equation for bone loss was developed using bone mineral density (BMD), age, years since menopause, and weight. This was applied to normal and osteoporotic women, ages 40-80 years (n = 117) screened for osteoporosis studies. RESULTS: A spinal BMD cutoff of 0.86 gm/cm2 had a sensitivity of 90% and a specificity of 60% for detecting subjects with vertebral fractures and was therefore defined as a high-risk BMD. Using the parameter estimates from the above equation and an individual's clinical data, we derived prediction curves to forecast the age at which that individual would reach the above defined high-risk BMD, and therefore that person's expected number of remaining life-years at high risk for fractures. CONCLUSIONS: This study proposes a conceptual framework for the development of a clinical decision aid to provide guidelines for the prevention of osteoporosis. A longitudinal study that incorporates other variables such as prevalent fractures and biochemical markers of bone turnover would further validate this model and enhance its application.

Adult↗