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Biomedical subjects

J Collin

Publications and source records attributed to J Collin.

At least 127 records · Page 7Linked to original sources

Changing pattern of lower limb amputation for vascular disease.

In 1980 a review of lower limb amputation over a 3.5 year period between 1974 and 1978 was reported from our centre. More recently 193 amputations were performed for peripheral vascular disease over a similar 3.5 year period, representing an increase of 33 per cent in the amputation rate during the last 6 years. This cannot be explained by the increasing age of the population alone. Fewer below-knee amputations (BKA) (33.0 per cent) and more Gritti-Strokes amputations (GSA) (32.0 per cent) were performed and the overall incidence of re-amputation for stump breakdown was 13.5 per cent. Twenty-eight per cent of below-knee amputation stumps required re-amputation at higher levels, but when successful were associated with a 75 per cent incidence of rehabilitation with an artificial limb. Eight per cent of GSA stumps required re-amputation and were associated with a twenty-eight per cent incidence of successful rehabilitation. Thirty-seven per cent of patients had undergone reconstructive vascular surgery before amputation. Of the 26 patients requiring re-amputation 58 per cent had undergone arterial reconstruction in an attempt to salvage the limb (chi 2 = 5.65, P less than 0.02) and in 26.9 per cent of cases this was performed within the week before amputation. We feel that injudicious attempts at arterial reconstruction, when amputation appears inevitable, may adversely affect the subsequent level of amputation and jeopardize rehabilitation.

Age Factors↗

The mortality of abdominal aortic aneurysm.

During a five year period 153 patients presented with abdominal aortic aneurysms and 135 received grafts. The mortality was 4.2% (3 of 71) for elective cases, 16.7% (2 of 12) for acute cases (the preoperative diagnosis of rupture found to be incorrect) and 55.8% (29 of 52) for patients with ruptured aneurysms. For patients with ruptured aneurysms there was a trend towards larger amounts of blood and colloid infusion in patients who died compared with those who survived, but there was no statistically significant difference either for the amount transfused, or for age, distance of referral, preoperative blood pressure, operating theatre time, or seniority of operating surgeon, between the two groups. It is possible that increased attention to cardiac and renal disease might reduce mortality following elective surgery. Measures to reduce the high mortality from ruptured aneurysm must be early detection and treatment of intact aneurysms, rapid diagnosis of rupture and expeditious surgery with minimal blood loss and the accurate exclusion of rupture in acute cases to achieve the same mortality as elective surgery.

Acute Disease↗

Morphology of intestinal allograft rejection and the inadequacy of mucosal biopsy in its recognition.

Small intestinal segmental autografts and allografts in dogs were examined histologically to assess changes associated with the surgical technique, the effect of different luminal perfusates and for evidence of rejection. Some animals were immunosuppressed with Cyclosporin A. Specimens for examination were obtained by biopsy at regular intervals after transplantation, at death or when killed. Typical vascular changes of rejection were identified only within some allografts and in others the cause of graft failure remains conjectural. When there was rejection characteristic lesions were confined to the submucosa and muscle coats while changes in the mucosa were similar to those in the autografts. These mucosal features were affected by the nature of the perfusate and often appeared transiently after grafting. Mucosal biopsy as a way of monitoring intestinal allograft rejection neither reveals a sequential pattern of changes, nor provides a reliable method of recognition of the reaction. In contrast full thickness biopsies of the intestinal wall do appear to fulfil both of these requirements.

Animals↗

Vasopressin effects on the small intestine: a possible factor in paralytic ileus?

Experiments were performed on luminally perfused, isolated, canine, jejunal segments in vivo to determine the effects of vasopressin on intestinal motility, myoelectrical activity and absorption. Intravenous vasopressin abolished spike activity and sometimes disrupted slow wave activity. The jejunum became atonic with intraluminal pooling of perfusate. Transit time was prolonged and intestinal absorption of water was decreased. Radionuclide imaging of the intestinal contents showed a doubling of intraluminal volume with vasopressin and confirmed the loss of intestinal motility. It is suggested that the high plasma levels of vasopressin which are known to follow laparotomy may be a factor in the development of postoperative ileus.

Action Potentials↗

Zomepirac, dihydrocodeine and placebo compared in postoperative pain after day-case surgery. The relationship between the effects of single and multiple doses.

Zomepirac 100 mg and dihydrocodeine 30 mg were compared with placebo in a controlled randomized, double-blind, single-dose postoperative study. Patients continued to receive either zomepirac or dihydrocodeine for pain relief for 5 days at home in a double-blind study, being allowed to titrate the consumption of tablets to their degree of pain. The efficacy and side effects of the medication were evaluated. In the single-dose phase, both active treatments were significantly better than placebo. In the multiple dosing phase, zomepirac was statistically better than dihydrocodeine. Non-parametric statistical tests indicated highly significant correlations between single- and multiple-dose analgesic measurements for both zomepirac and dihydrocodeine.

Administration, Oral↗

Recent experience with arterial embolism of the limbs in a vascular unit.

A 5 1/2-year experience of 147 patients with arterial embolism of the limbs is reported. The mean age was 66.9 years, range 24-90 years and the male to female ratio was 1.07 to 1. Two distinct types of embolic episode with very different clinical consequences were recognised. Type I (64%) in which large emboli occluded the proximal arteries of the lower limb. They were usually treated by embolectomy and were followed by death or permanent disability in 63% of patients. Type II (36%) in which small emboli occluded the arterial supply of the upper limb or the arteries of the distal lower limb. Embolectomy was performed in only 60% of cases. Death was unusual and disability occurred largely as a consequence of non-surgical management. After occlusion of the aorta, iliac or femoral arteries embolectomy is necessary to save both life and limb while after embolism of the arm or distal lower limb it is essential for the preservation of function.

Adult↗

Prostaglandin E1 in severe lower limb ischaemia: a double-blind controlled trial.

Thirty patients with ischaemic ulceration or rest pain due to lower limb atherosclerosis were treated with intravenous prostaglandin E1 (PGE1) or placebo in a prospective double-blind controlled trial. There was no significant improvement of rest pain, nor was PGE1 effective in promoting ulcer healing. This study provides no support for the use of intravenous PGE1 in the treatment of end-stage lower limb atherosclerotic disease.

Adult↗

What has happened to perforated peptic ulcer?

The number of elective operations for chronic peptic ulceration has decreased substantially with the widespread use of H2-receptor antagonists. We have reviewed all cases of perforated peptic ulcer in Oxford over the last 18 years (1965-82) to see if a similar change in the incidence of this major complication of peptic ulceration has occurred. Since 1976 there has been a fall in the incidence of perforated peptic ulcer from 8.7 to 6.9 cases per 100 000 population per year. The male to female ratio decreased over the review period from 4.9:1 to 1.9:1 owing to a reduced incidence of perforation in men and an increased incidence in women. The mean age of men with perforated duodenal ulcer increased from 52.3 years in 1965-70 to 59.0 years in 1977-82. One hundred and sixty-six patients treated between 1977 and 1982 have been reviewed in detail. The overall mortality in this 6 year period was 12.7 per cent with an operative mortality rate of 8.9 per cent. The majority of perforations (65 per cent) are now of acute ulcers and therefore are unlikely to be prevented by improved therapy for chronic peptic ulceration.

Aged↗

Frostbite in Oxfordshire: the impact of a severe winter on an unprepared civilian population.

The winter of 1981-1982 in Oxfordshire was unusually cold. During this winter, 18 patients with frostbite were referred to the Peripheral Vascular Service of the Nuffield Department of Surgery. The age-range was 52-83 years. None was diabetic. Seven were smokers. All had frostbite of either feet or fingers, sometimes of both. Patients could be divided into 2 groups based on the severity of their injury. In the first group 10 patients had mild injuries and were managed as outpatients. One patient had terminal phalanges amputated as a day case. Patients in this group had adequate homes and no associated medical disease. Eight patients in the second group had severe frostbite. All were socially disadvantaged and 4 had significant medical disease (mitral valve disease, lymphoma, alcoholism and depression). Because of social circumstances and because it takes time to establish the line of demarcation between healthy and dead tissue, all patients in this group were in hospital for a minimum of 2 months (range 2-10 months). Four patients required skin grafting and 2 needed special shoes to enable them to walk. There needs to be greater public awareness of the dangers and risks of cold injury.

Aged↗

Isolated injury to the intestine from blunt abdominal injury.

Isolated injury to the intestine due to blunt abdominal trauma is an uncommon event. Since the haemodynamic disturbance which accompanies injury of the liver or spleen is absent the initial symptoms and signs may be very slight, or obscured by injuries of the abdominal wall, musculoskeletal or nervous systems. We present four cases which illustrate pitfalls in management. A high index of suspicion is essential if morbidity and mortality are to be reduced to a minimum. Abdominal radiography and peritoneal lavage are useful aids when diagnosis is in doubt.

Abdominal Injuries↗

S-antigen immunoreactivity in retinal rods and cones and pineal photosensitive cells.

The S-antigen is a protein of photoreceptors, mainly known for its autoantigenic properties in mammals, which is widely distributed in the retina of vertebrates and in photoreceptor organs of invertebrates. Using three monoclonal antibodies specific for different epitopes of S-antigen, this study complements our previous data on retinal rods and cones and presents new results on the photosensory cells of the pineal complex. Immunoreactivity was found in (i) retinal rods and cones, (ii) cone-like and modified photoreceptor cells, and pinealocytes of the pineal organ of vertebrates, (iii) cone-like photoreceptors of the frontal organ of the frog and of the third eye of the lizard. According to the species and the antibody used, some differences were found at the level of the cellular compartments of the pineal photoreceptor cells.

Animals↗

[Correlation between the mass and diameter of the left ventricle. Physiologic and physiopathologic consequences].

109 echocardiograms were recorded in 109 subjects, consisting of 51 hypertensive patients and 58 normal subjects, in order to study the correlation between hypertrophy and dilatation. The correlation between the left ventricular mass (LVM) and the end-diastolic left ventricular diameter (Dd) is highly significant (r = 0.72; p less than 0.001). This relation follows a sigmoid curve with two asymptotes for y (LVM) = 0 and y = M (M : estimated upper limit of the reaction of the left ventricle to hypertrophy, expressed in g) with the following formula: (Formula: see text). This relation reflects the adaptation of the LVM to a defined end-diastolic volume in physiological and pathological situations. This adaptation tends to maintain the stress exerted on the left ventricular wall at a constant value. On the basis of this relation, we can define three types of response of the LVM to the diameter: adequate hypertrophy follows the relation in normal limits (+/- 2 SD); inadequate hypertrophy, where the LVM is insufficient in relation to the Dd and inappropriate hypertrophy, where the LVM is exaggerated. Most of the subjects were distributed along the curve, below the point of inflection (corresponding to a Dd of 6.25 cm). Only a few hypertensive subjects were found above this point. The presence of inadequate hypertrophy seems to imply an intrinsic disease of the myocardium which limits normal regulation. Finally, if the stimulus responsible for hypertrophy is removed, the reaction should be reversible, at least to a certain degree.

Adolescent↗