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Biomedical subjects

J D O'Brien

Publications and source records attributed to J D O'Brien.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1988

Effect of codeine and loperamide on upper intestinal transit and absorption in normal subjects and patients with postvagotomy diarrhoea.

Patients with chronic severe diarrhoea after truncal vagotomy and pyloroplasty are often difficult to treat using conventional antidiarrhoeal drugs and remain severely disabled. We examined the effect of two drugs, codeine phosphate and loperamide, on upper intestinal transit and carbohydrate absorption, measured non-invasively by serial exhaled breath hydrogen monitoring, in patients with postvagotomy diarrhoea who had previously failed to gain relief from drug therapy. Orocaecal transit was consistently faster in these patients than a group of controls and was associated with malabsorption of glucose. Codeine phosphate 60 mg significantly delayed transit in patients and controls and was associated with a reduction in glucose malabsorption and improvement in symptoms. Loperamide also delayed transit and improved symptoms, but the doses required for this effect (12-24 mg) were higher than usually considered necessary in secretory diarrhoea. These studies indicate that rapid intestinal nutrient transit and associated malabsorption is a factor in the development of diarrhoea postvagotomy and that symptomatic relief can be achieved in most patients by more rational use of existing drugs.

Adult↗
PubMed1987

Action of centrally mediated autonomic stimulation on human upper gastrointestinal transit: a comparative study of two stimuli.

Two well established experimental stressors, hand immersion in cold water, and mental stimulation with dichotomous listening, were applied to 37 normal subjects after the ingestion of a standard meal. Orocaecal transit was measured by serial exhaled breath hydrogen sampling. Cold water significantly delayed transit compared with warm water control (warm water 71.8 +/- 3.6 mins v cold water 93.2 +/- 5.7 mins p less than 0.01), with significant rises in blood pressure pulse rate perceived discomfort and plasma catecholamines. In contrast mental stimulation was unaccompanied by any change in transit (control; 67.4 +/- 4.7 v test 64.3 +/- 5.3 mins p greater than 0.1) despite a significant rise in pulse rate, skin conductance and plasma catecholamines. Repeated cold water immersion studies in eight individuals produced consistent orocaecal transit and autonomic responses, whereas mental stimulation showed reduced autonomic responses on repeat testing, suggesting that tolerance to the stimulus had occurred. The results of these studies show stimulus specific gastrointestinal response patterns to autonomic stimuli, and appear to have important implications for the design of future studies of human gastrointestinal autonomic physiology and for the investigation of patients with stress related gut dysfunction.

Acoustic Stimulation↗
PubMed1986

Controlled trial of small bipolar probe in bleeding peptic ulcers.

204 of 460 patients with upper gastrointestinal bleeding admitted to a busy district hospital were found to be bleeding from peptic ulcers or to have signs of recent haemorrhage at endoscopy within 24 h of admission. To determine if the small bipolar probe could stop bleeding or rebleeding, patients were allocated to electrocoagulation (101) or not (103); other aspects of treatment were identical. Groups were stratified by ulcer site to give similar numbers in each. To allow for differences in sex, age, initial haemoglobin, presence of other diseases, and shock, data were analysed by logistic regression. Fewer patients in the treated group (17) continued to bleed or rebled compared with controls (34). Rebleeding and mortality rates in the treated group were higher early in the trial, suggesting the need for experience in application of the probe. Further improvements in technology and technique may result in significant reductions in mortality.

Clinical Trials as Topic↗
PubMed1986

Influence of the oropharyngeal microflora on the measurement of exhaled breath hydrogen.

We investigated the possible contribution made by oropharyngeal microfloral fermentation of ingested carbohydrate to the generation of the early, transient exhaled breath hydrogen rise seen after carbohydrate ingestion. Ten subjects ate or were sham fed carbohydrate-containing meals with and without prior chlorhexidine mouthwash during serial collection of exhaled breath and mouth hydrogen samples. Meal ingestion and sham feeding both induced significant (p less than 0.01) elevations of breath and mouth hydrogen that were virtually abolished by prior chlorhexidine mouthwash. In 7 subjects, delivery of the meal directly into the stomach via an orogastric tube did not cause a breath or mouth hydrogen rise. Oral contents incubated anaerobically in vitro with carbohydrate generated hydrogen that was again inhibited by chlorhexidine. These studies indicate that fermentation of ingested carbohydrate by oropharyngeal bacteria can contribute significantly to measured breath hydrogen values soon after meal ingestion, and may introduce avoidable error into the interpretation of serial breath hydrogen data.

Adult↗
PubMed1981

A learning disability screening program in a public school.

The outline of screening program for learning disabilities in a public school is presented in this paper. The screening program consisted of four standardized measures (Information Subtest of the WPPSI, SEARCH, Evanston Early Identification Scale, Bender-Gestalt) and six of the clinical observations suggested by Ayres. Forty-three kindergarten and first graders (25 males, 18 females) were tested and each child was categorized as low, moderate, or high risk for learning disabilities on each of the measures. Approximately 10 percent of the children were identified as at high risk for learning disabilities, but the children did not perform at the same risk level on all measures. A factor analysis of the four measures and six observations revealed that three factors prevailed in this screening program; cognitive abilities, fine motor control, and reflex integration. This analysis also indicated the importance of assessing neurophysiological immaturity in a screening program. The implications of the categories used are discussed.

Aptitude Tests↗