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Biomedical subjects

J D Ward

Publications and source records attributed to J D Ward.

At least 163 records · Page 9Linked to original sources
PubMed1984

Meningomyelocele closure with distally based latissimus dorsi flap.

Our experience with the distally based latissimus dorsi flap in 12 patients (7 primary closures and 5 secondary procedures) indicates that it is an extremely reliable and useful flap in this setting. It provides coverage of the dural repair with viable soft tissues under a minimum of tension. The suture lines are distant from the dural closure, the donor defect closes primarily, and in the event of a complete failure, the contralateral latissimus dorsi remains available. In those cases of meningomyelocele where direct primary closure is not possible, we view this as the procedure of choice.

Back↗
PubMed1984

A feasibility study of the use of continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion in a diabetic clinic: patients' choice of treatment.

Insulin-treated diabetic patients attending a busy diabetic clinic were approached to determine their interest in using continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion (CSII) via a portable pump. Three hundred and eighty-two patients were offered the choice of CSII, intensified conventional therapy (ICT) or continuation of less intensified treatment. One hundred and sixteen patients (30.4%) chose CSII, 169 (44.2%) chose ICT, 97 (25.4%) chose the less intensive regimen. Those choosing CSII represented a broad cross section of the clinic population, though older patients with a longer duration of diabetes tended to continue with less intensified therapy. There were no differences between groups in the level of blood glucose control or the prevalence of complications at the outset of the study. Of 104 patients not previously using CSII, 86 have so far commenced the therapy. Twenty-seven (32.6%) of these discontinued within one year, 23 doing so in the first three months of treatment. Metabolic control, assessed by glycosylated haemoglobin, was significantly improved in the CSII group after three months and in the other treatment groups by six months. Glycosylated haemoglobin levels achieved with CSII were significantly lower at three and six months when compared with the other treatments.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1984

Nutrition and the neurosurgical patient.

There has been a rapid expansion of knowledge in the field of nutrition and metabolism with regard to the general surgical patient. However, only recently has there been greater appreciation of the benefits of adequate nutrition and appropriate metabolic care of the neurosurgical patient. In this review, the authors attempt to outline 1) the metabolic response to stress in general, and how it applies to the neurosurgical patient; 2) how best to provide adequate nutritional support for the neurosurgical patient; 3) the effects of nutrition on neurotransmitters; and 4) the effect of diet and nutrition on patients with malignant brain tumors.

Acetylcholine↗
PubMed1983

Diabetic ketoacidosis associated with outpatient treatment using continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion.

The occurrence of ketoacidosis in out-patient diabetics treated with continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion (CSII) has received little attention. We report two such cases of ketosis, each precipitated by infection and occurring in patients previously well controlled on CSII. This report illustrates that the risk of ketoacidosis is ever present in insulin-treated patients, whether the insulin is infused by pump or injected intermittently.

Diabetes Mellitus↗
PubMed1983

The natural history of painful diabetic neuropathy--a 4-year study.

Thirty-nine patients with painful diabetic peripheral neuropathy were selected for a follow-up study to determine the natural history of this condition. Symptoms, motor conduction velocities (MCV) and ankle pressure indices were recorded at the initial assessment and after a mean study period of 4.7 years. Thirty-six patients completed the study and showed no significant changes in symptoms, but there was a significant fall in median nerve MCV. It is concluded that symptoms of established diabetic neuropathy persist for several years, and the changes in MCV may reflect continuing deterioration in nerve function.

Adult↗
PubMed1983

Venous distension in the diabetic neuropathic foot (physical sign of arteriovenous shunting).

A new physical sign is described in the feet of a group of diabetic patients with ulcerating neuropathic problems, in which major venous distension of the veins on the dorsum of the foot and lower calf is seen. Elevation of the leg is required to an average height of 32.3 cm to cause collapse of these distended veins. It is suggested that this clinical sign indicates the presence of arteriovenous shunting in such neuropathic legs, and as such is a simple and useful measure of this abnormality.

Adult↗
PubMed1983

Chart for outcome prediction in severe head injury.

An analysis of clinical and demographic data of 264 patients with severe head injury showed that a combination of the Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) score, oculocephalic responses, and age can provide a simple but reliable prediction of outcome in severe head injury. Addition of other clinical data, excluding intracranial pressure and evoked potentials, improved the predictability only negligibly. A simple chart, which is constructed from the application of the logistic regression model, can be used to determine the odds of a good outcome from the combination of the three factors. A method is given by which the GCS score of a patient with a missing verbal response score can be accurately approximated in order to complete the chart. Among other values, the odds of a good outcome provide the clinician with a reliable measure of the relative severity of a patient's injury. The accuracy of the chart in prediction is expected to be 80% or above.

Adult↗
PubMed1982

Biosynthetic human insulin in the treatment of diabetes. A double-blind crossover trial in established diabetic patients.

94 diabetic patients established on treatment with porcine (n = 47) or bovine (n = 47) insulin took part in a double-blind crossover trial, in which 6-week periods of treatment with the appropriate animal insulin were compared with periods of treatment with biosynthetic human insulin (BHI). 6 patients withdrew during the trial, in 3 cases because of hypoglycaemia while taking BHI. In bovine-insulin-treated patients, the mean glucose level (mean of seven capillary-blood samples over 1 day), the modified M index, and total daily insulin requirement were the same on BHI and bovine-insulin treatment. For porcine-insulin-treated patients, mean glucose level and the modified M index were slightly higher on BHI than on porcine-insulin treatment (9.7 vs 9.0 mmol/l and 79.6 vs 65.0, respectively), despite an average increase of 2.3 units/day of BHI after 6 weeks of such treatment. Hypoglycaemic episodes were not significantly more or less frequent on BHI in either group of patients. In both groups fasting blood glucose was higher during BHI treatment than during animal-insulin treatment (14.2 vs 12.8 mmol/l [bovine group]; 12.1 vs 9.6 mmol/l [porcine group]). In bovine-insulin-treated patients blood glucose before the evening insulin injection was higher on BHI than on bovine insulin (11.6 vs 10.0 mmol/l). BHI appears to be a safe alternative to porcine or bovine insulin. Differences in the pharmacokinetics of BHI may account for the observed differences in blood-glucose responses.

Adult↗
PubMed1982

Venous oxygenation in the diabetic neuropathic foot: evidence of arteriovenous shunting?

Venous PO2 was measured in the feet and hands of four subject groups: 14 diabetics with neuropathy and foot ulceration; 12 diabetics with neuropathy but no ulceration; 11 diabetics with no evidence of microvascular complications; and 10 non-diabetic controls. Neither patients nor controls had clinical evidence of peripheral vascular disease. The mean venous PO2 in the feet of subjects with neuropathy and foot ulceration was significantly higher than in controls or the other two diabetic groups. Venous PO2 in the feet of the subjects with ulcers was also significantly higher than in their hands or in the hands of the other groups. These results provide further evidence of abnormal blood flow in the diabetic neuropathic foot and are compatible with arteriovenous shunting.

Adult↗
PubMed1982

The diabetic leg.

Many clinical problems arise as a result of tissue pathology in the diabetic leg. Neuropathic or vascular ischaemic syndromes are readily identified but on occasions differentiation of the two may be difficult. This survey reviews the aetiological background of neuropathy and ischaemia, examines the relationship of physiological blood flow abnormalities to both areas and comments on management of the clinical states encountered, including the common problem of the ulcerated diabetic foot.

Diabetic Neuropathies↗
PubMed1982

Operative treatment in head injury.

Improved outcome will result only from improvement in the total care of the head-injured patient. Each aspect of care is dependent on the other: rescue services; aggressive emergency evaluation and resuscitation; monitoring of the patient's physical, chemical, and neurological status; CT scanning; and intensive medical therapy and early rapid surgical decompression. The injured brain is particularly prone to further secondary insults. Intracranial mass lesions must be removed quickly and thoroughly; the brain should be handled in a careful and gentle fashion intraoperatively, and medical complications should be prevented. Dysfunctional cells in a marginal state can only be expected to return to normal with the proper management and environment.

Adolescent↗