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Biomedical subjects

J Francis

Publications and source records attributed to J Francis.

At least 109 records · Page 6Linked to original sources
PubMed1989

Would primary health care workers give appropriate dietary advice after cholesterol screening?

The purpose of this study was to obtain information on the dietary knowledge of primary health care workers and on their ability to apply this knowledge in practice. A total of 128 primary health care workers (53 general practitioners and 61 nurses) in 12 practices and 14 primary care facilitators were surveyed by questionnaire between December 1987 and June 1988. All of the practices were participating in a project to promote prevention in primary care and offered health checks designed to identify and deal with cardiovascular risk factors. The questionnaire focused on issues related to managing patients with moderate hypercholesterolaemia. The results of the study showed some important gaps in the health workers' knowledge--for example, only 91 understood that dietary intake of polyunsaturated fatty acids as a proportion of total fat intake should be increased in a diet designed to reduce serum lipid concentrations. Appreciable gaps in their ability to give practical and appropriate dietary advice were also identified: 35 gave advice that would have led to the patient losing weight (although his history indicated that he was not overweight), and 27 gave only negative advice, offering no suggestions about substituting healthy foods for unhealthy ones. The demand for primary health care workers to give dietary advice is increasing and is likely to increase further if a national screening programme for hypercholesterolaemia is recommended. The results of this survey point to a need for improved nutritional education and training in dietary counselling for general practitioners, nurses, and primary care facilitators.

Clinical Competence↗
PubMed1988

Does monotherapy of pulmonary infections in cystic fibrosis lead to early development of resistant strains of Pseudomonas aeruginosa?

We report the development of ceftazidime-resistant strains of Pseudomonas aeruginosa in a small population of cystic fibrosis patients who had ceftazidime monotherapy over a 5-year period as clinically indicated. The background rate of less than 30% of patients with a ceftazidime-resistant strain of P. aeruginosa in their sputum each month is similar to the resistance rate to other anti-pseudomonas antibiotics that have seldom been used here. In practice this resistance has meant that for about 10% of patients each month consideration has to be given to the use of an agent other than ceftazidime.

Ceftazidime↗
PubMed1988

Streptococcus pyogenes bacteraemia in Cambridge--a review of 67 episodes.

Sixty-seven episodes of bacteraemia due to Lancefield Group A streptococci occurred in patients admitted to or autopsied at Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge from July 1974 to June 1986. Ninety-two per cent of infections were acquired in the community and 71 per cent of patients were adults. The overall mortality rate was 48 per cent and 15 per cent of cases died at home shortly after the onset of illness. Thirty-eight per cent of the patients had underlying disease and sixty-one per cent of these died compared with 40 per cent of those without underlying disease. Presentation in shock was the major predictor of mortality (79 versus 16 per cent) and was commoner in adults. Clinical features were variable and led to incorrect initial diagnosis in some cases. A localized site of infection was not recognized initially in 37 per cent of cases but the commonest evident site of entry was the skin. Annual incidence varied with age from 0.71 to 4.16/100,000 population and cases were commonest in the young and those over 50. The fulminating onset of community-acquired streptococcal infection in some adults emphasizes the importance of early treatment of suspected cases with penicillins.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1988

Low vision.

Explore the source record for details and available documents.

Eyeglasses↗
PubMed1987

Evaluation of dishwashing machines in four hospitals.

Fifteen dishwashing machines tested in four different hospitals failed to satisfy the minimum heat treatment requirement of 82 degrees C for 2 min for satisfactory thermal disinfection. The causes of failure included design faults in the machines with lack of time temperature controls, hard water supply, inadequately treated water, improper softening and inadequate preventative maintenance.

Enterococcus faecalis↗
PubMed1987

Biochemical characterization of the triazoloquinazoline, CGS 15943, a novel, non-xanthine adenosine antagonist.

CGS 15943A, a triazoloquinazoline, is a potent and selective adenosine receptor antagonist as assessed by its effects on radioligand binding and adenosine-stimulated adenylate cyclase activity in guinea pig synaptoneurosomes. At the adenosine A-1 receptor labeled with [3H]cyclohexyladenosine, CGS 15943A had an IC50 value of 20 nM. At the striatal A-2 receptor labeled with [3H]5'-N-ethylcarboxamidoadenosine in the presence of a low concentration of cyclopentyladenosine to block A-1 receptors labeled by this nonselective adenosine agonist, CGS 15943A had an IC50 value of 3 nM, indicating that the compound had some degree of selectivity for the A-2 receptor. Analysis of the effect of the compound on the saturation isotherms for each of the receptors indicated that it was a competitive antagonist at the brain A-1 receptor but that it was noncompetitive at the striatal A-2 receptor. CGS 15943A was a potent adenosine antagonist in the adenosine-stimulated adenylate cyclase system in guinea pig synaptoneurosomes, where the compound was found to have an IC50 value of 30 to 70 nM against the increase in cyclic AMP evoked by 5 microM adenosine. CGS 15943A had no effect on the binding of [3H]nitrobenzylthioinosine, a ligand thought to bind to adenosine uptake sites, and, at a concentration of 10 microM, had no effect on beef heart type III phosphodiesterase activity.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adenosine↗
PubMed1985

Single-dose pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic comparison of polymer-matrix (Slow Trasicor) and Oros dosage forms of oxprenolol in healthy volunteers.

Oxprenolol was administered in single doses by mouth to healthy volunteers either in a polymer-matrix slow-release formulation (Slow Trasicor) or in osmotic drug-delivery systems (oxprenolol Oros). Plasma oxprenolol concentrations and heart rates after exercise were measured. Plasma concentrations of the drug were maximal at 3 h but negligible at 24 h after administration of Slow Trasicor. Following ingestion of the Oros systems measurable concentrations were maintained throughout 24 h. Significant reduction of exercise-induced tachycardia persisted for 24 h after administration of oxprenolol Oros. With Slow Trasicor heart rate responses had returned to baseline values by this time. The osmotic drug-delivery systems appear to sustain significant beta-adrenoceptor blockade for 24 h after a single oral dose.

Adult↗