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Biomedical subjects

J Harris

Publications and source records attributed to J Harris.

At least 541 records · Page 30Linked to original sources
PubMedDate not supplied

Nose surgery (rhinoplasty) without external immobilization and without internal packing: a review of 812 cases.

In a review of 812 cases of rhinoplasty, none of our patients had early bone or septal displacement; swelling, bruising, and pain were almost nonexistent. This confirms that an external splint would not have been of any benefit in these cases. Packing should help prevent epistaxis, synechiae, and early bone and septal displacement. Not using any packing, we have not encountered these complications. Besides, we have not seen a single submucosal hematoma or a septal necrosis. Therefore, we doubt the value of packing in our patients. The inconveniences and complications of external splints and internal packing are described. Early postoperative photographs show the reduced swelling and bruising, and late photographs show the final results. Difficult primary and secondary rhinoplasty cases are demonstrated.

Female↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Genetically determined differences in the effects of morphine on mice.

We have compared a variety of well known behavioral actions of morphine across four strains of laboratroy mice. Thes measures included locomotor activation, analgesia, tolerance, dependence and drug-seeking. We found that analgesia and drug-seeking did not vary greatly among strains, although some statistically significant differences were found. The interstrain rank ordering for locomotor activity, tolerance and dependence was different for each of these measures. This suggests that each of these effects of morphine may depend upon separate mechanisms, perhaps with each under independent genetic control. Other experiments were carried out to determine whether or not there were differences in the in vivo brain uptake of an opiate or the in vitro binding of naloxone to 'stereospecific receptors'. No significant interstrain differences could be found.

Analgesia↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Physical restraint procedures for managing challenging behaviours presented by mentally retarded adults and children.

This paper reviews the published research literature on the use of physical restraint with mentally retarded adults and children. Research on three types of restraint is included. One type involves one or more person(s) holding another. A second method is where a mechanical device is fitted to limit movement or reduce injury. The third type is where the person voluntarily applies a personal or mechanical restraint. The following conclusions emerged: (a) there are numerous processes which contribute to the outcomes associated with restraint, and these are poorly understood; (b) different processes mediate the outcomes for contingent and noncontingent restraint; (c) both noncontingent and contingent restraint can result in long-term reductions in target behaviours, especially when fading procedures are employed (noncontingent restraint) and where staff or carers are involved in the treatment plan (contingent restraint); (d) self-restraint seems to be maintained by the reinforcing effects of the restraint procedure or by escape from the aversive consequences of self-injury; (e) there are (negative) reinforcing consequences for staff who use restraint procedures in service settings; (f) and both staff and clients risk injury, especially from emergency or unplanned restraint.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Pituitary-adrenocortical effects of methoxamine infusion on halothane anaesthetised ponies.

This study investigated whether maintenance of normotension using a methoxamine infusion would prevent activation of the stress response during halothane anaesthesia in ponies. After acepromazine premedication, anaesthesia was induced with thiopentone in six ponies, and maintained for 120 minutes with halothane in oxygen and ventilation to normocapnia. Methoxamine (M, 0.013+/-0.005 mg kg(-1) min(-1)) or saline (C) was infused throughout anaesthesia. Sequential blood samples were taken for cortisol and ACTH assay. During anaesthesia normotension (mean arterial blood pressure 101-124 mm Hg) was maintained in M, whilst hypotension developed in C (nadir 71+/-12 mm Hg). Cardiac output decreased in both groups but to a greater extent in M. Systemic vascular resistance increased more in M (max 2015+/-650 dyne.s cm(-5)) than C (max 939+/-285 dyne.s cm(-5)). Plasma cortisol increased in both groups but more slowly in M. Plasma ACTH did not change in either group. Maintenance of normotension via increased systemic vascular resistance did not prevent, but may have attentuated, the adrenocortical response to anaesthesia. Reduced cardiac output and presumed compromise to tissue perfusion appear as important a stimulus as hypotension. The equine stress response to halothane anaesthesia is likely to be multifactorial.

Adrenergic alpha-Agonists↗
PubMedDate not supplied

The epidemiology of preaxial limb malformations.

The epidemiology of preaxial limb malformations was studied in an effort to find similarities and differences between different types that could help to define suitable groups of malformations for etiologic studies. Material from three large congenital malformation registers was used, with a total of 1646 infants with such malformations among over 5 million births. We compared different types of preaxial malformations with respect to bilaterality, maternal age and parity, racial differences, sex distribution, twinning, and associated malformations. From many epidemiologic aspects, different types of preaxial malformations showed similarities, but there were some distinct differences between upper and lower limb anomalies. We conclude that in searches for etiologic factors, it may be useful to group all preaxial malformations together but to differentiate between upper and lower limb defects.

Abnormalities, Multiple↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Early Homo erectus skeleton from west Lake Turkana, Kenya.

The most complete early hominid skeleton ever found was discovered at Nariokotome III, west Lake Turkana, Kenya, and excavated in situ in sediments dated close to 1.6 Myr. The specimen, KNM-WT 15000, is a male Homo erectus that died at 12 +/- 1 years of age, as judged by human standards, but was already 1.68 m tall. Although human-like in many respects, this specimen documents important anatomical differences between H. erectus and modern humans for the first time.

Animals↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Clinical and pathologic features of breast cancers in women treated for Hodgkin's disease: a case-control study.

The goal of this study was to assess whether there are clinical or pathologic differences between radiation-associated breast cancers developing after treatment for Hodgkin's disease and spontaneously arising breast cancers. Clinical and pathologic data were reviewed for 26 Hodgkin's disease patients who received irradiation and subsequently developed breast cancer (cases) and 26 age- and stage-matched patients with sporadic breast cancers (controls). The median age at diagnosis of Hodgkin's disease was 21 years (range 11-40 years), and the median interval between Hodgkin's disease and breast cancer diagnosis was 15 years (range 4-27 years). There were no differences between cases and controls with regard to clinical factors. Cases had a lower frequency of histologic grade III tumors (38% versus 65%, p = 0.09) and moderate to marked mononuclear inflammatory cell reaction (11% versus 35%, p = 0.03). When these covariates were combined, grade III tumors in conjunction with mononuclear inflammatory cell reaction were also seen less frequently in the case group than in the control group (11% versus 31%, p = 0.06). Seven cases developed additional cancers, but no additional cancers developed in the control group (p = 0.01). Patients who developed breast cancers after Hodgkin's disease did not differ from patients with spontaneous breast cancers, with regard to clinical factors. However, the lower frequency of high-grade tumors and moderate to marked mononuclear inflammatory cell reaction among the cases suggests that radiation-associated breast cancers may differ from spontaneously arising cancers in their pathogenesis. Cases appeared to be at increased risk of developing additional cancers, but we cannot exclude surveillance as a possible contributing factor.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

The unique characteristics of covalently polymerized bovine serum albumin solutions when used as antibody detection media.

Bovine Serum Albumin solutions (BSA) have been chemically polymerized to give solutions (PBSA) with superior serological properties. The new PBSA reagents are shown to contain covalently bonded dimers, trimers, tetramers, and larger polymers, the presence of which is directly related to hemagglutination by IgG antibody. Data are presented which show that reagents containing increased amounts of higher molecular weight polymers enhance hemagglutination, as demonstrated by serum albumin titrations of various antisera. Additionally, isolated polymers are shown to enhance hemagglutination as a function of their molecular weight with the high molecular weight tetramers being more effective than the trimeric form, which in turn is more effective than the dimeric and monomeric forms. The protein concentration does not play any significant role in these events. The data establish that the polymeric content of bovine serum albumin reagents is a major factor in the potentiating properties of such solutions. Additionally, it is shown that these reagents act not only on the second stage of hemagglutination as a function of the bovine albumin present, but also on the first stage of hemagglutination as a function of the ionic strength of these reagents. The polymeric content and ionic strength of albumin solutions are the major criteria in determining the effectiveness of these potentiating reagents.

Animals↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Accidental needlestick injuries in the academic setting: a model follow-up program.

Developed in response to needlestick injuries received by university nursing students, a model for initiating a comprehensive faculty and student follow-up treatment program for incidents involving blood and body fluids is presented. Providing an overview of need and risks, the authors review the program components, such as reporting mechanisms, program initiation, use of screening tests, recommended treatment modalities, and a decision-analysis for guiding the process.

Aftercare↗
PubMedDate not supplied

A study of the interaction between dirithromycin and astemizole in healthy adults.

The effect of a standard regimen of dirithromycin, a macrolide antibiotic, on the single-dose pharmacokinetics of the H (1) receptor blocker astemizole was evaluated in a sample of 18 healthy young adults (nine males and nine females). The study was conducted in a two-way cross-over fashion after the subjects had been randomly given either dirithromycin (two 250 mg tablets) or placebo (two tablets) every morning for 10 days. On the morning of the fourth dose of either dirithromycin or placebo each subject ingested a single 30-mg oral dose (three 10-mg tablets) of astemizole. The disposition kinetics of both astemizole and its major metabolite, N-desmethylastemizole, were characterized after measuring the concentrations of both analytes in the serum fraction of serial blood samples collected for 14 days after the astemizole dose. In addition, corrected QT (QT(c) ) intervals were estimated from electrocardiogram rhythm strips that were run 24 hours prior to the astemizole dose, 12 hours after the astemizole dose, and after the last treatment (dirithromycin or placebo) dose in both study periods. Pharmacokinetic parameters that were measured for both astemizole and N-desmethylastemizole during each treatment were: C(max), t(max), AUC (0-infinity), CL(oral), half-life, and volume of distribution (V). None of the parameters for N-desmethylastemizole was different when comparing data by ANOVA from the dirithromycin treatment period with that of the placebo treatment period. On the other hand, during dirithromycin treatment astemizole CL(oral) was 34% slower, volume of distribution was 24% larger, and half-life was 84% longer. Generally, all QT ( c ) intervals did not appear to be affected by dirithromycin treatment. The changes in astemizole kinetics could not be attributed to its N-demethylation since the dispositional kinetics of N-desmethylastemizole were unaffected by dirithromycin. Therefore, it is difficult to ascertain the clinical significance of the changes in astemizole kinetics. Since there were no significant differences for mean QT(c) intervals and no effect of dirithromycin treatment on N-desmethylastemizole kinetics, it is unlikely that a standard regimen of dirithromycin would place a patient taking astemizole at an increased risk of torsade de pointes or related ventricular arrhythmias.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Implementing nursing diagnoses within the context of King's conceptual framework.

The use of nursing conceptual frameworks and nursing diagnoses is generally acknowledged to hold immense promise for the further development of nursing's scientific base. The nursing profession to date has failed to link the two, thus diminishing their impact. A large community hospital in Canada adopted King's Conceptual Framework for Nursing Practice and advocated the use of NANDA's nursing diagnostic statements as the manner by which patient needs or problems would be identified. Nurses, however, required assistance in identifying more clearly the connection between the theoretical base and nursing diagnoses. During stage one of this project a tool was designed that categorized NANDA's nursing diagnoses according to the concepts and systems of King's conceptual framework. The difficulties encountered in categorizing the nursing diagnoses are discussed and the categorization system is outlined. The utility of the tool was tested during stage two. A total of 25 nurses were asked to describe how they arrived at a particular nursing diagnosis before and after using the categorization tool. Criteria were used to indicate whether a connection had been made between the formulation of the nursing diagnosis and King's conceptual framework throughout the nurse's thought processes. The results indicated that nurses could make a connection between NANDA's nursing diagnoses and King's framework with the assistance of the categorization tool.

Classification↗
PubMedDate not supplied

A twelve-year clinical and immunologic evaluation of workers involved in the manufacture of trimellitic anhydride (TMA).

The spectrum of immunologic lung disease occurring in a population of 196 workers involved in the manufacture of trimellitic anhydride (TMA) was assessed from January 1976 through December 1987. Workers were evaluated clinically by history, blood counts and chemistries, chest x-ray, and pulmonary function studies. Immunologic tests included skin testing with trimellityl-human serum albumin (TM-HSA) and assay of total antibody (TA) and of IgE antibody binding of 125I-TM-HSA. Seventeen workers had IgE-mediated asthma/rhinitis with a positive prick test to TM-HSA and IgE antibody of 0.8-57 ng of TM-HSA bound/ml. Seven workers had a late respiratory systemic syndrome with TA from 760-56,000 ng of TM-HSA bound/ml. Four had both syndromes. Three had late onset asthma with TA of 3,700-10,000 and trace levels of IgE to TM-HSA. One had marked arthralgia and myalgia occurring hours after TMA exposure, without respiratory symptoms, with an elevated TA level of 24,000. Of 46 workers reporting no symptoms, 8% had low TA levels, while 16% of 113 with irritant symptoms had low TA levels. There was a reduction in the number of workers exhibiting an immunologic syndrome during 1982-1987-8% (7 of 85) compared to 23% (26 of 111) during 1976-1981--in spite of increased TMA production. This paralleled environmental control and worker education efforts. Cooperative research by an academic Allergy-Immunology program and industry has defined TMA clinical syndromes and provided methods of immunologic monitoring, resulting in a reduction in new cases in spite of increased production of TMA.

Adult↗