Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to J M French.
This paper describes previously unreported malformations of both fore and hind feet in a liveborn common marmoset. Ectrodactyly of both fore feet and left hind foot and syndactyly of the right hind foot were observed.
As part of a major prospective study of neurological and psychological complications of coronary artery bypass graft surgery, involving 312 patients, detailed psychometric testing was carried out before and after operation on 298 patients using a battery of 10 standard tests of intellectual function. This report is concerned with the early neuropsychological dysfunction detectable one week after operation. Two hundred and thirty-five patients (79 per cent of the cohort) showed impairment in some aspect of cognitive function at the seventh day after operation. Only 63 patients (21 per cent) showed no deterioration from levels before operation in any of the 10 test scores. One hundred and twenty-three of the patients whose scores deteriorated had no symptoms while in hospital. Eighty-nine patients complained of cognitive impairment, and 23 patients were considered to be overtly disabled by their intellectual dysfunction, during the period soon after operation. There is therefore a high incidence of early cerebral dysfunction detectable by psychometric testing following coronary artery bypass graft surgery. Often this was not of sufficient severity to cause serious concern to the patients or to interfere with their everyday activities in the hospital environment.
In a study of 120 patients with chronic multiple sclerosis the effects of treatment with 100% oxygen at 2 atmospheres absolute for 90 min daily for a total of 20 exposures were compared with those of normal air at normal pressure for a similar length of time within the same compression chamber. No patient in either group showed any improvement on the Kurtzke disability status scale. 12 of 51 patients in the hyperbaric-oxygen group and 3 of 47 control patients improved on the Kurtzke functional systems scale on the subjective bowel/bladder parameter only. Such a degree of improvement can also be achieved with medication for urinary symptoms, but none of the patients in this study received such medication. The short-term results of this trial do not support the claims made for hyperbaric oxygen in the management of multiple sclerosis.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
One hundred and sixty-three asymptomatic people with thyroid antibodies or raised serum thyrotrophin (TSH) concentrations, or both, and 209 age-matched and sex-matched controls without either marker of thyroid disorder were followed up for four years to determine the natural history of autoimmune thyroiditis. Mildly raised TSH concentrations alone and the presence of thyroid antibodies alone did not significantly increase the risk of developing overt hypothyroidism during the four years compared with the controls. Overt hypothyroidism developed at the rate of 5% a year in women who initially had both raised TSH concentrations and thyroid antibodies. Prophylactic treatment with thyroxine may be justified in women found to have both markers of impending thyroid failure. The cost effectiveness of screening the adult population remains to be evaluated.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
In a prospective study of 86 patients with acute stroke, blood glucose and HbA1 were estimated within 72 h of onset. The prevalence of previously diagnosed diabetes mellitus was 8% whereas 28% could be assumed to have had unrecognized hyperglycaemia preceeding the acute event as identified by a stable HbA1 raised more than two SD above the mean reference value. Complete functional recovery of the limbs within 4 weeks of the stroke was confined to those patients with a normal admission blood glucose. None of the patients with a raised admission blood glucose regained full functional recovery within 4 weeks. Cumulative mortality at 4 weeks was significantly raised in patients with an elevated blood glucose value irrespective of their HbA1 values (p less than 0.05). The prevalence of unrecognized hyperglycaemia as a risk factor for acute stroke is greater than previously reported in the UK and admission blood glucose concentration is of greatest importance in predicting early mortality and morbidity.
As part of a prospective study of the neurologic and neuropsychological complications of coronary artery bypass graft surgery, 312 patients were compared with a control group of 50 patients undergoing major surgery for peripheral vascular disease. The purpose of comparing the 2 groups was to determine to what extent neurologic complications after heart surgery can be attributed to cardiopulmonary bypass. The 2 groups were similar with respect to age, preoperative neurologic and intellectual status, anesthetic methods, duration of operation, perioperative complications, and time spent in the intensive therapy unit. Certain potential risk factors for cerebrovascular disease were more common in the control than the coronary bypass patients. The important difference between the 2 groups was that only the latter group underwent cardiopulmonary bypass. In this group 191 of 312 (61%) and 235 of 298 (79%), respectively, developed early neurologic and neuropsychological complications. By the time of hospital discharge 17% had neurologic disability and 38% had significant neuropsychological symptoms. In the control group 9 of 50 (18%) developed neurologic complications resulting largely from trauma to lower limb sensory nerves. Two patients developed primitive reflexes. Fifteen of 48 (31%) showed neuropsychological impairment on 1 or 2 subtest scores. Moderate or severe intellectual dysfunction was not seen in the control patients in contrast to the 24% thus affected in the coronary bypass group. The difference in frequency and severity of central nervous system complications between the 2 groups is likely to reflect cerebral injury resulting from cardiopulmonary bypass.