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Biomedical subjects

J Nixon

Publications and source records attributed to J Nixon.

At least 73 records · Page 4Linked to original sources
PubMed1987

Bicycle accidents in childhood.

The results of a 10 year study of bicycle fatalities and an eight year study of serious non-fatalities are reported for urban Brisbane (population 1,000,000). There were 845 serious non-fatal bicycle accidents and 46 fatalities during the study. Boys were involved in 86% of accidents. Boys have an accident rate of 134.21 per 100,000 population at risk and a fatality rate of 5.06 per 100,000 at risk. Serious bicycle accidents have increased by 50% in this decade; but considering fatal cases alone, no secular trend was evident over the 10 year period of the study. This suggests that an increase in the overall rate of bicycle accidents has been in part compensated by less serious injuries. In 70% of fatalities children had head injuries, and 87% of fatalities followed a collision between a cyclist and a motor vehicle or a train. Bicycle accidents on the roads most commonly occur to boys aged between 12 and 14 years on a straight road at "mid-block" between 3 and 5 pm in clear weather conditions and in daylight. It is concluded that injuries and fatalities after bicycle accidents can be reduced by protecting children's heads, separating child cyclists from other road traffic, or educating and training both cyclists and other road users in safe behaviour. The compulsory use of helmets and the restriction of access to the roads by child cyclists to reduce injuries are, however, still controversial in many areas.

Accidents, Traffic↗
PubMed1987

The management of blunt splenic trauma.

Seventy cases of blunt splenic trauma were retrospectively reviewed for the period 1979-1984. There were 57 adults and 13 children. Motor vehicle accidents were implicated in 62%. Forty-five splenectomies and eight splenorrhaphies were performed. The patients fell into two groups. Group A, numbering 48 patients, were those operated upon within 24 hours of injury. The mortality rate was 16%, and no deaths were attributable to splenic injury. Indications for surgery were hemodynamic instability in 46% and positive peritoneal lavage in 40%. Group B included 22 patients, 17 of whom were managed nonoperatively with no deaths. Five patients eventually went to laparotomy. Fifty per cent of all patients had associated intra-abdominal injury but only 17% needed repair; 31% of patients were initially managed conservatively with a 77% success rate and no mortality. It is concluded that conservative management is safe in stable patients with blunt splenic trauma.

Accidents, Traffic↗
PubMed1986

Fifteen years of child drowning--a 1967-1981 analysis of all fatal cases from the Brisbane Drowning Study and an 11 year study of consecutive near-drowning cases.

A total population study of childhood fresh water drowning accidents (fatalities) for the 15 year period, 1967-1981, is reported. These data are from the ongoing Brisbane Drowning Study which has now also analysed 255 fresh water child immersions (both fatalities and near-fatalities) over the eleven year period, 1978-1981, and as such forms a consecutive unselected series for over one decade. The annual fatality (drowning) rate is 3.53 per 100,000. Details of immersion accidents by site, sex and by outcome (survivors versus fatalities) are presented. An analysis of secular trends revealed that one epidemic peak of child drownings in swimming pools and domestic baths (noted in the mid 1970s in Australia and other countries) is now passed. Evidence is presented to suggest that a vigorous education, and public awareness campaign can reduce the incidence of serious child immersion accidents by one-third. Such a campaign may have influence on all types of childhood household drownings (pools, baths, garden ponds), irrespective of site. Survival rates for unsupervised children who lose consciousness in fresh water are site-dependent, only 21% of such potential victims surviving after losing consciousness in rivers and creeks, compared with the survival rate of 65% for those in potential drowning incidents in their own backyard. Violent death continues to account for more than half of all deaths in childhood up to the age of 14 years [Gratz, 1979; Mayer, Walker and Johnson et al., 1981].(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adolescent↗
PubMed1985

Fatal and nonfatal accidents on the railways--a study of injuries to individuals, with particular reference to children and to nonfatal trauma.

This paper reports a five-year total population study of fatal railroad accidents involving individuals (that is, not including train crashes or derailments); and a consecutive unselected series of nonfatal isolated injuries in Queensland, Australia. There were 84 fatalities and 211 cases of significant nonfatal traumata. Fatal railway accidents involving children under 15 years of age are now more common in Australia than childhood poisonings and electrocutions. Two syndromes occur--(a) toddlers living near the tracks who simply wander onto the line; and (b) young teenage boys who are run down on level crossings, either as pedestrians or cyclists. Adult fatalities include (a) occupational deaths among railway workers (20%), (b) car-train collisions at level crossings (19%), (c) drunk pedestrians who walk into trains (17%), suicides (12%), and old folk who walk into trains (12%). Of 211 nonfatal cases studied, falls in and from both moving and stationary trains were the most common type of accident. Sudden jolting of the train (probably unpreventable) contributed to 26% of all falls. Twenty-two percent of nonfatal accidents resulted from a person being struck by a train. All persons who survived being struck by a train received serious injuries and required hospital admission. Fatalities involving adults include a high proportion of suicides. Some accidents, such as fingers being caught in windows and doors, can and are being overcome through improved design.

Accidents↗
PubMed1984

Australian state-specific reference data, by socioeconomic status, for the analysis of health and disease correlates.

Socioeconomic status has an enormous influence on health and disease patterns. Hitherto only national data have been available for use as norms for the interpretation of apparent clustering of disease and accident patterns (by social class) in Australia. However, the majority of health studies are based at local, city or State level, the patterns of which vary significantly from city to city and from State to State. A specific analysis of the latest available census data, by State, has been undertaken to provide norms, or "expected" figures, for epidemiological and health studies in Australia. Population norms for socioeconomic status ranking, by sex and by State, are presented as reference tables. New national norms, to include the Armed Services, are also presented for the first time.

Australia↗
PubMed1984

Accidental poisoning in childhood: five year urban population study with 15 year analysis of fatality.

Patterns of accidental poisoning in children are changing dramatically. A five year population study (1977-81) was undertaken in urban children from Brisbane (population 1 000 000). A total of 2098 children were poisoned during this period with only one fatality, which represents a dramatic reduction in mortality. Over the past 15 years (1968-82) 13 children have died from accidental poisoning from this population, and two were murdered with drugs. A study of secular trends has indicated that peak incidence occurred in 1979, and the rate has been falling progressively since. The current age corrected rate of poisoning is 393 per 100 000 children per year (0-5 year olds). The rank order of poisons, drugs, and chemicals causing hospital admission and death is: petroleum distillates 13%; antihistamines 9%; benzodiazepines 9%; bleach and detergents 7%; and aspirin 6%. The ratio of fatalities to ingestions requiring hospital admission was calculated to give an index of a practical danger of noxious agents to which children are currently exposed and the rank order is: cardiotoxic drugs, one fatality to 25 ingestions; tricyclic antidepressants, one to 44; sympathomimetic drugs, one to 54; caustic soda, one to 68; aspirin, one fatality to 350 ingestions. Accidental poisoning of children leading to death has been reduced because patterns of drug prescriptions have changed, packaging of dangerous drugs has been made safer, and substances such as kerosene have been coloured blue.

Accidents↗
PubMed1984

Carotid ultrasonography in carotid artery disease.

Real-time high resolution carotid ultrasonography was performed in 1,300 patients of whom 294 also had carotid arteriography, allowing evaluation of 586 extracranial carotid vessels. Of the 586 extracranial vessels studied, 411 were normal by arteriography; of these, 381 (93%) were also normal by ultrasonography or showed only superficial plaques. Of the 175 vessels that were abnormal by arteriography, 153 (87%) were abnormal by ultrasonography. There were 30 (7%) false-positive and 22 (13%) false-negative ultrasonic studies. The sensitivity was 87% and the specificity was 93%. Oculoplethysmography (OPG) done on these patients had a sensitivity of 43% and a specificity of 93%; nuclear angiography had a sensitivity of 40% and a specificity of 77%. The ultrasonography, OPG, and nuclear angiography results are based on the assumption that the sensitivity and specificity of carotid arteriography are 100%, but studies have shown that it is not that accurate. Carotid ultrasonography appears to be a valuable diagnostic screening test in the evaluation of extracranial vascular disease.

Arterial Occlusive Diseases↗
PubMed1984

Primary health care for Indo-Chinese children in Australia.

This study reports the detailed analysis of 61 consecutive presentations by recent immigrants from Indo-China to the Casualty Department of a modern Australian Children's Hospital. The parents/guardians were interviewed either in the Casualty Department or in their homes. Indo-Chinese children coming to a Casualty Department manifested the same age distribution and spectrum of illnesses that is seen in the general Australian paediatric population. However, significantly fewer presentations to hospital occurred due to accidents/trauma when the group was compared with the general population attending the Casualty Department. Only 21% of the Vietnamese and Cambodian families can communicate satisfactorily with hospital staff without interpreter help. Fifty-one per cent of parents reported that they did not have enough English for a medical interview without an interpreter. Twenty-eight per cent did not have enough English to communicate at all. Parents of Vietnamese children reported that on occasions they had not sought medical care for their children because of language difficulties. Many families do not know that an Interpreter Service is available, and many believe that access to such a service is available only through a doctor. Many of these children also use traditional Chinese remedies in the context of their contemporary Australian lives. We have found no evidence that this practice causes late presentation with deleterious effects, or any evidence that it compromises modern 'Western' treatment.

Acculturation↗
PubMed1984

Who attends family planning clinics?

Data were obtained from 1,810 consecutive women who attended a central metropolitan (Brisbane) Family Planning Clinic during a 5 week period in 1982. Young women in particular formed the major client group with 32% being under 20 years of age. The client population was skewed towards women of upper socioeconomic status (SES). There was no SES disproportion in the use of oral contraceptives or IUD's. However, diaphragm use occurred disproportionately in women of upper SES groups; postcoital contraception was sought by and limited to, women of SES classes A and B only. The clinic satisfied a need for women with a history of failed or absent contraception and 15% had already had a termination of pregnancy by the time they first presented at the clinic.

Abortion, Induced↗
PubMed1983

Can Australians identify snakes?

A study of the ability of Australians to identify snakes was undertaken, in which 558 volunteers (primary and secondary schoolchildren, doctors and university science and medical students) took part. Over all, subjects correctly identified an average of 19% of snakes; 28% of subjects could identify a taipan, 59% could identify a death adder, 18% a tiger snake, 23% an eastern (or common) brown snake, and 0.5% a rough-scaled snake. Eighty-six per cent of subjects who grew up in rural areas could identify a death adder; only 4% of those who grew up in an Australian capital city could identify a nonvenomous python. Male subjects identified snakes more accurately than did female subjects. Doctors and medical students correctly identified an average of 25% of snakes. The ability to identify medically significant Australian snakes was classified according to the observer's background, education, sex, and according to the individual snake species. Australians need to be better educated about snakes indigenous to this country.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1982

Mechanisms of dietary modification of aflatoxin B1 carcinogenesis.

Trout were fed a range of dietary components which altered their carcinogenic response to aflatoxin B1 (AFB1). Dietary protein at levels substantially exceeding nutritional requirements were synergistic with AFB1. Cyclopropene fatty acids (CPFA) were carcinogenic when fed alone at 20 or 55 ppm, and synergistic when fed with AFB1. In contrast, several flavonoid and indole compounds, especially beta-naphthoflavone (beta-NF) and indole-3-carbinol, inhibited the carcinogenic response when fed prior to and along with AFB1. The mechanisms by which some of these dietary factors modulate AFB1 carcinogenesis were investigated. Dietary beta-naphthoflavone was shown to substantially induce the levels of mixed function oxidase (MFO) activities assayed in vitro. These changes were accompanied by alterations in AFB1 metabolism and binding in freshly isolated hepatocytes. AFB1 incubated in hepatocytes freshly isolated from fish fed beta-NF diet was metabolized more rapidly, showed enhanced rates of detoxication reactions, and decreased accumulation of AFB1-DNA adducts compared to control hepatocytes. These results suggest that beta-NF inhibits AFB1 carcinogenesis at least in part by altering MFO activities such that detoxication is enhanced and initial DNA damage by AFB1 is reduced. In contrast, high dietary protein is a synergist for AFB1 carcinogenesis, and this appears to occur primarily by enhancing the transformation probability for AFB1-initiated genome damage. Fish treated with AFB1 as embryos and then reared on high protein diets had substantially higher incidences of hepatocellular carcinoma (86%) than similarly treated fish fed normal protein diet (44%) or high protein controls without AFB1 exposure (0-2%). The synergistic behavior of dietary CPFAs also appears to partially involve enhanced transformation following DNA damage by AFB1. Fish exposed as embryos to AFB1 and then fed CPFA-containing diets are known to show promotion effects similar to the high protein results (Hendricks, J.D., Proc. 11th Int. Symp. of the Princess Takamatsu Cancer Research Fund, in press.) However, factors other than promotion are involved in the synergism between CPFA and AFB1. Preliminary studies indicate that dietary CPFAs repress MFO activities and depress DNA damage by AFB1 in vitro. If this occurs in vivo, then the net synergistic effect of dietary CPFAs would involve depression of initial AFB1-induced DNA damage, but highly efficient promotion of transformation from the remaining lesions.

Aflatoxin B1↗