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J R Moorman

Publications and source records attributed to J R Moorman.

43 records · Page 3Linked to original sources

The yield of the routine admission electrocardiogram. A study in a general medical service.

To evaluate the usefulness of the admission electrocardiogram, we prospectively studied 1410 patients admitted to a general medical service. The patients' history and physical examination were analyzed, and then the electrocardiogram was evaluated to determine whether it added new information. Fifty-two admission electrocardiograms added unique information; 31 established a new diagnosis, 28 of which changed management. Twenty-one electrocardiograms suggested a new diagnosis, 13 of which proved correct. Only age and a clinically evident cardiac abnormality predicted the yield of the admission electrocardiogram. Among patients with cardiac abnormalities, electrocardiogram yield was 8.5% in those 45 years or older and 2.5% in those younger. Among patients without cardiac abnormality, electrocardiogram yield was 1.0% overall and its cost-effectiveness was $24 000 per year of life saved. An admission electrocardiogram infrequently added new information to the clinical evaluation, but was useful when it did. Admission electrocardiograms are as cost-effective as many accepted medical practices.

Adult↗

Aspergillus infection of a permanent ventricular pacing lead.

Fungal infections of intracardiac pacemakers are extremely rare. We describe what appears to be the first reported case of Aspergillus infection of a permanent pacing lead and review the three reported cases of other fungal infections of pacemaker leads which we could find in the literature. These infections may be encountered more frequently as the number of permanent pacemakers implanted in elderly patients with underlying medical illnesses continues to increase.

Aged↗

Is streptokinase safe during menses?

We used intravenous streptokinase to treat a young woman with deep venous thrombosis manifested during her menses. There was no increase in menstrual bleeding, and she was symptom free six months later. Because menstrual endothelium after the first day of menses relies on arteriolar constriction for hemostasis rather than the formation of fibrin, we think that streptokinase may not be contraindicated in thrombotic disorders that occur during menses after the first day.

Adult↗

Yield of the screening review of systems: a study on a general medical service.

STUDY OBJECTIVE: To determine the usefulness of screening reviews of the cardiopulmonary and gastrointestinal systems during medical admissions. DESIGN: Case series. SETTING: General internal medicine ward of a university hospital. PATIENTS: 550 consecutive medical patients were initially screened at admission. The authors excluded 265 patients with life-limiting medical conditions, and they studied 98 patients with no known cardiopulmonary disease and 207 patients with no known gastrointestinal disease. INTERVENTIONS: Positive responses to screening systems review questions were evaluated using a standardized testing algorithm. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Numbers of new diagnoses; potential for patient benefit. MAIN RESULTS: The authors made 26 new diagnoses for 25 patients (95% confidence limits, 16 to 37 patients), two of whom may have gained years of life as a result. CONCLUSIONS: The absolute yield of the screening cardiopulmonary and gastrointestinal reviews of systems of 550 patients admitted to an internal medicine service of a university hospital was a new diagnosis in about 5% of patients. An estimate of the cost-effectiveness compares favorably with those of other accepted screening practices.

Adult↗