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Biomedical subjects

J S Scott

Publications and source records attributed to J S Scott.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Resident education in surgical endoscopy.

Under the auspices of the Resident Education Committee of the Society of American Gastrointestinal Endoscopic Surgeons, 158 of 298 (53%) of surgical training program directors responded to a survey on the current status of endoscopy in residency programs. Although 100 per cent claim that gastrointestinal endoscopy is provided by their program, only 76 per cent have formal endoscopy training, usually centered around the PGY 3 level, with only 23 per cent having didactic lectures in endoscopy. Directors claim to have trained nearly all of their residents by the completion of residency, averaging 44 esophagogastroscopies, 37 colonoscopies, and 46 flexible sigmoidoscopies per resident. However, they feel only 71 per cent of trainees are able to perform esophagogastroscopies and 67 per cent to perform colonoscopies in clinical practice. Ninety-seven per cent of directors feel endoscopy is important to surgical residency training, and 87 per cent have full-time faculty doing endoscopy. Only 44 per cent have a director of endoscopy; endoscopy is supervised by surgeons exclusively in only 48 per cent. Only 35 per cent have ongoing endoscopy research. When surgeons are not performing endoscopy, 66 per cent feel that the gastrointestinal (GI) service provides adequate service or training. Gastroenterology has a monopoly in endoscopy at 28 per cent of institutions, and 67 per cent of program directors feel there would be resistance to the formation of a separate surgical endoscopy service. Surgeons work in their own surgical endoscopy suite in only 15 per cent of institutions; in a GI suite in 13 per cent; and in a combined suite in the remainder.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Attitude of Health Personnel

Laparoscopic approach to gallstones in the morbidly obese patient.

Obesity has been suggested to be a contraindication to laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC). In our center, in which all patients presenting with symptomatic gallstones are considered to be candidates for LC, 24 of the first 325 LC candidates were retrospectively found to be morbidly obese. In all, 20 were women and 4 were men. The average age was 51 years (range 32 to 83 years); the average height and weight amounted to 72 inches and 298 pounds, respectively, for men; and 63.5 inches and 258 pounds, respectively, for women. One-third of these patients suffered from acute cholecystitis, and more than 50% had undergone prior abdominal surgery. The average duration of LC in these subjects was 114 min., which was 25% longer than that in nonobese patients. The average length of the hospital stay was 1.6 days, with patients returning to normal activities within an average of 6.5 days. There was no major morbidity and no mortality. Since obese patients tolerated LC as easily as did normal patients, we concluded that obesity is an indication rather than a contraindication to LC.

Adult

Beta-adrenergic receptor activity in ponies with recurrent obstructive pulmonary disease.

Pulmonary function measurements were made in control ponies and in ponies with recurrent obstructive pulmonary disease (principals) during clinical remission and during an attack of acute airway obstruction. The ponies were given beta-adrenergic antagonists and agonists to determine the role of beta receptors in recurrent obstructive pulmonary disease, and to determine the subtypes of beta receptors mediating bronchodilation in ponies. Aerosol administration of the beta antagonists, propranolol (beta 1 and beta 2), atenolol (beta 1), and butoxamine (beta 2) decreased dynamic compliance (Cdyn) and increased pulmonary resistance (RL) in the principal ponies during airway obstruction, but were without effect when the ponies were in clinical remission. Intravenous administration of atropine reversed the effect of atenolol on Cdyn and RL, but was without effect on the decrease in Cdyn and increase in RL observed after butoxamine administration. The beta antagonists did not affect airway function in the control ponies. The effect of beta blockade on Cdyn and RL suggests beta-adrenergic activation in the central and peripheral airways of principal ponies, mediated through both beta 2- and beta 1-adrenergic receptors. The aerosol beta agonists, isoproterenol (beta 1 and beta 2), and clenbuterol (beta 2) attenuated histamine-induced airway obstruction to a similar extent in control ponies that were given histamine IV. In addition, the beta 1 antagonist, atenolol, did not attenuate the bronchodilation observed with isoproterenol. We concluded that, although beta 1- and beta 2-adrenergic receptors exist in pony airways and are activated during acute airway obstruction, bronchodilation in response to beta agonists in ponies seems to be mediated primarily by beta 2-adrenergic receptors.

Aerosols

Laparoscopic treatment of acute cholecystitis.

Retrospective review of the first 210 patients treated by laparoscopic cholecystectomy revealed 55 patients (26%) with acute cholecystitis diagnosed preoperatively or intraoperatively. Average age was 52 years amongst 38 women and 17 men. Cardiac history was present in 4%, pulmonary disease was noted in 9%, and other significant medical history was found in 10%. Abnormal preoperative laboratory values (white blood cell count, liver function) were seen in 80%. Operations averaged 104 minutes. Dissection was performed with the potassium titanyl phosphate (KTP) laser in 9%, neodymium-doped yttrium aluminum garnet (Nd Yag) laser in 20%, and electrocautery alone in 71%. Average body habitus was 5 ft 9 in, 178 lb for men and 5 ft 5 in, 155 lb for women. Average length of stay was 2.6 days. Thirty-eight patients (69%) left the hospital in < 2 days. Postoperative complications included one case each of urinary retention, pneumonia, myocardial infarction, and three cases of postoperative fever. Drains were placed in 10 patients (18%). There was no mortality. Suggestions are made for technical considerations that make laparoscopic cholecystectomy a safe and efficient approach to acute cholecystitis.

Acute Disease

Comparison of operative versus percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy tube placement in the elderly.

To compare techniques of gastrostomy in elderly patients, the records of 100 patients age 70 and older who underwent gastrostomy tube placement as a primary procedure were reviewed. Two separate unmatched groups of 50 patients each were identified: those that underwent operative gastrostomy tube (OGT) placement and those that underwent percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy tube (PEG) placement. The groups were studied for demographic similarities and for differences in morbidity, mortality, and ease of feeding. Comparison showed that PEGs had a lower mortality (0%) and morbidity (10%) than did OGTs where mortality was 4 per cent and morbidity was 22 per cent. PEGs began feeding sooner (1.0 day vs. 2.8 days) than OGTs. In addition, almost 60 per cent of the PEG patients underwent complete upper endoscopy at the time of the PEG, which revealed pathology that either altered the type of tube placed or the eventual medical management. PEG offers a less morbid, safer, and easier to use method of gastrostomy tube placement than OGT in the majority of elderly patients.

Aged

Tracheostomy. A new indication for percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy tube placement.

A review of patients undergoing elective tracheostomy (TRACH) and percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) was undertaken to decide whether addition of PEG to a planned tracheostomy was safe and indicated by conditions mandating the tracheostomy. Charts were reviewed for demographic data, details of operation, outcome, and disposition. Sixteen patients with an average age of 61 years were studied. Primary diagnosis included CNS disease (7), trauma (6), and multisystem failure (3). These patients had 35 associated diseases. Indications for tracheostomy were respiratory failure (9) and prolonged intubation (7). The average time from admission to procedure was 23.7 days. Average operative time was 50 minutes. There were three postoperative complications. Ten patients were discharged (5 home, 5 skilled facility) and six expired. All patients had functioning tracheostomies and PEGs at the time of disposition. Percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy is a logical adjunct to planned tracheostomy, adding little morbidity but with potential benefit to long-term management in this special group of chronic care patients.

Adult

Percutaneous endoscopic jejunostomy in a patient with previous esophagectomy.

Establishment of a percutaneous endoscopic jejunostomy via direct jejunal puncture was accomplished in a 45-year-old woman five years after a partial esophagectomy with cervical esophagogastrostomy for adenocarcinoma of the esophagus. The patient had recurrence of the cancer at the anastomotic site with subsequent inability to eat, necessitating a feeding tube for prolonged enteral nutrition. Although percutaneous puncture of the jejunum has been previously described, it has been limited to patients who had undergone partial or complete gastrectomies with Bilroth II anastomoses. This case report of direct endoscopic jejunal tube placement in a patient after esophagectomy further establishes this procedure as a viable alternative to surgically placed feeding tubes in patients with altered gastric anatomy.

Anastomosis, Surgical

Meakin adjuvant regimen in premenopausal patients with breast cancer.

A 10-year experience using ovarian ablation and prednisolone as adjuvant therapy for premenopausal patients with breast carcinoma, emphasizing tolerability and morbidity is reported. Thirty patients (15 aged less than 45 years, 15 aged greater than or equal to 45 years; range 28-54 years) underwent mastectomy/lumpectomy with axillary clearance (with or without local irradiation) followed by ovarian irradiation and prednisolone therapy (2.5 mg three times daily for 5 years). Patients were reviewed every 3 months for the first 3 years and every 6 months thereafter. Follow-up was between 1.5 and 10 years (median 5 years). Twenty-four patients are still alive. Three patients stopped therapy because of side-effects. There was a mean(s.e.m.) weight gain of 8.46(1.69) per cent on therapy. Nineteen patients have been weaned off prednisolone over a period of 0.5-7.5 months (median 2 months) and the median length of time off steroids is now 3 years (range 0.5-5 years). This regimen appears to be associated with an acceptable level of patient tolerability and a low chronic morbidity rate and should be considered as an alternative to adjuvant systemic cytotoxic therapy.

Adult

The absence of hepatitis B virus DNA in hepatitis B e antigen positive sera from chronic hepatitis B surface antigen carriers in China.

Sera from 20 Chinese patients with chronic hepatitis B were examined for hepatitis B e antigen and hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA. There was considerable discordance with HBV DNA not being detectable in 10 out of 13 (77%) patients who were hepatitis B e antigen positive. Further testing for anti-HBe and HBV-DNA polymerase activity confirmed the results. Possible reasons for this discordance are discussed but neither hepatitis D (delta) infection nor the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) could be implicated.

Adult

Discordance of hepatitis B e antigen and hepatitis B viral deoxyribonucleic acid.

Sera from 899 hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) carriers from four separate ethnic groups (Caucasian, Australian Aboriginal, Melanesian, and Asian) were studied for their correlation for hepatitis B virus deoxyribonucleic acid (HBV DNA) and hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg). Discordance, as signified by the absence of HBV DNA despite the presence of HBeAg, was unusual in Caucasians but frequently occurred in the other three ethnic groups (11-25%). Analysis by age showed that it occurred occasionally during childhood and, in this age group, may simply be part of the process of seroconversion with impending loss of HBeAg, whereas its greater prevalence in patients with liver disease may have a different mechanism. In sera obtained from Melanesians with hepatocellular carcinoma and Asians with chronic hepatitis, discordance was a common feature with HBV DNA being undetectable in those with HBeAg in 87% and 72%, respectively. A number of important implications flow from these observations pertinent to the use of HBeAg to detect replicating virus and the prognostic significance of HBeAg in HBsAg carriers when HBV DNA is undetectable.

Child

Plasma theophylline concentration and lung function in ponies with recurrent obstructive lung disease.

Six ponies with recurrent obstructive lung disease were studied during two separate 60 min periods while receiving constant equal volume infusions of either aminophylline or sterile water. Dynamic lung compliance, pulmonary resistance, respiratory rate, tidal volume, blood gas tensions and heart rate were measured. Plasma samples were obtained for determination of theophylline concentrations before, and at 10 min intervals during, the infusion period. Excitability was assessed subjectively at these same time periods. The plasma theophylline concentrations in ponies were well predicted by a previously published model of theophylline pharmacokinetics in the horse. Sterile water had no effect on lung function. Aminophylline produced significant changes in lung function compared to baseline values, including a decrease in resistance at 30 min when the mean plasma theophylline concentration was 59 +/- 14 mumol/litre and an increase in compliance at 60 mins at a mean plasma theophylline concentration of 102 +/- 23 mumol/litre. Excitement was noted between 40 and 50 mins in all ponies (mean plasma theophylline concentration 74 +/- 20 and 84 +/- 24 mumol/litre, respectively). Heart rate increased at 50 mins. The therapeutic range for intravenous (iv) theophylline concentration in 'heavey' ponies therefore appears to be between 59 and 84 mumol/litre when aminophylline is administered iv. Below 59 mumol/litre there was no consistent bronchodilator activity and above 84 mumol/litre excitement and tachycardia limited the usefulness of the drug.

Airway Resistance

Total body irradiation as an alternative to systemic chemotherapy in small-cell anaplastic lung cancer.

The effectiveness of total body irradiation (TBI) plus local radiotherapy in the treatment of small-cell lung cancer was studied in 13 patients, using 4,000 cGy in 15 fractions over three weeks to the local site and 150 cGy in ten fractions over two weeks to the whole body. The mean survival for 12 patients was 31 weeks, with a median survival of 32 weeks. One patient received six courses of combination chemotherapy for recurrent disease four months after TBI without marrow depression and survived 72 weeks, the longest survivor in this series. Brain metastases occurred in only one patient, the most common site of metastases being the liver. All patients tolerated TBI well without nausea, vomiting or hair loss. When bone marrow suppression occurred it was asymptomatic, requiring no treatment and resolving within eight weeks.

Aged

Single session panendoscopy. Indications and expectations for yield.

To assess the indications and yield of single session panendoscopy (SSPE), patients who underwent colonoscopy and esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD) at the same time were retrospectively reviewed. Endoscopy records and patient charts of 101 patients who underwent SSPE during a 45-month period were analyzed for demography, indication, and results. Average age was 72.9 years. Common indications were positive occult blood tests (74%), anemia (28%), altered bowel habits (15%), and iron deficiency (13%). Most frequent findings at colonoscopy included diverticulosis (47%), polyps (37%), hemorrhoids (28%), and arteriovenous (AV) malformations (13%). Nine cases of cancer were found, seven of which were right-sided. Colonoscopy was normal in 12 per cent. EGD findings include esophagitis (55%), hiatal hernia (47%), and gastritis (33%). Eleven per cent were normal. Occult blood loss is not predictive of either a positive or negative study. SSPE is a safe and specific approach; however, based on this study, colonoscopy is recommended as the initial study for occult blood loss with plans to proceed to EGD when the lower endoscopy is normal. Even when the colonoscopy suggests the etiology for occult blood loss, EGD will yield a significant number of treatable and unsuspected lesions.

Adult

Efficacy and long term effects of antenatal prophylaxis with anti-D immunoglobulin.

OBJECTIVE: To measure the safety and efficacy of antenatal treatment with anti-D immunoglobulin. DESIGN: Open study with historical controls. SETTING: Multicentre study in 17 hospitals in West Yorkshire. PATIENTS: 1238 Rh negative women who delivered Rh positive infants after 34 weeks in their first pregnancy in 1980-1 (group 1) and 2000 similar primigravidas from 1978-9 (group 2). Obstetric data were collected for 616 women in group 1 who had a subsequent pregnancy, 536 similar women in group 2, and 410 Rh positive but otherwise similar primigravidas who delivered in the same hospitals in 1978-81 (group C). INTERVENTIONS: Anti-D immunoglobulin 100 micrograms intramuscularly was given at 28 and 34 weeks to the mothers in their first pregnancy who delivered in 1980-1. END POINTS: Detection of anti-D antibody in the first or any subsequent pregnancy in groups 1 and 2. For all three groups having subsequent pregnancies gestation at delivery, birth weight, fetal survival at one month, pre-eclampsia defined as blood pressure greater than 140/90 on two occasions more than 12 hours apart, and proteinuria greater than 0.25 milligram. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Antenatal immunisation to Rh(D) occurred in six mothers in group 1 and 32 group 2. Most immunisations occurred in the first or second pregnancy. The rates of abortion, gestation at delivery, birth weight, and fetal survival were not significantly different among the three groups. The incidence of pre-eclampsia was lower in mothers given antenatal anti-D immunoglobulin, but the difference was not significant. CONCLUSIONS: Antenatal prophylaxis with anti-D immunoglobulin is effective, and the effect of giving it in the first pregnancy persists into at least the second pregnancy. It seems to be safe for the fetus in the index and subsequent pregnancies.

Birth Weight

Presence of autoantibodies in women with unexplained infertility.

Serum samples from 41 patients suffering from unexplained infertility and 351 normal pregnant women were assayed for a range of autoantibodies by means of immunofluorescence, counterimmunoelectrophoresis, double immunodiffusion, Western blots, and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. The prevalence of autoantibodies to smooth muscle, phospholipid, and nuclear antigens, the latter when detected by immunofluorescence, was elevated in women with infertility compared with normal pregnant women (p less than 0.001, less than 0.001, and less than 0.05, respectively). Antiviral antibodies were not detected. The reason for the high level of autoreactivity in infertile women is unclear, but smooth muscle and antiphospholipid antibodies may actively interfere with the reproductive process.

Antibodies, Antinuclear

Percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy. A mandate for complete diagnostic upper endoscopy.

One hundred patients underwent upper endoscopy for the placement of percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomies (PEGS) during a four year period from 1984 to 1988. These cases were retrospectively reviewed to document the need for total endoscopy during PEG. Ninety-seven per cent of the procedures were successful. In 89 per cent, a complete exam of the esophagus, stomach, and duodenum was performed, revealing pathologic findings in 59 per cent. The most common abnormalities were in the esophagus (23%) and the stomach (27%); however, a portion of the findings were also present in the duodenum (12%) and the pylorus (11%). Additional findings present in the complete esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD) done at the time of PEG included a five per cent incidence of gastric outlet obstruction and antral ulcers or polyps in six per cent. The breakdown of findings in the duodenum included eight per cent incidence of duodenal ulcers and four per cent incidence of duodenitis. A total of 22 per cent of the patients had some evidence of peptic ulcer disease. Many of the cases in which pathology was found required a change in medications and, when postoperative bleeding occurred after PEG, the other pathologic entity was much more likely to be the cause of the complication than the PEG. A careful and complete EGD is mandated every time a patient is scheduled for PEG.

Adult