Biomedical subjects

J Shemer

Publications and source records attributed to J Shemer.

166 records · Page 10Linked to original sources

PubMedDate not supplied

The effect of pyridostigmine on respiratory function in healthy and asthmatic volunteers.

Respiratory function was evaluated in 12 healthy and 13 asthmatic volunteers following a single oral dose of pyridostigmine in a double-blind, placebo-controlled cross-over study. Respiratory function tests were performed at rest and after submaximal exercise at the time corresponding to the expected peak cholinesterase inhibition by pyridostigmine. A single dose of 60 mg pyridostigmine given to nonasthmatic subjects led to a decrease of 28.4% in cholinesterase activity when compared to the baseline and a statistically (but not physiologically) significant decrease in FEV1 (forced expiratory volume in 1 sec) both at rest (P less than 0.015) and after exercise (P less than 0.05). This effect showed a strong correlation to the degree of cholinesterase inhibition (r = -0.936, P less than 0.0001). According to these findings, a smaller dose of pyridostigmine (30 mg) was given to subjects with mild bronchial asthma. At that dose, pyridostigmine resulted in a similar inhibition of cholinesterase activity to a mean of 76.7% of the baseline. A significant decrease in the pulse rate was also found (P less than 0.005). However, no changes in respiratory function were observed when compared with the effects of placebo. The effect of post-exertion atropine inhalation on respiratory function was also unchanged with pyridostigmine at that dose. We conclude that, in general, at this dose pyridostigmine is a safe drug for asthmatics; however, the distribution of individual results in this group cannot preclude the existence of a subpopulation of asthmatic patients who are more vulnerable to the effects of pyridostigmine.

Administration, Oral↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Willingness of staff to report to their hospital duties following an unconventional missile attack: a state-wide survey.

Adequate staffing of hospitals during a prolonged, potentially unconventional war is a key component in the disaster plan of institutions. In an attempt to determine policy regarding hospital staffing, a state-wide survey was conducted in Israel among hospital personnel during the recent Persian Gulf war. This survey aimed to explore the willingness of staff to report to their duties (WTR) following an unconventional missile attack described in a hypothetical scenario. Of the 2,650 questionnaires distributed among all categories of staff in 10 hospitals (42%) across the country, 51% were returned. Overall, 42% of the responding staff were WTR under the presented scenario. However, WTR would increase to 86% if safety measures were provided. Males, personnel with headquarter duty of hospital site managers, and parents of children older than 14 years of age, were the most WTR. The finding of extensive interhospital variation in WTR indicates the need for evaluating WTR on an institutional basis when establishing both the hospital and the regional disaster plan. Data are presented on the extent of WTR, the factors inhibiting WTR, and possible measures to improve WTR.

Absenteeism↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Comparison of the counterregulatory hormone response to semisynthetic human insulin and purified porcine insulin in normal subjects and patients with type I diabetes mellitus.

The counterregulatory hormone responses to semisynthetic human insulin and purified porcine insulin were compared in 20 healthy volunteers (ten men and ten women) and 16 patients (8 men and 8 women) with type I diabetes mellitus (IDDM). In both groups blood glucose fell to similar levels following insulin administration; no difference in counterregulatory hormone response or hypoglycemic awareness was noted when comparing human to porcine insulin. However, when men were compared to women, significant differences were noted in basal glucagon, cortisol, and growth hormone levels, as well as in norepinephrine, prolactin, and cortisol responses to hypoglycemia. These differences could not be attributed to insulin species, different doses of insulin, or degree of hypoglycemia. These findings suggest that hormonal response to and awareness of hypoglycemia are similar in healthy subjects and patients with IDDM following administration of human and porcine insulin and that hormonal responses in men and women should be studied separately to avoid confusion in interpreting results arising from differences in sex.

Adult↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Increased prevalence of joint manifestations in patients with recurrent aphthous stomatitis (RAS)

OBJECTIVE: To characterize the systemic manifestations and joint disease in patents with recurrent aphthous stomatitis (RAS). METHODS: The presence and features of extra-oral manifestations were determined by a rheumatologist, who examined and interviewed 64 patients, referred during 1993 to the oral medicine clinic for treatment of RAS. Controls were 65 medical staff members of a military clinic associated with the hospital. RESULTS: Based on the rheumatologist's findings and published criteria, the patients were diagnosed as suffering from RAS alone (24 patients), Reiter's syndrome (8), Behçet disease (8), familial Mediterranean fever (1), or RAS with undiagnosable extra oral manifestations (23). Thirteen patients in the last group had joint disease (p < 0.01 compared to the controls), characterized by recurrent mono- or oligoarthritis/arthralgia of short duration, affecting mostly the large joints. Conjunctivitis, pustular rash, lower back pain and urethritis/cervicitis were also common in RAS patients, but only the latter was significantly more frequent in RAS patients than in controls (p < 0.02). CONCLUSION: These findings suggest that patients with RAS have an increased frequency of a palindromic type joint disease.

Adolescent↗