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Biomedical subjects

J Solomon

Publications and source records attributed to J Solomon.

140 records · Page 8Linked to original sources
PubMedDate not supplied

Comparison of buying behavior in depressed patients presenting with or without compulsive buying.

Compulsive buying is defined as repetitive impulsive and excessive buying leading to personal and familial distress. This study compares the buying behavior of depressed patients presenting with or without compulsive buying. The weight of promotional factors such as sales and advertising campaigns was systematically assessed. The impulsive nature of compulsive buying and the choice of items purchased were also investigated. For this purpose, we studied buying behavior among 52 inpatients diagnosed for major depressive episode with DSM-IV criteria. None of the patients presented mania or hypomania, obsessive-compulsive disorder, or alcohol or drug abuse or dependence disorder. We assessed the prevalence of compulsive buying and compared the "buying style" among patients with (CB+) and without (CB-) compulsive buying. The diagnosis of depression was assessed with the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI). The diagnosis of compulsive buying was made using standardized criteria and a specific rating scale. All patients answered a specific questionnaire assessing the phenomenology of the buying behavior. Twenty-one of 52 depressives presented with compulsive buying. The CB+ group was not more sensitive to promotional factors. They did not seek sales or use loans significantly more than others. Upon entering a shop, the CB+ subjects did not change their choice more often than others. CB+ subjects were significantly more often alone while shopping (85% of cases v61% of CB- group, p = .05). Most purchases from the CB+ group were self-gifts or gifts to others (50.4% v 23.5%, p = .003); 14.4% of purchases in the CB+ group (v 2.2% in CB- group, P = .045) were made because the patients believed their social status requires acquisition. Items to be bought were more often considered by CB+ subjects as occasions not to be missed (31.4% v15.1%, P = .03). Purchases were significantly (57% v 16%) less often used than expected by the CB+ group (P = .002). Most purchases, in addition, represented gifts for oneself or others and were used significantly less often than expected.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Benzodiazepine treatment for alcohol-dependent patients.

Benzodiazepines (BZDs) are the preferred pharmacological agents for treatment of acute alcohol withdrawal. Treatment with BZDs can be administered on an out-patient basis for subjects experiencing mild to moderate withdrawal and on an in-patient basis for the most severe forms of withdrawal. The efficacy of BZDs for long-term treatment of alcoholism has been more controversial. Controlled studies indicate that BZD treatment does not improve abstinence rate. Most reviews of drug treatment of alcoholism conclude that routine use of BZDs is not indicated on a long-term basis. However, the clinical reality is that many alcoholics are treated by BZDs during detoxification and then continue to receive them for the treatment of anxiety disorders or insomnia, often secondary to alcohol dependence. After a review of the biological properties of BZDs related to their therapeutic issues, this review discusses the major indications for BZD treatment of alcoholism. BZDs are first prescribed to prevent and treat symptoms of alcohol withdrawal. Indication of BZD administration during alcohol withdrawal and criteria of choice of an agent according to its half-life or its route of administration are discussed. The different protocols of BZD treatment during withdrawal are considered (e.g. loading techniques, symptom-triggered therapy). The use of BZDs in the treatment of anxiety associated with alcohol dependence is examined. Among unwanted effects, risk of abuse, memory impairment, confusion, and delirium are described. Finally, practical guidelines for the use of BZDs in the treatment of alcoholism are proposed.

Alcoholic Beverages↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Recurrent herpes simplex virus infections and erythema multiforme: a report of three patients.

The widespread preoccupation of the media and patients with herpes prompts this report of two patients who developed erythema multiforme, an allergic response to the herpes simplex virus. While this complication is not new, physicians and nurses working in clinics for sexually transmitted diseases should be aware of this allergic response to infection with herpes simplex virus.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Percutaneous placement of an intercostal central venous catheter for chronic hyperalimentation guided by transhepatic venography.

BACKGROUND AND METHODS: Increased utilization of central venous catheters for hyperalimentation has caused a rise in the incidence of central venous complications including occlusions and stenoses. When this occurs, the continued use of these catheters becomes more difficult. We describe a technique for catheter placement in a patient requiring access for total parenteral nutrition who had extensive central venous occlusion involving both internal jugular veins, both subclavian veins, and the infrorenal inferior vena cava (IVC). RESULTS: A percutaneous transhepatic venous catheter had been placed in a patient with inferior vena caval, subclavian, and internal jugular venous occlusions. The Hickman catheter functioned well until the patient developed fungal sepsis and a large fibrin sheath around the catheter tip creating the need for a new access site. Placement of an intercostal venous catheter was performed using transhepatic venography to map patent collateral veins and microcatheters to access an intercostal route for Hickman placement. CONCLUSIONS: Patients who require long-term central venous access often develop stenotic and occlusive complications in the central venous circulation. Individualized, unique and innovative routes to the central venous circulation must often be utilized to maintain venous access in these patients. Transhepatic venous mapping and microcatheter techniques aid in the finding of alternative sites in these patients with difficult access problems.

Catheterization, Central Venous↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Surgical treatment for chronic lower-leg compartment syndrome in young female athletes.

Our experience in treating chronic lower-leg compartment syndrome suggests that women may be more susceptible to this injury than are men, an observation for which there is support in the literature. Furthermore, when we evaluated the 47 young female athletes (age range, 13 years 11 months to 21 years 10 months) from our practice on whom 78 separate surgeries were performed, we found a lower success rate than those generally reported in studies that combine male and female patients. We suspect, therefore, that for reasons as yet unclear, women may also respond less well than men to operative fasciotomy.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Phase II study of vinorelbine with low dose prednisone in the treatment of hormone-refractory metastatic prostate cancer.

A phase II trial of vinorelbine and low dose prednisone in hormone-refractory metastatic prostate cancer was conducted in order to investigate its safety, efficacy and impact on quality of life. Vinorelbine was administered at the dose of 25 mg/m(2) i.v. weekly for 12 weeks and then biweekly, along with 10 mg of daily oral prednisone until time of progression. Fourteen patients, median age of 74 years, were treated. The treatment was generally well tolerated with leukopenia and anemia as the major side effects. One patient achieved partial remission and eleven remained with stable disease. One of the eleven patients with stable disease had a dramatic PSA response from 1000 to 236 ng/ml; seven of these progressed after week twelve when vinorelbine was given biweekly. PSA response occurred in 5 of 14 patients. The median time to progression was 28 weeks and the median survival was 17 months. Nine out of the 14 accrued patients were evaluable for quality of life assessment. Five of them improved, three remained unchanged and two had a slight worsening. Four patients had improvement in pain control and fatigue. Our preliminary data suggest that the combination of vinorelbine/prednisone has modest activity in metastatic prostate cancer with a very favorable toxicity profile and is very well tolerated in this group of elderly patients.

Adenocarcinoma↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Physical assessment skills in undergraduate curricula.

A survey of nursing educators reveals that physical assessment skills are now accepted as basic to the nursing process. But though they agree on what to teach, nursing educators do not agree on when to teach it: sophomore, junior, or senior level?

Clinical Competence↗