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Biomedical subjects

J Wadsworth

Publications and source records attributed to J Wadsworth.

At least 109 records · Page 6Linked to original sources
PubMed1983

Teenage mothering, admission to hospital, and accidents during the first 5 years.

One thousand and thirty-one singleton children of teenage mothers were compared with 10 950 singleton children of older mothers in a national longitudinal cohort study. Children born to teenage mothers and living with them during the first 5 years were more liable to hospital admissions, especially after accidents and for gastroenteritis, than were children born to and living with older mothers. Frequent accidents, poisoning, burns, and superficial injuries or lacerations were more often reported by teenage mothers. The association of teenage mothering with greater likelihood that children would have accidents or be admitted to hospital remained highly significant even after controlling for social and biological confounding influences. Although in part a marker for adverse socioeconomic circumstances, low maternal age appears to be a health hazard for children.

Accidents↗
PubMed1983

Family type and accidents in preschool children.

Children living in single-parent families or stepfamilies were found to be more likely to suffer accidental injuries in their first five years of life than children living with two natural parents. Frequent household moves, low maternal age, and perceived poor behaviour in the child were all more strongly associated with overall accident rates than family type, and these disadvantages were more common in atypical families. Family type appeared to be the most important influence on hospital admission after accidents. Overall, there was a close similarity in accident rates between children of single-parent families and stepfamilies, and both groups were more at risk than children living with both natural parents.

Accidents↗
PubMed1983

Breast feeding, eczema, asthma, and hayfever.

The association of breast feeding with rates of atopic illness during the first five years of life was assessed in a national study of 13 135 children studied during the first week and at age 5 years. Eczema was reported more often in children who had been breast fed; this relationship persisted even after allowance was made for social and family factors influencing the likelihood both of breast feeding and of eczema; the other factors most significantly associated with rates of eczema were parental history of eczema or asthma and advantaged family socioeconomic status. A similar, but less pronounced, positive association of breast feeding with reported hayfever became non-significant after adjustment for intervening factors. Rates of reported asthma were not influenced by breast feeding. "Any wheezing" including asthma was reported more often in children who had not been breast fed, but this association disappeared after adjustment for parental asthma and maternal smoking. Breast feeding does not appear to protect against these atopic diseases. The positive association with reported eczema might relate to accuracy of diagnosis or to associated influences not considered in the analysis; alternatively, it might be due to (recent) environmental contaminants crossing in breast milk, causing eczema in the child.

Asthma↗
PubMed1982

A randomized trial of ascorbic acid in polyposis coli.

The possibility of pharmacological control of large bowel adenomas has been suggested by effectiveness of antioxidants in experimental tumor models and by the results of a limited clinical study using ascorbic acid. Over a two year period we tested this hypothesis in a randomized, double-blind study of 49 patients with polyposis coli. Of 36 patients who were evaluable at completion, 19 had received ascorbic acid, 3 g/day, and 17 had received a placebo. We found a reduction in polyp area in the ascorbic acid-treated group at nine months of follow-up (P less than 0.03) and trends toward reduction in both number and area of rectal polyps during the middle of the trial. A labeling study of rectal epithelium with tritiated thymidine also hinted at a treatment effect. Our data suggest that ascorbic acid temporarily influenced polyp growth or turnover. Although these results have no current therapeutic value, our findings support continued studies of chemoprevention in this and other high risk settings.

Adult↗
PubMed1982

Correlations between defined sigmoidoscopic appearances and other measures of disease activity in ulcerative colitis.

It has been widely assumed that the activity of ulcerative colitis is related to differences in mucosal appearances seen at sigmoidoscopic examination. We have tested this assumption by making comparisons of the symptoms and clinical signs associated with three reproducible appearances of the rectal mucosa. By cross-tabulating 222 observations of each of 10 symptoms and signs with these sigmoidoscopic appearances it has been shown that the subdivision of hemorrhagic mucosae into those which bleed spontaneously and those which bleed only on light touching or scraping is meaningful clinically. Sigmoidoscopic appearances seemed to correlate better with clinical disease activity than histological assessment, even when quantitative, of mucosal biopsies. On the basis of this study, four variables have been suggested which, in addition to the sigmoidoscopic appearances, could form the basis of regular clinical assessment or scoring.

Biopsy↗
PubMed1982

House dust mites in Bristol.

A survey of bedding in Bristol revealed reducing mite concentrations on children's toys, mattresses, overblankets and pillows. Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus was the commonest mite found. A vacuuming schedule was devised for removing mites so that a double blind trial could be carried out. Investigation suggests that even with expert utilization of efficient vacuum cleaners the clinical efficacy would be limited as the mites appear to rapidly migrate back into the bedding.

Allergens↗
PubMed1982

Effects of dietary fibre and exercise on mid-morning diabetic control--a controlled trial.

Twenty-one insulin-dependent diabetic children completed a trial of 4 different breakfasts, given in random order. Three diets differed in fibre content. The fourth diet contained soya beans as part (38%) of the dietary fibre source. Children collected capillary blood samples on to filter paper strips which were analysed for blood glucose content. Each morning the children were asked to exercise vigorously for an hour and to rest for an hour, resulting in comparable rest and exercise periods for each child. Mean initial blood glucose levels on the 4 diets were not significantly different. The low-fibre diet resulted in the highest blood glucose concentrations after breakfast. Blood glucose levels on the high-fibre diet did not differ from those on the medium-fibre diet. The bean diet produced the lowest mean blood glucose level and the smallest reduction in blood glucose level in the hour before lunch. All the children found the bean diet unacceptable but liked the high- and medium-fibre diets, which were as popular as the low-fibre diet. The level of prescribed exercise had no effect on the level of blood glucose. It appears that the potentially major benefits from beans are limited by their unpalatability. The more acceptable cereal fibre produces a smaller but important benefit on morning hyperglycaemia after breakfast.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1980

A double-blind comparison of meptazinol with pethidine in postoperative pain.

Three groups each of 24 patients who had undergone total abdominal hysterectomy were studied on the 1st day after operation. Under double-blind conditions, group 1 compared meptazinol 60 mg with pethidine 100 mg, group 2, meptazinol 75 mg with pethidine 100 mg and group 3, meptazinol 100 mg with pethidine 100 mg. The drugs were given i.m. Analgesic activity was assessed by patients rating their pain before and 1 h after the administration of each treatment and by patient and investigator preference for treatment. From the pain relief score, pethidine was not significantly better than any dose of meptazinol in relieving pain. Patients preferred pethidine 100 mg to meptazinol 60 mg (P less than 0.01, McNemar's test), but there was no significant difference between meptazinol and pethidine for observer or patient preference when the dose of meptazinol was increased to 75 mg or 100 mg.

Adult↗
PubMed1980

Drug recovery following buccal absorption of propranolol.

1 Buccal absorption of propranolol in two volunteers was followed by repeated rinsing of the mouth with buffer solutions for twelve 2 min periods. Values for absorption, recovery and asymptotic recovery were calculated. 2 Large amounts of propranolol were recoverable from the buccal mucosa; recovery was biexponential and the amount recovered depended on the time allowed for absorption and on the pH of buffers used for recovery. 3 In the case of the drug studied, the buccal absorption test was not an adequate model of passive drug transfer through lipid membranes, and more clearly reflected partitioning into the buccal mucosa. 4 It does not follow from disappearance of drug from the buccal cavity that it has entered the circulation. Unabsorbed drug clearly cannot enter the circulation, but other conclusions about systemic absorption cannot be drawn with certainty from the buccal absorption model. 5 Partitioning back into the saliva after absorption also needs to be taken into account for a true model of systemic absorption of orally administered drugs, and a revised schematic representation of the kinetics of oral drug absorption is presented.

Absorption↗
PubMed1980

A comparison of the pharmacodynamic profiles of nomifensine and amitriptyline in normal subjects.

1 Six healthy male volunteers participated in a double-blind placebo crossover comparison of the pharmacodynamic profiles of single oral doses of 75 mg nomifensine and 50 mg amitriptyline. 2 Nomifensine treatment did not influence salivary flow and did not significantly affect psychomotor performance (critical flicker fusion, pursuit rotor and reaction time): in addition nomifensine had no significant effect on subjective measurements of sedation and concentration. 3 By contrast, amitriptyline treatment significantly reduced salivary flow and was associated with significant sedation and reduced concentration: significant changes in psychomotor performance were also noted. 4 Plasma concentrations of amitriptyline and nomifensine were measured at 2 h. The respective median concentration values were 55.0 ng/ml and 52.0 ng/ml. 5 Ex vivo platelet amine uptake of dopamine (DA) and 5-hydroxytryptamine (5HT) was measured 2 h after each treatment. Both nomifensine and amitriptyline treatment significantly inhibited DA uptake to a similar extent. Amitriptyline treatment additionally inhibited 5-HT uptake.

Amitriptyline↗
PubMed1980

Effect of treatment of malignant disease on growth in children.

The growth of 95 children with malignant disease was studied over a 3- or 4-year period, and compared with the growth of normal children matched for age and sex by calculation of the standard deviation score. The mean standard deviation score of the children with leukaemia fell in the first year of treatment, and thereafter showed little change, remaining below the normal. This effect was related to cranial and craniospinal irradiation, but not to age or duration of chemotherapy. The loss in eventual height attained was small and does not suggest any long-term interference with growth hormone production.

Antineoplastic Agents↗
PubMed1980

Platelet uptake of 5-hydroxytryptamine and dopamine and its relationship to mood in normal subjects.

Platelet uptake of the amines 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) and dopamine has been found to be lower in depressed than in normal subjects. In the latter the values were more scattered. To discover whether this scatter was due to mild depression or predisposition to depression, 50 normal subjects whose amine uptake had been studied were asked to complete a questionnaire on symptoms and history of depression. No significant correlation between decreased amine uptake and answers to the questionnaire was found, but a correlation of minor significance (r=0.33; P less than 0.025) was found between increased number of potentially depressing life events and increased 5-HT uptake, contrary to what might have been expected. The scatter of values for amine uptake does not appear to be related to mood, or to personal or family history of depression.

Blood Platelets↗
PubMed1979

Relationship between bronchial effects and plasma practolol concentration in man.

A double-blind, balanced and randomised study in 8 healthy volunteers examined the effects of relatively high versus low single doses of practolol on heart rate and ventilation at rest and during standardised exercise. Practolol 1 and 4 mg/kg, a typically non-selective drug propranolol 0.2 mg/kg, and placebo were given intravenously at weekly intervals. Cardiac beta-adrenoceptor blockade was measured by the reduction in exercise heart rate greater than 160 beats/min, and bronchial beta-adrenoceptor blockade by the reduction in exercise peak expiratory flow rate (PEFR) up to 4 h after each treatment. Results were assessed by analysis of co-variance. All three active treatments reduced exercise heart rate markedly, practolol 4 mg/kg causing most reduction. Exercise PEFR was significantly reduced by propranolol 0.2 mg/kg compared with both practolol 1 mg/kg and placebo at all times of measurement, and by practolol 4 mg/kg compared with practolol 1 mg/kg and placebo at most times. Mean plasma concentrations after practolol 4 mg/kg were 3.5 to 4.5 times higher than after 1 mg/kg. Practolol may lose its 'cardioselectivity' and cause airflow obstruction at relatively high plasma concentrations above about 2 microgram/ml.

Adult↗