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Biomedical subjects

John Graham

Publications and source records attributed to John Graham.

6 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2003

Smoking in Cape Town: community influences on adolescent tobacco use.

BACKGROUND: This paper examines the effect of pro- and antisocial opinions about communities on cigarette use by Black, Colored, and White 8th- and 11th-grade students in Cape Town, South Africa. METHODS: This analysis consists of 1,328 students who completed a questionnaire in 1997 on sociodemographic characteristics, substance abuse, adolescent behaviors, and opinions about their communities. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to assess hypotheses related to the social development model positing direct and indirect associations between community constructs and smoking within the previous 31 days. RESULTS: White students had the highest proportion (36.3%, P < 0.01) of past-31-days smokers compared to Colored (29.7%) and Black (9.7%) students. SEM analysis showed that among all groups the strongest association (beta = 0.29, Whites, P < 0.01; beta =.14, Coloreds, P < 0.01; beta = 0.05, Blacks, P < 0.05) with recent cigarette smoking was the personal knowledge of adults who engaged in antisocial behavior. CONCLUSIONS: Youth smoking behavior may be affected by antisocial adult behavior, subjective adult norms, and community affirmation. Thus, in addition to other factors, social norms and community influence should be considered in preventing adolescent smoking.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2003

Neurocysticercosis masquerading as a cerebral infarct.

The differential diagnosis of acute focal neurologic deficit in childhood is diverse. We report the case of a child presenting with an acute hemiparesis persisting for longer than 24 hours following a focal seizure. The clinical history, examination findings, and results of cranial magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) were initially interpreted as consistent with an arterial ischemic cerebral infarction. Follow-up cranial MRI performed 9 months later revealed changes indicative of neurocysticercosis. Review of original neuroimaging resulted in a revision of the diagnosis to neurocysticercosis. The clinical history, together with neuroimaging findings, is highly compatible with a diagnosis of neurocysticercosis but unusual because it occurred in a child resident in a nonendemic area who had never traveled to an endemic area and whose diet excluded pork. The case reported raises two important issues. The first is the need to carefully consider the differential diagnosis of acute hemiparesis, including unusual causes. Second, it raises awareness of the potential for neurocysticercosis to occur in low-risk patients in nonendemic areas.

Cerebral Infarction↗
PubMed2002

Use of a 2.0-mm locking plate/screw system for mandibular fracture surgery.

PURPOSE: In this study, we examined the use of a 2.0-mm locking bone plate/screw system in mandibular surgery. PATIENTS AND METHODS: All patients who were treated with a 2.0-mm locking bone plate/screw system during an 8-month period for fractures of the mandible or other defects of the mandible were prospectively studied. Ease of use of locking plate/screw system, characteristics of the fractures and defects, and complications were tabulated. RESULTS: A total of 80 fractures in 59 patients were treated with the 2.0-mm locking plate/screw system. One hundred two 2.0-mm locking plates were applied to the 80 fractures; 58 fractures received 1 plate and 22 fractures received 2 plates. There were no intraoperative difficulties associated with their application. Fracture reductions were considered to be excellent in all cases. At the latest follow-up, all fractures had healed, but 2 patients had slight malocclusions. Six patients developed postsurgical infections. Only 1 patient required hospitalization for treatment of the infection; all others were managed in the outpatient clinic. Four patients required removal of their plates for varying reasons. CONCLUSIONS: The use of a 2.0-mm locking plate/screw system was found to be simple and to provide sound fixation in all cases.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2002

Psychiatric illness in a clinical sample of children with prenatal alcohol exposure.

The purpose of this study was to describe psychiatric disorders exhibited by children with prenatal alcohol exposure. Twenty-three children between the ages of 5 and 13 years who were referred to the UCLA Fetal Alcohol and Related Disorders Clinic because of heavy exposure to alcohol in utero were evaluated. Children with intelligence quotients of 70 and above and their families were interviewed by the study child psychiatrist and psychologist and psychiatric diagnoses were based upon DSM-IV diagnostic criteria. Inter-observer reliability of diagnosis was established comparing clinical diagnoses with diagnoses made using the "best-estimate" procedure. For the best estimate method, items from the Child Behavior Checklist, the Fetal Alcohol Behavior Scale, the Child Symptom Inventory-4, the Conners' Rating Scale, as well as information from historical records were reviewed by two experienced clinicians who were blind to the diagnostic and alcohol exposure status of the children. Approximately 87% of the sample met criteria for a psychiatric disorder. The majority of the children (61%) were assigned a mood disorder diagnosis. Twenty-six percent were diagnosed with major depressive disorder or adjustment disorder with depressed mood and 35% met criteria for bipolar disorder. Psychiatric disorders are common in children with prenatal alcohol exposure. In particular, these children seem to be highly vulnerable to mood disorders. There is a need for training in how to recognize the physical and behavioral phenotypes of children with prenatal alcohol exposure so that appropriate treatment can be initiated early.

Adolescent↗