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Biomedical subjects

K Black

Publications and source records attributed to K Black.

66 records · Page 4Linked to original sources

Conjunctivitis and skin erythema. Outbreak caused by a damaged high-intensity lamp.

Eighty-one members of girls' basketball teams were exposed to ultraviolet light while sitting in the bleachers of a school gymnasium. A mercury high-intensity discharge lamp lighting the bleacher area had a hole in its outer envelope that allowed the emission of ultraviolet light. Sixty-nine (85%) of the 81 girls were affected; 49 (71%) had symptoms of conjunctivitis and 63 (91%) had symptoms of erythema.

Accidents, Home↗

Management of carcinoma of the extrahepatic bile ducts.

The records of 80 cases of carcinoma of the extrahepatic bile ducts were studied. The median duration of survival, in months, of patients who were treated by curative surgery, palliative surgery and radiation, palliative surgery alone and biopsy alone was 21.7, 9.3, 5.5 and 1, respectively. The best results were obtained by excision of the tumour, but only 10% of tumours were considered resectable. A more aggressive surgical approach to tumours still confined to the bile ducts might be expected to increase the resectability rate and improve survival. The use of a U tube is recommended because it ensures greater comfort even though survival is no longer than when a T tube is used. The roles of adjuvant radiotherapy and chemotherapy need further study. Because of some encouraging responses with the use of radiotherapy and the infusion of 5-fluorouracil the authors are currently evaluating these two methods of treatment.

Adenocarcinoma↗

Minocycline for prophylaxis of infection with Neisseria meningitidis: high rate of side effects in recipients.

A high rate of side effects (mostly vestibular) was found among 83 people receiving prophylaxis with minocycline because of contact with a patient who had died of meningitis due to Neisseria meningitidis. Three groups of contacts received different lots of minocycline and different dosage regimens. Seventy-eight percent of these people had symptoms temporally related to ingestion of minocycline. These symptoms, which included dizziness, nausea, vomiting, vertigo, anorexia, and headache, generally commenced soon after initiation of chemoprophylaxis; the total dosage of minocycline was low. The high rate of vestibular side effects of minocycline militates against widespread use of minocycline for prophylaxis of meningococcal infection.

Adult↗

Functional independence measure prediction: an initial evaluation of residents' skills.

The purpose of this preliminary study was to assess the ability of first-year PM&R residents to accurately predict functional outcome in an acute rehabilitation setting. Although statistically significant, the accuracy and precision of the residents' predictive skills were rather modest. A future focus on innovative methods to evaluate and develop these clinical skills appears warranted.

Adult↗

Penetrating head injury: a prospective study of outcomes.

The purpose of our study was to describe the outcomes of persons with penetrating brain injury resulting from a gunshot wound to the head. It is a prospective study of 442 patients admitted with gunshot wounds to the head over a 7 year period to our University Trauma Center Emergency Department, an urban trauma center and an inpatient rehabilitation hospital with a specialized brain injury unit. Measures and factors described include initial Glasgow Coma Scale score, Revised Trauma Score, the Disability Rating Scale, Functional Independence Measure, levels of cognitive functioning, patient demographics, length of stay, hospital charges, and discharge disposition. Initially 36% of patients expired in or were dead upon arrival to the Emergency Department; 64% of patients survived to be admitted for inpatient care. Of those admitted, 41% expired within the first 48 h of admission. Fifty-two percent of those admitted had severe injuries, 7% moderate injuries, and 42% had mild head injuries. Sixty-two percent of the survivors were discharged from acute care to private residences. The remaining 38% were discharged to programs providing varying levels of care depending upon their level of functioning and care needs. Patients sustaining severe injuries following gunshot wound(s) to the head have high early mortality. Survivors able to participate in an inpatient rehabilitation program have good potential for functional improvement.

Adolescent↗

Masson's hemangioma of spinal meninges causing cord compression with paraplegia.

Masson's hemangioma is a rare benign pathological entity. A unique case is reported of a 42 year old man with a spinal epidural mass who developed acute cord compression resulting in sudden onset of paraplegia. Histological examination of the resected mass revealed a cystic vascular lesion associated with papillary endothelial cell proliferation, and overlying thrombosis, consistent with Masson's hemangioma. Clinicoradiological correlation is also presented.

Adult↗

Can wear in total hip arthroplasties be assessed from radiographs?

The validity of wear measurements from total-hip radiographs was assessed using a wear simulator which consisted of a total hip prosthesis mounted on a Plexiglas orientation jig. Wear was mesured by a micrometer device and uni- and duoradiographic methods of wear measurement were used with a variety of acetabular cup orientations. In the initial calibration studies the duoradiographic technique proved to be more accurate. The source of the inaccuracies of the uniradiographic method was determined analytically by means of a geometrical model. Forty-inch or 72'' source-to-object film-distances provided similar accuracy and the errors in wear measurement varied from --0.1 +/- 0.4 mm (2 S.D.) to 0 +/- 0.9 mm for wear magnitudes of 1 and 5 mm respectively, regardless of cup position. In subsequent calibration studies the previous radiographs were compiled to represent seven hypothetical patients at various stages of follow-up whose prostheses exhibited between 1 and 5 mm wear. Clinicians assessed the degree of wear, using both the uni- and duoradiographic techniques, under supervision but unaware of the true position and orientation of the wear track. The resulting errors were of the same order as the wear magnitudes being measured. The location of the measurements on the radiographs was then restricted to approximately the true wear axis but again the errors were so large that it was still impossible to make any valid wear assessments. The calibration runs were therefore terminated at this point and it was concluded that wear measurements could not be made from clinical radiographs.

Arthroplasty↗