Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to K L Rasmussen.
A case of total puerperal rupture of the pubic symphysis during non-operative delivery is reported and the literature reviewed. The patient in our case was successfully treated by external skeletal fixation. In agreement with the literature the authors recommend external skeletal fixation when lesions are unstable, when inadequate reduction is achieved, or when the diastasis is more than 40 mm.
The cases of two postmenopausal women are presented. Both developed endometrial cancer after continuous treatment with tamoxifen for several years. The possible connection between endometrial cancer and treatment with tamoxifen is discussed.
A patient who had been sterilised laparoscopically four years previously was admitted with torsion of the left salpinx from the site of electrocoagulation and outwards. Tubal torsion is thus a possible late complication of laparoscopic sterilisation.
The course of deliveries in 134 obese women in whom the pregnancies had been normal were compared with a matched control group of women with normal weights. More of the obese women had second stages of labour lasting for more than one hour. Apart from this no differences were observed in the frequencies of complications, the nature of the complications or the number of interventions during delivery. The frequencies of infants weighing more than 4,000 g were identical in both groups but were high compared with other investigations. In the group of obese mothers, significantly more infants were found to have Apgar scores of 7 or less after one minute. An association was found between a long second stage and low Apgar score in five out of 12 infants in the obese group. Two out of three infants with shoulder dystocia, all born to obese mothers, had low Apgar scores. It is emphasized that in obese parturient women, particular care should be employed to ensure optimal conditions in the active phase and during the actual delivery. Stimulation with syntocin and episiotomy are recommended on liberal indications. Apart from this, there does not appear to be any need for increased observation of obese parturient women, provided that pregnancy has been normal.
We report on a patient with a pyometra which leaked into the peritoneal cavity and was mistaken for a perforated peptic ulcer. There was no associated stenosis of the cervical canal.
In an open, randomized study 108 women were treated with either a Lamicel tent or a 1 mg gemeprost pessary (Cervagem) 4 h before first trimester abortion. Both treatments were effective in producing cervical dilatation, however further dilatation was significantly easier after Cervagem. Preoperative abdominal pain and gastrointestinal side-effects were significantly more frequent in the Cervagem group. The incidence of postoperative pain and blood loss were similar in the two groups. Advantages and disadvantages of the two treatments are mentioned.
Small cell carcinoma of the ovary is a rare malignancy affecting young women. We report the first case of small cell carcinoma of the ovary and coincident pregnancy. The patient died of the disease 23 months after the initial diagnosis.
A rare case of ovarian small cell carcinoma occurring in a 22-year-old pregnant woman is presented. Despite extensive therapy including surgery, combination chemotherapy and irradiation, the patient died after 23 months. The histologic, immunohistochemical and ultrastructural features are described. The literature is reviewed and differential diagnoses are discussed.
Remote monitoring of physiologic function using socially living monkeys differs from that using individually housed animals in that access to subjects may be limited. Some logistic aspects of working with socially housed monkeys are reviewed, including identification of individuals and capturing subjects. Methods of remote sampling include hormonal assays of urine and fecal samples, measurement of physical indices as estimates of reproductive status, and the use of telemetry devices to record activity and biopotentials. Key factors in the selection of a telemetry system are discussed. In many cases, remote monitoring may permit assessment of physiologic function without the stress of handling or restraint.
The authors report a case of isolated torsion of the Fallopian tube in a thirteen years old girl. Only because of laparoscopy, the diagnosis was determined. Torsion of the fallopian tube as a differential diagnosis to acute abdomen is discussed.
Twenty-two cases of non-malignant pyometra which were observed during a period of 15 years are described. 22% were recurrences. All of the women were postmenopausal with discharge and haemorrhage as the commonest symptoms. Pyrexia was rare. Pyometra cannot be excluded or diagnosed by means of gynaecological examination. In cases of suspected pyometra, thorough cervical dilatation and curettage are recommended. Antibiotics should only be administered if there is evidence of invasive infection, in the form of pyrexia, generalised malaise or altered laboratory parameters. In cases such as these, preparations which are effective for aerobic and also anaerobic bacteria should be employed. Follow-up control every six months is recommended on account of the great tendency to recur.
Recent literature concerning genital tuberculosis in women is reviewed. In Denmark, 25% of the cases are observed in immigrants. The symptoms are non-specific in the form of infertility, metrorrhagia or abdominal pain. Positive culture or specific histology are necessary to establish the diagnosis. Approximately one third of the cases are recognized first during or after operation in connection with laparotomy on suspicion of another condition. Treatment is primarily combined therapy with rifampicin, isoniazide and ethambutol for nine months. If treatment fails or pain persists, total hysterectomy and bilateral salpingectomy are indicated. Bilateral oophorectomy in younger patients with normal ovaries has been discussed. The prognosis as regards survival is good but the patients must be considered to be infertile.
With the object of demonstrating whether injuries in children cared for outside their homes differ from injuries in children as a whole, the authors registered a material of children in the age group 0-6 years from a casualty department. Ninety injuries which had occurred during care outside the home were compared with the remaining 782 injuries. An enormous increase in the proportion of injuries occurring in day care centres and in family day nurseries was observed in contrast to the findings in previous investigations. This can be explained by the increasing number of children cared for outside their homes. 1.7 times as many injuries as were registered were anticipated and it is concluded that care outside the home did not present increased risk for injuries in the children involved. Injuries were most frequent among four-year-olds. Injuries sustained by falls or jumping to lower levels were relatively frequent while injuries caused by crushing, biting, cutting or stabbing were relatively rare and burns were not registered at all.
In a rural district, 241 pregnant women were screened for cervical Chlamydia infection. Eleven positive cases were found (4.6%). The infection was observed most frequently among nulliparous women and the diagnosis could not be established clinically. Following treatment, all of the cases became negative. Out of the same population, 162 women were re-examined after delivery. Three were found to be positive (1.9%) which is not any significant reduction in the prevalence. It is concluded that the infection is frequent among pregnant women also outside city environments and that screening at routine control in the second trimester is not effective as the only effort to eliminate C. trachomatis from the pregnant population.
113 rhesus monkeys, representing 4 age classes, 3 matrilines, and immigrant adult males in a 161-member Cayo Santiago-derived troop living in a 2-acre enclosure, were sampled for levels of plasma ACTH and cortisol during a period of capture and brief cage confinement for routine veterinary examination. ACTH levels showed significant decreases over initially high values following capture in all subjects except infants, whereas cortisol levels remained elevated throughout the sampling period. Members of the lowest-ranking matriline had significantly higher ACTH levels than members of the other matrilines and immigrant males. Infants and juveniles exhibited higher cortisol levels than adolescent and adult monkeys. The overall pattern of results was generally consistent with previous findings from laboratory studies, providing not only evidence of generality across conditions and subject populations but also the basis for more detailed subsequent analyses of the relationship between pituitary-adrenocortical responsiveness, behavioral response to challenge, and age-sex-dominance status in wild-born rhesus monkeys.
Patterns of stress-responsiveness were studied in 19 adolescent male rhesus monkeys (Macaca mulatta) who are part of the free-ranging colony on Cayo Santiago, PR. Morphometric and blood samples were obtained as each male was captured and after holding overnight. Subject heart rate was recorded on Day 2, using surface EKG telemetry. Males showed marked individual differences in cardiac and endocrine profiles which were generally unrelated to their age, size or maternal rank. Heart rate patterns were correlated with several endocrine measures: males with low and variable heart rates showed lower cortisol, higher-prolactin and higher growth hormone levels on Day 2 relative to males with higher and less variable heart rates, and their testosterone levels increased rather than decreased. Males with low and variable heart rates appear to have an endocrine response profile that is less adversely affected by acute stress, and which may potentially give them a competitive advantage in social interactions.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.