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Biomedical subjects

L Jenkins

Publications and source records attributed to L Jenkins.

7 recordsLinked to original sources

Field loss after pan retinal photocoagulation with diode and argon lasers.

Argon and diode laser pan retinal photocoagulation are used in diabetic proliferative retinopathy. This is a prospective study of the effects of each laser type on peripheral field loss. It shows that diabetics have significantly reduced peripheral field prior to laser compared to normals (p = 0.006). With identical pan retinal photocoagulation with either argon or diode laser there is no difference in field loss.

Diabetic Retinopathy

Fields, DVLC and panretinal photocoagulation.

Laser panretinal photocoagulation (PRP) reduces visual loss in proliferative diabetic retinopathy but decreases peripheral retinal function. The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Centre (DVLC) states that when a patient volunteers that he or she has had photocoagulation, a questionnaire will then be sent to the patient's diabetic physician who can refer the patient for formal field testing. Of 30 patients who had PRP, 15 failed DVLC visual field regulations using the Esterman binocular field test on the Humphrey field analyser. The failures were more likely to have had treatment with a xenon laser, but there was no difference between the groups as regards age, number of burns or whether an argon or diode laser was used. The patients who failed were more likely to be hypertensive (p = 0.04). Two patients with unilateral PRP could not meet the driving regulations because of other field defects. Diabetes itself causes field defects, and therefore even with small amounts of laser, formal field testing may be necessary.

Adult

The influence of an attachable subcutaneous cuff for preventing triple lumen catheter infections in critically ill surgical and trauma patients.

One hundred and ninety-one triple lumen central venous catheters were placed into 107 sites in 81 surgical and trauma patients who were prospectively studied to determine the rate of catheter related infection using a subcutaneous cuff of biodegradable collagen containing bactericidal silver and a guide wire exchange protocol. Thirty-seven sites in 36 nonseptic patients (group 1) were compared with 70 sites in 45 septic patients (group 2). The data were also compared with data consecutively collected one year earlier, using the same exchange protocol without the cuff. Fourteen of 70 sites in group 2 had catheter related infections, with seven causing bloodstream infection. Five of 14 were the result of fungus, with three causing fungemia. Two of 37 sites in group 1 had catheter related infections (p = 0.044), with no associated bacteremia. The number of triple lumen catheter related infections and associated bacteremia or fungemia are higher in septic patients compared with nonseptic critically ill surgical and trauma patients. The cuff significantly prolongs time of catheter site use in patients who are nonseptic, but may be of no benefit in reducing infection rates or prolonging site use time in patients who are septic and may predispose to fungal colonization.

Adolescent

Development of a school building model for educating students with handicaps and at-risk students in general education classrooms.

This study, conducted in the context of a 4-year project to redesign special and remedial services in an elementary school, examined the effects of cooperative learning, cross-age tutoring, and in-class services for students with handicaps and remedial students. All students (524) in Grades 1 through 6 in two medium-sized elementary schools took part in the study. All three treatments were introduced into one of the schools, with the second school serving as a control. The cooperative learning treatment was delivered to all sixth-grade students, cross-age tutoring to special and remedial students in Grades 1 through 3, and the in-class services to all grade levels. Results indicated that, although the character of the instructional services changed markedly, none of the three treatments had much impact on achievement. Reasons for the findings are explored.

Achievement