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Biomedical subjects

L R Berger

Publications and source records attributed to L R Berger.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1988

Suicides and pesticides in Sri Lanka.

Sri Lanka has one of the highest rates of suicide in the world (29 per 100,000 population in 1980). Suicides are especially frequent among young adults, both male and female. Compared to the US, the suicide rate for males ages 15 to 24 years in Sri Lanka is nearly four times greater; the female rate nearly 13 times greater. The most common mode of suicide is ingestion of liquid pesticides.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1986

Countermeasures to microbiofouling in simulated ocean thermal energy conversion heat exchangers with surface and deep ocean waters in hawaii.

Countermeasures to biofouling in simulated ocean thermal energy conversion heat exchangers have been studied in single-pass flow systems, using cold deep and warm surface ocean waters off the island of Hawaii. Manual brushing of the loops after free fouling periods removed most of the biofouling material. However, over a 2-year period a tenacious film formed. Daily free passage of sponge rubber balls through the tubing only removed the loose surface biofouling layer and was inadequate as a countermeasure in both titanium and aluminum alloy tubes. Chlorination at 0.05, 0.07, and 0.10 mg liter for 1 h day lowered biofouling rates. Only at 0.10 mg liter was chlorine adequate over a 1-year period to keep film formation and heat transfer resistance from rising above the maximum tolerated values. Lower chlorination regimens led to the buildup of uneven or patchy films which produced increased flow turbulence. The result was lower heat transfer resistance values which did not correlate with the amount of biofouling. Surfaces which were let foul and then treated with intermittent or continuous chlorination at 0.10 mg of chlorine or less per liter were only partially or unevenly cleaned, although heat transfer measurements did not indicate that fact. It took continuous chlorination at 0.25 mg liter to bring the heat transfer resistance to zero and eliminate the fouling layer. Biofouling in deep cold seawater was much slower than in the warm surface waters. Tubing in one stainless-steel loop had a barely detectable fouling layer after 1 year in flow. With aluminum alloys sufficient corrosion and biofouling material accumulated to require that some fouling coutermeasure be used in long-term operation of an ocean thermal energy conversion plant.

Journal Article↗
PubMed1985

Injuries from fireworks.

In 1983, there were more than 8,200 victims of fireworks-related injuries treated in US emergency rooms. Half of those injured were children less than 15 years of age, and 11% of the injuries resulted in hospitalization. The eyes are the body part most often injured, followed by hands and fingers. Burns account for the majority of injuries. Every type of fireworks legally available has resulted in serious injury or death. Firecrackers, bottle rockets, and sparklers contribute to the most hospitalizations. States that allow a wide variety of fireworks to be sold for personal use have a rate of fireworks-related fires 50 times greater than states that strictly limit the availability of fireworks. The rate of fireworks-related injuries is more than seven times greater in the less restrictive states.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1984

Promoting the use of car safety devices for infants: an intensive health education approach.

Efforts to promote the use of infant car seats through health education techniques have been disappointing when strict criteria for evaluation are used. Low-income families were targeted and were provided with educational sessions in the prenatal, postdelivery , and infant follow-up periods. Free car seats were given to 179 clients. Base-line and follow-up observations were performed at 4 months after delivery. The proportion of correctly restrained infants increased from 9% to 38%. The number of infants who were lap held decreased from 38% to 18%. The proportion of clients who had an approved car seat but who were using it incorrectly increased from 11% to 23%.

Accident Prevention↗
PubMed1983

The prenatal pediatric visit revisited.

The potential value of prenatal interviews with pediatricians was explored through interviews with 20 low-income women in their last trimester of pregnancy. Major areas of attention included prenatal concerns, psychosocial assessment, and anticipatory guidance. Important issues of relevance to pediatric care emerged, including gaps of parental knowledge, lack of financial and emotional support, and anxieties about the infant. Prenatal pediatric visits also served to encourage the involvement of fathers in pediatric care and to establish an ongoing professional relationship with the pediatrician. In health care settings where comprehensive, coordinated care is often lacking--such as teaching hospitals or county clinics--pediatric providers must take the initiative if families are to be reached prenatally.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1983

Floor furnace burns to children.

Three children with grid-like second-degree burns of their extremities from contact with floor furnace registers prompted an examination of this thermal hazard. Average temperature of the gratings was 294 degrees F (146 degrees C), with a range of 180 degrees to 375 degrees F (82.2 degrees to 191 degrees C). All of the furnaces tested were positioned at the entrance to bedrooms and had so little clearance that it was impossible to walk around them without contact with their surface. Infants and toddlers are at particular risk: 1 or 2 seconds of exposure would be expected to produce a serious burn. Suggestions for preventing burns from floor furnaces include turning them off when young children are at home; installing barrier gates to prevent children from coming in contact with the registers; and developing a surface coating or replacement grate with less hazardous thermal properties.

Accidents, Home↗
PubMed1981

Naturopaths and childhood immunizations: heterodoxy among the unorthodox.

Many families at a community clinic in Seattle reported that they were choosing not to immunize their children at the advice of practitioners of naturopathy. To learn more about this alternate form of health care, a review of the available literature on naturopathy was undertaken and interviews were conducted with individual naturopaths in the state of Washington. Naturopaths vary widely in their training, practices, and philosophy of healing. Many are opposed to routine immunization because they view immunization programs as unnatural, unnecessary, and elitist. Other practitioners, however, did not actively discourage parents from immunizing their children. Pediatricians must be aware of the growing popularity of naturopathic medicine in their care of families, and in their role as advocates for children.

Attitude to Health↗
PubMed1981

Home visits. Extending the boundaries of comprehensive pediatric care.

While the contribution of home visits to the care of chronically ill children and those in high-risk families has become increasingly recognized, their value in the provision of comprehensive primary pediatric care has been neglected. Visits to children's homes can be a valuable tool to assess the child's environment, observe the child in his or her own world, establish rapport with families, and determine family function and dynamics.

Child↗