Biomedical subjects

M A Hall

Publications and source records attributed to M A Hall.

167 records · Page 10Linked to original sources

PubMedDate not supplied

A crossover study of naproxen, diclofenac and tolmetin in seronegative juvenile chronic arthritis.

Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID) are useful in the management of juvenile chronic arthritis (JCA) and efficacy has usually been compared with aspirin. The disadvantages of aspirin include the frequency of dosage, monitoring of salicylate levels and concern about Reye's syndrome. We have performed a single blind crossover study comparing naproxen 10 mg/kg/day, tolmetin 25 mg/kg/day and diclofenac 2 mg/kg/day in 28 children with seronegative JCA over 12 weeks. Clinical and laboratory assessments were made after 4 weeks of treatment on each drug. Clinical improvement was seen with all three NSAID compared to baseline after a 24-hour washout period, but statistical significance was reached in only 2 or 3 of the clinical parameters for each drug. Side effects were mild and typical of NSAID, but occurred less frequently with naproxen (5) and tolmetin (5) than with diclofenac (7). Thus the anti-inflammatory effect of all three drugs was confirmed with no significant differences between them in terms of efficacy and tolerance. Tolmetin 200 mg tablets are now only available in France and N. America, therefore naproxen or diclofenac are recommended as the first line of treatment in children with chronic arthritis over the age of 5.

Adolescent↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Penicillamine in chronic arthritis of childhood.

In doses of 15 to 30 mg/kg of bodyweight, penicillamine is of benefit in up to 69% of both seropositive and seronegative juvenile polyarthritis patients when used as the 1st long-acting drug; it also helps 53% of such patients when other therapies have failed. Its use should be continued for several yr for maximum effect. Once a patient is in remission, the drug should be withdrawn slowly to avoid exacerbations. Radiologic improvement lags behind clinical. The most troublesome side effect is proteinuria. Rash is uncommon, and hematologic problems are relatively few; both usually respond to dosage alterations.

Arthritis↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Infant nutrition. Part 1: Preweaning (0-4 months).

While human milk is the recommended milk on which to feed healthy term infants, many mothers may choose to bottle feed. This article uses the differences between human and formula milk to highlight important and topical issues in neonatal nutrition. The second part of this article will cover nutrition from weaning to 1 year of age.

Bottle Feeding↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Fibronectin levels in premature infants with late-onset sepsis.

Physical features do not reliably distinguish premature infants with bacterial infections from those with noninfectious conditions. We evaluated the association of depressed plasma fibronectin with sepsis among hospitalized very low birth weight infants (< 1500 gm). Reference values were determined by sequential plasma sampling from 60 healthy very low birth weight infants. Among 17 very low birth weight infants with proved late-onset sepsis (mean age, 20 days; range, 10 to 42 days), 9 had plasma fibronectin levels more than 1 SD below the age- and birth weight-associated mean. Overall, the sensitivity and specificity of the finding of depressed fibronectin levels were 53% and 94%, respectively. These data suggest that depression of plasma fibronectin occurs commonly in association with late-onset sepsis among hospitalized premature infants.

Bacteremia↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Infant nutrition. Part 2: Weaning-1 year.

The weaning process is vital for infants, not only from the nutritional point of view, but also in establishing normal feeding habits. This article describes the accepted pattern of weaning and the reasons behind the nutritional and behavioural problems that commonly arise.

Animals↗