Biomedical subjects

M C Lee

Publications and source records attributed to M C Lee.

333 records · Page 19Linked to original sources

PubMedDate not supplied

Respiratory rate and pattern disturbances in acute brain stem infarction.

Respiratory rates and patterns were studied in 23 patients with acute brain stem infarction using impedance pneumography. Autopsy was obtained in six of eight fatal cases. Pontine lesions were present in all patients, with coexistent infarction of midbrain in four and of medulla in nine. Respiratory rate and pattern abnormalities observed included Cheyne-Stokes respiration, Cheynb-Stokes variant pattern and tachypnea. Abnormalities of respiratory rate and pattern of varying duration were observed at some time in all patients. All patients in whom prominent Cheyne-Stokes respiration or tachypnea were observed had extensive bilateral pontine lesions involving both basal and tegmental portions. However, not all patients with large pontine infarcts had Cheyne-Stokes respiration or tachypnea. Cheyne-Stokes respiration was prominent in four patients (two fatal, two nonfatal). Cheyne-Stokes variant pattern was present frequently in four patients (one fatal, three nonfatal). Sustained tachypnea developed in five patients, four of whom died. In ten patients (one fatal, nine nonfatal), normal respiratory rate and pattern predominated with only rare or occasional apperance of Cheyne-Stokes respiration or Cheyne-Stokes variant pattern, especially during sleep. The types of respiratory rate and pattern abnormalities in acute brain stem infarction were not specifically related to the level of lesions, but rather to the size and bilaterality of the lesions. Respiratory alkalosis was present in varying degrees in most patients with either tachypnea or prominent CSR.

Acute Disease↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Ultrastructural characteristics of central neurocytoma in cell culture.

The study was performed to determine the ultrastructural characteristics of central neurocytoma and its features in primary cell culture. Fresh tissue from three tumors was mechanically and enzymatically dissociated into individual cells, which were cultured onto poly-L-lysine precoated Aclar coverslips in the media. The tumor cells attached to the surface of the coverslips within 12 to 24 h and delicate cytoplasmic processes developed within 2 to 3 days. Electron microscopic examination of the cultured tumor cells and the tumor tissue supported neuronal origin. Combined tissue culture and electron microscopic study provides a rapid, reliable, and reproducible means for the diagnosis of central neurocytoma.

Adolescent↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Ultrasound screening of neonatal adrenal hemorrhage.

Neonatal adrenal hemorrhage (NAH) is frequently overlooked because the majority of cases are asymptomatic. In this study, we investigated the clinical symptoms, echographic characteristics and incidence of NAH from January 1998 to December 1999 at Cathay General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan. Among 3273 newborns who had ultrasound screening, 18 cases were diagnosed as having NAH. The incidence was 0.55% which was compatible with other reports. But there was a female predominance (10:8) which was different from previous reports. Only one premature baby was diagnosed with NAH. No patients had perinatal asphyxia, and this was different from other reports. The mean birth body weight was 3530 grams which was more than the 75th percentile of normal term baby birth weight. Sixteen cases had right-sided NAH and two cases had left-sided NAH. Eleven cases (61%) within this study were asymptomatic. The incidence of pathologic jaundice was 11%. Four babies (22%) had poor oral feeding combined with vomiting. Only one had severe anemia for which blood transfusion was required. There were no cases of adrenocortical insufficiency in our study. Only one patient received adrenalectomy. In conclusion, NAH can be detected early by sonography and most cases require only supportive treatment. Thus, unnecessary surgery and severe complications due to delayed diagnosis can be avoided.

Adrenal Gland Diseases↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Internal hernia caused by Meckel diverticulum in an infant: report of one case.

Intestinal obstruction caused by internal hernia due to Meckel diverticulum is a rare disease. The condition is seldom diagnosed preoperatively. In this paper, we present a 10-month-old boy who suffered from abdominal pain, persistent vomiting, and mild fever for 2 days. Abdominal sonography, plain abdomen X-ray, and computed tomography merely showed mechanical ileus and partial malrotation. However, exploratory laparotomy revealed a Meckel diverticulum through which the small bowel had herniated. We introduce the Meckel diverticulum and internal hernia and discuss intestinal obstructions.

Hernia↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Reproductive outcomes and infant health in adolescent pregnancy in Taichung city.

The study aimed at determining the reproductive outcomes, caregiving condition, and children's growth and development compared to those born to adult mothers. All adolescent mothers ages less than 20 years and their first born infants matched with adults mothers aged 20-29 years and their first born infants at the same neighborhoods in Taichung city in 1997 were included in this study. The results showed that there is no significant difference between children of adolescent mothers and of adult mothers in terms of the prevalence of prematurity and congenital diseases, but the children of teenage mothers have a significantly higher prevalence of low birth weight (adjusted odds ratio = 1.61, 95% CI = 1.21-2.80) than those of compared mothers. Multiple logistic regression was used to find out the risk factors for low birth weight, and found that maternal weight gain and hospitalization or not during pregnancies in mothers are significant risk factors for low birth weight. We can not find difference between the two groups in caregiving condition, such as breast feeding duration, accidental injury, diseases necessitating admission, and vaccination rates. Also there is no difference in the rate of failure to thrive or delayed developmental milestones. A long-term follow-up study on the prognosis for the adolescent mothers and their children is recommended.

Adolescent↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Oral bacterial therapy promotes recovery from acute diarrhea in children.

Lactobacilli in the intestines play an important role in developing natural defenses against both intestinal bacterial and viral infections. So a prospective clinical study was carried out at Cathay General Hospital to determine the effect of Lactobacillus acidophilus and Bifidobacterium infantis on the course of acute diarrhea in hospitalized children. Altogether 100 children between 6 and 60 months of age were collected and randomly allocated into 2 groups. Study group (n = 50) was given Infloran Berna, which contains 10(9) viable Lactobacillus acidophilus and 10(9) Bifidobacterium infantis, one capsule tid for 4 days and control group (n = 50) received parenteral rehydration only without any medication. Only 20 stool cultures in study group had positive culture results for Lactobacillus or Bifidobacterium. All children were evaluated for the degree of dehydration before rehydration. The clinical course of diarrhea was followed during the treatment period. Features on admission were similar between the study group and control group in age, duration of diarrhea at home, serum sodium & potassium and dehydration degree. The duration of diarrhea was defined as the time until the last appearance of watery stool. There was no difference between the study group and control group in the frequency of diarrhea stools on the day before admission (p > 0.05). However, the frequency of diarrhea for study group improved on the first and second day of hospitalization with statistical difference (p < 0.01). The duration of diarrhea during hospitalization in study group also decreased (3.1 vs. 3.6 days, p < 0.01). Oral bacterial therapy is an effective adjuvant therapy in rotavirus positive and negative children with diarrhea and can safely be administered during an episode of acute diarrhea.

Acute Disease↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Supplemental insulin delivery from an implanted reservoir activated by external compression.

An implant made of insulin in palmitic acid provides a basal dose sufficient to reduce hyperglycemia for 42 +/- 12 days in rats with induced diabetes. For preprandial dose supplements another arrangement is required. In this study a device consisting of a reservoir is assembled by attaching a 1 cm diameter foam ring to a 5 mm diameter piece of the same material. A 6 mg piece of compressed insulin is inserted into a cut between the ring and the attachment, along with 2 mg tetracycline to hinder microbial growth. The assembly is then enclosed between two membranes and an annular external wall. The top membrane is pierced once, and the device is tested by implantation under the abdominal skin of diabetic rats. Serous fluid will enter the interior through the orifice and leach the solid insulin that does not leak out. Daily sidewise compression over the skinfold of the unanesthetized animal indicated that the insulin supply lasted for 24 +/- 4 days. The blood glucose was consistently maintained at 3.4 +/- 1.1 mmol/L for 6-8 hr each day. After depletion the device can be refilled percutaneously by injecting insulin suspended in phosphate-buffered saline.

Animals↗

PubMedDate not supplied

A simple instrument for biochemical studies of the living human brain.

A simple, relatively inexpensive radiation detection system was developed for measurement of positron-emitting receptor-binding drugs in the human brain. This high-efficiency coincidence counting system requires that only a few hundred microcuries of labeled drug be administered to the subject, thereby allowing for multiple studies without an excessive radiation dose. Measurement of the binding of [11C]-carfentanil, a high-affinity synthetic opiate, to opiate receptors in the presence and in the absence of a competitive opiate antagonist exemplifies the use of this system for estimating different degrees of receptor binding of drugs in the human brain. The instrument has also been used for measurement of the transport into the brain of other positron-emitting radiotracers, such as large neutral amino acids.

Adult↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Bone scan appearance of renal osteodystrophy in diabetic chronic renal failure patients.

To investigate Tc-99m methylenediphosphonate (MDP) bone scan appearance in diabetic chronic renal failure patients, we compared the bone scan images of chronic renal failure patients with and without diabetes. The number of patients studied was 134, of whom 43 had diabetes. Two nuclear medicine physicians read Tc-99m MDP bone scan images and for six areas - the axial skeleton, long bone, skull and mandible, periarticular areas, costochondral junction, and sternum - assigned a score of either 1 or 0. The sums of scores were compared. We also performed multivariate analysis including sex, age, and serum creatinine level using analysis of covariance. DM group patients scored significantly lower (2.01+/-0.95) than those of the non-DM group (3.26+/-1.16). Analysis of covariance revealed that the lower DM group score was independent of sex, age, and serum creatinine level. The bone scans of diabetic chronic renal failure patients showed less Tc-99m MDP uptake than those of non-diabetic patients. Thus, diagnosing renal osteodystrophy in diabetic chronic renal failure patients on bone scan images could be difficult.

Adult↗