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Biomedical subjects

M Cherington

Publications and source records attributed to M Cherington.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1995

Deaths and injuries as a result of lightning strikes to aircraft.

Aircraft are at risk of being struck by lightning or triggering lightning as they fly through clouds. Commercial and private airplanes have been struck, with resultant deaths and injuries to passengers and crew. We were interested in learning how large a problem existed to the American public from lightning strikes to airplanes. We analyzed data from the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) on lightning-related accidents in the United States from 1963-89. NTSB recorded 40 lightning-related aircraft accidents. There were 10 commercial airplane accidents reported, 4 of which were associated with 260 fatalities and 28 serious injuries. There were 30 private aircraft accidents that accounted for 30 fatalities and 46 serious injuries. While lightning remains a potential risk to aircraft passengers and crew, modern airplanes are better equipped to lessen the dangers of accidents due to lightning.

Accidents, Aviation↗
PubMed1995

Neurologic complications of lightning injuries.

Over the past ten years, we have cared for 13 patients who suffered serious neurologic complications after being struck by lightning. The spectrum of neurologic lesions includes the entire neuraxis from the cerebral hemispheres to the peripheral nerves. We describe these various neurologic disorders with regard to the site of the lesion, severity of the deficit, and the outcome. Damage to the nervous system can be a serious problem for patients struck by lightning. Fatalities are associated with hypoxic encephalopathy in patients who suffered cardiac arrests. Patients with spinal cord lesions are likely to have permanent sequelae and paralysis. New technology for detecting lightning with wideband magnetic direction finders is useful in establishing lightning-flash densities in each state. Florida and the Gulf Coast states have the highest densities. Colorado and the Rocky Mountain states have the next highest.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1992

Lightning strikes: nature of neurological damage in patients evaluated in hospital emergency departments.

Emergency physicians and staff are usually the first to evaluate and manage victims of lightning strikes. Damage to the nervous system is often the most devastating consequence of lightning strikes. Contrary to most articles in the literature in which neurological disorders are said to be either transient or delayed, we report the cases of six patients with severe, immediate, and in at least three, permanent clinical problems. Patients with signs of spinal cord lesions are most likely to have permanent disabilities.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1992

Thoracic outlet syndrome: reimbursement patterns and patient profiles.

Thoracic outlet syndrome (TOS) is one of the most controversial subjects in clinical medicine. In spite of the increasing skepticism voiced in the medical literature, many patients continue to be diagnosed as having TOS and treated surgically. Colorado is one of the leading states where TOS surgery is performed. We have examined the 1989 data as collected by the Colorado Hospital Association and have defined a patient profile and reimbursement pattern. Of the 174 patients who underwent surgery, women outnumbered men by three to one (132 to 47), even when worker's compensation was the payer. The data show that patients who do not have private insurance or worker's compensation are rarely diagnosed as having TOS. Medicaid patients almost never undergo surgery.

Adult↗
PubMed1990

Botulism.

Explore the source record for details and available documents.

Botulinum Toxins↗
PubMed1986

Surgery for thoracic outlet syndrome may be hazardous to your health.

We are reporting five patients who suffered serious injuries from surgery for thoracic outlet syndrome, which has been a controversial subject from many aspects. Many argue that it is much overdiagnosed and overtreated. The term "disputed thoracic outlet syndrome" has recently been applied to the majority of cases in which there are little or no clinical findings. The much more rare true neurogenic thoracic outlet syndrome does have associated neurologic and electrical findings. Recently, the use and misuse of electrodiagnostic studies in the diagnosis of disputed thoracic outlet syndrome has been discussed in the literature. The cases that we are reporting are especially tragic because the elective surgeries were performed in patients who had little or no clinical abnormalities on examination prior to the surgery.

Adult↗
PubMed1982

Electrophysiologic methods as an aid in diagnosis of botulism: a review.

Electrophysiologic studies can be of help to the clinician in establishing the diagnosis of botulism. This is particularly true when serologic and toxologic confirmation cannot be obtained. Among the situations in which laboratory confirmation is lacking are cases diagnosed late and some cases of wound botulism. The expected electrophysiologic findings in botulism are as follows: (1) There is almost always a small evoked muscle action potential in response to single supramaximal nerve stimulation. (2) Post-tetanic facilitation is similar to, but less notable, than that seen in the Lambert-Eaton syndrome. (3) Postactivation exhaustion is not prominent. (4) The decremental response of muscle action potential to slow rate of stimulation is absent or not notable. (5) Single-fiber electromyographic studies reveal increased jitter and blocking. Jitter is frequency dependent and decreases with higher discharge rates. Fiber density values are lowered.

Animals↗
PubMed1979

Facial myokymia.

Facial myokymia is an uncommon form of dyskinesia, usually resulting from a lesion in the brain stem. The electromyogram is typical. A case is reported. The condition was due to an astrocytoma of the brain stem.

Adult↗
PubMed1978

Botulism and guanidine. Ten years later.

Guanidine hydrochloride was introduced as an adjunct in the treatment of botulism in 1968. It has been reported to be of benefit in 39 cases and of no benefit in 13 cases. No serious side effects have occurred with the short-term therapy required in botulism. Our two cases are similar to earlier cases in that the improvement seen with quanidine therapy is most notable in ocular muscles and least notable in respiratory muscles. Electrophysiological findings again showed an increase in the amplitude of evoked muscle-action potentials after guanidine administration.

Adolescent↗