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Biomedical subjects

M Devine

Publications and source records attributed to M Devine.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2006

Success of a nurse led community based genitourinary medicine clinic for young people in Liverpool: review of the first year.

OBJECTIVES: To assess the outcome and workload of a community based, nurse led comprehensive sexual health and contraceptive service for clients aged less than 25. METHODS: Review of appointment diaries and clinic records of clients who attended the Brook genitourinary medicine (GUM) clinic. The workload, case mix, and achievement of national targets in the first year of the service were compared with those for the same age group of clients attending the nearby hospital based GUM clinic. A limited client satisfaction questionnaire was carried out 8 months after the clinic opened. RESULTS: 1061/1700 (62.4%) clients (185, 17.4% male) attended booked appointments. Chlamydia trachomatis was detected in 16.1% of women and 20.5% of men at Brook (p<0.05), where 22.6% of women and 50% of men had at least one sexually transmitted infection (p<0.001). HIV testing was offered to 98.5% of clients. 60.7% of all identified contacts attended a clinic for testing and/or treatment. Client responses to a questionnaire about the service were very favourable. Only 2.3% of Brook GUM clients needed referral to a physician. CONCLUSIONS: Nurse led community based GUM services, such as the one provided at the Merseyside Brook Centre, appeal to young people and our success should encourage others to consider similar ventures.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2004

Acute gastroenteritis in northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland: a telephone survey.

Most people with acute gastroenteritis do not seek medical care and are therefore not captured by routine surveillance. For this reason, population-based studies are needed to measure the burden of illness. A study of acute gastroenteritis in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland surveyed 9,903 people by telephone over the 12-month period from December 2000 to November 2001. The rate of acute gastroenteritis was 0.60 episodes per person per year. A general practitioner was consulted by 29.2% of those reporting illness, and 2.0% submitted a stool sample. The use of antibiotics was reported by 7.4% of ill respondents and 14.8% took anti-diarrhoeals. Taking days off work due to illness, was reported by 17.4% of respondents. Acute gastroenteritis causes a large amount of illness in the community. There are established and effective measures to prevent this condition and the challenge is to find new ways of promoting these precautions.

Absenteeism↗
PubMed1995

Low-velocity gunshot wounds to the spine with an associated transperitoneal injury.

Twenty-nine patients who incurred a transperitoneal low-velocity gunshot wound to their spine were evaluated for the occurrence of spinal infectious complications. All patients underwent an exploratory laparotomy to determine the extent of viscera involvement. No attempt was made to debride the involved spinal area, and the bullet was not removed unless it was easily accessible. Of the 21 patients with a parenchymal and/or noncolonic viscous injury, 17 (77%) were treated with intravenous (i.v.) antibiotics for a minimum of 5 days the remainder received treatment for a maximum of 48 h. All 8 patients with colonic injuries received a minimum of > or = 5 days of antibiotic treatment. Follow-up averaged 44.9 months (range 3-144 months). Only 1 (4.7%) patient with either a noncolonic or parenchymal perforation developed an infectious complication (subdiaphragmatic abscess); two patients (25%) with colonic perforations developed a psoas abscess. No patient developed a spinal infection. This study suggests that patients who sustain a transperitoneal low-velocity gunshot wound to their spine do not need to undergo spinal debridement and may be treated with parenteral antibiotics. Any course of broad-spectrum antibiotics for 5 days appears to minimize infectious complications. Bullet removal and missile tract debridement of the spine is not routinely necessary.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1992

Helicobacter pylori eradication with doxycycline-metronidazole-bismuth subcitrate triple therapy.

Triple therapy containing tetracycline HCl is currently among the most efficient combination therapies for eradication of Helicobacter pylori. Substitution of doxycycline for tetracycline HCl offers advantages of less frequent dosing and extrarenal excretion. In this study patients with duodenal ulcer or non-ulcer dyspepsia positive for H. pylori were randomized to either doxycycline or tetracycline HCl triple therapy in conjunction with bismuth subcitrate and metronidazole. Of the 34 patients taking doxycycline, only 22 (65%) achieved H. pylori eradication at the 4-week rebiopsy, compared with 36 of 39 (92%) taking tetracycline HCl (p = 0.004). We conclude that doxycycline-containing triple therapy is less effective for H. pylori eradication and offers no clinical advantage over tetracycline HCl-containing triple therapy.

Adult↗
PubMed1991

Office dermatologic testing: the Tzanck preparation.

Whether a vesicobullous disease is intraepidermal or subepidermal is often difficult to determine from the clinical examination. The Tzanck preparation can provide clues that aid in the diagnosis of a number of diseases. It is particularly helpful in confirming the diagnosis of herpes infection. This article outlines the materials and steps for performing this valuable test.

Azure Stains↗
PubMed1991

Helicobacter pylori-negative duodenal ulcer.

Most patients with chronic duodenal ulcer (DU) craters have gastritis associated with Helicobacter pylori (HP), now thought to be the major cause of DU. A smaller proportion of DU patients have no detectable HP. In this study, we examined the frequency and causes of HP-negative duodenal ulcers. In 302 consecutive patients with endoscopic diagnosis of duodenal ulcer, 284 (94%) were found to have associated HP gastritis, whereas 18 (6%) were HP-negative on histology, culture, and urease test. The largest subgroup of HP-negative patients (8/18) was made up of those who had been taking nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), followed closely (4/18) by patients with recent intake of antibiotics. Causes of DU in the remaining subgroups included two patients with duodenal Crohn's disease, two with Gastrospirillum hominis infection, one with penetrating carcinoma of the pancreas and one with no detectable cause. We conclude that, although the most common causal factor of duodenal ulcer is HP, some 6% of DU's will be HP-negative, signaling unusual etiology. It is now important to identify the cause of duodenal ulcer so as to initiate appropriate therapy.

Adult↗
PubMed1991

Graded versus pass/fail evaluation for clinical courses.

Grades vs. pass/fail for clinical courses-Thompson et. at. look at an old problem. Neither a literature review nor a survey were adequate to favor one approach over the other, but both systems' pitfalls are made clear here.

Clinical Competence↗
PubMed1990

Cure of duodenal ulcer after eradication of Helicobacter pylori.

Eighty-two patients, whose duodenal ulcers were recurrent or resistant to H2-receptor antagonist therapy, were entered in a treatment protocol of ranitidine followed by a four-week "triple therapy" course to eradicate Helicobacter pylori (HP) infection. The triple therapy consisted of colloidal bismuth subcitrate, tetracycline and metronidazole. Duodenal ulcer healed in all 78 patients available for endoscopy and H. pylori infection was shown to be eliminated in 75 patients (96%) at rebiopsy four weeks after cessation of therapy. In these 75 remaining patients the relapse rates for H. pylori infection and duodenal ulcer were studied endoscopically, yearly and at any recurrence of symptoms. At Year 1, 71 of 73 patients remained free of H. pylori infection (HP-negative) and duodenal ulcer. The corresponding figures subsequently were: Year 2, 57/57; Year 3, 34/34; Year 4, 15/15. No duodenal ulcers recurred in HP-negative patients who were followed for up to four years. Two patients of the original cohort of 75 HP-negative patients were HP-positive with endoscopic duodenitis at 12 months, and one at 36 months, but all were without reulceration. Distorted duodenal caps gradually returned to near-normal appearance in 80% of patients by two years. From this four-year follow-up study we conclude that duodenal ulcer disease will not recur provided the patient remains free of H. pylori.

Adult↗