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Biomedical subjects

M McCormick

Publications and source records attributed to M McCormick.

At least 73 records · Page 4Linked to original sources

Which children with febrile seizures need lumbar puncture? A decision analysis approach.

Whether all children brought to the emergency room with a first seizure and fever require lumbar puncture (LP) remains controversial. We reviewed the emergency room records of 241 children aged 6 months to 6 years who had this clinical picture. Five history and physical examination items discriminated between children with and without meningitis: a physician visit within 48 hours before the seizure; the occurrence of convulsions on arrival at the emergency room; a focal seizure; suspicious findings on physical and/or neurologic examination. Used in combination, these items (risk factors) identified all children with meningitis but would have spared 62% of children without meningitis the need for LP. In a decision analysis framework, they were as sensitive but more specific than LP in detecting children with meningitis. Most important, their negative predictive value was 100%.

Child↗

A comparison of terbutaline and ethanol in the treatment of preterm labor.

Ninety-two women in preterm labor were randomly assigned to either terbutaline or ethanol. In women with intact membranes, terbutaline was significantly more effective than ethanol in preventing progressive cervical dilation during the first 36 hours of treatment while betamethasone was given to the mother. Additionally, pregnancy was maintained significantly longer in women with intact membranes who were treated with terbutaline (15 +/- 4 days) rather than with ethanol (10 +/- 3 days). However, only 18% of women in each treatment group maintained their pregnancy beyond 36 weeks' gestation. In women with ruptured membranes and cervical dilation less than 4 cm, terbutaline was significantly better than ethanol in maintaining pregnancy for a minimum of 36 hours. Serious maternal side effects were not observed with terbutaline or ethanol, although a majority of women also received betamethasone. Neither drug caused serious adverse neonatal effects.

Apgar Score↗

Mortality and morbidity in infants with intrauterine growth retardation.

This report is based on an analysis of the experience with all births in several urban and rural areas of the United States. All infants whose birth weight was in the lowest quartile for their week of gestation were designated as small for gestational age regardless of their birth weight or length of gestation; other infants were considered appropriate for gestation age. We interpret the data to indicate that appropriate-for-gestational age and small-for-gestational age infants, all of low birth weight, differ in the nature of their risk for adverse outcome as determined by an assessment at one year of age, although both are at approximately equal risk of adverse outcome overall. In each weight group, the total proportion of infants who either died before one year of age or were handicapped at one year of age was similar for small-for-gestational age and appropriate-for-gestational age infants, but appropriate-for-gestational age infants were at greater risk of neonatal death and small-for-gestational age infants were at greater risk of problems manifested during the first year of life or at one year of age. As the findings are based on data obtained from entire populations (rather than from infants born in particular hospitals), they are likely to be generalizable.

Age Factors↗

Digestion of RNA of chromatin and nuclear ribonucleoprotein by staphylococcal nuclease.

Following a 1-h [3H]uridine pulse of cells of a human colon carcinoma line, 15% of the radioactivity in heterogeneous nuclear RNA associated with both chromatin and nuclear ribonucleoprotein was not digested to acid soluble fragments during a 2-h incubation with staphylococcal nuclease (EC 3.1.4.7). These [3H]uridine-labeled oligonucleotides were approximately 26 nucleotides in length. An RNA containing structure which sedimented no faster than 2 S could be isolated from the digests. Major and mino peptide species, of molecular weights 40 000 and 66 000, respectively, were associated with this structure isolated from either chromatin or nuclear ribonucleoprotein. The results demonstrate that some protein of nuclear ribonucleoprotein is complexed with the transcript while it is still associated with chromatin.

Cell Line↗

Resident-care practices in institutions for retarded persons: a cross-institutional, cross-cultural study.

Institution-oriented and resident-oriented care practices for institutionalized retarded persons investigated in 166 Living units in 19 institutions in the United States and 11 institutions in a Scandinavian country. Living units in the Scandinavian country were found to be more resident-oriented than those in the United States. Large central institutions were characterized by the most institution-oriented care practices, group homes by the most resident-oriented practices, with large and small regional centers falling between these extremes. Within types of institution, care practices were generally homogeneous. Living units for more severely retarded residents were characterized by more institution-oriented practices. Large living-unit size was found to be predictive of institution-oriented practices while cost/resident/day, number of aides/resident, and number of professional staff/resident did not predict care practices. Characteristics of the Child Management Inventory were also examined.

Allied Health Personnel↗

An atypical presentation of the Fitz-Hugh-Curtis syndrome.

We present an unusual case of the Fitz-Hugh-Curtis syndrome as manifested in a young woman with right upper quadrant pain. The presentation was atypical and misleading because of the presence of a colonic ileus and the lack of salpingitis by pelvic exam. Diagnosis was made by exclusion of other abdominal disease processes, the detection of Chlamydia trachomatis antibody from a cervical specimen, and a dramatic response to appropriate antibiotic therapy.

Abdominal Pain↗