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Biomedical subjects

M Walsh

Publications and source records attributed to M Walsh.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources
PubMed2002

Malignant otitis externa--a high index of suspicion is still needed for diagnosis.

Malignant otitis externa is a destructive inflammatory process of the petrous temporal bone which if untreated leads to osteomyelitis of the skull base and can be fatal. It is more common in immunocompromised and elderly insulin-dependant diabetic patients and is caused by infection with Pseudomonas species. Despite a range of laboratory and radiological tests it still remains difficult to diagnose, particularly in the early stages when it can be treated medically. We describe three cases which presented to this department in the past twelve months. In all cases the diagnosis was made clinically and confirmed per-operatively. Interestingly all three cases were relatively young patients who did not have an immunocompromised status and were not diabetic.

Adult↗
PubMed2001

Influence of leg stiffness and its effect on myodynamic jumping performance.

The purposes of this study are: a) to examine the possibility of influencing the leg stiffness through instructions given to the subjects and b) to determine the effect of the leg stiffness on the mechanical power and take-off velocity during the drop jumps. A total of 15 athletes performed a series of drop jumps from heights of 20, 40 and 60 cm. The instructions given to the subjects were a) "jump as high as you can" and b) "jump high a little faster than your previous jump". The jumps were performed at each height until the athlete could not achieve a shorter ground contact time. The ground reaction forces were measured using a "Kistler" force plate (1000 Hz). The athletes body positions were recorded using a high speed (250 Hz) video camera. EMG was used to measure muscle activity in five leg muscles. The data was divided into 5 groups where group 1 was made up of the longest ground contact times of each athlete and group 5 the shortest. The leg and ankle stiffness values were higher when the contact times were shorter. This means that by influencing contact time through verbal instructions it is possible to control leg stiffness. Maximum center of mass take-off velocity the can be achieved with different levels of leg stiffness. The mechanical power acting on the human body during the positive phase of the drop jumps had the highest values in group 3. This means that there is an optimum stiffness value for the lower extremities to maximize mechanical power.

Ankle Joint↗
PubMed2001

Treatment of intractable epistaxis using arterial embolization.

Arterial embolization has become the procedure of choice for managing intractable epistaxis in certain centres in North America and Europe, with arterial ligation reserved for those patients in which it fails. In Ireland, the role of this relatively new technique is poorly defined. The aim of this retrospective study was to investigate the outcome of all patients who underwent arterial embolization for intractable epistaxis in Dublin since it was introduced in 1998. Embolization resulted in complete and immediate resolution of epistaxis in 10 out of 12 patients (82%). Two patients required carotid ligation because of persistent epistaxis. One other patient had a further minor epistaxis 2 days following embolization, which was treated successfully with cautery. No major complications occurred in any of the patients. This study suggests that arterial embolization is an effective and safe method of managing patients with intractable epistaxis.

Adult↗
PubMed2001

Enhanced endothelial activation in diabetic patients with unstable angina and non-Q-wave myocardial infarction.

AIMS: Diabetes mellitus (DM) is associated with chronic endothelial dysfunction. Diabetic patients presenting with acute coronary syndromes have a worse prognosis than non-diabetics. An acute inflammatory reaction at the site of coronary plaque rupture and increased expression of surface and soluble cellular adhesion molecules (CAMs) are pathological features of acute coronary syndromes. We set out to characterize the expression of soluble CAMs in patients with and without diabetes presenting with unstable angina (UA) and non Q-wave myocardial infarction (NQMI). METHODS: Patients presenting with UA and NQMI had serum samples taken on presentation, after 72 h and then 3, 6 and 12 months after discharge. Levels of soluble intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1), vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1), E-selectin and P-selectin were measured using an ELISA technique. RESULTS: We studied 15 diabetic patients and 15 age- and sex-matched non-diabetic patients presenting with either UA or NQMI. Levels of soluble E-selectin were elevated in the diabetic patients in comparison with the non-diabetic patients at all measured time points: 74 +/- 10 ng/ml vs. 47 +/- 3 ng/ml, P < 0.03 at t = 0 h, 55 +/- 5 ng/ml vs. 38 +/- 2 ng/ml, P < 0.02 at t = 72 h. However, levels of soluble P-selectin were lower in the diabetic cohort during follow-up: 134 +/- 15 ng/ml vs. 225 +/- 32 ng/ml, P < 0.02 at t = 3/12 and 112 +/- 8 ng/ml vs. 197 +/- 23 ng/ml, P < 0.02 at t = 6/12. There was no significant difference in levels of soluble ICAM-1 and VCAM-1 between diabetic and non-diabetic patients. CONCLUSIONS: Levels of soluble E-selectin are significantly elevated in diabetic patients presenting with UA and NQMI in comparison with non-diabetics. This finding may reflect enhanced endothelial activation which may contribute to the adverse prognosis of diabetic patients with acute coronary syndromes.

Aged↗
PubMed2001

Altered myosin light-chain phosphorylation in resting platelets from premenopausal women with diabetes.

Gender-related differences in the rate of coronary heart disease (CHD) between premenopausal women and men are greatly diminished in women with diabetes mellitus (DM). This may be related, in part, to altered platelet function in premenopausal diabetic women. Hyperglycemia may contribute to increase platelet aggregation through enhancement of oxidative stress, increased nitric oxide (NO) destruction, and increased myosin light-chain (MLC) phosphorylation (MLC-P). Accordingly, we investigated functional and biochemical parameters of platelet function in 32 women (14 premenopausal and postmenopausal controls and 18 age-matched patients with DM); platelet MLC-P and cyclic guanosine monophosphate ([cGMP] reflecting NO) were assessed. Other parameters including age, body mass index (BMI), waist to hip ratio, total cholesterol, and platelet count were not different in the control and diabetic groups. In the premenopausal women, baseline MLC-P was lower in women with DM versus the control group (P = .02). GMP levels were similar in the two groups at baseline (22.7 +/- 3 fmol/mL in controls v 23.1 +/- 3 fmol/mL in diabetic subjects) and 3 minutes after insulin exposure. The platelet content of ascorbic acid (AA), an endogenous antioxidant compound, was elevated in premenopausal women with DM (P = .02) compared with the controls. Despite similar estradiol (beta,E2) levels, platelets of premenopausal women with DM exhibited reduced MLC-P. This paradoxic difference may be accounted for by an increase in platelet AA, as this suggests decreased platelet oxidative stress in this patient population. These observations indicate that an altered redox state and associated MLC-P of platelets does not contribute to enhanced platelet aggregation and CHD in premenopausal women with DM.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2001

Does prior administration of enoxaparin influence the effects of levobupivacaine on blood clotting? Assessment using the Thrombelastograph.

The low molecular weight heparin, enoxaparin (by inhibition of factors Xa and IIa) and amide local anaesthetics (by altering platelet function) exert anti-clotting effects. Although these agents are often used in combination during the perioperative period, their potential interactive effect on clotting has not been defined. Blood from 10 ASA I-II patients who received enoxaparin 0.5 mg kg(-1) s.c. was studied using a Thrombelastograph (TEG) either alone or in combination with levobupivacaine (2.5 mg ml(-1) or 2.5 microg ml(-1)) or saline (50% dilution). In blood from patients who had received enoxaparin 0.5 mg kg(-1) s.c. 12 h previously, levobupivacaine 2.5 mg ml(-1) (but not 2.5 microg ml(-1)) produced significant changes in TEG clotting parameters (mean (SD) 15.7 (4.8) mm, 29.6 (25.6) mm, 34.4 (14.6) mm, 34.3 (12.2) degrees compared with control values of 6.1 (1.3) mm, 2.5 (0.5) mm, 63.5 (6.4) mm and 74.1 (2.9) degrees for r, K, MA, and alpha angle respectively).

Adult↗
PubMed2001

Granulomatous skin lesions in moray eels caused by a novel Mycobacterium species related to Mycobacterium triplex.

An outbreak of granulomatous dermatitis was investigated in a captive population of moray eels. The affected eels had florid skin nodules concentrated around the head and trunk. Histopathological examination revealed extensive granulomatous inflammation within the dermis and subcutaneous fascial plane between the fat and axial musculature. Acid-fast rods were detected within the smallest lesions, which were presumably the ones that had developed earliest. Eventually, after several months of incubation at room temperature, a very slowly growing acid-fast organism was isolated. Sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene identified it as a Mycobacterium species closely related (0.59% divergence) to M. triplex, an SAV mycobacterium. Intradermal inoculation of healthy green moray eels with this organism reliably reproduced the lesion. Experimentally induced granulomatous dermatitis appeared within 2 weeks of inoculation and slowly but progressively expanded during the 2 months of the experiment. Live organisms were recovered from these lesions at all time points, fulfilling Koch's postulates for this bacterium. In a retrospective study of tissues collected between 1993 and 1999 from five spontaneous disease cases, acid-fast rods were consistently found within lesions, and a nested PCR for the rRNA gene also demonstrated the presence of mycobacteria within affected tissues.

Animals↗
PubMed2001

Risk stratification in unstable angina and non-Q wave myocardial infarction using soluble cell adhesion molecules.

OBJECTIVE: To assess prospectively the prognostic value of soluble cellular adhesion molecules (CAMs) in patients with unstable angina and non-Q wave myocardial infarction and to compare their prognostic accuracy with that of C reactive protein (CRP). DESIGN AND SETTING: Prospective observational study of patients presenting acutely with unstable angina and non-Q wave myocardial infarction to a single south Dublin hospital. METHODS: Patients with Braunwald IIIA unstable angina and non-Q wave myocardial infarction had serum samples taken at presentation before initiation of antithrombotic treatment and were followed for six months. The primary end point was the occurrence of major adverse cardiovascular events (recurrent unstable angina, non-fatal myocardial infarction, and cardiovascular death) at six months. Concentrations of soluble intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (sICAM-1), soluble vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (sVCAM-1), soluble endothelial selectin, and soluble platelet selectin were measured using an enzyme linked immunosorbent assay technique. CRP was measured with an immunophelometric assay. RESULTS: 91 patients (73 men and 18 women, mean (SD) age 61 (11) years) were studied; 27 patients (30%) had major adverse cardiac events during the six months of follow up. Concentration of CRP were significantly raised in patients who had an ischaemic event (mean (SEM) 11.5 (6.4) mg/l v 5.4 (2.5) mg/l, p < 0.001). Concentrations of sVCAM-1 were also significantly raised in the ischaemic event group (979 (30) ng/ml v 729 (22) ng/ml, p < 0.001). Both sVCAM-1 and CRP concentrations correlated strongly with the occurrence of an adverse event. The sensitivity of CRP > 3 mg/l and sVCAM-1 > 780 ng/ml for predicting future events was > 90%. There was no difference in concentrations of sICAM-1, soluble endothelin selectin, or soluble platelet selectin between event and non-event groups. CONCLUSION: Raised concentrations of sVCAM-1 and CRP are predictive of an increased risk of major adverse cardiovascular events six months after presentation with unstable angina and non-Q wave myocardial infarction. These findings suggest that the intensity of the vascular inflammatory process at the time of presentation is a determinant of clinical outcome in unstable coronary artery disease.

Aged↗
PubMed2001

Granulomatous appendicitis revisited: report of a case.

BACKGROUND: Isolated granulomatous appendicitis is uncommon and previously was considered to be a form of localised Crohn's disease. However more recent series have noted that relapse is rare after appendicectomy and concluded that the condition is a distinct entity unrelated to Crohn's disease. Following a case of granulomatous appendicitis at St. Vincent's University Hospital Dublin, the condition was reviewed and the results are detailed herein. METHODS: A case of granulomatous appendicitis is presented with discussion of 4 previous cases encountered in our practice and the literature is reviewed. RESULTS: The clinical presentation was sub-acute appendicitis with a mass palpable in the right iliac fossa. At operation an enlarged, inflamed appendix with a broad base was noted and appendicectomy performed. Histopathology showed numerous granulomata on microscopic examination. The yersinia serology tests were negative. Review of computerised histopathology records in the hospital for the last 7 years showed 4 additional cases of granulomatous appendicitis. This is a total of 5 of 1,615 appendectomies (an incidence of 0.31%). In all cases, the post-operative course was uneventful and the patients have had no further complaints. CONCLUSION: This small series provides further evidence that granulomatous appendicitis is a distinct clinical entity unrelated to Crohn's disease and is cured by appendicectomy. It should be suspected when there is a sub-acute onset of appendicitis and an enlarged, broad-based appendix is found at operation.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed2001

Blood splash and tonsillectomy: an underestimated hazard to the otolaryngologist.

Mucocutaneous exposure is an important route of transmission of hepatitis viruses and HIV in healthcare workers. Few data exist in the literature on the risk of transconjunctival exposure during many surgical procedures. We investigated the use of eye protection during tonsillectomy and measured the incidence of potential eye splash. No otolaryngologist surveyed routinely used eye protection during tonsillectomy. Splash events occurred in 23 out of 103 tonsillectomies. In all cases the surgeon was unaware of the splash. Splash events were significantly more likely to occur during adult tonsillectomy (p < 0.05). We strongly advise the routine use of eye protection during tonsillectomy.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2001

Laryngocele and squamous cell carcinoma of the larynx.

We present a case report of a lady with a laryngocele and a squamous cell carcinoma of the larynx. The pathogenesis of the relationship between these two entities is discussed and the literature reviewed. This association means a carcinoma must be outruled if a laryngocele is detected clinically or radiologically.

Aged↗
PubMed2001

Solitary fibrous tumour of the parotid gland.

Solitary fibrous tumours are rare tumours originally described in the pleura. More recently there have been reports of these tumours arising at other sites including the parotid region. They are characterized histologically by a variety of growth patterns that can be confused by the unwary with other benign or malignant tumours particularly sarcomas. We present a case occurring in the pre-auricular region which presented diagnostic difficulties.

Adult↗
PubMed2001

Nitinol stent insertion for post-pneumonectomy syndrome.

Post-pneumonectomy syndrome is an unusual condition, that can occur a variable period of time after a patient has had a pneumonectomy. Management of this syndrome has been described using a number of different techniques, often with considerable mortality. We present a case report where this condition was treated successfully by insertion of an expandable Nitinol stent. This is the first time this technique has been described to treat this condition, and we feel it may be the procedure of choice in managing these patients.

Alloys↗
PubMed2001

Molecular epidemiology of antibiotic-resistant gram-negative bacilli in a neonatal intensive care unit during a nonoutbreak period.

OBJECTIVE: Gram-negative organisms that are resistant to parenteral antibiotics are a growing threat to hospitalized patients. This study was conducted to define the epidemiologic characteristics of these organisms during a nonoutbreak period in a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). METHODS: Nasopharyngeal and rectal swab specimens were obtained 3 times a week from every infant in a tertiary care NICU during a 12-month period. Specimens were processed to identify aerobic Gram-negative species resistant to gentamicin, piperacillin-tazobactam, or ceftazidime. Selected clinical parameters were tested for their association with colonization with a resistant organism. Restriction endonuclease digests of genomic DNA were derived from isolates of the most frequently occurring species. The fragments were analyzed by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) to determine the genetic relatedness of the various isolates and thereby determine the length of colonization, the frequency of horizontal transmission, and the size and duration of clusters. RESULTS: A total of 101 infants (8.6%) of 1180 admissions were colonized with at least 1 antibiotic-resistant bacillus before NICU discharge. Multiple parameters indicating a prolonged, complicated NICU course were associated with resistant colonization, including gestational age, length of stay, and exposure to several classes of antibiotics. Colonization with resistant bacilli occurred as early as the first NICU day, but acquisition continued throughout the infants' stay. A total of 436 isolates were analyzed by PFGE. On the basis of this molecular analysis, it was determined that duration of colonization was usually very short; the median for all species tested was <1 week. In addition, cross-colonization occurred in only 12% of all PFGE-analyzed isolates. Most clusters of cross-colonized infants were small, with the majority involving only 2 patients. CONCLUSIONS: During endemic periods, acquisition of antibiotic-resistant Gram-negative bacilli in the NICU may occur very soon after admission, but colonization continues over many weeks of NICU stay. The duration of colonization with resistant bacilli is short, and horizontal transmission is unusual. These characteristics suggest a gradual but temporary incorporation of these organisms from the NICU environment into the nascent newborn microflora over time with little cross-colonization. These observations may aid the rational development of infection-control strategies to contain the reservoir of resistant Gram-negative organisms in the NICU.antibiotic resistance, Gram-negative bacilli, neonatal intensive care, antibiotic utilization, colonization, pulsed-field gel electrophoresis.

Anti-Bacterial Agents↗
PubMed2001

Are we ready to predict speech development from babble in cleft lip and palate children?

The speech development of nine children with cleft lip/palate was followed longitudinally from nine months to three years of age. The results indicate speech sound development closer to the non-cleft population than previous studies. Nasal fricatives previously not extensively described in the literature may be an experimental stage of developmental babble, which spontaneously reduce. The study has added to the evidence-base for practice in one cleft unit. It may be useful to channel resources at our centre to children who at nine months may be more at risk, i.e. children with bilateral clefts and known developmental delay.

Child, Preschool↗