Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to N Chalmers.
Tumour emboli from an endocardial metastasis of an endometrial stromal sarcoma caused recurrent and ultimately fatal strokes in a woman of 40. Endocardial metastases are rare. They are known to embolise to the pulmonary and systemic arteries but not to cause recurrent cerebral emboli.
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A neurological theory was obtained and examination performed on 62 outpatient epileptics on anticonvulsant therapy. Blood counts, folate and B12 assays were performed on all patients and on a control group of 59 adult non-epileptic neurological outpatients. None of the anticonvulsant treated group had clinical peripheral neuropathy; there was one patient with microcytic anaemia and one with normochromic, normocytic anaemia. In 5 of this group the mean corpuscular volume (MCV) was slightly raised but there was no significant overall difference from the control group. In 17 patients serum folate was subnormal and in 7 the red cell folate was subnormal and this was significantly different to the control group (P less than 0.001). Vitamin B12 levels were normal in all subjects. It is concluded that despite subnormal measured folate levels, there is no increased incidence of clinical peripheral neuropathy or of significant macrocytosis. In view of this, we recommend that folate replacement should not be given to non anaemic asymptomatic patients, with subnormal folate levels, on anticonvulsant therapy.
After successful treatment of a localized eccentric atheromatous deposit in the distal superficial femoral artery using the Simpson "over-the-wire" atherectomy catheter, a short segment of guidewire tip was noted in the proximal peroneal artery. A digital angiogram of the distal vessels showed satisfactory run-off. There were no immediate clinical sequelae and none after 2 months follow-up.
An in-situ saphenous vein graft occluded because of retained valve cusps. After aspiration thrombectomy, percutaneous transluminal balloon angioplasty was performed, but reocclusion occurred 11 months later. Following a second aspiration thrombectomy, the restenosed retained cusps were resected using the Simpson percutaneous atherectomy catheter. The graft remained patent until the patient's death from unrelated causes 6 months later.
Alcohol-Related Disease Impact (ARDI) Software has been developed for the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) to allow States to calculate mortality, years of potential life lost (YPLL), direct health-care costs, indirect morbidity and mortality costs, and nonhealth-sector costs associated with alcohol use and misuse. The mortality related measures--mortality, YPLL, and indirect mortality costs--are computed for 35 diagnoses related to alcohol use and misuse. A review of clinical research studies and injury surveillance studies was conducted to produce estimates of the alcohol-attributable fraction (AAF) for each diagnosis. For these measures, age-specific and age-adjusted rates are also calculated. Health care costs, morbidity costs, and nonhealth-sector costs are prorated from national studies to the State or locality. This multiple-measure approach to quantifying a health problem is termed "disease impact estimation." National estimates of the disease impact of alcohol use and misuse have been produced using ARDI software and State-specific estimates are in preparation. Designed to CDC specifications, ARDI is completely menu-driven and operates within Lotus 1-2-3 software as a set of linked spreadsheets. ARDI adapts national epidemiologic and health economics methods for use by State and local health agencies. ARDI produces data on the health consequences of alcohol use and misuse for use by locally based policymakers, public health professionals, and researchers, while permitting comparison and compilation of these data across jurisdictions.
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