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Biomedical subjects

N K Edwards

Publications and source records attributed to N K Edwards.

14 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1993

Pancreatic polypeptide in dorsal vagal complex stimulates gastric acid secretion and motility in rats.

High concentrations of receptors for pancreatic polypeptide (PP), a pancreatic hormone, were recently discovered in the dorsomedial region of the dorsal vagal complex (DVC). We hypothesized that gastric acid secretion and motility, digestive functions strongly influenced by vagovagal reflexes organized within the DVC, would be affected by PP applied directly to this vagal sensorimotor integration area. After urethan-anesthetized rats were prepared for antral motility recording or titrometric analysis of gastric acid output, phosphate-buffered saline or various doses of PP in phosphate-buffered saline were micropressure injected into the medial DVC. Injections of PP into the DVC produced significant, long-lasting, and dose-dependent increases in gastric acid secretion and antral motility. These gastric responses were blocked by bilateral cervical vagotomy and by atropine, suggesting that intramedullary PP stimulates vagal cholinergic pathways, resulting in enhanced gastric functions. Because PP is not synthesized within the central nervous system, these results point to a new mechanism whereby the digestive tract may modulate its own autonomic control: direct humoral action on vagovagal reflex circuits within the brain stem.

Animals↗
PubMed1985

Artifacts in the measurement of skin temperature under infant radiant warmers.

All skin temperature probes measure, to some extent, operative temperature as well as skin temperature, and thus artifactually measure a temperature different from true skin temperature. To assess the magnitude and direction of these artifacts in the measurement of surface temperature in radiant warmers designed for human infants, the artifactual deviation of measured surface temperatures from mean surface temperature was determined under a short-wavelength warmer and a long-wavelength radiant warmer, using a copper ball as an experimental model. The measurements were made using both a disk-shaped thermistor and a tubular thermistor. All measurements were made near the top of the hemisphere of the ball facing the heating element of the warmer. In all cases, the average artifact was negative. That is, even on the surface of the ball near the radiant heat source, the surface temperature probes recorded an artifactually low temperature. In the analogous clinical setting, a somewhat larger negative artifact would be expected.

Biomedical Engineering↗
PubMed1983

A computer-generated blood gas display in a newborn intensive care unit.

A computer was programmed to collect, store, analyze, and display blood gas data in a newborn intensive care unit. Data were displayed if they were (1) markedly abnormal or (2) represented a worsening trend. A controlled study demonstrated that, with the display, the markedly abnormal blood gas values were followed by normal values in a shorter period, and fewer worsening trends progressed. However, with the computer-generated display, there were more overcorrections of both the markedly abnormal blood gas values and the detected worsening trends. The occurrence of pneumothoraces was associated with these overcorrected blood gas values. There were no significant differences in duration of supplemental oxygen administration, duration of tracheal intubation, or mortality between the infants cared for during the time of the computer-generated display and those cared for during the control period. This study demonstrates both benefits and risks of computer-generated displays and emphasizes the need for thorough evaluations of such systems.

Blood Gas Analysis↗
PubMed1979

Errors in drug computations during newborn intensive care.

Medical personnel in a pediatric center were tested for their ability to correctly compute drug doses for sick newborns. One of every 12 doses computed by 95 registered nurses contained an error that would result in the administration of an amount that was ten times higher or lower than the dose ordered. The error rate was no different for experienced or inexperienced nurses. The test also included an evaluation of the nurse's ability to judge the appropriateness of the drug dose ordered for a specified infant. Experienced nurses tended to be more certain, although wrong, in their judgment when compared to inexperienced nurses. Eleven pediatricians, when given the same test, scored higher than the nurses but still made errors at the rate of one of every 26 computations attempted. Five registered pharmacists who were tested demonstrated far better computational skills than either the nursing or physician group.

Hospitals, Pediatric↗
PubMed1979

Neonatal hotline telephone network.

By simplifying the process by which telephone contacts are made, improved communications were established between a university-affiliated newborn intensive care center and some of the community hospital nurseries that it serves as a regional resource. Initiation of the improved system of communications was associated with a significant improvement in the survival of infants transferred from the community hospitals to the regional care facility.

Body Temperature↗
PubMed1976

Computer-assisted newborn intensive care.

A minicomputer has been programmed to aid in the intensive care of high-risk newborn babies. The computer provides 24-hour on-line access to physiologic and environmental data and controls the heating of infant incubators. The control algorithm limits fluctuations in the incubator chamber and protects the infant against escape from neutral thermal conditions. The mortality rate for 105 infants cared for using the computerized systems was significantly reduced when compared to that of 105 matched high-risk infants cared for using standard non-computer-assisted techniques in the same nursery setting.

Computers↗