Search PubMed⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

P D Welsby

Publications and source records attributed to P D Welsby.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2003

The stethoscope: some preliminary investigations.

Textbooks, clinicians, and medical teachers differ as to whether the stethoscope bell or diaphragm should be used for auscultating respiratory sounds at the chest wall. Logic and our results suggest that stethoscope diaphragms are more appropriate.

Auscultation↗
PubMed2002

Are Darwinian principles now extinct?

Darwin's theory of evolution is one book long, and contrary to popular representation The Origin of Species nowhere contains a succinct statement of the theory. To avoid fundamental misunderstandings, any critique of this hypothesis has to commence with what the writer understands to be the fundamental premise on which the theory is based. The essence of Darwin's theory is that there is a struggle for existence: organisms possess stable patterns of inheritance, but can develop occasional variations that interact with the environment. Those organism possessing fitter variations are naturally and specifically selected for a greater chance of surviving in order to reproduce so that, over several generations, gradual but cumulative natural selection 'filters out' the less advantageous variations of the ancestral organisms. As a consequence, new species (descendants that could only breed amongst themselves) develop.

Biological Evolution↗
PubMed2000

Health advice and the traveller.

We studied advice given by travel agents, the experiences of recent travellers, and the hidden costs for travellers to Kenya. There was a wide range of advice given by United Kingdom travel agents, much of it at variance with advice given by other travel agents and much of it incorrect. Nevertheless travel agents have a responsibility to give advice because they are often the only point of contact for health advice.

Bacterial Infections↗
PubMed1999

Reductionism in medicine: some thoughts on medical education from the clinical front line.

In clinical medicine, a balance needs to be struck between reductionism (the view that a system can be fully understood in terms of its isolated parts) and holistic complexity appreciation (the view that the whole may not be discernible from knowledge of its parts). Reductionism, which currently is associated with renaming of old well-established ideas, minimizes the reality of complexity in patients with several diagnoses. Holistic complexity appreciation on the other hand may encourage unscientific assessments. A balance between the two needs to be maintained if the needs of students and patients are to coincide.

Education, Medical↗
PubMed1997

Epidemiology and awareness of malaria in the Lothians.

Awareness of malaria and its presentation could be improved. Awareness of symptoms, incubation periods and route of transmission was poor, as was compliance with prophylaxis. The mean difference between the time to admission and the time to presentation was 2.9 days which reflects medical rather than patient associated delay.

Chi-Square Distribution↗
PubMed1995

Stridor in patients with HIV infection.

The immunodeficiency which results from HIV infection is associated with a range of opportunistic infections and tumors which may present with the symptoms of upper airways disease. This paper presents three cases of stridor from different causes in patients with HIV infection, all of whom recovered following treatment. The management of this problem requires consideration of the likely aetiology which, in those with advanced immunodeficiency, includes bacterial and fungal laryngitis and epiglottitis as well as rapidly growing laryngeal tumours. Recommendations for the treatment of those with HIV infection who present with severe or rapid-onset stridor should include a combination of aggressive airway intervention and broad-spectrum antibacterial and antifungal agents. Laryngeal biopsy for histology and culture is particularly important for those patients who fail to respond to the aforementioned treatment.

AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections↗