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Biomedical subjects

P Eklund

Publications and source records attributed to P Eklund.

13 recordsLinked to original sources

Development and maintenance of guideline-based decision support for pharmacological treatment of hypertension.

The objective was to build a computer-based decision support system (DSS), which could apply the formal rules embedded in guidelines regarding pharmacological treatment of hypertension. The aim was also to test VISUAL BASIC as a development tool for DSS's in health care. From the Swedish guidelines for treatment of hypertension, the most widely accepted and scientifically best proved treatment strategies were chosen and implemented as rules. A DSS that is capable of applying the evidence-based rules extracted from guidelines regarding drug treatment of hypertension, to any patient's medical profile, was constructed. The output consists of a recommendation regarding preferred generic drug class and also a written report, reflecting decision steps provided by the rule-base and inference engine. We also provide methods for formalising an implementable language of guidelines. A mainstream programming language like VISUAL BASIC can be an alternative when building complicated decision support systems. A logic formal notation can facilitate communication between the expert and the programmer. The program is a stand-alone product independent of computerized medical records and thereby easy to install and maintain.

Antihypertensive Agents↗

Data mining and structuring of executable data analysis reports: guideline development and implementation in a narrow sense.

In this paper we present a data mining scenario that supports development of automated web-based documentation of data analysis for diagnosis and treatment. The documents can be seen as guidelines in a narrow sense, and are designed to include executable modules for the corresponding decision support systems. Our aim is to discuss the possibilities of identifying certain types of diagnoses and treatments for which guidelines can be generated and computerised more systematically.

Artificial Intelligence↗

A comparison of ranitidine, droperidol or placebo in the prevention of nausea and vomiting after hysterectomy.

PURPOSE: The effect of ranitidine on postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV) was assessed when compared with droperidol and with placebo. METHODS: Three groups of sixty patients were studied in a double-blind randomized manner. The first group received ranitidine tablets 300 mg on the night before and on the following morning, one hour before induction of anaesthesia. Thirty minutes before surgery ended they were given isotonic saline 0.3 ml iv. The second group had placebo in place of ranitidine while before the operation ended, droperidol 0.75 mg (0.3 ml) was injected. The third group received placebos rather than the study drugs. The immediate two-hour postoperative recovery room period and that on the ward were evaluated until the next morning. PONV information was gathered from complaints by the patients and from direct questioning by the nursing staff. Droperidol 0.75 mg iv served as the "rescue drug." RESULTS: Less PONV occurred in patients who received anti-emetics than those given placebo: recovery room, P = 0.0109; ward, P = 0.007. Droperidol better suppressed PONV in the recovery room (P = 0.005) with no statistical significance seen between ranitidine and placebo. On the ward, both anti-emetics were more effective than placebo (ranitidine, P = 0.01; droperidol, P = 0.003). "Rescue drug" requirements throughout the study periods were not statistically significant. CONCLUSION: Although both anti-emetics were associated with a smaller incidence of PONV than was placebo, droperidol was superior to ranitidine in preventing sickness during the immediate postoperative period. The need for the "rescue drug" was similar in all groups.

Adult↗

Computational intelligence for laboratory information systems.

Non-linear models, such as given by neural networks and fuzzy logic, have established a good reputation for medical data analysis as computational and logical counterparts to statistical methods. Whereas multilayer perceptrons perform well with large data sets, a combination of neural learning together with fuzzy logical network interpretations provides a network reduction well suited for smaller data sets. The aim of this paper is to present an approach to neural fuzzy systems data analysis and knowledge acquisition in laboratory information systems. We also describe a software system, DiagaiD, which provides an analysis and development workbench involving laboratory data.

Clinical Laboratory Information Systems↗

Using data preprocessing and single layer perceptron to analyze laboratory data.

During daily work in hospitals a large amount of clinical data is produced each day. Totally computerized patient records are not yet widely used but a large part of essential information is already stored on computer files. These include laboratory test results, diagnoses, codes for operations, codes of histopathological diagnoses and maybe even the patient's medication. Accordingly, these databases include much clinical knowledge that would be useful for clinicians. Laboratories try to support clinicians by producing reference values for laboratory tests. It is, of course, necessary information but, however, it does not give very much information about the weight of evidence that an abnormal laboratory test will give in special clinical settings. We have developed a software package - DiagaiD - in order to build a smart link between patient databases and clinicians. It utilizes neural network-based machine learning techniques and can produce decision support which meets the special needs of clinicians. From example cases it can learn clinically relevant transformations from original numeric values to logical values. By using data transformation together with a single layer perceptron it is possible to build nonlinear models from a set of preclassified example cases. In this paper, we use two small datasets to show how this scheme works in the diagnosis of acute appendicitis and in the diagnosis of myocardial infarction. Results are compared with those obtained using logistic regression or backpropagation neural networks. The performance of our neuro-fuzzy tool seemed to be slightly better in these two materials but the differences did not reach statistical significance.

Appendicitis↗

Epidural analgesia with 4 mg of morphine following caesarean section: effect of injected volume.

The efficacy and side effects of epidural bolus injection of 4 mg of morphine in a volume of 2 ml, 10 ml, or 20 ml (groups I, II and III) for postoperative analgesia after caesarean section (60 patients) were evaluated. All patients had epidural anaesthesia established up to T4 level with 0.5% bupivacaine 18-20 ml, supplemented with 2% lidocaine with adrenaline, when necessary. Morphine 4 mg in either of the three volumes was injected through the epidural catheter in random order after delivery of the baby. Six patients in each group reported no pain during the 24-h follow-up period. No additional pain medication during the 24 h after surgery was required in 11, 14 and 10 patients in groups I, II and III, respectively. Most of the others managed with the addition of a single dose of rectal ketoprofen. There were no differences in analgesic therapy between the groups. Pruritus was the most common adverse effect (18/20, 19/20 and 18/20 in groups I, II and III, respectively). 10/20, 12/20 and 14/20 (N.S.) patients had nausea and vomiting in groups I, II and III, respectively. Metoclopramide, prescribed for persistent nausea, was given to 4/20 patients in group I, 6/20 patients in group II and 9/20 patients in group III (N.S.). After removal of the urinary catheter 7/20 patient in group III required carbachol for urinary retention compared to 3/20 and 4/20 patients in groups I and II (N.S.).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Analgesia, Epidural↗

Continuous epidural infusion of bupivacaine and morphine for postoperative analgesia after hysterectomy.

The analgesic efficacy and side-effects of combined epidural infusion of bupivacaine and morphine, in comparison with these drugs alone, for postoperative analgesia after hysterectomy (60 patients) were evaluated. Before general anaesthesia, all patients had an epidural catheter placed (Th11-12) and 20 ml of 0.5%, bupivacaine was injected. In random order, epidural infusion was continued for 24 h with either 0.25% bupivacaine 4 ml.h-1 (BUPI-group), a bolus of 2 mg of morphine followed by morphine 0.2 mg.h-1 (MO-group), or a combination of the two drugs (COMB-group). A urinary bladder catheter was kept for 24 h. Supplementary postoperative pain medications were i.m. morphine 0.1 mg.kg-1 or rectal indomethacin 50 mg, on request. Immediately after awakening from general anaesthesia and transfer to the recovery room, 18/20 of the BUPI-group patients, 17/20 of the MO-group patients and 19/20 of the COMB-group patients were pain-free. In the postoperative evening and the first postoperative morning, the corresponding figures were 7/20 and 10/20 in the BUPI-group, 15/20 and 15/20 in the MO-group, and 18/20 and 15/20 in the COMB-group (postop, evening; P less than 0.01 BUPI vs. others). The number of patients requiring supplementary analgesics (morphine and indomethacin during the first 24 h was greatest in the BUPI-group P less than 0.01). The number of patients who vomited during the 24-h period was 3 in the BUPI-group, 9 in the MO-group and 5 in the COMB-group.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adult↗

Anaesthesia for patients undergoing prolonged reconstructive and microvascular plastic surgery.

The anaesthesiological problems related to prolonged reconstructive plastic surgery in 22 patients were investigated in retrospect. Surgery consisted mainly of reconstructions, including microvascularization (7 emergency reimplantations, 15 plastic reconstructions), and the duration of the balanced anaesthesias varied between 5 h 10 min and 15 h 35 min. As the patients were relatively young and healthy, no serious cardiovascular complications occurred. Blood loss was intentionally replaced with dextran, in most instances, and in a group of 15 elective patients, mean haematocrit level decreased from 0.41 to 0.31 during surgery. In about half of the material, the central temperature was monitored; it remained within 35.8-38 degrees C. In the longest anaesthesia (15 h 35 min) the temperature stayed within 0.4 degrees C, the patient placed on a heating mattress. In 2 patients, transient paresis of the muscles of the hand, which was exposed and abducted for i.v. infusion and blood pressure recording, was observed. A questionnaire was sent to the patients and 19 of 20 responded. The predominant subjective complaint was nausea, while sensations following catheterization of the bladder were also a common untoward recollection. One patient developed laryngeal oedema after extubation and about a third experienced breathing difficulties on awakening from the anaesthesia. Postoperative pain appeared not to be a significant problem.

Adolescent↗

Living donor nephrectomy: surgical aspects.

A series of 143 living donor nephrectomies during a 14 year period is presented. The overall complication rate was 16 per cent. The incidence of wound complications was 4.2 per cent and of lower urinary tract infections 9.8 per cent. To date no donor has had known significant problem related to the nephrectomy or to the solitary kidney status.

Adolescent↗