Search PubMed⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

P Karma

Publications and source records attributed to P Karma.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources
PubMed1990

Radical surgery for lingual cancer.

The survival rates of 58 patients treated for squamous carcinoma of the tongue between 1972 and 1985 were evaluated. The overall 5-year survival rate was 41.6%; for stage I it was 61.8%; stage II 59.5%; and stage III, 27.7%. No patient survived for more than 2 years when their tumour was stage IV on presentation. A composite pull-through resection with radical neck dissection gave a 5-year survival rate of 50.7%, which was significantly (P less than 0.01) higher than the 13.8% achieved by other treatments, mainly local tumour excision combined with radiation therapy. The same trend in favour of radical surgery was also seen stage by stage. In 45% of the patients regional neck metastases (palpable in 35% and occult in 10%) were present and predicted a poor prognosis. Among T1-T2 cases the 5-year survival of 58.5% in the N0 group was significantly (P less than 0.01) higher than the 15.1% among those with nodal involvement. The location of the primary tumour did not affect the survival rates.

Adult↗
PubMed1990

Hypopharyngeal reconstruction with free microvascular jejunal transfer after total laryngopharyngectomy.

One-stage laryngopharyngeal free microvascular jejunal transfer after total laryngopharyngectomy was performed in 8 patients with advanced laryngopharyngeal cancer. The study showed that this was a relatively safe and time-saving method for hypopharyngeal reconstruction after radical cancer surgery. It improved the quality of life of the patients, allowing normal alimentation, though in some cases only temporarily due to the highly malignant nature of the disease.

Aged↗
PubMed1989

Pure-tone hearing thresholds in otologically healthy 5-year-old children in Finland.

We measured the pure-tone air and bone conduction hearing of 359 randomly selected otologically normal urban preschool children in Finland at the average age of 5.2 years. Children with otoscopically verified middle ear pathology or abnormal impedance audiometry were not included in this sample. The mean air conduction thresholds varied from 16.6 dB at 0.125 kHz to 6.6 dB at 2 kHz, and the mean bone conduction thresholds from 6.0 dB at 0.25 kHz to 0.7 dB at 4 kHz. The pure-tone average (of air conduction thresholds at 0.5, 1 and 2 kHz) of all the ears was 7.6 dB. The distribution of single air conduction hearing thresholds at the frequencies from 0.25 kHz to 4 kHz showed that 66%-75% were at the 5-10 dB level.

Auditory Threshold↗
PubMed1989

Evaluation of the hearing loss associated with cis-platinum treatment by high-frequency audiometry.

The effect of cis-platinum treatment on the hearing of 23 ovarian cancer patients was evaluated using standard and high-frequency audiometry. Twenty-two percent of the patients developed a hearing loss of at least 15 db, 13% in the range 125-8000 Hz and 9% only in the high-frequency area above 8 kHz. However, due to the high-frequency hearing loss (presbyacusis) in older patients high-frequency audiometry was often unobtainable. Hearing screening using standard pure-tone audiometry is recommended for cis-platinum patients as a routine procedure.

Adult↗
PubMed1989

Hearing and hearing loss in 5-year-old children. Pure-tone thresholds and the effect of acute otitis media.

Air and bone conduction pure-tone thresholds of 420 unselected urban children were measured with standard clinical audiometry. The mean of air conduction pure-tone averages (average threshold at 0.5, 1 and 2 kHz) was 8.6 dB HL in girls and 8.3 dB HL in boys. In only 5 ears (0.6%), was this average greater than or equal to 35 dB HL. The threshold greater than or equal to 35 dB HL at 4 kHz was found in 1.4% of the ears and at 8 kHz in 4.1%. The bone conduction threshold greater than 20 dB HL at any of the frequencies from 0.5 to 4 kHz was very rare, and only once, at 4 kHz, was it greater than 35 dB HL. Earlier attacks of acute otitis media seemed to have only a marginal long-term effect on air conduction hearing, and an almost negligible effect on bone conduction hearing.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed1988

The prevalence of handicapping hearing loss in a middle-aged population in Finland.

Screening audiometry was performed during the years 1973-1978 in a total of 11,744 subjects aged 35-50 years. The incidence of those persons having a mean hearing threshold of 30 dB or more at 0.5-2 kHz or of 50 dB or more at 2 kHz varied from 0.3% to 2.7% in males of different age subgroups. The results for females were about two-thirds of those for males. Overall, 1.5% of the Finnish population aged 35-54 years were found to be candidates for hearing rehabilitation.

Adult↗
PubMed1988

High frequency audiometry in facial paralysis.

High frequency (10-21 kHz) hearing thresholds were measured in 54 patients with Bell's palsy. In 25 (46%) of the patients the high frequency hearing was worse in the affected side, and in 16 (30%) better. The differences in the mean threshold between the two ears varied from 17.1 to 3.8 dB, being statistically significant at half of the frequencies measured. The findings support the idea that facial palsy is one manifestation of a lesion which extends beyond the VIIth cranial nerve.

Audiometry↗
PubMed1986

Long-term safety and efficacy of budesonide nasal aerosol in perennial rhinitis. A 12-month multicentre study.

A long-term safety study of intranasally administered budesonide, a topical glucocorticoid, has been performed. 104 patients with perennial rhinitis, allergic or non-allergic, participated in a multicentre study in seven ENT-clinics utilising an identical protocol. A budesonide dosage of 400 micrograms/day was used as starting dose, but the patients were at liberty to reduce the daily dose to 200 micrograms. The patients were observed at intervals up to 12 months. At the entry and follow-up visits the following parameters were recorded: rhinoscopic findings, nasal symptom scores, blood chemistry, hematology, urinalysis and determination of plasma cortisol levels before and after stimulation with ACTH (Synacthen). Nasal biopsies taken from 50 of the patients at the beginning and completion of the study were examined in a blinded way by an independent pathologist. The analysis revealed no histopathological changes of the nasal mucosa. At rhinoscopy no signs of atrophy or candida were reported. Lividity of the nasal mucosa was significantly reduced during the trial, which was also the case for nasal congestion and secretion. All nasal symptom parameters assessed by the patients were significantly reduced from baseline during the follow-up period. No clinically significant changes in the hematological and blood chemistry parameters were observed. Plasma cortisol analysis before and after challenge with ACTH revealed no influence on the hypothalamic pituitary adrenal axis. No tachyphylaxis was observed; on the contrary, there was a clear tendency for reduction of the daily dose of budesonide necessary to keep the patients symptom-free.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Administration, Intranasal↗
PubMed1986

New clinical finding in vestibular neuritis: high-frequency audiometry hearing loss in the affected ear.

Twenty-one patients with established vestibular neuronitis were examined otoneurologically and audiologically. High-frequency audiometry up to 20,000 Hz was performed on all the patients. In 17 cases a high-frequency hearing loss was greater in the ear with vestibular neuritis. The mean hearing loss difference varied from 14 dB to 24 depending on the frequency. Our results reveal that in most cases of vestibular neuritis there are no isolated vestibular lesions, but most cases also involve an auditory end-organ lesion. This finding is in unison with the anatomic conditions of the cochlea and the vestibular end-organ.

Adult↗
PubMed1985

Pneumococcal bacteriology after pneumococcal otitis media with special reference to pneumococcal antigens.

Fifty-four ears with evidence of pneumococcus (Pn) in the first acute otitis media (AOM) in 38 infants and with prolongation or recurrence of the MEF during the follow-up were observed for 7-22 months for the presence of Pn by culture or of pneumococcal antigen (Pn-ag) by counterimmunoelectrophoresis or latex agglutination methods in their MEFs. During the first three 1-month observation periods, Pn and/or Pn-ags were detected in 24% to 9% of these ears, always of the initial type/group. Later on new Pn types/groups appeared also. In two of the 9 MEFs persisting for greater than or equal to 3 months, initial Pn-ag, with culturable Pn, was repeatedly found but not for longer than 5 months. Of the 12 ears resulting in secretory otitis media (SOM) only one showed initial Pn-ag (and Pn) in the MEF of SOM. Pneumococcal type/group pattern associated with prolongation or recurrence of infection did not differ from that of initial AOM. In another series of 151 SOM ears in 97 children, Pn-ags were detected in 7 MEFs. Four of them grew Pn, each of the corresponding group. Our studies suggest that the persistence of Pn-ags in the middle ear after AOM is limited and their occurrence in the MEFs of SOM is rare. Thus, the role of the persistence of Pn-ags in prolonged, recurrent or secretory otitis media seems questionable.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed1985

Transdermal scopolamine for peripheral vertigo (a double-blind study).

Transdermal scopolamine medication has been evaluated in 30 cases of acute peripheral vertigo. The double blind study revealed favourable effects, e.g. in Menière's disease. The best compromise between effect and side-effects was one active medication patch. The side-effects were those described for scopolamine, such as blurred vision and dryness of the mouth. Transdermal scopolamine seems to offer an alternative form of medication in acute peripheral vertigo.

Administration, Topical↗
PubMed1984

Audiological and vestibular findings in 219 cases of meningitis.

The audiological and electronystagmographic follow-up results of 219 children with different forms of meningitis are presented. The findings for hearing loss are roughly comparable with those of earlier reports. There have been no previous systematic studies on children with meningitis. Our electronystagmographic results show continuous nystagmus, evenly distributed in different aetiological groups, in 26 patients (12%), directional preponderance in 11 patients (5%) and canal paresis in three patients (1.5%). Disconjugate eye movements indicating a possible brain-stem lesion were observed in seven patients (3%). Eye movements were registered individually for both eyes. None of our patients had clinically significant vertigo. The electronystagmographic findings did not appear with hearing loss, indicating that vestibular disorders may develop independently. Our results support the view that electronystagmography should be performed routinely on every child who has had meningitis.

Audiometry↗
PubMed1983

A method to break the cognitive barrier between a deaf child and a hearing parent.

A deaf child actively uses about 1000 concepts in common with the hearing world. The rest of his up to 10,000 concepts belong to sign language and cannot be accurately translated into written language. This makes it difficult for the deaf to understand a normal written text, especially its abstractions. We have developed a new communication system in order to break the barrier between the hearing and the deaf. In this system a deaf child speaks with a writing hand-piece terminal through an FM route to a small unlimited text-to-speech synthesizer carried by the parent. The parent answers similarly to a 48-grapheme alphanumerical display carried by the child on a rack in front of him. The parent's unit with a speech synthesizer weighs about 2 kg and its size is about 7 X 20 X 25 cm; the size of the child's unit is one half of that and it weighs, with the display, 2 kg. Even a 4-year-old child carries the apparatus easily; nevertheless a still lighter unit is under construction. The system takes the learning process to everyday situations and makes it possible for a deaf child to converse in the normal written and spoken language. Thus, his concept capacity in the spoken language can be increased.

Adult↗
PubMed1983

Possibilities of preventing otitis media by vaccination.

The prerequisites for preventing a considerable proportion of acute otitis media (AOME) of children are theoretically good--pneumococcal types/groups present in the available 14-valent pneumococcal capsular polysaccharide vaccine are the most common bacteria in AOME, and a good serum antibody response is followed by type-specific protection from infection. However, the four most common types/groups (= 2/3 of all pneumococci in AOME) have very poor immunizing capacity in infants, and therefore the vaccine offers little protection from AOME for children under the age of 2 years. This information should help towards an improved new vaccine for AOME.

Acute Disease↗