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Biomedical subjects

P Saha

Publications and source records attributed to P Saha.

50 records · Page 3Linked to original sources
PubMed1987

Bioethics and applied biomaterials.

Rapid growth in the field of applied biomaterials poses new ethical problems in the design, manufacture, evaluation, and regulation of medical devices and implants. This article addresses some of these ethical concerns and points out the ethical responsibilities of the scientists and engineers working in the field of biomaterials. The need for the development of a code of ethics by the Society for Biomaterials is also discussed.

Animal Welfare↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Measuring readiness for change among crack cocaine users: a descriptive analysis.

This study examines the utility of the University of Rhode Island Change Assessment Scale (URICA) in assessing stages of change status with a group of 235 crack/cocaine users who had received treatment for their drug use. Cluster analyses were performed and three subgroups representing differing levels of readiness to change were identified. The three clusters demonstrated no significant differences on most demographic characteristics and other areas of functioning assessed by the Addiction Severity Index (ASI). The three clusters also showed similar improvements between the intake and six-month follow-up in these ASI life domains. The implications of these findings are discussed.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Ethical responsibilities of the clinical engineer.

Because of the growth of medical technology, Clinical Engineers have increased responsibilities in respect to this new technology and so to modern medicine itself. This results in a need to ensure that an ethical consciousness of responsibilities to patients, physicians, and institutions grows within Clinical Engineers as they move into evermore important roles within the health care system. Clinical Engineers must have clearly defined roles, as well as authority acknowledged and supported by other health care professionals. Most importantly, Clinical Engineers themselves must recognize the seriousness of their professional responsibilities as they contribute to the maintenance of equipment, use and design instrumentation, and fulfill roles in administration, management, and research. As members of the health care team, Clinical Engineers must be prepared to face ethical issues arising from defective or inadequate equipment, hazards and incidents, scarcity and resources, conflict of interest, confidentiality, clinical research, "truth-telling," and care of the terminally ill.

Biomedical Engineering↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Bioengineers, health-care technology and bioethics.

Technology has created moral dilemmas in recent years creating an increased interest in the field of bioethics, which affects engineers in biomedicine, physicians, other health-care professionals, and society in general. For example devices like the kidney dialysis machine or Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) diagnostic scanner demonstrate state-of-the-art capabilities, yet they are very expensive. Therefore, standards of the past involving health care and allocation of resources are changing, and professionals must be aware of this change, as well as the responsibility for complete testing and review during the research and development process of medical devices. In this paper, we illustrate technological impact and stress the necessity of an understanding of ethics in order to deal effectively with product liability, conflicts of interests, and allocation of scarce resources. Hopefully, this will result in awareness and education in ethics and professional responsibilities.

Bioethical Issues↗
PubMedDate not supplied

A prospective study of sensitivity and specificity of adenosine deaminase estimation in the diagnosis of tuberculosis pleural effusion.

We prospectively evaluated the usefulness of adenosine deaminase [ADA] estimation in the diagnosis of tuberculosis [TB] pleural effusion. Seventy five subjects with pleural effusion were studied. Forty eight of them had TB pleural effusion [M:F: 37:11; mean age 33 +/- 14.4 years range 17-76] and the remaining 27 had pleural effusion due to causes other than TB [non-TB group] [M:F: 19:8; mean age 47.3 +/- 16.5 years; range 17-75]. Pleural fluid [PF] ADA levels were significantly higher in TB (n=48; mean 95.8 +/- 57.5 IU/L) compared with non-TB group (n=27; mean 30.7 +/- 27.2 IU/L) [p<0.001]. Serum ADA [S-ADA] levels were also significantly higher in TB (n=45; mean 39.6 +/- 18.3 IU/L) compared with non-TB group (n=26; mean 18.0 +/- 13.7 IU/L) [p<0.001]. PF-ADA levels were higher compared to S-SDA in TB (p <0.001) and non-TB groups [p<0.01]. Using a cut off of 35 IU/L, the sensitivity and specificity of PF-ADA in the diagnosis of TB was computed to be 83.3% and 66.6% respectively. At a cut-off level of 100 IU/L, PF-ADA was found to have a sensitivity 40% and specificity 100%. From this study it is concluded that, using 100 IU/L as the cut-off, it is possible to avoid pleural biopsy to ascertain the diagnosis of TB in as much as 40% of the patients.

Adenosine Deaminase↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Milk versus no milk in rapid refeeding after acute gastroenteritis.

Sixty-five infants (mean age 14.7 months, range 6-34 months), hospitalized for acute gastroenteritis, were treated with oral rehydration and rapid reintroduction of full feedings appropriate for age. Cow's milk and milk products were eliminated from the diet of 27 infants, whereas the remaining 38 children continued to receive their usual milk and milk products as parts of the mixed diet. There was no difference between the groups in the clinical recovery from diarrhea. No child had prolonged diarrhea. No new cases of clinical atopy were observed at 1-month follow-up, and there were no significant increases in the total or milk-specific IgE levels. Serum IgG and IgA antibodies to beta-lactoglobulin and alpha-casein were initially present in the majority of the children, but there were no appreciable changes in these cow's milk antibodies after gastroenteritis, regardless of the type of diet. It is concluded that cow's milk and milk products can be safely given in acute gastroenteritis as parts of the mixed diet for children over 6 months of age. Rapid reintroduction of feedings is beneficial for recovery from diarrhea, and there appears to be little need for dietary restrictions in this age group.

Acute Disease↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Effect of additional oral ofloxacin administration in the treatment of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis.

The effect of additional oral ofloxacin administration was evaluated in 19 HIV-negative patients with multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB). Their mean duration of illness was 3.6 years. Based on chest roentgenograms, 13 patients had advanced disease and 6 had moderate disease. In addition to 'second-line drugs', patients were treated with oral ofloxacin; high dose 800 mg per day (12 patients), low dose 400 mg per day (2 patients) and intermittent twice a week regimen of 800 mg a day (5 patients). With treatment, there was a significant clinical improvement. Sputum smear conversion occurred in 18 patients (mean duration 15 weeks) and this sputum smear negativity persisted for a mean duration of 7 months. Chest roentgenograms revealed regression of lesions in 18 patients. Reversible side effects were encountered in four patients. Results of present study suggest that additional administration of oral ofloxacin is both effective and safe for the treatment of MDR-TB.

Administration, Oral↗