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Biomedical subjects

R A Dewar

Publications and source records attributed to R A Dewar.

7 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1998

Identifying potential need for cancer palliation in Nova Scotia.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the degree to which Nova Scotia cancer patients who may need palliative care are being referred to the comprehensive Halifax-based Palliative Care Program (PCP). METHODS: The authors conducted a retrospective, population-based study using administrative health data for all adults in Nova Scotia who died of cancer from 1988 to 1994. Proportions and odds ratios (ORs) were used to determine where there were differences in age, sex, place of residence, cancer cause of death, year of death and use of palliative radiotherapy between those who were referred to the PCP at the Halifax Infirmary and those who were not, and between those who were referred late (within 14 days of death) and those who were referred earlier. RESULTS: Of the 14,494 adults who died of cancer during the study period, 2057 (14.2%) were registered in the PCP. Within Halifax County, 1582 (36.4%) of the 4340 patients with terminal cancer were seen in the PCP. Predictors of PCP registration were residence in Halifax County (OR 19.2, 95% confidence interval [CI] 15.4-23.9), younger age compared with those 85 years of age or older (for those 20-54 years of age, OR 4.9, 95% CI 3.2-7.6; 55-64 years, OR 3.4, 95% CI 2.2-5.1; 65-74 years, OR 3.1, 95% CI 2.1-4.5; 75-84 years, OR 2.1, 95% CI 1.4-3.1), and having received palliative radiation (OR 1.8, 95% CI 1.5-2.2). PCP referral was associated directly with head and neck cancer (OR 5.4, 95% CI 3.0-9.7) and inversely with hematopoietic (OR 0.2, 95% CI 0.4-0.9), lymph node (OR 0.3, 95% CI 0.1-0.4) and lung (OR 0.6, 95% CI 0.4-0.9) cancer. Predictors of late referral (being referred to the PCP within 14 days of death) were age 65-84 years (OR 1.4, 95% CI 1.1-1.8) and 85 years and over (OR 1.8, 95% CI 1.1-3.0), no palliative radiation (OR 2.0, 95% CI 1.4-3.1) and cancer cause of death. People dying within 6 months of diagnosis were somewhat less likely to have been referred to the PCP (OR 0.8, 95% CI 0.6-0.9), but those who were referred were more likely to have been referred late (OR 2.6, 95% CI 2.0-3.5). INTERPRETATION: Referral to the PCP and earlier rather than late referral were more likely for younger people with terminal cancer, those who received palliative radiation and those living closer to the PCP. Referral rates also varied by cancer cause of death and the time between diagnosis and death.

Adult↗
PubMed1996

Hyperornithinemia-hyperammonemia-homocitrullinuria (HHH)-syndrome. Ultrastructural changes of mitochondria in cultured dermal fibroblasts of three patients.

Mitochondria of fibroblasts cultured from the skin obtained at biopsy from three patients with the hyperornithinemia-hyperammonemia-homocitrullinuria (HHH)-syndrome, one of the autosomal recessive, heritable urea cycle disorders, were studied with appropriate controls ultrastructurally. The patients were two severely retarded 10- and 12-year-old boys, and a 22-year-old sister of the former whose mental status was at the low normal range; she never had motor impairments or seizures. The mitochondria, similar in all three patients, were increased in number, very long, branching and/or "looping," and tortuous. "Spurs" or "buddings" extended from their lateral surfaces and the terminal segments were often bulbous. Other unusual configurations were also present. In addition, giant forms with large diameter contained innumerable closely-packed and parallel cristae which traversed the entire width of these mitochondria; at times they assumed a "whirled" pattern. The mitochondrial matrix was usually of high electron density. These changes were not a feature of fibroblastic mitochondria of controls. Several changes resembled those of hepatic mitochondria in this disorder. All features are interpreted as an attempt at expanding the mitochondrial volume (via structural substratum) to compensate for the metabolic incompetence of these organelles (a block in transmembranous transfer of ornithine from hyaloplasm into mitochondria for conversion to citrulline).

Adult↗
PubMed1989

Case-control study of IDDM.

Insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM) may be caused by a combination of genetic predisposition and environmental insults. However, there are few solid leads concerning human diabetogenic environmental agents. A case-control study was carried out to investigate the possible relationships between IDDM and various biological, chemical, and psychological factors. All 161 cases of IDDM among children aged 0-17 yr occurring in Montreal from 1983 to 1986 were included. The parent of each newly diagnosed diabetic subject was asked to provide the names of two of the child's friends or neighbors who would be age and sex matched to serve as controls. For those unable to do so, matched controls were selected from a hospital emergency room. Parents of cases and controls were interviewed concerning many factors. There was little or no difference between cases and controls with regard to parental smoking habits, exposure to pets, and consumption of meat products high in nitrosamines. In univariate analyses, there was some indication of elevated risk for children who had not been breast-fed, who attended day care or nursery before age 5 yr, who lived in a crowded household at age 3 yr, or who had a history of asthma or eczema, although in multivariate analyses the only variables that had any effect were crowding and day-care attendance. In univariate and multivariate analyses, there was high risk of IDDM among children who had experienced selected stressful life events during the 12 mo preceding onset of IDDM or who had exhibited symptoms of social or psychological dysfunction during that time.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adolescent↗
PubMed1985

A program for point and interval calculation of odds ratios and attributable risks from unmatched case-control data.

An epidemiological investigation may be designed to collect data and analyse associations between many risk factors and/or many disease groups. A FORTRAN program has been developed to calculate point and interval estimates of odds ratios and attributable risks from stratified, unmatched case-control data for any number of disease/risk-factor combinations. For each disease/risk-factor association, this program can be used to estimate odds ratios by level of exposure and by latency. All output is time- and date-stamped with labels and titles to increase readability and provide useful documentation of study results. All data management is performed using the SPSS package, giving the program a great deal of flexibility, at the same time making it easy to implement and to use. The program has been installed on several mainframes.

Biometry↗
PubMed1977

Attendance at a London casualty department.

Patients who attended the casualty department of the Middlesex Hospital during one week in 1973 were interviewed. A predominantly young and working population used the department. Relatively few patients lived close to the hospital but many worked nearby. One third of all attendances were by patients who had been asked to return by casualty doctors. About half the new patients came of their own accord; the next largest group had been sent directly from work by an employer or occupational health service. Half the patients came with injuries, many of them superficial, although there were also serious accident cases. One fifth of the patients had no general practitioner whom they could consult. Age and geographical mobility were related to whether or not patients were registered with a general practitioner. The main reasons for not consulting a general practitioner were that patients felt they needed hospital treatment or that it was more convenient to attend the casualty department. It is suggested that the view that casual attenders with relatively trivial complaints should be encouraged to go to a general practitioner is not always applicable since social as well as medical circumstances determine whether or not patients decide to visit casualty.

Emergency Service, Hospital↗