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Biomedical subjects

R E Freeman

Publications and source records attributed to R E Freeman.

7 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2001

The secretion of parotid saliva as stimulated by 10% citric acid is not related to precipitating factors in burning mouth syndrome.

Burning mouth syndrome (BMS) is known to have multiple precipitating factors and exists in various clinical subtypes. If salivary gland function was compromised in BMS it could help explain the link with diverse precipitating factors. This study quantified stimulated right and left parotid flow rates (SPFR) in 114 patients with BMS. It also attempted to correlate SPFR with haematinic parameters, oral candidal carriage, concurrent drug therapy and BMS subtype. No relationship was found between haematinic parameters and SPFR nor between SPFR and oral candidal carriage. Patients with Type 2 BMS had a significant reduction in SPFR. Antidepressant medication was associated with reduced SPFR but there was no such association with either tranquillisers or hypnotics. These results provide evidence of reduced parotid gland function in Type 2 BMS and a role for antidepressant medication in reducing SPFR.

Antidepressive Agents↗
PubMed1997

Levels of dangerousness: an analysis of Irish dentists' clinical responses to HIV-seropositive patients.

Work conducted in the mid-1980s suggested that dentists in the Republic of Ireland felt uncomfortable about treating patients who were HIV-seropositive. It seemed that with greater understanding of the behaviour of the virus, dentists' attitudes would be modified accordingly. The aim of this study was to assess the reactions of Irish dentists to the treatment of HIV-positive patients. All dentists currently on the register were sent a questionnaire to assess their knowledge, attitudes and clinical behaviours. Over 60% of dentists responded. The study highlights dentists' responses to HIV infection suggesting that they are fearful of the virus. They perceive HIV as dangerous to themselves, their other patients and their practice. The findings indicate that attitudes relating to dangerousness remain a significant obstacle in the treatment of this patient group.

Attitude↗
PubMed1985

Dental students as operators: emotional reactions.

The importance of the personality of the dentist in the dental treatment of the anxious patient has been recognized for some time. However, there has been little research into the emotional reactions of dental students in similar stressful situations. This investigation, using specific psychological tests, examined the emotional reactions of clinical dental students (n = 99) not only as operators but also as patients. The data were analysed on the basis of normative values for the psychological tests compared with those values obtained by the dental students. This analysis was repeated on a sex-differentiated basis and on the basis of high and low state anxiety scores. The results suggest that emotions present in dental students may interact with those of the patient and lead to unwanted repercussions.

Anxiety↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Portable tissue equivalent calorimeter.

A portable tissue equivalent calorimeter has been constructed and employed to measure absorbed dose in a mixed fast-neutron and gamma-ray field. Design details and measurement techniques are described along with the limits of precision and absolute accuracy. Experiments have been carried out with a cyclotron produced neutron beam using the 9Be(d,n)10B reaction at dose rates ranging from 3 to 25 rad/min. A series of ten measurements at a dose rate of approximately 10 rad/min were performed with a precision of +/- 2% (standard deviation about the mean). The compact design of this calorimetric dosimeter system facilitates transport to other laboratories for the measurement of absorbed dose in several complex radiation fields.

Calorimetry↗