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R K Albert

Publications and source records attributed to R K Albert.

96 records · Page 6Linked to original sources
PubMed1976

High-dose ethambutol: its role in intermittent chemotherapy. A six-year study.

The outcome of 81 patients receiving supervised ambulatory treatment with twice-weekly isoniazid and ethambutol is reported. The patients were divided into 2 groups, one of which received its entire outpatient treatment with isoniazid and ethambutol, the other receiving isoniazid and ethambutol after initial treatment with isoniazid and streptomycin. In both groups, there was a 100 per cent favorable response at completion of therapy and no relapes detected among those patients followed after treatment. We compared our results with other studies of intermittent-supervised therapy and concluded that twice-weekly isoniazid and ethambutol given up to 18 months after an adequate phase of daily treatment is a highly effective and well-tolerated regimen.

Adult↗
PubMed1976

Monitoring patients with tuberculosis for failure during and after treatment.

To assess the productivity and cost effectiveness of a traditional treatment monitoring protocol, the records of all 268 patients entered into the tuberculosis treatment program of Denver's municipal clinic during 1968 to 1972 inclusive were analyzed. Treatment failures were detected in 7 patients undergoing therapy, and disease reactivation was noted in 2 patients after treatment. Factors leading to the recognition of these failures were evaluated. It was observed that routine sputum cultures obtained only from selected, higher-risk patients would have detected all but one of the treatment failures occurring during therapy, whereas symptomatology would have identified both post-therapy reactivations. The cost effectiveness data presented suggest that substantial modifications of the methods for monitoring the outcome of tuberculosis chemotherapy should be made.

Body Weight↗
PubMedDate not supplied

A critique of the ACCP consensus conference on mechanical ventilation. American College of Chest Physicians.

The American College of Chest Physicians recently published a statement summarizing the results of the Consensus Conference on Mechanical Ventilation (Chest 1993; 104:1833-1859). In this statement, the physiology of mechanical ventilation was extensively reviewed, and 5 principles and 38 guidelines or recommendations on which consensus was reached were presented. The following critique (1) summarizes the findings of the conference; (2) comments on selected principles, recommendations, and physiological concepts presented in the statement; and (3) discusses the strengths and the limitations of the consensus conference format, as well as the errors and biases inherent in the policy-making process. The Consensus Conference statement is one of the clearest, most complete reviews of physiology and techniques of mechanical ventilation I have yet encountered. The suggested guidelines and recommendations clearly follow from the physiological principles discussed. Unfortunately, numerous problems with the consensus conference format and the almost total lack of controlled randomized studies limit the confidence with which these suggestions can be accepted. Our experts in respiratory care are remiss for not providing outcome-based or preference-based data, and the pulmonary and critical care community is remiss for not demanding that they do so before changing our approaches on the basis of their suggestions.

Bias↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Improvement in quality of life after lung transplantation: a preliminary study. The University of Washington Medical Center Lung Transplant Study Group.

BACKGROUND: Lung transplantation is an expensive therapeutic option for a number of endstage conditions. Improving health-related quality of life is an important objective of transplantation. METHODS: We report quality of life measurements in 21 waiting list patients and 23 patients after transplantation with seven different pulmonary conditions using two standardized instruments: the Sickness Impact Profile and the standard gamble. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: This cross-sectional study indicates the following: (1) overall quality of life improves significantly after transplantation; (2) although most dimensions of functional disability improve after transplantation, some aspects may suffer; (3) quality of life gains after transplantation may not be equal for all pretransplantation conditions.

Activities of Daily Living↗