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Biomedical subjects

R King

Publications and source records attributed to R King.

At least 163 records · Page 9Linked to original sources
PubMed1990

Mechlorethamine, vincristine, and procarbazine chemotherapy for recurrent high-grade glioma in adults: a phase II study.

We undertook a phase II study of combination chemotherapy with mechlorethamine (nitrogen mustard) 6 mg/m2 intravenously day 1 and day 8, vincristine 2 mg intravenously day 1 and day 8, and procarbazine 100 mg/m2 orally days 1 through 14 (MOP) in adults with recurrent high-grade glioma. There were 31 patients entered and 27 patients assessable for response. The median age was 49 years old. All patients had prior maximal radiotherapy, and eight had previous chemotherapy. Responses were determined based on clinical and computed tomographic (CT) scan/magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) criteria. The response rate (partial response [PR] plus objective qualitative response [OQR] plus complete response [CR]) was 52% with one CR. The response rate was higher in patients with anaplastic astrocytoma as compared with glioblastoma multiforme (P less than .05). The median duration of response was 42 weeks. Median survival for all assessable patients was 30 weeks, and for responders, it was 60 weeks. Response was correlated with ability to decrease dexamethasone doses and improved performance status. Toxicity was mainly hematologic with leukopenia being common. There was one treatment-related death from listeria meningitis, and two patients developed Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia. There were three episodes of neutropenic fever. We conclude that MOP is active and merits further investigation in adult high-grade glioma.

Adult↗
PubMed1990

Classification of pressure ulcers.

Several systems exist for classifying pressure ulcers, though none of them have been evaluated for interrater reliability. A new grading scale was compared with the commonly used Shea classification. This new scale was developed to provide a more complete description of pressure ulcer healing. The advantages of this scale include a classification of red areas as ulcers to help prevent further deterioration and classification of healed sores to note potential problems. The Yarkony-Kirk scale classifies a red area as a grade 1 ulcer, and involvement of the epidermis and dermis with no subcutaneous fat observed as a grade 2 ulcer. Grade 3 indicates exposed subcutaneous fat with no muscle observed. Exposed muscle without bone involvement is classified as a grade 4 ulcer, and grade 5 describes exposed bone with no joint space involvement. Grade 6 indicates joint space involvement. There is a classification of pressure sore healed to indicate a healed pressure ulcer. Interrater reliability was assessed by two nurses. In spite of an increased number of categories for the Yarkony-Kirk scale, there was no decline in reliability. Reliability was excellent with an interrater correlation of 0.90 for the Yarkony-Kirk scale and 0.86 for the Shea classification when measured for 72 patients. Eighty-five percent of the ratings for the Yarkony-Kirk scale were identical, whereas only 68% were identical for the Shea classification. Three percent of the ratings for the Shea classification were greater than +/- 1 category; 6% of the ratings for the Yarkony-Kirk scale were greater than +/- 1 category. This scale appears to possess good reliability and to describe pressure ulcers more completely. This scale may also be used to teach prevention activities as well as ulcer classification.

Humans↗
PubMed1989

Plastic or paraffin?

Explore the source record for details and available documents.

Histological Techniques↗
PubMed1989

Toxic hydrolysis product from a biodegradable foam implant.

A commercially available mammary implant containing a soft polyester polyurethane foam shell has been examined for possible diamine hydrolysis products. Fourier Transform Infrared (FT-IR) analysis has shown ester and aromatic structures present in the intact foam shell. Vigorous hydrolysis conditions using NaOH have produced a mixture with large amounts of toluene diamine (TDA) present as determined by Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC/MS), and GC/FT-IR. There are numerous clinical reports of the degradation of this implant shell after implantation with incorporation of fragments into phagocytic cells at the implantation site. Recent reports have discussed late pain and other allergic reactions to this implant. Release of the known toxic material, TDA, is consistent with these observations and strongly suggests that an alternative material be used in this application.

Biodegradation, Environmental↗
PubMed1989

Use of medication and in vivo exposure in volunteers for panic disorder research.

A survey of 794 subjects volunteering for studies of panic disorder with or without phobic avoidance revealed that fewer than 15% had received imipramine and fewer than 15% had undergone in vivo exposure, although the majority had engaged in some form of counseling and had used benzodiazepines. Subjects with spontaneous panic attacks reported more avoidance than subjects with situational attacks. One-half of the subjects were unemployed. The authors recommend wider use of the available effective treatments for panic disorder and phobic avoidance.

Adult↗
PubMed1989

Plasma lipid levels in patients with panic disorder or agoraphobia.

Plasma lipids were measured in 102 subjects with panic disorder or agoraphobia. In women, but not men, a significantly higher than expected number of subjects had cholesterol values that exceeded the 75th percentile of national reference values for their sex and age.

Adult↗
PubMed1989

Irish on the move.

Trends in emigration from Ireland over time are reviewed. "During the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries overseas migration to the United States and seasonal harvest migration to Britain were the main types of movement, but over the past 100 years the Irish have developed a special affinity for settling in British towns. Although the outflow was halted for a time during the 1970s, when return migration took over, the 1980s have seen a renewal of the exodus. This time, however, the character of the flow has changed from predominantly low-skill construction and factory workers to embrace better-educated emigrants, including many graduates. This shift reflects Ireland's changing position in the international market for labour."

Demography↗
PubMed1989

Biologic markers in borderline personality disorder: a review.

The use of biologic markers in the evaluation of borderline personality disorder (BPD) patients is reviewed. Many patients with Axis II BPD have coexisting Axis I diagnoses of which depression is the most commonly reported. Biologic markers have not aided in the diagnosis of BPD, but some markers, particularly EEG sleep, are not only abnormal in BPD, but also appear to discriminate Axis I depression from other Axis I codiagnoses. Monoamine oxidase, in vitro red blood cell lithium ratio, and P300 auditory evoked potential when used alone or in a combined diagnostic approach, show promise in identifying these codiagnoses as well. Dexamethasone suppression and thyrotropin-releasing hormone tests appear nonspecific in this population. Pharmacologic trials have demonstrated that some BPD patients have good therapeutic response to antipsychotics and tranylcypromine and poor response to alprazolam.

Adult↗
PubMed1989

A new red cell discriminant incorporating volume dispersion for differentiating iron deficiency anemia from thalassemia minor.

A novel red cell discriminant function [MCV2 x RDW/(Hgb x 100)] was compared to six other discriminants in 102 patients with established mild iron deficiency anemia and 33 patients with beta-thalassemia minor. The discriminant incorporates the two key measurements of erythrocyte cell volume distribution, namely the mean (MCV) and standard deviation (RDW), which are known to be helpful for distinguishing between these two frequent causes of microcytic hypochromic anemia. Data used for the learning set to develop the new discriminant were obtained using an electrical impedance automated whole blood analyzer (Coulter S + IV) and were applied as a validation set for six other discriminants. The discriminant was also tested on smaller subsets of the patients groups using data obtained on either an alternate electrical impedance instrument (Sysmex E-5000) or a laser light scattering based system (Technicon H*1). From the comparison it was concluded that use of a discriminant function that incorporates a measurement of red cell volume dispersion results in enhanced accuracy for distinguishing iron deficiency anemia from thalassemia minor.

Anemia, Hypochromic↗
PubMed1989

A regional register of early childhood impairments: a discussion paper. The Steering Committee of the Oxford Region Child Development Project.

A regional register of preschool children with cerebral palsy, severe vision loss and sensorineural deafness has been complied. Case definition, the threshold for including or excluding a case and a standard method for describing a case have been predefined. In order to achieve complete ascertainment, multiple sources of information were used and account was taken of population movement, and loss of cases through death. The optimal age of case ascertainment poses a particular problem and counting of definite cases was delayed until age three years with a further review at age five years. The register can be used to estimate prevalence of impairment, as a basis for aetiological and interventive studies and for service planning. It fills an important gap in the information currently available on childhood morbidity.

Cerebral Palsy↗
PubMed1989

Caring for patients with lesions increasing pulmonary blood flow.

The most common congenital cardiac defect is VSD. This malady accounts for 20 to 30 per cent of all congenital cardiac defects and is representative of a cardiac lesion that increases pulmonary blood flow. Although lesions, which increase pulmonary blood flow, may vary in incidence, they frequently have common symptomatology. Over time, congestive heart failure becomes a problem. Poor respiratory status leads to weight loss, poor feeding, and failure to thrive. If unrepaired, the child often presents with cyanosis and tachypnea. The history may include frequent respiratory infections, exercise intolerance, generalized malaise, or fatigue. In spite of poor weight gain, the child may be edematous and have a large liver. Definitive diagnosis of each lesion may be made by echocardiogram, cardiac catheterization, or both. With these data and a detailed history, treatment and management decisions are determined. In most cases, as the child gets older, symptoms become more evident. This is the result of high pulmonary pressure. High pressure over time causes a thickening of the alveolar tissue, which decreases the permeability of the alveolar membranes for gas exchange. Lung changes can become irreversible, but it is unusual for irreversible changes to occur before 1 year of age. All the lesions described in this article are amendable to primary repair before 1 year of age, affording the best functional results. Postoperative nursing care includes management of persisting CHF and PVR while maintaining adequate cardiac output. Many factors, including electrolyte balance, nutritional status, conduction disturbances, stress, and parental anxiety, influence the management of these infants. The outcome depends greatly on the assessment skill of a highly competent cardiac intensive care nurse and an environment conducive to collaborative practice.

Heart Defects, Congenital↗
PubMed1988

Congenital adrenal hypoplasia and selective absence of pituitary luteinizing hormone: a new autosomal recessive syndrome.

Congenital hypoplasia of the adrenal glands (CHA) is a rare condition, particularly in the absence of a central nervous system (CNS) anomaly. Two major types of CHA have been described in the setting of an apparently normal CNS and pituitary: a cytomegalic type usually with X-linked recessive inheritance and a miniature adult type that, when hereditary, is an autosomal recessive trait. Glycerol kinase deficiency (GKD) is an X-linked recessive trait, and it may be associated with CHA and adrenal insufficiency, presumably because of deletion of adjacent X-linked loci. We report on three sibling infants, one male and two females, with normal CNS and lethal CHA of the miniature adult type, selective absence of pituitary LH; two of the infants also had glycerol kinase (GK) activity that was decreased but not in the GKD range. Restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) analysis of X chromosome markers located at Xp21-p22 was carried out on the maternal grandfather, both parents, two of three affected infants, and a living normal brother. The results excluded the X-linked type of this disorder associated with GKD in this family. Autosomal recessive inheritance is most likely.

Adrenal Glands↗
PubMed1988

High resolution on-line analysis of cardiac action potentials using a Motorola 68000 microcomputer.

We have developed a microcomputer system for the instantaneous on-line analysis of cardiac action potentials (APs) based on a Motorola 68000 microprocessor and 50 kHz A/D converter. This system can accurately analyze APs from all parts of the heart, including the extremely fast upstrokes of APs from Purkinje fibers. Facilities for tabulation of results, production of hard-copy plots of APs, pooling of experimental data, and statistical analyses are available off-line. The routine use of this system in our laboratory has greatly increased the accuracy and throughput of these time-consuming experiments.

Action Potentials↗
PubMed1988

Hermansky-Pudlak syndrome: an immunologic assessment of 15 cases.

PURPOSE: The Hermansky-Pudlak syndrome is an autosomal recessive disorder consisting of the triad of oculocutaneous albinism, a storage pool platelet defect, and multisystem tissue deposition of ceroid pigment. Although the underlying metabolic defect has not been identified, secondary or associated effects on the immune system are suggested by reports of an association with disorders such as pulmonary fibrosis, granulomatous colitis, lupus, and frequent bacterial infections. We evaluated a large group of patients with the Hermansky-Pudlak syndrome to assess immune competence in this condition. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Fifteen patients with this syndrome were studied. Control subjects included healthy volunteers in the same age range as the patients. Peripheral blood lymphocytes and neutrophils were isolated according to previously described methods. Immunofluorescent staining, flow cytometry, and cytotoxicity assays were performed. Determination of lymphocyte transformation, mixed lymphocyte response, and neutrophil function was made. RESULTS: Immunoglobulin levels, complement, lymphocyte subsets, natural killer and lymphokine-activated cytotoxicity, mixed lymphocyte responses, and lectin-induced transformation were normal in all patients. In addition, there was no evidence for a lymphocyte proliferative response to a preparation of urinary ceroid pigment isolated from these patients. Neutrophil function, including luminol-dependent chemiluminescence, chemotaxis, and aggregation was not significantly different from control values. CONCLUSION: The results suggest that there is no generalized defect of peripheral blood lymphocyte or neutrophil function in the Hermansky-Pudlak syndrome. We propose that future studies should examine the possibility that associated disorders arise from a defect within the monocyte-macrophage system, perhaps secondary to ceroid accumulation.

Adolescent↗