Search PubMed⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

R Korpela

Publications and source records attributed to R Korpela.

100 records · Page 6Linked to original sources
PubMed1987

Measurement of pain in children with self-reporting and behavioral assessment.

There are several studies on the correlation of various pain-rating scales in adults but few such studies have been done on children. To gain information on the correlation of self-reporting pain scales (one verbal and two visual analog scales) with each other and with a scale based on behavioral assessment, we analyzed retrospectively the pain evaluations of 141 pediatric patients participating in our analgesic studies. Eighty-two patients were male and 59 were female. The ages ranged from 1.6 to 17.6 years. The patients were divided into three age groups. All pain-rating scales were correlated (P less than 0.001) with each other and they showed a good internal consistency. There were no differences in correlation coefficients between the age groups and the two sexes. Accordingly, any of the now-employed scales can be used in clinical analgesic studies in children on the condition that the child has comprehended the use of the scale during the preoperative visit.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1987

Intravenous indomethacin as postoperative analgesic in children: acute effects on blood pressure, heart rate, body temperature and bleeding.

To study the effect of intravenous indomethacin on blood pressure, heart rate, body temperature and post-operative bleeding we performed a double-blind, placebo-controlled study on 100 operated children, aged 1-16 years. At the end of operation intravenous indomethacin 0.35 mg/kg followed by an infusion of 0.07 mg/kg/h for 24 h combined with standard doses of morphine according to clinical needs resulted in better postoperative analgesia than morphine alone. During the two first hours the systolic and diastolic blood pressure and ventilation rate did not differ between the groups. The heart rate was significantly lower (p less than 0.001) in the indomethacin group. Indomethacin did not prolong the bleeding time. Mild to moderate bleeding was observed in 13 indomethacin--and five placebo-treated patients (p less than 0.05). The bleeding did not, however, require any intervention. The mean body temperature did not differ between the two groups in the evening following the operation, but was significantly lower (p less than 0.01) on the first postoperative morning in the indomethacin group. Six patients (12%) in the placebo group had fever over 38 degrees C and paracetamol was administered to four of them. Clinically diminished diuresis was not observed. Since prophylactic indomethacin infusion improves the postoperative analgesia in children and no clinically important unwanted effects were seen, it may be used in children, over one year of age in whom non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are not contraindicated.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1986

Long-term anticonvulsant therapy and vitamin D metabolism in ambulatory pubertal children.

Parameters of calcium metabolism were thoroughly examined in 28 adolescents with long-term (over 6 years) anticonvulsant therapy (phenytoin, carbamazepine or combination) and in 10 normal controls in September and in March. The adolescents did not receive any vitamin D supplementation during the study. Serum calcium, inorganic phosphorus, parathyroid hormone and alkaline phosphatase levels in the anticonvulsant group did not differ from those of the control group. Serum 25(OH)D and 24,25(OH)2D levels were in all groups consistently higher in September than in March, but no seasonal variation was found in the 1,25(OH)2D levels in any group. The serum 25(OH)D levels in the phenytoin group in March were the lowest among the three groups treated with anticonvulsants, but the levels in the anticonvulsant groups did not differ significantly from each other or from the control group in the same season. The 24,25(OH)2D and 1,25(OH)2D levels in the anticonvulsant groups did not differ significantly from those of control group in September or in March. There was no correlation between anticonvulsant serum free fraction levels and vitamin D metabolites. The bone mineral content in the distal radius was not significantly decreased in the epileptic patients. In conclusion, the long-term anticonvulsant therapy did not induce the so-called "anticonvulsant rickets" in this ambulatory adolescent material. Our data do not indicate that anticonvulsant drugs alter significantly the vitamin D metabolism. Thus, routine vitamin D supplementation does not appear to be indicated in children on anticonvulsant therapy.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1986

Double-blind evaluation of a lignocaine-prilocaine cream (EMLA) in children. Effect on the pain associated with venous cannulation.

The effect of the topical application of a lignocaine-prilocaine cream (EMLA) on the pain of venous cannulation was tested in a double-blind manner. Sixty boys and girls between the ages of 4 and 10 yr who were to undergo surgery participated in the study. No analgesic premedication was given and the venous cannulation was performed during the preparation for general anaesthesia. Pain was assessed by the anaesthetist and the patient using a verbal rating scale and two different pictorial scales. The effect of EMLA in the alleviation of the pain of venous cannulation was considered significantly better than placebo by both anaesthetist (P less than 0.001) and patient (P less than 0.05) (verbal scales). One conventional pictorial scale showed a statistically significant difference (P less than 0.05), but the other, based on facial expressions, did not. Local reactions to the cream were minor and transient in both groups.

Anesthesia, Local↗
PubMed1985

The effect of different types of Finnish bread on postprandial glucose response in diabetic patients.

The aim of the study was to investigate the effect of the fibre content of the bread and the effect of the state of graining on the postprandial blood glucose response in insulin-dependent and non-insulin-dependent diabetics. The breads were white wheat bread, mixed wholemeal wheat/rye bread, wholemeal rye bread and grained wholemeal rye bread. Finnish wholemeal rye bread induced a slower postprandial blood glucose response than the mixed wholemeal (wheat/rye) bread (P less than or equal to 0.05) and the white wheat bread (P less than or equal to 0.01). Grained wholemeal rye bread resulted in a similar blood glucose response to that from wholemeal rye bread.

Aged↗
PubMed1984

Immune capacity of the chicken bursectomized at 60 hr of incubation: cytoplasmic immunoglobulins and histological findings.

Chickens were surgically bursectomized at 60 hr of incubation, before the bursal anlage appears. Completeness of the bursectomy was confirmed at autopsy at 10 weeks of age. These embryonically bursectomized (Bx)3 chickens are known to produce immunoglobulins of IgM, IgG, and IgA classes but so far no specific antibodies have been observed even after heavy immunization. The Bx chickens had mature plasma cells in an almost normal frequency when studied at 10 weeks of age. The amount of germinal center formation in the spleen and cecal tonsils was markedly decreased when compared to the control (Co) chickens. Also, the frequency of cytoplasmic IgA-positive (c-IgA+) cells was severely decreased in the Bx animals, whereas the occurrence of c-IgG+ and c-IgM+ cells was not affected to the same extent. These findings support the hypothesis that heavy-chain class switch may occur without the bursal influence, and that the bursa of Fabricius is essential only for expansion or creation of the antibody repertoire.

Aging↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Effect of long-term consumption of a probiotic bacterium, Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG, in milk on dental caries and caries risk in children.

Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG, ATCC (LGG), has shown antagonism to many bacteria including mutans streptococci. This randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled intervention study was designed to examine whether milk containing LGG has an effect on caries and the risk of caries in children when compared with normal milk. 594 children, 1-6 years old, from 18 municipal day-care centres were included. The children received the milk with meals from coded containers 5 days a week in the day-care centres for 7 months. The children's oral health was recorded at baseline and at the end, using WHO criteria. The caries risk was calculated based on clinical and microbiological data, comprising mutans streptococcus levels from dental plaque and saliva. The risk was classified as high if the child had a dmft/DMFT or initial caries score >0, and a mutans streptococcus count > or = 10(5) CFU/ml. The results showed less dental caries in the LGG group and lower mutans streptococcus counts at the end of the study. LGG was found to reduce the risk of caries significantly (OR = 0.56, p = 0.01; controlled for age and gender, OR = 0.51, p = 0.004). The effect was particularly clear in the 3- to 4-year-olds. Thus, milk containing the probiotic LGG bacteria may have beneficial effects on children's dental health.

Age Factors↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Rehabilitation service evaluation: a follow-up of the extent of use of technical aids for disabled children.

The increased awareness of the benefits of rehabilitation technology will lead to an increased demand for services and may lead to discrepancies between needs and resources available. The present study was a regional follow-up of the use of 1278 technical aids. In this study the satisfaction with aids was high and quite near the optimum, but unsatisfactory areas were also identified. A better follow-up of the use of technical aids should be part of rehabilitation practice. Careful assessment of functional and psychosocial needs, goal attainment and environmental factors, and a good system of selection with available alternatives and proper instructions are the basic considerations for satisfactory technical aids.

Activities of Daily Living↗