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Biomedical subjects

R L Broadhead

Publications and source records attributed to R L Broadhead.

52 records · Page 3Linked to original sources
PubMed1996

Sputum induction for the diagnosis of tuberculosis.

Confirmation of tuberculosis in young children is difficult as they seldom expectorate sputum. Gastric aspirates are invasive and stressful and like laryngeal swabs are seldom smear positive. Induction of sputum by nebulised hypertonic saline (3%) was attempted in 30 Malawian children aged 3-15 years and was successful in 29. Four sputa were smear positive and Mycobacterium tuberculosis was cultured from three of them. A further four sputa were culture positive though smear negative. In all, the diagnosis of tuberculosis was confirmed in eight (28%) of 29 children. The presence of polymorphonuclear cells in the specimen was indicative of sputum, in contrast to epithelial cells which originate from saliva. A predominance of polymorphonuclear cells in specimens was more common in older children and these specimens were more likely to be smear positive or culture positive. Sputum induction is a useful method for the confirmation of tuberculosis and is possible in young children.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1994

Acquired rectovaginal fistula.

Nine girls presented with an acquired rectovaginal fistula shortly after birth. All mothers tested were seropositive for HIV. It is suggested that an acquired rectovaginal fistula is an early manifestation of HIV infection in girls.

Female↗
PubMed1994

The consequences of malaria infection in pregnant women and their infants.

Preliminary results are presented from this study which indicate that 84.8% of pregnant women present at first antenatal visit with anemia (Hb 11g/dl) an 8.7% of their infants (n = 230) have a hemoglobin at birth below 14g/dl. There is an association between pregnancy anemia and malaria. A case control study in pregnant women and an infant cohort study to 18 months of age, are employed to study the cause and effects of anemia and malaria on women and their infants health.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗
PubMed1994

An intervention to reduce the risk of mother-to-infant HIV transmission: results of a pilot toxicity study.

Although unproven, vaginal cleansing with antiseptics during labour could be a practical approach to reducing the rate of transmission of HIV infection from mother to infant. Before initiating a large scale clinical trial of the antiseptic chlorhexidine, we conducted a study to assess possible toxic effects as well as beneficial outcomes in 160 women volunteers: 40 non-pregnant chlorhexidine washed, 40 pregnant not washed, 40 pregnant saline washed, and 40 pregnant chlorhexidine washed. The wash was easily administered by the nurse-midwives. The participants generally felt better after the procedure, and had no complaints or adverse reactions in the subsequent 24 hours. Bacteriologically, the procedures lowered the carriage of Group B streptococcus and Staphylococcus aureus, but did not affect the frequency of T. vaginalis detection. No clinical problems were seen, and therefore the larger clinical trial of efficacy will proceed. Results of this trial are expected in late 1995.

Administration, Intravaginal↗
PubMed1989

Cryptosporidiosis in children of eastern India.

Cryptosporidium infection was found in association with acute diarrhoeal disease in ten patients (13%) of a total of 77 children below the age of 8 years admitted over a period of 1 year to Bhubaneswar Capital Hospital, Orissa state, India. Contrary to another report from South India, there were no asymptomatic cryptosporidium oocyst excretors detected either in the matched control group of 42 children without diarrhoea or in a group of 113 healthy school children investigated. A clustering of seven cases occurred in the months of the rainy season and of three cases in the winter months. Nine out of 63 children (14.3%) below the age of 2 years were infected. Seven of the ten infected children were significantly below their expected weight-for-age, but the mean weight-for-age did not differ from those of the uninfected children. The possible epidemiological factors in the transmission of cryptosporidium are discussed.

Child↗
PubMed1987

A note on antibiotic resistance in Escherichia coli isolated from children with diarrhoea in the Sudan.

This study investigates antibiotic resistance in gut commensals obtained from children presenting with diarrhoea in Khartoum and Juba, Sudan. Fifty-one isolates of Escherichia coli were obtained from the faeces of 34 children. Sensitivity to six antibiotics generally available in Sudan were determined for all isolates using a disc diffusion method. Twenty-five (74%) of the children had isolates resistant to at least four of the antibiotics, and seven (20%) had isolates resistant to all six antibiotics. A greater number of resistant isolates was obtained from inpatients than outpatients but were significantly different for only two antibiotics. There was no significant difference in the prevalence of resistant isolates obtained from children below 1 year of age. The results suggest that multiply resistant Escherichia coli may be acquired from the environment, and may play a role in the epidemiology of multiply resistant enteric pathogens.

Anti-Bacterial Agents↗
PubMed1984

Hydatid disease in children in Libya.

Hydatid disease is a common condition in Libya. Between 1971 and 1976, hydatid disease accounted for 0.85% of total hospital admissions to Al-Jalah General Hospital, Benghazi. The incidence of hydatid disease reported in children below ten years of age was 11.7%. In this paper the experience of treating 56 children with hydatid disease is described. The presenting features, complications, surgical techniques and results are reported and discussed.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

African Burkitt's lymphoma: a new perspective.

High titres of antibody to Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) late genes identify individuals at risk of developing endemic Burkitt's lymphoma (eBL). Viral lytic cycle early and intermediate-early gene expression in BL is associated with a favourable tumour response to chemotherapy. Our study investigated whether serological data identifying antibody expression to zta, a viral function that activates lytic-cycle gene expression, correlate with expression of its gene in tumours, and could have prognostic value. Studies on 10 Malawian patients, with presumed BL on clinical grounds, showed good correlations, suggesting that serum antibody responses might predict treatment responsiveness. The results with 1 patient were particularly striking. When admitted in January 1998, prognosis was poor as he was unable to walk, and had tumour cells, characteristic of stage IV disease, in his bone marrow. Laboratory investigations showed particularly high levels both of serum zta antibodies and of gene expression in his tumour. Follow-up confirmed him alive 6 months after hospital discharge. Among the EBV-positive cases, 2 were ultimately diagnosed as rhabdomyosarcoma, a tumour not previously associated with this virus. The findings from this small study, if confirmed, should have value for future BL management in resource-poor parts of the world.

Antibodies, Viral↗