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Biomedical subjects

R Lewis

Publications and source records attributed to R Lewis.

At least 325 records · Page 18Linked to original sources
PubMed1978

Alcoholism and ethnicity: a comparative study of alcohol use patterns across ethnic groups.

Sociological and alcohol use patterns were studied in American Indian, Black, Hispano, and White Anglo groups of alcoholism patients. Sociological variables indicated all groups appeared to be experiencing significant disruption in social and vocational areas, with the American Indian group showing the greatest disruption across the four groups in the socioeconomic areas. The four groups did not differ as to use of alcohol to enhance self, manage anxiety and depression, or as to sustained or periodic use. American Indians and Hispanos have a greater tendency to drink gregariously, to drink more, and to have more disruption in social role functioning. The general trend was that the American Indian group revealed greater social and alcohol symptom disruption than the other three groups, thus supporting a more specialized treatment approach for American Indian alcoholism patients.

Adult↗
PubMed1976

Infected total hip replacement after dental procedures.

Three cases are reported in which there was a worrisome association between dental work and an infected total hip replacement. The patients had long asymptomatic intervals subsequent to implantation of prosthetic hip joints. After dental procedures, infections became apparent in these hips. Such infections carry an enormous and crippling morbidity. The potential complications of transient bacteremia in the patient with a cardiac valvular prosthesis are appreciated and the importance of prophylactic antibodies for dental work in such patients is well known. Although we emphasize that there is no proof that the infections in our patients were metastatic from the mouth, the sequence of events is suggestive. We recommend prophylactic antibiotics for dental work in the patient with a total hip replacement.

Aged↗
PubMed1976

A comparison of the effectiveness of primidone versus carbamazepine in epileptic outpatients.

Prior to the release of carbamazepine for the treatment of patients with psychomotor and grand mal seizures, primidone was regarded as the drug of choice for these disorders, especially when combined with diphenylhydantoin (DPH). It was, therefore, of interest to compare the effectiveness of carbamazepine against primidone when added to a therapeutic dose of DPH. Forty-five patients completed a 6-month study with each patient serving as his own control. The patients were initially stabilized on therapeutic doses of DPH and one of the test compounds, while all other medications were withdrawn. After 3 months of treatment, they were transferred onto the other drug for a second 3-month period. Extensive laboratory testing, including anticonvulsant levels, electroencephalograms, and neuropsychological evaluations, was performed. For the most part, the patients remained on outpatient status, returning for reports of seizure frequency, side effects, and laboratory studies every 14 days. The study was conducted in a single blind fashion by the treating neurologists; double blind by the electroencephalographer and psychologists. The results indicated that the two drugs did not differ in their effectiveness on seizure control. There were somewhat more side effects--none serious--with carbamazepine than with primidone. The EEG showed increased fast activity with primidone and increased theta activity with carbamazepine. There was no difference in regard to decrease of electroencephalographic seizure discharges. The patients showed more impairment on a repeatable neuropsychological test battery with primidone than with carbamazepine, and they also showed an increase on the psychopathic deviate scale of the Minnesota Multiphasic Inventory. Depressive feelings, when present, lessened while under treatment with carbamazepine. The results suggest that patients with the seizure types under consideration and who do not respond to DPH alone or to a DPH-phenobarbital combination can be placed on either carbamazepine or primidone while phenobarbital is discontinued. A patient who is intellectually and emotionally intact with no past history of behavioral disturbances may do better on primidone than carbamazepine, because this drug gives fewer side effects. On the other hand, those patients who have a past history of emotional and/or intellectual disturbances may profit more from carbamazepine.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1976

Anemia--a common but never a normal concomitant of aging.

Diagnosis is often overlooked because symptoms develop slowly and insidiously and many patients don't complain about them. Then too, the giddiness, apathy, confusion, clumsiness, and similar problems may be considered simply signs of "old age." Iron deficiency anemia is the most common type in old people. It's usually due to gastrointestinal bleeding, but there may be a second, less obvious cause. The classic picture of low serum iron, high total iron-binding capacity, and low iron-binding saturation is sometimes distorted. Usually, many studies are needed to confirm the suspicion of a vitamin B12 or folic acid deficiency. A raised mean corpuscular volume in itself signals the need for further investigation. In patients with macrocytosis, the bone marrow must be examined. Tests for intestinal malabsorption must be considered too. Repeated blood tests are essential in patients being treated for any type of anemia. Iron deficiency may hide evidence of folate or B12 deficiency. And iron therapy may lessen bleeding from colonic cancer, delaying diagnosis until it's too late to operate.

Aged↗
PubMed1975

Neurogenic control of muscle ribosomal protein synthesis.

In vitro protein synthesis of ribosomes extracted from leg muscles of 20 Sprague-Dawley rats denervated 3 and 14 days (high sciatic transections) and 10 control rats was studied. The concentration/mg protein of total ribosomes extracted from the 14-day denervated muscle showed a significant increase. Distribution of muscle polyribosomes on sucrose density gradients was normal in all cases. Noncollagen protein synthesis of the heavy polyribosomes from both early and late denervated muscles showed a significant decrease. SDS polyacrylamide gels suggested that this decrease affected the synthesis of heavy chains of myosin, while the light chains of myosin, actin and tropomyosin had normal structure and amounts. Collagen synthesis of heavy polyribosomes showed slight to moderate increase in only 50 per cent of the cases. Supplementation of ribosomes extracted from denervated muscles with normal muscle soluble enzymes increased their noncollagen synthesis by 66 per cent. This suggests that the neurogenic control of ribosomal protein synthesis is accomplished by hormonal trophic substances contained in the muscle soluble enzymes.

Animals↗