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Biomedical subjects

R Milner

Publications and source records attributed to R Milner.

At least 127 records · Page 7Linked to original sources

Isotopic and enzymatic IgE assays in non-allergic subjects.

In order to establish normal values in an adult population for serum IgE concentration, sera were obtained from 446 ambulatory Canadian caucasian subjects with negative allergy histories. A standard isotopic procedure, the Phadebas paper radioimmunosorbent test (PRIST), was compared with the new enzymatic counterpart, the Phadezyme PRIST. By the isotopic method, serum IgE concentrations in women and men were comparable from one age group to another with no age-related trend in the seven age groups examined (15-20, 21-30, 31-40, 41-50, 51-60, 61-70, above 70). The median and 95th percentile units (U)/ml respectively were 17.5 and 145 for 224 women and 25.5 and 275 for 222 men. Mean values +/- 1 SD for women were 43 +/- 102 and for men, 58 +/- 137. Levels were significantly higher in men as a group. Sera with IgE concentrations above 100 U and a sampling of additional sera were tested for specific IgE antibodies to 13 common allergens by the radioallergosorbent test (RAST). After exclusion of RAST-positive sera, the mean U/ml values +/- 1 SD were 22 +/- 29 for 204 women and 37 +/- 54 for 196 men. Geometric mean U/ml values for these sera were 14.6 for women and 22.3 for men and the median and 95th percentile U/ml respectively for the women were 15 and 66, for the men, 24 and 135. These 95th percentile values are considered the upper limits of normal in this population. The RAST identification of antibodies to allergens to which sensitization was demonstrated provided a potential explanation for serum IgE concentrations above 100 U/ml in less than 30% of the sera in this population with negative allergy histories. The isotopic method and the counterpart enzymatic method (Phadezyme PRIST) were highly comparable; the correlation coefficient (r) for all the sera was +0.93 (P less than 0.001). IgE levels were significantly higher in male smokers than non-smokers by both methods but these differences were not significant in women.

Female↗

Follow-up of infants 501 to 1,500 gm birth weight delivered to residents of a geographically defined region with perinatal intensive care facilities.

In an attempt to minimize the selection bias inherent in reporting the outcome of premature infants from a particular neonatal intensive care unit, this study presents data on all 294 live births 501 to 1,500 gm birth weight born to residents in the Hamilton-Wentworth region during 1973-78. The survival rate was 31.9% in infants less than or equal to 1,000 gm and 82.6% in infants between 1,001 to 1,500 gm. In all, 184 infants (62.6%) were discharged alive and 37 of these had weight less than or equal to 1,000 gm. The mean BW of the survivors was 1,216 +/- 214 gm and the mean gestation was 30.0 +/- 2.9 weeks, with 18.0% being small-for-gestational age. Neurologic handicaps including cerebral palsy, hydrocephalus, microcephaly, blindness, deafness, and mental retardation occurred in 30/179 (16.8%) survivors. The incidence of neurologic handicaps was 30% among babies who received IPPV versus 10% in those who did not. Within the IPPV and non-IPPV groups, there were no significant differences in handicap rates by 500 gm BW class.

Catchment Area, Health↗

Canadian pediatricians: demographic characteristics, perceptions of training, and continuing medical education.

A nationwide survey of Canadian pediatricians was undertaken to answer questions about demographic and practice characteristics, perceptions of the quantity and quality of residency training in relation to the realities of practice, and the patterns of use and the value of continuing medical education. The findings included a lower average age of pediatricians from that determined 10 years earlier, a higher proportion of women practising pediatrics, and higher proportions of pediatricians entering practice in smaller communities, doing geographic full-time university work and doing mainly consulting work. Pediatrics is still perceived as an attractive discipline, but there is dissatisfaction with the quantity and quality of training in adolescent medicine, ophthalmology, dermatology, psychosocial pediatrics and orthopedics. The changing patterns of continuing medical education among the most recent certificants suggest a need for journals and professional societies to assess how they can better meet the needs of Canadian pediatricians in this area.

Canada↗

A randomized clinical trial of the Leboyer approach to childbirth.

To examine the effects of the Leboyer method of delivery, we randomly assigned 56 women to either a Leboyer or a conventional delivery and used a variety of clinical and behavioral measures to assess the outcome in mother and child. No differences were noted in maternal or newborn morbidity, in infant behavior in the first hour of life, at 24 or 72 hours post partum, or at eight months of age; or in maternal perceptions of her infant and the experience of giving birth, except that eight months after delivery, mothers who had used the Leboyer method were more likely to say that the event had influenced their child's behavior (P = 0.05). Women who expected a Leboyer delivery had shorter active labors (P = 0.03), suggesting that psychologic factors (expectations) influence physical outcomes in perinatal medicine. Our results suggest that the Leboyer procedure has no advantage over a gentle, conventional delivery in influencing infant and maternal outcomes.

Behavior↗

Clinical and laboratory diagnosis of hemostatic disorders in newborn infants.

We describe a microtechnology for the study of the coagulation system in newborn infants. Interpretation of results demands an understanding of the techniques used and the nature of the control population from which normal values are drawn. We have examined two syndromes which represent the majority of hemostatic disorders of sick newborn infants. The first is thrombocytopenia resulting from bacterial infections in which there are minimal changes in the levels of blood coagulation factors and little tendency to bleed. The second is a syndrome of disseminated intravascular coagulation in which there is a profound disturbance in the coagulation mechanism, relatively little change in platelet counts, a severe hemorrhagic diathesis, and widespread ischemic necrosis.

Bacterial Infections↗

Vitamin E absorption in small premature infants.

The absorption of vitamin E, given by orogastric tube, was studied in premature infants who weighed less than 1.5 kg at birth. After the administration of either dl-alpha tocopherol or the acetate form, plasma tocopherol levels increased. In a second blind trial, 28 infants received either 25 units of dl-alpha tocopherol or placebo during the first six weeks of life. Plasma tocopherol levels in all treated infants were sustained in the normal adult range. The vitamin E-deficient state of premature infants can be corrected by oral therapy alone.

Administration, Oral↗

The hematology of bacterial infections in premature infants.

A series of premature infants was studied for the presence of bacterial infection. On the basis of clinical evidence and bacteriological studies, they were divided into three groups in which sepsis was considered to be proven, possible, or unlikely. Band neutrophil counts were elevated most frequently in the "sepsis-proven" group and the elevation occurred usually within 24 hours of onset of signs of disease. Qualitative changes in neutrophils (Döhle bodies, toxic granulation, and vacuolization) were more frequent in the sepsis-proven group and, together with the band count, provided valuable techniques for the diagnosis of bacterial infections. Thrombocytopenia occurred frequently in the sepsis-proven group and seemed to result from increased utilization or destruction of platelets rather than failure of production. In such cases, evidence of intravascular coagulation was minimal and it was concluded that thrombocytopenia had resulted from a direct effect of the bacteria or its products on platelets and/or endothelium.

Bacterial Infections↗

Concordance for coronary risk factors among spouses.

Values for several coronary risk factors, including systolic and diastolic blood pressure, serum cholesterol, triglycerides, blood glucose, uric acid, hemoglobin, weight, vitral capacity and cigarette smoking have been found to be similar among spouses in the Framingham Study. However, longitudinal analyses show that this spouse concordance does not increase over a twelve-year observation period, suggesting that it has arisen through the marriage of similar people rather than through the sharing of a common marital environment. Apparent conflicts between cross-sectional and longitudinal findings have been resolved by showing that spouses who were concordant at the begining of the study are more likely to survive to later exams, while discordant spouse pairs tend to be dissolved through the death of one of their members.

Adult↗

Problem oriented medical records: their impact on staff communication, attitudes and decision making.

A comparative, two-stage between hospital study involving university rehabilitation centers was undertaken to evaluate the impact of the problem oriented medical record (POMR) on staff communication, attitude change and decision making. Staff characteristics varied from one center to another. The semantic differential component of the project did not reveal any change due to the POMR in the staff perception of the medical record, the health care team or the various health professions. However, team function with respect to the management of specific patients improved in the centers which implemented the POMR during the time period of the project.

Attitude of Health Personnel↗

Intrathoracic alimentary tract duplication cysts treated in utero by thoracoamniotic shunting.

Alimentary tract duplication cysts are rarely diagnosed in utero. We report two fetal patients that presented with intrathoracic alimentary tract duplication cysts, mediastinal shift and hydrops. In one fetus, the cyst continued into the fetal abdomen and pelvis through a left diaphragmatic hernia. Despite successful ultrasound-guided needle aspirations in both fetuses, there was rapid reaccumulation of the fluid and recurrence of the mediastinal shift, prompting the placement of a thoracoamniotic shunt. In one fetus, there was rapid resolution of the mediastinal shift with the disappearance of the hydrops within 2 weeks. The second fetus suffered an intrauterine demise 2 days after the shunt placement. Postnatal resection in the surviving infant revealed a large cyst consistent with an intrathoracic duplication of the stomach. The autopsy of the second fetus revealed an intrathoracic duplication cyst of the stomach and proximal small intestine.

Adult↗

Chronic idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis in five dogs.

Five dogs presented with chronic and progressive pulmonary illness characterized by progressive dyspnea, exercise intolerance, and significant inspiratory crackles on auscultation. Radiographically, there was a widespread and diffuse interstitial lung pattern with varying degrees of bronchial involvement. Histopathological changes included thickened alveolar septa, interstitial fibrosis, and pneumocyte hyperplasia. Based on the clinical, radiographic, and histopathological changes, a diagnosis of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis was made. Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis is a chronic disease characterized by inflammation and fibrosis of the pulmonary interstitium and peripheral airspaces, which has been poorly characterized in the dog.

Animals↗