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Biomedical subjects

R Nakamura

Publications and source records attributed to R Nakamura.

At least 649 records · Page 36Linked to original sources
PubMedDate not supplied

Predictive value of amniotic-membrane cultures for the development of postcesarean endometritis.

This study assesses (1) the relationship between the bacteriology of amniotic-membrane cultures (AMCs) obtained at the time of primary cesarean section and the subsequent postoperative course of afebrile, laboring patients whose membranes ruptured greater than or equal to 4 hr before delivery and (2) the impact of perioperative antibiotics on this relationship. Therapy with perioperative antibiotics was begun after the cord was clamped and the membrane specimen was obtained for culture. Specimens for AMC were obtained from 127 patients; 62 received placebo and 65 received perioperative antibiotics. In spite of the homogeneity of the patients' clinical risk factors, their AMCs demonstrated considerable variation in the degree of bacterial contamination present at the time of cesarean section. The presence of no growth or of low-virulence isolates only in the AMC usually was associated with a benign postoperative course, and therapy with perioperative antibiotics did not significantly decrease the incidence of endometritis associated with these AMC patterns. On the other hand, the presence of a mixture of high- and low-virulence organisms in the AMC or of high-virulence anaerobes only--more specifically, gram-negative anaerobes--was predictive of subsequent postcesarean endometritis only for patients who did not receive perioperative antibiotics, and therapy significantly decreased the incidence of endometritis associated with these AMC patterns. In conclusion, the correlation between specific bacteriologic patterns found in the AMC and the subsequent development of endometritis for patients who did not receive prophylactic antibiotics was better than the correlation based on clinical risk factors alone.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Relationship between stride length and walking rate in gait training for hemiparetic stroke patients.

Sixty-three male hemiparetic patients in the recovery stage were examined to investigate the relationship between stride length and walking rate during computer-assisted gait training during a period of 4 wk. The maximum walking speed for 10 m was significantly increased from 32.3 to 53.2 m/min on average, and the stride length and walking rate also increased. However, the ratio of stride length to walking rate did not change significantly in 4 wk, with the mean value being 0.0068 m/steps/min, approximately one-half that of healthy adults based on data from previous reports. The ratio of stride length to walking rate for hemiplegic gait was invariant during the 4 wk of computer-assisted gait training, which is also true at different speeds for healthy adults. These results indicate that the maximum walking speed was significantly improved, with an invariant relationship between stride length and walking rate, and suggest that the ratio could be used as an index for gait training.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Postural dependence of reaction time in normal subjects and patients with focal brain lesions.

EMG reaction times (EMG-RTs) of triceps brachii muscle of normal subjects and patients with focal brain lesions were measured at two different positions of the shoulder joint. The difference of EMG-RTs between the two positions was smaller in patients with VL-thalamotomy, cerebellar or frontal premotor lesions than in normal subjects and patients with hemiplegia. It is assumed that cerebellum, VL-nucleus and the premotor area are related to the proprioceptive control of RTs.

Brain Diseases↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Brain edema during ischemia and after restoration of blood flow. Measurement of water, sodium, potassium content and plasma protein permeability.

The left cerebral hemisphere of Mongolian gerbils was used to elucidate the mechanisms of brain edema which develop during cerebral ischemia and after restoration of cerebral blood flow following temporary ischemia. Water content was measured by the tissue-drying method. Sodium and potssium ion concentration was measured by flame photometry. Passage of 131I-albumin (RISA) from blood to the cerebral parenchyma was measured on a gamma scintillation counter. Our findings indicate that pure cytotoxic edema develops during ischemia and during a short period after restoration of cerebral blood flow. Vasogenic edema, which is accelerated by the leakage of plasma constitutents from blood due to blood-brain barrier damage, developed after restoration of the cerebral blood flow. After less than 1 hr of ischemia, restoration of the cerebral blood flow drastically reduced the degree of brain edema. However, restoration of the cerebral blood flow greatly worsened the brain edema following more than 3 hr of ischemia.

Animals↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Modification of cerebral ischemia with Fluosol.

Fluosol-DA (Perfluorochemical Blood Substitute) was investigated in a previous study and found to provide some protection from ischemia and possible usefulness in limiting the size of infarction. In the present study, larger doses over longer periods of acute focal cerebral ischemia were used. Twenty four cats had transorbital ligation of the middle cerebral artery (MCA). The 12 experimental animals were given 20% Fluosol-DA. The control group of 12 received isotonic saline solution. Twenty-four hours after the MCA occlusion, the cats were perfused with saline and phosphate-buffered formalin. The brains were removed and immersed in 10% formalin for 2 weeks. The results of macroscopic and histological examination suggested that, although Fluosol-DA did not provide complete protection from ischemic injury to the brains of the cats treated, it may have helped to slow the development of the pathological changes.

Animals↗