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Biomedical subjects

R R Brookman

Publications and source records attributed to R R Brookman.

30 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

Immunizations during the adolescent years.

This article discusses routine immunization against tetanus, diphtheria, polio, measles, mumps, and rubella and tuberculin testing in adolescents who have been fully immunized in childhood and in those with incomplete immunizations. Recommendations are provided for routine and special immunization needs related to travel, employment, leisure activities, substance abuse, sexual activity, pregnancy, parenthood, chronic disease, and immunosuppressed states. Legal, ethical, and public health issues related to immunization of minors are reviewed.

Adolescent↗

Detection of Chlamydia trachomatis in genital specimens by the Microtrak direct specimen test.

The conventional cell culture method for detection of Chlamydia trachomatis requires two to six days and is technically difficult to perform. The authors evaluated a new, relatively simple, non-culture method (MicroTrak, Syva Co., Palo Alto, CA) that requires less than one hour to complete. Two hundred fifty-one cervical and 209 male urethral specimens from three Richmond health clinics were read by direct immunofluorescence staining and compared with cell culture technics using iodine staining. Patient specimens were applied directly onto microscope slides (8 mm well) and stained with a fluorescein-labeled monoclonal antibody. Slides were examined for 10-15 minutes at X1,000 using an AO epifluorescent microscope and were considered positive if five or more typical elementary bodies were seen. The sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values for the direct smear were 89%, 97%, 85%, and 98% for males, and 93%, 96%, 85%, and 98% for females, respectively. The rapid direct specimen test appears to be a satisfactory method for detecting chlamydia in male and female genital specimens.

Cervix Uteri↗

Chlamydia trachomatis cervical infections in female adolescents.

To determine the prevalence of Chlamydia trachomatis cervical infection in an urban adolescent population, 100 sexually active female adolescents were screened with endocervical cultures for Chlamydia, in addition to bacterial cultures, Gram stains, wet mounts, and Papanicolau smears. C. trachomatis was isolated from 22% of these patients. Neisseria gonorrhoeae was isolated from only 3% of this population. No historical or clinical features were specific to those with positive chlamydial cultures, although cervical inflammations was noted more frequently. Treatment with tetracycline or erythromycin produced bacteriologic cure in 95% of culture-positive patients.

Adolescent↗

Experience with the copper 7 intrauterine device in an adolescent population.

A retrospective study was conducted of 120 consecutive patients who received a Cu-7 IUD at the Cincinnati Adolescent Clinic during a four-year period from July, 1974, through June, 1978. Follow-up was obtained in 116 (97%) of the initial patient population. Mean age at initial Cu-7 insertion was 16.8 years; 81% of the patients were nulliparous. An experience of 149.7 women years was accumulated; the pregnancy rate at the conclusion of the study was 2.0/100 women years. Continuation rate was 83% at six months, 70% at 12 months, 49% at 24 months, and 39% at 36 months. Patient expulsion rate was 18% overall, with a total of 17 expulsion events/100 woman years. Subjective satisfaction with the IUD as a contraceptive method was expressed by 72% of these patients. The Cu-7 has proven to be a safe, effective, well-tolerated contraceptive method in the adolescent female.

Adolescent↗

Evaluation of two ELISA's for detecting Chlamydia trachomatis from endocervical swabs.

Two enzyme immunoassays (EIAs) detecting Chlamydia trachomatis from endocervical swabs, Syva MicroTrak (MT) and Abbott Chlamydiazyme (CZ), were compared with a tissue culture (TC) standard. Initially, 8% (100 of 1250) of specimens were TC positive, yielding sensitivities of 94% (94 of 100) for MT and 79% (79 of 100) for CZ with identical 98% specificities (1129 of 1150 for MT and 1130 of 1150 for CZ). Discrepant specimens were retested by both EIAs and assayed for elementary bodies (EBs) by a fluorescent antibody test. After discrepancy analysis, 9.5% (118) of 1240 patients were either TC or EB positive, yielding sensitivities of 94.1% for MT (111 of 118) and 79.7% for CZ (94 of 118) with identical specificities of 100% (1122 of 1122). These results indicate that the MT is significantly more sensitive (p less than 0.05, McNemar test) than CZ in detecting C. trachomatis from endocervical swabs.

Adolescent↗