Search PubMed⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

R W Beard

Publications and source records attributed to R W Beard.

At least 163 records · Page 9Linked to original sources

The effect of oral ritodrine on maternal and fetal carbohydrate metabolism.

The reported growth-promoting effects of the beta-sympathomimetic compound, ritodrine, have been investigated. The carbohydrate tolerance of eight pregnant women was found to be unaffected by treatment with oral ritodrine over a ten-week period. A further observation that the carbohydrate metabolism of the newborn infants of these women was within normal limits tends to discount possibility that any growth-promoting action ritodrine may have on the fetus is mediated through a diabetogenic effect on the mother.

Blood Glucose↗

Psychosocial consequences of therapeutic abortion King's termination study III.

A follow-up study is reported of a consecutive series of 360 women who underwent termination of first trimester pregnancies by vacuum aspiration. Each patient received brief counselling before termination. Follow-up examinations were carried out by means of detailed, structured interviews at three months and between 15 months and two years (mean: 18 months) after termination. Outcome was assessed in terms of psychiatric symptoms, guilt feelings, and adjustment in marital and other interpersonal relationships, sexual responsiveness and work record. Compared with ratings of psychosocial adjustment before termination, significant improvement had occurred at follow-up in respect of psychiatric symptoms, guilt feelings and interpersonal and sexual adjustment; there was no significant change in marital adjustment. Adverse psychiatric and social sequelae were rare.

Abortion, Therapeutic↗

Carbohydrate metabolism in pregnancy. Part I. Diurnal plasma glucose profile in normal and diabetic women.

Diurnal plasma glucose profiles and oral glucose tolerance during pregnancy were studied in normal women, chemical diabetics, and insulin-requiring diabetics. In normal women the mean diurnal plasma glucose rose by only 0.22 mmol/1 (4 mg/100 m1) during pregnancy. Mild chemical diabetes resulted in an increase in both the mean diurnal glucose concentration and the fluctuation of plasma glucose levels during the day. Fluctuation in glucose concentration in insulin-dependent diabetics was about three times that found in non-diabetic women of similar gestation, with relative hyperglycaemia during the day and hypoglycaemia at night. In non-diabetic women and those with chemical diabetes the mean dirunal glucose correlated closely with the total area under the three-hour oral glucose tolerance curve and significantly, but less closely, with the two-hour glucose tolerance test value.

Blood Glucose↗

Influence on clinical practice of routine intra-partum fetal monitoring.

An attempt has been made to monitor by continuous fetal heart rate according all women admitted in labour. Altogether 85% of the 1070 patients delivered at one hospital were monitored in 1973 and 92% in 1974. Perinatal mortality fell significantly from levels in preceding years to 15-8 and 11-7 per 1000 births, respectively, in 1973 and 1974. The fall was primarily due to the elimination of intra-partum stillbirths and a significant reduction in neonatal mortality. The incidence of caesarean sections also fell from 9-7% in 1973 to 5-8% in 1974. All patients should be monitored because it is impossible to predict reliably intra-partum fetal distress from maternal "high-risk" factors present before the onset of labour.

Bradycardia↗

Very early termination of pregnancy (menstrual extraction).

Very early termination of pregnancy was performed on 424 women in three London teaching hospitals. Altogether 90% of the women were no more than 14 days overdue, and 67% of these had histological evidence of pregnancy. The procedure differed little in technique or its acceptability to the patient from termination done later in the first trimester. The similar incidence of complications suggested that it is not an alternative to conventional contraception. The response of patients, general practitioners, and referral agencies, however, indicated that there is a definite need in the community for a very early termination service.

Abortion, Induced↗

Uterine activity in induced labour.

A study was made of the characteristics of oxytocin-induced labour. Twelve patients with, and eight without membrane rupture were closely matched for factors likely to influence the character and duration of labour. In both groups uterine activity increased until a stable state was achieved loowing which there was little alteration until delviery. The duration of labour was shorten in the group with ruptured membranes as compared with intact membranes although, paradoxically, the uterineactivity tended to be greater when the membranes were intact.

Adult↗

King's termination study. II. Contraceptive practice before and after outpatient termination of pregnancy.

A selection of psychological and social factors present in 360 women who underwent legal termination of pregnancy are related to their contraceptive practice. One-third of the group were ignorant about contraceptive methods, ignorance being more common in women from social classes IV and V and in those under the age of 19. Nearly half of those who had some knowledge of contraceptive practice became pregnant after knowingly taking a risk. A total of 41% had been using some form of contraception immediately before conception. The reliability of contraceptive methods used was found to be inversely related to neuroticism scores obtained from the Eysenck Personality Inventory, neuroticism being highest in women who had not used any form of contraception.Of 91% of the group seen three months after their termination 86% were using reliable contraceptive methods. A follow-up study one or two years after termination has shown that 81% of the 215 women contacted so far are using a reliable method of contraception; two unwanted pregnancies have occurred but both were due to contraceptive failure. This satisfactory outcome has been ascribed to the system of counselling all women before and after termination.

Abortion, Legal↗

Two cases of continuous fetal heart rate monitoring in twins.

This report describes two cases of twin pregnancy in which continuous heart rate monitoring of both twins was successfully carried out during labour. In both cases monitoring permitted early diagnosis of fetal distress and both mothers were delivered by caesarean section. Continuous fetal heart rate monitoring permits diagnosis of fetal distress in the second twin much earlier than conventional methods.

Adult↗