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Biomedical subjects

S Akhtar

Publications and source records attributed to S Akhtar.

At least 199 records · Page 11Linked to original sources
PubMed1979

The long-distance psychiatric patient in the emergency room. Insights regarding travel and mental illness.

This paper deals with the motivational, demographic and clinical characteristics of individuals who seek psychiatric help at facilities located a great distance from their places of residence. The study identifies two subgroups within this category. The first (Intentional or Type A) group is constituted by persons who, owing to their concerns with the social stigma of mental illness, or driven by the desire for a magical solution to their problems, purposely undertake the journey to a distantly located psychiatric center. The second (Incidental or Type B) group consists of vacationers, hitch-hikers and skid-row individuals. While these "long distance patients" (LDP) did not show any differences when compared with the remainder of clinic attendance on demographic variables, distinct clinical features differentiated the two populations. Most significantly the LDP had a higher incidence of schizophrenia and alcohol related problems. The difference was entirely accounted for by the Type B subgroup ((LDP less than 0.01; Type A, NS; Type B less than 0.001). Implications of this finding have been discussed in view of the suggested relationships between travel and mental illness. Administrative problems of the LDP have been briefly commented upon.

Adult↗
PubMed1979

Coccinia indica in the treatment of patients with diabetes mellitus.

Coccinia indica is a creeper which grows wildly in Bangladesh and in many parts of the Indian sub-continent. The plant has been used since ancient times as an antidiabetic drug by physicians who practice the Indian system of medicine known as Ayurvedha. We have conducted a double blind control trial with preparation from the leaves of the plant on uncontrolled, maturity onset diabetics. The trial lasted for six weeks for an individual patient. Out of the 16 patients who received the experimental preparations 10 showed marked improvement in their glucose tolerance while none out of the 16 patients in the dummy group showed such a marked improvement. This difference is highly significant (kappa 2 with Yates' correction = 11.7, P < 0.001).

Adult↗
PubMed1979

Differential diagnosis of fugue-like states.

Fugue-like states, though usually considered hysterical or epileptic in origin, can occur with many other psychiatric and neurologic conditions. The survey of literature should help the clinician with differential diagnosis. Nine illustrative cases are described and guidelines for investigating a case of fugue are outlined.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1978

Socio-cultural and clinical determinants of symptomatology in obsessional neurosis.

Eighty-two obsessional neurotics were studied from a phenomenological viewpoint in order to unmask the clinical and socio-cultural determinants of symptom-choice in this disorder. The form of obsessions and compulsions seemed to be affected primarily by intrinsic factors (age, sex, I.Q.) while their content was affected equally, if not more, by extrinsic factors (religion, locality, social class). Patient's age at the onset of illness seemed to be an extremely relevant factor insofar as it affected both the form and the content of symptoms. Some socio-cultural explanations have been offered these findings. The data is important insofar as it provides a baseline for cross-cultural studies of the phenomenology of obsessional illness.

Adult↗
PubMed1978

Life threatening self-mutilation of the nose.

Potentially life threatening self-mutilation of the nose in a patient with a severe passive aggressive character disorder is described. The phenomenological and psychodynamic features of this case are contrasted with those of schizophrenia and factitious dermatoses with similar excoriations.

Adult↗
PubMed1977

Patients with acute poisoning seen in the department of intensive care-Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre, Karachi.

A review of 157 cases of acute poisoning admitted to the intensive care unit shows that poisoning was responsible for 40 15% of the cases treated at this unit between 15th January to 31st December, 1976. Inspite of limited facilities the over all mortality from acute poisoning was 9.5% while that due to organo-phosphorus insecticides alone was 7%. A considerable infrequency of organophosphorus insecticides poisoning was observed in developed countries when their data was compared with the present series.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1977

Organo-phosphorus insecticide poisoning-review of 53 cases.

A review of 53 cases of organo-phosphorus insecticide poisoning admitted to the department of intensive care at the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre between 15th January to 31st December, 1976 has shown that these insecticides form a majority of the causes of acute poisoning and are associated with a comparatively high mortality rate. Out of a total of 157 cases of acute poisoning admitted to the department, 34% were cases of organo-phosphorus insecticide poisoning forming 13 5% of the total admissions. These insecticides being easily accessible, are frequently used as suicidal agents specially by uneducated housewives. They are highly toxic and their management is very complicated. Of a total of 15 deaths from poisoning, 11 (73%) were due to this cause. This being such a common mode of poisoning in our country, we have presented here our experience of the clinical features and management of these cases.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1975

A phenomenological analysis of symptoms in obsessive-compulsive neurosis.

Eighty-two obsessional neurotics were studied from a phenomenological point of view in order to delineate the various forms and contents of obsessions and compulsions. An attempt was made to ascertain the frequency with which the different forms and content occur and their effect on the final outcome of the disorder. Five types of obsessions were identified: doubts, obsessive thinking, fears, impulses, and images, in order of frequency of their occurrence. Compulsive acts could be classified in two types, depending on whether they yielded to or diverted the underlying obsession. One-fourth of the patients displayed no compulsions. The content of obsession could be classified in five broad categories as relating to: dirt and contamination, aggression, inanimate-impersonal themes, religion, and sexual matters, in order of the frequency of their occurrence. The paper, while offering an interpretation of these findings, emphasizes the part played by socio-cultural factors in the character of an obsession's thought content. The absence of compulsions was found to be associated with good prognosis. A downward gradient was noted in the final outcome of patients without compulsions, those with controlling compulsions alone, those with both varieties of compulsions, and those displaying yielding compulsions alone, in that order. Based on this observation the paper suggests a prognosis-related hierarchical continuum of the severity of obsessional disorder.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Effect of isoflurane on endothelin-1 mediated airway smooth muscle contraction.

Endothelin-1 (ET-1) is an endogenously produced 21 amino acid peptide that can cause significant airway smooth muscle (ASM) constriction. Volatile anesthetics e.g. isoflurane, can attenuate ASM constriction. This investigation was undertaken to study the direct effects of isoflurane, at a clinically relevant dose, on endothelin-induced constriction in rat trachea. Five Sprague-Dawley female rats (weight 325-350 g) were euthanized. Four 2-3 mm rings were excised from the mid portion of the trachea, attached to a force transducer for isometric measurement, and were then suspended in jacketed baths containing 37 degreesC KH solution, bubbled with 95% O2 and 5% CO2. Carbachol dose-response curves (10(-8)-10(-4)M) were obtained to establish the maximal contractility (Cmax) for each tracheal ring. Carbachol was then washed out of the bath solution until the tissue tension returned to the baseline. Subsequently, ET-1 dose response curves (3-200 nM) were generated in the absence (ET-1, control) and in the presence of 2% isoflurane. Our data suggests that isoflurane at 2% concentration, attenuated ET-1 induced tracheal contraction at 100 and 200 nM concentrations by 20%. This is the first demonstration indicating that, at a clinically relevant dose, isoflurane depresses ET-1 induced ASM constriction.

Anesthetics, Inhalation↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Multiple sebaceous adenomas and extraocular sebaceous carcinoma in a patient with multiple sclerosis: case report and review of literature.

BACKGROUND: Sebaceous carcinomas are relatively rare cutaneous tumors; there are fewer than 600 cases reported. They most commonly arise within the meibomian gland of the eyelid; fewer than 150 of the reported cases were extraocular. These tumors have a high incidence of local recurrence and regional metastasis. The relationship of sebaceous tumors and visceral malignancy is well established in the literature. OBJECTIVE: We describe a 44-year-old white female with chronic progressive multiple sclerosis who developed multiple scalp sebaceous adenomas and a solitary sebaceous carcinoma. CONCLUSION: Extraocular sebaceous carcinomas are rare tumors with high incidence of local recurrence and regional metastasis. Surgery with wide surgical margins is the standard treatment. We report the first case of multiple sebaceous tumors in a patient with multiple sclerosis. The presence of sebaceous tumors warrants a search for an internal malignancy. Literature on sebaceous tumors and their relationship with visceral malignancies and immunologic disorders is discussed. Literature on sebaceous carcinoma with special attention to extraocular sebaceous carcinoma is also discussed.

Adenocarcinoma, Sebaceous↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Immunolocalization of elastin, collagen type I and type III, fibronectin, and vitronectin in extracellular matrix components of normal and myxomatous mitral heart valve chordae tendineae.

The identification, distribution, and localization of matrix proteins and the proteins associated with normal and degenerated elastic fibers and collagen fibrils of myxomatous chordae tendineae were studied with immunoelectron microscopy. Ultrathin sections of L R White-embedded tissue were processed by indirect immunogold cytochemistry using primary antibodies against human alpha elastin, collagen types I and III, fibronectin, and vitronectin. In normal chordae tendineae, alpha elastin antibody heavily labeled the elastic fibers in spongiosa and fibrosa, but microfibrils around them were not labeled. Antibodies to collagen type I, collagen type III, and fibronectin all labeled the collagen fibers and microfibrils in the spongiosa. Fibronectin antibody labeling was higher than collagen type III, whereas labeling by anticollagen type I was lower. Intense labeling by vitronectin was observed on the microfibrils in the spongiosa and on electron-dense material around elastic fibers in the spongiosa and fibrosa. In myxomatous chordae tendineae, alpha elastin antibody heavily labeled degenerated elastic fibers, previously unidentified reticulated structures, and other moderately electron-dense material, both in the spongiosa and in the fibrosa, but not the electron-dense fibrous material around them. Antibodies to collagen types I, III, and fibronectin heavy labeled electron-dense aggregates of fibrous material. Vitronectin labeling was observed on electron-dense longitudinally running microfibrils and on the electron-dense microfibrils around degenerated elastic fibers.

Aged↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Ultrastructure abnormalities in proteoglycans, collagen fibrils, and elastic fibers in normal and myxomatous mitral valve chordae tendineae.

Normal and myxomatous chordae tendineae were studied using light and electron microscopy, to assess the alterations in the appearance and mutual arrangement of proteoglycans, collagen fibrils, and elastic fibers. Specific staining with ruthenium red and cuprolinic blue in a critical electrolyte concentration mode were used to localize proteoglycans. Fresh tissues were fixed in glutaraldehyde containing the cationic dyes and embedded into Spurr resin. Semithin sections of LR White (London Resin Co., Basingstoke, U.K.)-embedded tissue were used for histochemistry. In normal chordae tendineae, the fibrosa comprised close-packed collagen fibrils intermixed with elastic fibers. These were surrounded by a thin layer of elastic fibers and collagen fibrils, both of which were closely associated with proteoglycans. In myxomatous chordae tendineae, alterations were observed in the connective tissue. Proteoglycans were more abundant and were distributed throughout the tissue. The outermost layer was transformed into an undifferentiated electron-dense mass surrounding the central fibrosa, which contained degraded elastic fibers and collagen fibrils. Collagen fibrils had faint banding or lacked a banding pattern altogether. Spaces between collagen fibrils were occupied by abnormal proteoglycans or proteoglycan aggregates. Elastic fibers showed varying degrees of degeneration and were occasionally replaced by electron-lucent spaces containing microfibrils. Accumulation of abnormal proteoglycan was also observed around degenerated elastic fibres and collagen fibrils.

Aged↗