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Biomedical subjects

S Douglas

Publications and source records attributed to S Douglas.

68 records · Page 4Linked to original sources

Response of preterm infants to diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis immunizations.

To establish guidelines for the routine use of diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis (DTP) vaccine in preterm infants, we quantitated antibody responses of preterm infants to DTP and determined the nature and extent of side effects. Twenty-five preterm infants were immunized with 0.5 ml DTP vaccine at routine intervals. Term infants served as controls. Immediately before each immunization and 2 months after the third, DTP-specific antibodies were quantitated. Clinical side effects were determined by parental report. After the second immunization, 100% of preterm infants had evidence of specific antibody production against diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis. The incidence of side effects was low, but irritability was significantly more common in preterm infants after the second immunization. These observations suggest that the initiation of primary immunization with DTP in preterm infants need not be delayed beyond 2 months of age.

Diphtheria Toxoid↗

Diet and faecal lipids following cholecystectomy in men.

Faecal characteristics and diet have been investigated in male subjects following cholecystectomy and in age-matched controls. Daily faecal fat excretion and concentration were significantly higher in the post-cholecystectomy subjects. Bile acid and neutral sterol excretion and concentration were not significantly different. Although diets did not differ in any respect, the stool weight was significantly higher in post-cholecystectomy subjects.

Adult↗

IgM-producing tumors in the BALB-c mouse: a model for B-cell maturation.

Five adjuvant induced BALB/c tumors producing IgM-McPc 1748, W 3469, TEPC 183, McPc 774, and Y 5781-were characterized morphologically by electron microscopy, analysis of the distribution of surface-bound and intracytoplasmic IgM using immunofluorescence, and by biochemical study of IgM synthesis, turnover, and secretion. The cells of different tumors appear to represent different stages in B-cell maturation when compared to normal, lipopolysaccharide-stimulated B cells. Thus, McPc 1748 tumor cells resemble 10-25-h stimulated normal B cells, 3469 cells resemble 20-35-h stimulated B cells, TEPC 183 cells resemble 45-65-h stimulated B cells, Y 5781 cells resemble 80-110-h stimulated B cells, and McPc 774 cells resemble 100-130-h stimulated B cells.

Animals↗

Survival experience of chronically critically ill patients.

Intensive care unit (ICU) patients were randomly assigned to either a traditional ICU or a special care unit (SCU) for chronically critically ill patients. The SCU used a low-technology, family-oriented environment, nursing case management, no physician house staff, and a shared governance model. In comparison, the ICU used high technology, limited family visiting, primary care nursing, and a bureaucratic management model. The survival experience of chronically critically ill patients in the two environments during hospitalization, as well as after hospital discharge, was examined. Using survival analytic techniques, the 1-year cumulative mortality for all patients in the study was found to be 59.9%. Risk of death was significantly lower after discharge than during hospitalization. Similar mortality experiences were found for SCU and ICU patients. Thus, the high-technology ICU environment did not produce better outcomes than the SCU environment.

Aged↗

Patient outcomes for the chronically critically ill: special care unit versus intensive care unit.

The purpose of this study was to compare the effects of a low-technology environment of care and a nurse case management case delivery system (special care unit, SCU) with the traditional high-technology environment (ICU) and primary nursing care delivery system on the patient outcomes of length of stay, mortality, readmission, complications, satisfaction, and cost. A sample of 220 chronically critically ill patients were randomly assigned to either the SCU (n = 145) or the ICU (n = 75). Few significant differences were found between the two groups in length of stay, mortality, or complications. However, the findings showed significant cost savings in the SCU group in the charges accrued during the study period and in the charges and costs to produce a survivor. The average total cost of delivering care was $5,000 less per patient in the SCU than in the traditional ICU. In addition, the cost to produce a survivor was $19,000 less in the SCU. Results from this 4-year clinical trial demonstrate that nurse case managers in a SCU setting can produce patient outcomes equal to or better than those in the traditional ICU care environment for long-term critically ill patients.

Adolescent↗