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Biomedical subjects

S Galbraith

Publications and source records attributed to S Galbraith.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1983

Analysis of the cerebrospinal fluid pulse wave in intracranial pressure.

The configuration of the intracranial pressure (ICP) pulse wave represents a complex sum of various components. Amplitude variations of an isolated component might reflect changes in a specific intracranial structure. Fifteen awake patients suffering from hydrocephalus, benign intracranial hypertension, or head injury underwent ICP monitoring through a ventricular catheter and were subjected to three standardized maneuvers to alter the intracranial dynamics: head elevation, voluntary hyperventilation, and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) withdrawal. A 12 degrees head elevation and fractionated CSF withdrawal caused a mild ICP drop and a proportionate amplitude reduction of all the wave components. Voluntary hyperventilation caused a comparable fall in ICP, and a disproportionate reduction in the amplitude of the wave components, especially the P2 component. It is postulated that the decrease in amplitude of the P2 component reflects the reduction of the cerebral bulk caused by hyperventilation. Head elevation and CSF withdrawal caused a decrease of global ICP but no specific changes in any intracranial structure, and consequently the configuration of the pulse wave remained unchanged. The establishment of relationships between anatomical substrate and particular wave components is promising since potentially it could be useful for monitoring conditions such as vasoparalysis, impaired cerebrovascular reactivity, and cerebral edema.

Brain Injuries↗
PubMed1982

Management of traumatic intracranial haematoma.

Deciding which head-injured patients should be transferred to a neurosurgical unit can be difficult. Traditional criteria emphasise the development of deteriorating responsiveness but lead to delayed diagnosis and to avoidable mortality and morbidity. To discover if a more liberal admission policy improved results a study was conducted analysing data collected prospectively from 683 patients who had a traumatic intracranial haematoma evacuated in the Glasgow neurosurgical unit between 1974 and 1980. In the first four years, before the change in policy, mortality was 38% but decreased to 29% afterwards. This reflected a reduction in the proportion of patients who talked after injury but who deteriorated into coma before operation--that is, 31% before the change in policy, 16% afterwards. If the potential benefits of CT scanning in the management of head injuries are to be realised patients must be scanned sooner than in the past. This will usually mean that more patients should go to a neurosurgical unit and that simple criteria for transfer should be established.

Adult↗
PubMed1982

Burn appearance and spontaneous healing: a prospective study.

In a prospective study to correlate initial burn wound appearance with burn wound appearance after 21 days of conservative wound care, it was found that all burn appearances (except the presence of thrombosed capillaries and charred, "leathery" skin) were associated with a high probability of spontaneous healing. These findings emphasize the difficulty of selecting those burn wounds likely to benefit from early excision and grafting unless, of course, the burn is obviously full-thickness.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1981

Skull X-rays.

Explore the source record for details and available documents.

Brain Diseases↗
PubMed1980

Electron-microscopic study of the synapses of the cerebral cortex in man.

With the electron microscope I have examined the structure of the synapses in the cerebral cortex of man. On both the pyramidal and stellate cells, there are only a few axosomatic synapses; all are symmetrical. Most of those in the neuropil are on dendritic spines and there is the occasional spine apparatus. Apart from the small number of axosomatic spines on the stellate cells, these findings are similar to those previously reported in other mammals.

Axons↗
PubMed1978

The 'no lose' philosophy in medicine.

This article as the series title suggests focuses our attention on decisions, both medical and ethical, which face doctors and related personnel in the medical profession daily. Many of these decisions take the form of a choice to one thing or another without being very sure of the outcome of either action. Mr Galbraith explores the pros and cons of what he calls the 'no lose' philosophy in medicine and which plays a large part in medical decision making. He concludes that possibly we may need a new philosophy rather than continuing to use more and more of our resources on care, which is perhaps being carried out as a means of avoiding making value judgements and thus possibly, prevents us from solving some of today's difficult ethical problems.

Decision Making↗