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Biomedical subjects

S Heaton

Publications and source records attributed to S Heaton.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2003

Ultrasound guidance allows accurate needle placement and aspiration from small joints in patients with early inflammatory arthritis.

OBJECTIVES: To compare the accuracy of palpation-guided and high frequency ultrasound-guided needle placement in small joints and to develop a technique to obtain synovial fluid from these joints for diagnosis and research. METHODS: The accuracy of needle placement during palpation-guided proximal interphalangeal (PIP) or metacarpophalangeal (MCP) joint injection was assessed. This was compared with the accuracy of ultrasound-guided needle placement. A joint lavage technique was developed to obtain synovial fluid from these joints. RESULTS: Needle positioning was intra-articular in 59% of palpation-guided injections (6/12 PIP and 4/5 MCP joints). No fluid could be aspirated prior to injection. With ultrasound guidance, initial needle placement was intra-articular in 96% of cases (24/26 PIP and 27/27 MCP joints). Synovial fluid cells were lavaged from 63% of joints (19/25 PIP and 14/27 MCP joints). In only one case was a large effusion seen and this was aspirated directly. CONCLUSIONS: The use of high frequency ultrasound to guide needle placement within a small joint allows for significantly greater accuracy than a palpation-guided approach. When followed by lavage, synovial fluid cells and diluted synovial fluid can be obtained from the majority of small joints. This has important clinical and research implications.

Arthritis↗
PubMed2003

Cardiovascular risk in systemic lupus erythematosus--evidence of increased oxidative stress and dyslipidaemia.

OBJECTIVES: Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is associated with severe and premature cardiovascular disease, which is not explained by traditional risk factors alone. This study aimed to investigate markers of oxidative stress, lipid metabolism and inflammation as potential cardiovascular risk factors in women with SLE. METHODS: Venous blood samples were taken from 53 female Caucasian patients with SLE and from healthy age- and sex-matched controls. Samples were analysed for markers of oxidative stress, lipid metabolism [including low-density lipoprotein (LDL) subfraction profile] and C-reactive protein (CRP). RESULTS: Female SLE patients had an atherogenic lipid profile characterized by raised total cholesterol and triglycerides, and the presence of small, dense LDL subfractions compared with healthy controls. These changes were associated with increased oxidative damage and a moderately raised CRP. CONCLUSIONS: The results provide evidence for free radical and inflammatory activity in SLE and suggest potential targets to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease in these patients.

Adult↗
PubMed2002

Development and assessment of a World Wide Web site for systemic lupus erythematosus patient information.

Patient education is an important component of the management of chronic diseases such as SLE. We have investigated the value of the World Wide Web as a medium for delivery of SLE patient information. Volunteers recruited from the clinic and from the website completed interviews and questionnaires aimed at defining their information needs. A new website was then established and its impact on users tested using knowledge questionnaires. The new website was used extensively (20-30 users each day) over the 24 month period of study until April 2001. A total of 510 participants completed an online questionnaire that showed that for some users it was their first use of the internet to gather lupus information, but the majority (58.9%) accessed it at least monthly for this purpose. We also found that, while most users (56.9%) found current disease information was at an appropriate level, 37.5% thought it was too basic. Knowledge questionnaires from 42 participants before and after using the site showed a significant rise in users' knowledge of the areas covered by the site. As far as we are aware this study is the first to show that a patient-oriented website can have a positive effect on disease knowledge. The relative ease with which good quality information can be disseminated via the web suggests that this medium is likely to be less costly and perhaps more educationally effective than printed information, and so is likely to become a primary vehicle for patient education. The website tested can be found at: www.rheumatology.bham.ac.uk/lupus/intro.html.

Humans↗
PubMed1997

The use of Bacillus diarrhoeal enterotoxin (BDE) detection using an ELISA technique in the confirmation of the aetiology of Bacillus-mediated diarrhoea.

A commercially available ELISA kit was used for the detection of Bacillus diarrhoeal enterotoxin (BDE) in a variety of foods and faeces. The ability of isolates of Bacillus spp., including Bacillus cereus, to produce BDE in Brain Heart Infusion broth containing 0.1% glucose was also checked by use of the kit. Results show that 29 out of 31 B. cereus isolates were enterotoxigenic. Foods positive for performed BDE were always contaminated with > 10(5) B. cereus cfu g-1, but not all foods contaminated with large numbers of B. cereus were positive for BDE. Bacillus sp., other than one isolate which closely resembled B. subtilis, were negative for BDE production. Criteria for the confirmation of Bacillus-mediated diarrhoea should now include reports of symptoms and incubation periods consistent with the diarrhoeal form of food-poisoning by Bacillus spp., together with the results of tests for enterotoxigenicity of the Bacillus isolate, and detection of BDE in either the food and/or faeces.

Bacillus↗
PubMed1995

Chromophore-enhanced laser-tumor tissue photothermal interaction using an 808-nm diode laser.

A diode laser was used to irradiate tumor tissue, with indocyanine green as the chromophore. The 808-nm wavelength radiation falls within the absorption peak of the chromophore (about 780 nm). The preliminary results in this report revealed clear and significant coupling of this laser and indocyanine green in laser-tissue photothermal interaction. The chromophore targeted tissue showed laser damage while peripheral tissues remained intact. Without the chromophore, this laser inflicted no apparent tissue damage in the non-contact mode with irradiance up to 1755 J/cm2.

Animals↗
PubMed1988

The effects of acute sleep deprivation during residency training.

Verbal and symbol concentration, learning, problem solving, clear thinking, manual skills, and memory were tested in 42 surgical residents to assess the effects of acute sleep deprivation on specific neuropsychological parameters. A series of eight neuropsychological tests--digit symbols, digit vigilance, story memory, trail making, PASAT, Raven matrices, delayed story, and pegboard--and a questionnaire on mood states were completed by the residents both when fatigued (less than 4 hours of sleep: mean, 2.0 +/- 1.5 hours) and when rested (more than 4 hours of sleep: mean, 6.5 +/- 1.0 hours), with at least 7 days between tests. In order to eliminate the effects of learning from the first test series, randomization of residents was performed so that one half were first evaluated when rested and one half when fatigued. ANOVA, multiple regression analysis, and the Student t test were used to assess differences. In the acute sleep-deprived state, residents were less vigorous and more fatigued, depressed, tense, confused, and angry (p less than 0.05) than they were in rested state. Despite these changes in mood, however, the responses on all of the functional tests were no different statistically in those who were rested and those who were fatigued (even in those with less than 2 hours' sleep). We conclude that acute sleep deprivation of less than 4 hours alters mood state but does not change performance in test situations in which concentration, clear thinking, and problem solving are important.

Adult↗
PubMed1979

Comparison of natriuretic, uricosuric, and antihypertensive properties of tienilic acid, bendrofluazide, and spironolactone.

The antihypertensive properties of the new diuretic tienilic acid were investigated. Thirteen previously untreated hypertensive patients took part in a double-blind crossover study in which 30 days' treatment with tienilic acid 250 mg, bendrofluazide 5 mg, and spironolactone 100 mg were compared. Bendrofluazide caused the greatest natriuresis on the first treatment day and the most rapid fall in blood pressure. The ultimate antihypertensive effect of all three drugs was similar. Tienilic acid caused a noticeable reduction in serum urate concentrations and a rise in urate clearance, in contrast to the other two agents, which caused slight urate retention. Tienilic acid and bendrofluazide caused falls and spironolactone a rise in plasma potassium concentrations. No untoward effects were seen from any of the drugs. It is concluded that tienilic acid is a moderately potent diuretic that lowers plasma urate concentrations. It may be the drug of first choice for hypertensive patients who already have gout or are likely to develop it when taking thiazide diuretics.

Bendroflumethiazide↗
PubMed1979

Dose response for blood pressure and degree of cardiac beta-blockade with atenolol.

The hypotensive effect of 25 mg, 50 mg, 75 mg, 100 mg and 0 mg of atenolol daily were compared in a double-blind within-patient study. The fall in blood pressure with 25 mg daily was not significantly different than with 100 mg. The dose response curve lies between 0 and 25 mg daily. Cardiac beta-blockade (measured by suppression of exercise tachycardia) was not maximal with 25 mg of atenolol daily. The dose response curves for beta-blockade and the hypotensive effect are not parallel.

Adult↗
PubMed1976

Comparison of oxprenolol and methyldopa in hypertension. A within-patient double-blind trial.

Oxprenolol or methyldopa were administered in double-blind fashion to 29 patients shown to be persistently hypertensive. After a dose-finding, assessment, and washout period, the second drug was given. 24 patients completed a period of treatment with each drug. Blood-pressure falls were similar with each drug in the supine, standing, and post-exercise state. Half the patients responded will to low dosage (oxprenolol less than or equal to 320 mg, methyldopa less than or equal to 1 g, a day) and 9 of 11 such patients responded satisfactorily to each drug. In those whose response was inadequate, oxprenolol was increased to 960 mg or methyldopa to 3 g a day. Increasing dosage had no consistent pressure-lowering effect. Side-effects were assessed by questionnaire and no clear preference emerged. It is recommended that an inadequate response to modest dosage of either drug should lead to the use of an additional agent rather than heavier dosage.

Adult↗
PubMed1976

Clostridia isolated from faeces.

Clostridia were isolated from human faecal samples from England, Scotland, Wales, USA, Hong Kong, Uganda and Japan. Strains were identified on the basis of various biochemical reactions and on the type of fatty acid produced from glucose. Analysis of these acids was by gas-liquid chromatography. Clostridium paraputrificum was common in stool samples from England, Scotland, Wales, and USA, but rare in samples from Hong Kong, Uganda and Japan.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Lymphogranuloma venereum in a pregnant woman.

Lymphogranuloma venereum was diagnosed postpartum in a young black woman, who was a drug abuser. Chlamydia trachomatis was isolated from aspirate of a left inguinal mass, and the patient was also seropositive for human immunodeficiency virus. During hospitalization she was treated with ampicillin, gentamicin, and doxycycline. Her twin infant girls had no evidence of C. trachomatis infection. The mother was discharged from the hospital after partial resolution of the left inguinal mass and was lost to follow-up.

AIDS Serodiagnosis↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Fostering critical thinking skills in students with learning disabilities: an instructional program.

An instructional unit was developed to enhance the critical thinking skills of middle school and high school students with learning disabilities by teaching them the principles of scientific reasoning. Student-teacher dialogues were used to engage the students in an active process of critical inquiry. Students analyzed everyday information presented in brief magazine articles and advertisements by applying the principles of the scientific method. The students made statistically significant improvements in their ability to (a) identify the principal claim made in an article or advertisement, (b) graph the relevant data, and (c) evaluate the claims made in the article and explain their support or rejection of the claims based on data. After the instructional unit, the overall performance of the special education students exceeded that of a control group composed of regular education students who had not received instruction in critical thinking.

Adolescent↗