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Biomedical subjects

S Houston

Publications and source records attributed to S Houston.

At least 73 records · Page 4Linked to original sources
PubMed1994

Current and potential treatment of tuberculosis.

A recent resurgence of interest in tuberculosis as a global health problem has accompanied the resurgence of tuberculosis in both industrialised and developing countries. It has also been demonstrated recently that tuberculosis treatment and control is one of the most cost effective of all medical interventions. The human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) epidemic and increasing resistance to antituberculous drugs complicate our response to the problem of tuberculosis. Chemotherapy with currently available agents is highly effective, not only in pulmonary tuberculosis in adults, but also in extrapulmonary disease, and in disease in children and even patients with concomitant HIV infection. Short course chemotherapy and intermittent therapy are as effective as older regimens. Measures, including directly observed therapy, to maximise compliance with therapy, are of utmost importance. An efficient programme which assures compliance with effective antituberculosis chemotherapy should be a priority for health spending even in those countries with fewest resources.

Animals↗
PubMed1994

Salmonella typhi bacteremia and HIV infection with common iliac artery occlusion.

An important association between non-typhoidal salmonella bacteremia and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection has been demonstrated in both industrialized and developing countries. In spite of the prevalence and public health importance of Salmonella typhi in developing countries, an association between HIV and S. typhi has not been well documented. This report describes the co-occurrence of HIV and S. typhi infections in a young Zimbabwean woman. Her presenting feature was a large artery occlusion, previously reported very rarely in association with typhoid fever and never with HIV infection.

AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections↗
PubMed1993

Use of ultrasound in a study of schistosomal periportal fibrosis in rural Zimbabwe.

Ultrasound was used to diagnose periportal fibrosis (PPF) in a rural Zimbabwean community where Schistosoma mansoni is endemic. Ultrasound findings were compared with stool microscopy and abdominal palpation in 492 adults (305 females). 47 (9.6%) had definite PPF. The prevalence of PPF increased with age (P < 0.001), while S. mansoni egg counts decreased with age. Even within age groups, egg count did not correlate with PPF. No association was found between lifetime alcohol consumption and the presence of PPF. Splenomegaly and mid-line enlargement of the liver were specific (97% and 94%) but insensitive (21% and 28%) markers for PPF. Spleen size varied with S. mansoni egg count independently of the presence or degree of PPF. Endoscopy of 18 patients with PPF revealed oesophageal varices in two, both of whom had severe PPF.

Abdomen↗
PubMed1993

'From little things, big things grow'--a history of the development of cooperation between Aboriginal health services and the South Western Sydney Area Health Service.

Aboriginal people suffer from the worst health of any identifiable group in Australia due to profound disadvantages experienced by them since European colonisation of Australia. The Aboriginal community of south-west Sydney represents almost 25 per cent of Sydney's Aboriginal population. Since 1990 the Tharawal Aboriginal Corporation, the South Western Sydney Area Health Service and staff of the Office of Aboriginal Health (NSW Department of Health) have been cooperating to improve the health of Aboriginal people in south-west Sydney. The Working Group on Aboriginal Health has produced a Strategic Plan for Aboriginal Health in South Western Sydney. This cooperation has come from the development of trust, the identification of local needs and the elaboration of local solutions.

Community Health Services↗
PubMed1993

Critiquing and using nursing research: guidelines for the critical care nurse.

This article focuses on a concern that practicing nurses are expected to use nursing research but are not thoroughly prepared to meet this expectation. This concern is addressed by proposing: (1) a guideline for research critique that is designed to bridge baccalaureate education and nursing practice and (2) a unique description of research utilization that may be realistically accomplished by practicing nurses.

Clinical Competence↗
PubMed1993

The CNS role: evolution within a shared governance environment.

Organizational change has a profound impact on the role of the CNS. Movement in our institution from a centralized structure to a shared governance philosophy redirected the work of the CNS. This article describes the change response spiral that reflects the CNS role evolution and activities required by the CNS to foster the change. Three phases of the response spiral are highlighted: creating a culture, restructuring, and adaptation. CNS activities and experiences associated with the change will be of interest to administrators and CNSs.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMed1992

Neurocysticercosis and human immunodeficiency virus infection. A possible association.

We present four patients with active neurocysticercosis and human immunodeficiency virus type 1 infection. In three patients, symptoms of neurocysticercosis brought the patient to medical attention and led to the diagnosis of human immunodeficiency virus infection. Neurocysticercosis should be considered in human immunodeficiency virus-infected persons who have been in areas where cysticercosis is endemic.

Adult↗
PubMed1992

Degradation of Met-enkephalin by hemolymph peptidases in Mytilus edulis.

1. Met-enkephalin is degraded by peptidases present in the hemolymph fluid and hemocyte membrane suspension of Mytilus edulis. Degradation of Met-enkephalin is rapid in the fluid and slower in the membrane. 2. Aminopeptidase activity is bestatin sensitive in hemocyte membrane and highest in the fluid of the hemolymph, which appears to have a component which is insensitive to inhibitor. 3. ACE activity is found only in the fluid of the hemolymph. 4. Carboxypeptidase and NEP (CD10: "enkephalinase") are membrane bound and the former appears to predominate. Phosphoramidon inhibits not only NEP, as expected, but the invertebrate carboxypeptidase as well.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1992

Preliminary results of the use of urinary excretion of pyridinium crosslinks for monitoring metastatic bone disease.

The collagen crosslinks, pyridinoline and deoxypyridinoline, are recently described markers of the rate of bone resorption. The urinary excretion of these compounds, expressed as a ratio to urinary creatinine, has been measured using ion-pair reversed phase high-performance liquid chromatography in 20 patients receiving oral pamidronate for bone metastases from breast cancer. Before treatment the ratio of pyridinoline and deoxypyridinoline to creatinine in urine (UPCR and UdPCR respectively) were each above normal in 16/20 (80%) patients. Urinary calcium excretion (UCCR) was elevated in 15/20 (75%). There was a strong correlation between UPCR and UdPCR, but neither of the crosslink measurements correlated well with UCCR. Urinary excretion of all three indices of bone resorption fell significantly during pamidronate treatment. The median values after 4 weeks treatment were 63% of baseline for UPCR, 45% for UdPCR and 26% for UCCR. From this preliminary study urinary pyridinoline and deoxypyridinoline excretion appear to be promising markers of bone resorption in advanced malignancy. Their role in response assessment and the advantages over UCCR measurements merit further study.

Administration, Oral↗
PubMed1992

Pulmonary Kaposi's sarcoma in Africa.

BACKGROUND: A study was carried out to identify the main clinical radiological and bronchoscopic features of HIV related Kaposi's sarcoma of the lung in African patients. METHODS: Forty seven HIV positive patients with epidemic Kaposi's sarcoma who had clinical or radiological respiratory changes were investigated by simple lung function tests and fibreoptic bronchoscopy. RESULTS: The most common respiratory symptoms in the 47 patients were persistent cough in 42, haemoptysis in 23, and breathlessness in 38. A restrictive spirometric pattern was most common. The mean (SD) forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1) was 1.88 (0.62) 1 with a forced vital capacity (FVC) of 2.66 (0.87) 1 and a FEV1/FVC% of 73.2 (7.5). On the chest radiograph 26 patients had diffuse reticulonodular shadows, 11 focal nodular shadows, seven a pleural effusion, and one a substantial increase in vascular markings; in two the radiograph was normal. At bronchoscopy characteristic discrete lesions were easily visible in 37 patients and were often bright red. Multiple nodules were seen in 11, flat or early plaque lesions in 12 (14 had both), proximal flat lesions and diffuse infiltration in three, diffuse infiltration alone in four, and masses in two; one had normal appearances at bronchoscopy. One patient had Pneumocystis carinii and two had a single bacterial pathogen cultured from the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid. Only two of 29 bronchoscopic biopsies showed classical histological Kaposi's sarcoma. After cytotoxic treatment 20 patients have died, with an overall median survival of 70 days. CONCLUSION: In this African population symptomatic pulmonary Kaposi's sarcoma was common, with lesions seen in all but one patient at bronchoscopy. Coexistent infection was uncommon. Prognosis was poor despite treatment.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗
PubMed1992

Neurocysticercosis: experience with diagnosis by ELISA serology and computerised tomography in Zimbabwe.

Over a three-year period, 646 sera from 630 patients with signs and symptoms compatible with neurocysticercosis were investigated for antibodies to cysticercal antigens using an ELISA test. Overall, 12 pc specimens were positive. The sensitivity of the ELISA, when compared with a limited number of computerised tomography investigations, was over 70 pc. False negative serology was associated with HIV infection in some patients. The positive predictive value was 87 pc and the negative predictive value was 85 pc when patients with active infection, potentially amenable to chemotherapy, were considered. The specificity, determined from serological tests of patients with a variety of trematode, cestode and other infections, was over 90 pc. Three of 11 patients with intestinal taeniasis, and each of two patients with hydatid disease were seropositive. The results suggest the value of ELISA serology as a more cost-effective diagnostic method for all patients with suspected cysticercosis.

Adult↗