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Biomedical subjects

S Kerr

Publications and source records attributed to S Kerr.

69 records · Page 4Linked to original sources
PubMedDate not supplied

Otoneurological functioning in panic disorder patients with prominent dizziness.

Fifteen panic disorder patients with prominent dizziness underwent audiologic, caloric, and vestibuloocular reflex activity testing and were compared with normal controls. There were no abnormalities detected on audiologic and caloric tests. Compared with normal controls, panickers with dizziness showed a greater discrepancy between eye and head movements on vestibulo-ocular reflex activity in the dark. Panickers with prominent dizziness did not differ from a second control group of panickers with severe heart palpitations on a number of psychological tests. The results did not support the hypothesis that organic dizziness is etiologically important in the causation of panic or agoraphobia, but do suggest that vestibuloocular reflex activity should be further studied in panic disorder.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Emergency physicians versus laboratory technicians: are the urinalysis and microscopy results comparable? A pilot study.

In the literature to date, there are no studies that directly evaluate microscopic urine examination results obtained by a physician compared to those of a trained laboratory technician. Our purpose in undertaking this study was to determine whether there would be comparable results obtained by these two groups. The study took place in an Emergency Medicine Department with 45,000 visits annually. Each urine sample obtained on patients presenting to the Emergency Department was divided into two lots: one was sent to the laboratory and the other was analyzed by the emergency physician. A comparison of both dipstick and microscopic results by physician and laboratory staff was then made using sensitivity, specificity, and Kappa analysis. Statistical analysis of the data revealed close agreement between the emergency physician and laboratory technician with respect to the following components of urinalysis: red blood cell urinalysis and microscopy, leukocyte esterase, and nitrite testing. Microscopy for white cells and bacteria and testing for proteinuria were not in close agreement. Urinalysis by emergency physicians is comparable to laboratory technicians for a number of the testing components. However, in this limited pilot study, emergency physicians were not able to consistently perform urinalysis for the laboratory standard.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Sleep problems in pre-school children: a review of the literature.

This paper reviews the literature on sleep problems in pre-school children, aiming to raise awareness of the current knowledge in this field. The article begins with a discussion of the prevalence of sleep problems in young children. Disorders of initiating and maintaining sleep are by far the most common type of sleep problem in this age group, and are therefore the focus of this review. The effects of sleep disturbance are examined, focusing on how parents often feel desperate and in need of support outside the family. The causes of sleep problems are considered and the complexity in identifying causal factors is highlighted. The article continues with an exploration of the treatment of sleep problems, suggesting that much of the advice given to parents is contradictory. The literature demonstrates that the use of medication is common, but it appears that this method of treatment is of limited benefit. It seems that behaviour modification or a psychodynamic approach may be much more successful, and the use of self-help manuals/booklets has been shown to be useful by some authors. Finally, preventative strategies are discussed highlighting the need for further research in this area.

Behavior Therapy↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Planning for success.

Being a nurse today and striving for 100% job satisfaction while ensuring a patient's well-being is not an easy task in the current changing and challenging environment. However, careful planning might be the key to success. This article focuses on 'How to Plan' and gives some practical tips for nurses in their daily work. The article then offers three case stories of renal units that have developed objectives and a plan to achieve a successful dialysis programme.

Career Mobility↗
PubMedDate not supplied

HIV prevention in prisons and jails: obstacles and opportunities.

High rates of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection among jail and prison inmates suggest that HIV prevention efforts should focus on incarcerated populations. Overcrowding, the high prevalence of injection drug use, and other high-risk behaviors among inmates create a prime opportunity for public health officials to affect the course of the HIV epidemic if they can remedy these problems. Yet, along with the opportunity, there are certain obstacles that correctional institutions present to public health efforts. The various jurisdictions have differing approaches to HIV prevention and control. Whether testing should be mandatory or voluntary, whether housing should be integrated or segregated by HIV serostatus, and whether condoms, bleach, or clean needles should be made available to the prisoners, are questions hotly debated by public health and correctional officials. Even accurate assessment of risk-taking within the institutions leads to controversy, as asking questions could imply acceptance of the very behaviors correctional officials are trying to prevent. Education and risk-reduction counseling are the least controversial and most widely employed modes of prevention, but the effectiveness of current prevention efforts in reducing HIV transmission in this high-risk population is largely undetermined.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗