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Biomedical subjects

S Sutherland

Publications and source records attributed to S Sutherland.

At least 91 records · Page 5Linked to original sources

Antibodies to cytomegalovirus in homosexual and heterosexual men attending an STD clinic.

We studied the prevalence of antibody to cytomegalovirus (CMV) in 262 men (132 homosexual, 20 bisexual, and 108 heterosexual) attending the sexually transmitted diseases (STD) clinic at this hospital. Antibody to CMV at a titre of 1/4 or more was found in 92% of the homosexuals, 80% of the bisexuals, and 56% of the heterosexuals (p less than 0.0001). Among heterosexuals, but not homosexuals, nationality and social class showed a significant association with antibody to CMV. In both heterosexuals and homosexuals a history of gonorrhoea was more common in patients with antibody to CMV than in those without it. A similar finding was seen in heterosexual men with a history of non-specific urethritis (NSU). Using a series of log linear models, sexual orientation was shown to be the most important determinant of antibody to CMV in this population.

Adolescent↗

The detection of antibodies to cytomegalovirus in the sera of renal transplant patients by an IgM antibody capture assay.

An IgM antibody capture assay for detection of cytomegalovirus (CMV) IgM antibody (MACRIA) was developed. It was shown to be of similar sensitivity to the indirect immunofluorescence test but has the advantage that rheumatoid factor does not react in it and pretest fractionation of serum is not required. It does, however, give false results with some Paul Bunnell-positive sera. The assay was used to measure the IgM response in 28 renal transplant patients followed prospectively. Seven patients (100%) with primary infections and six of 13 (46%) patients with secondary infections developed IgM by MACRIA. Nine of 13 (69%) patients with CMV IgM-positive sera had symptoms other than pyrexia associated with CMV infections, while only one of seven (14%) IgM-negative infections were symptomatic. Four of seven irreversible rejection episodes were associated with CMV IgM. The possible significance of CMV IgM production is discussed.

Adolescent↗

Genital herpes - the disease and its treatment including intravenous acyclovir.

This paper firstly reviews the natural history of genital herpes, giving special attention to the differences between primary and non-primary initial disease and recurrent disease and between herpes simplex virus 1 and 2. Secondly, previous therapies for genital herpes, and in particular the problems associated with previous drug trials are considered. The final part of the paper reviews a double-blind placebo controlled randomized study of intravenous acyclovir in patients with severe first attack, genital herpes. Intravenous acyclovir significantly reduced the duration of viral shedding, the healing time, the duration of vesicles and new lesion formation, and the duration of all symptoms, but did not prevent subsequent recurrences.

Acyclovir↗

Identification of medical student problems and comparison with those of other students.

The perceived problems of 585 medical students were compared with those of 1,110 students in the other health sciences colleges at the same institution. Through the use of a 5-point Likert scale, the students were able to indicate the degree to which each of 83 problem items on an inventory was of concern to them. The inventory included items concerning problems with life situation and school environment, other people, behavior, and feelings. The medical students were found to have the same spectrum of perceived problems as the other students but complained of these problems significantly more intensely on 35 items. Married students as a group responded to the problem items with significantly less intensity than the single students. Analyses of subgroups by marital status, gender, age, and year in school are also reported.

Adaptation, Psychological↗

Intravenous acyclovir in genital herpes. An interim report.

Twenty-five patients with primary genital herpes were treated in a double-blind placebo-controlled randomized trial of intravenous acyclovir. Thirteen patients received the drug and 12 a placebo. Three in each group were male. In the acyclovir group 10 patients had true primary herpes compared with six in the control group. The median time to healing of all lesions was significantly decreased from 11 to seven days (p less than 0.05), and the median duration of viral shedding from all lesions was decreased from eight to two days (p less than 0.001). The time to cessation of new lesions was decreased from a median of two days to zero days (p less than 0.001). Intravenous acyclovir is an effective treatment in decreasing the length and severity of primary genital herpes.

Acyclovir↗

Actions of the crude venom of the Sydney funnel-web spider. Atrax robustus on autonomic neuromuscular transmission.

1 The effects on mammalian autonomic neuromuscular transmission of the crude venom of the female Sydney funnel-web spider Atrax robustus, have been investigated.2 At doses of 10 mug/ml or lower the indirectly elicited twitch-like responses of the rat anococcygeus preparation were inhibited. At doses greater than 10 mug/ml there was an initial reduction in the twitch-like response followed by a sustained contracture of the tissue.3 The long-lasting contracture caused by the venom was abolished by the application of phentolamine. It was virtually non-existent in muscle preparations isolated from reserpine-treated rats.4 In the presence of tetrodotoxin the contracture was smaller and less well maintained than in its absence.5 The venom caused a small reduction in the amplitude of the indirectly elicited twitch-like response of the longitudinal muscle of the guinea-pig ileum, followed by an increase in the tone of the preparation. The increase in tone was maintained for several minutes and was rapidly abolished by the application of atropine. The presence of venom did not affect control responses to either histamine or acetylcholine.6 Inhibitory transmission in the rat anococcygeus preparation was unaffected by the venom.7 The neurally-mediated twitch-like responses of both guinea-pig and rat vas deferens were inhibited by the venom at doses below 10 mug/ml. At higher doses the inhibition was accompanied by spontaneous contractions, and at doses in excess of 100 mug/ml the inhibition of twitch-like responses was transient and was followed by a potentiation of the motor response and extensive spontaneous activity. The preparation became quiescent 20 min after the application of venom and the evoked response was abolished after 60 min.8 The venom had qualitatively similar effects on motor transmission in the human vas deferens as on the rat and guinea-pig preparations. However, the human preparations were 50 to 100 times more sensitive to the effects of the venom.

Animals↗

Procedural burn pain intensity under conditions of varying physical control by the patient.

Ten adult patients hospitalized as a result of major burn injury participated in a study that used a single-subject, repeated reversal design in which subject-reported pain during patient-performed washing was compared with subject-reported pain during nurse-performed washing. Analysis, by repeated-measures ANOVA, of verbal numeric pain scores obtained at regular intervals intraprocedurally, indicated that each of the 10 subjects experienced significantly less pain under the condition of patient-performed washing compared with the condition of nurse-performed washing (p < 0.001 through p < 0.05). The quality of washing did not differ significantly (p < 0.05) between conditions, nor did the amount of opioid medication administered (p < 0.05). Results support the active participation of patients with burn injuries in their dressing changes.

Activities of Daily Living↗

Risk of recurrence after treatment of first-episode genital herpes with intravenous acyclovir.

To determine whether intravenous acyclovir treatment for a first episode of genital herpes could prevent or reduce subsequent recurrences, we combined and analyzed the results of two independently conducted, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled studies. Sixty-one patients were enrolled in the two trials; 30 received the drug, and 31 received placebo. At entry the demographic, epidemiologic, and clinical features of acyclovir- and placebo-treated patients from the two centers showed no significant differences. The median time to the first recurrence and the frequency of recurrences showed no significant differences when acyclovir and placebo recipients infected with either herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) or herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2) were compared. However, irrespective of treatment, the median time to the first recurrence was significantly longer (293 days vs. 69 days; P less than .02) and the frequency of recurrence significantly less (0.11 recurrences per month vs. 0.43 recurrences per month; P less than .01) among patients with HSV-1 infection as compared with those who had HSV-2. It is concluded that in patients with first-attack genital herpes, the type of HSV is the most important determinant of subsequent recurrences and that intravenous acyclovir has little effect on subsequent recurrences.

Acyclovir↗