Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to S Williams.
The clinical and radiological findings of a case of scaphocephaly have been presented and related to the patient's history. The main findings were: A small cranial index. Developmental abnormalities of the hands detected both clinically and radiographically. History of congenital deformities of the feet. Aplasia of three premolars. History of pain in the occipital region at earlier age.
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Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
In this article, the authors describe a pilot study conducted to evaluate a component of a professional development program designed for Clinical Nurses in a general teaching hospital. Permission was obtained to use an established instrument for measuring attitude toward professional autonomy. A non equivalent pre-test/post-test, control group design was used. Results indicate that the program was influential in changing nurses' attitudes toward autonomy. Implications of using an instrument designed for an American cohort of nurses and modified to depict an Australian nursing culture are discussed.
The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects on staff of having two teachers share one clinical teaching position in their intensive care unit (ICU). Three, six and 12 months after the job-sharing arrangement was initiated, an 11 item questionnaire was distributed to 26 students in post-registration critical care courses, 41 clinical staff in ICU and 9 RN-managers with responsibilities for the unit. The overall response rate to the three questionnaires was 58%. All groups agreed that job-sharing was a viable alternative to full-time work. Three months after the shared position was initiated, there was uncertainty about the consistency of the teachers' performance and the adequacy of communication between them. Nine months later, there was a high level of positive responses to all areas of the teachers' performance. Most respondents felt they could approach either teacher and that more diverse ideas were generated by having two people in the teaching position.
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Little new evidence on the prevalence of injury to the anterior teeth of children has been reported in the past five years and, in South Africa, trauma to the teeth of children in different ethnic groups has not been compared respectively. The purpose of this investigation was to determine the prevalence of dental trauma using well-defined criteria and to sample a specific age-group. Five regions were chosen and 1035 children in the eleven-year age-group were examined. No statistical significance was found between the ethnic groups related to the amount of injury sustained. For all groups, boys received more injuries than girls. The most common injury was fracture of the enamel of the maxillary central incisor. With 15 percent of the children receiving some level of trauma by age eleven years, this is one of the main dental treatment needs for South African children.
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In early 1996 the Venous Leg Ulcer Guideline was developed for the diagnosis and treatment of venous leg ulcers. In order to discuss the development of standards in general, and the Venous Leg Ulcer Guideline in particular, we first need to understand the difference between the following terms: Critical pathway, consensus statement, guideline, and standard. There are advantages and disadvantages to the use of guidelines. In the development of a guideline, endorsement by a respected colleague is important. Development of the Venous Leg Ulcer Guideline began with a consensus statement and then underwent review by a national advisory panel and national peer review through publication. A revised guideline has now been developed which will be tested in a pilot study for clinical efficacy, effect on cost, and impact on quality of life. Validation will require implementation in a prospective clinical trial. Diagnostic and Treatment Algorithm forms for the diagnosis and treatment of venous leg ulcers were developed as part of the preliminary testing of the guideline. Although guidelines do not substitute for good clinical judgement, they can encourage clinical judgement and help reduce fragmented care and the costs associated with inappropriate treatments.
The effectiveness of electronic dental anesthesia (EDA) for pain control during restorative procedures was compared with local anesthetic injection (LA) in 32 children aged 6 to 12 years. Each child selected had two antimere primary or permanent molars requiring similar-sized Class I or Class II restorations. The pain levels during restorative treatment were assessed using a visual analogue scale. Heart rates and behavior were also recorded. A crossover design was used with each child acting as his/her own control. The results showed that overall, EDA was less effective than LA for cavity preparation. The reported pain scores for EDA were higher in permanent teeth for the deeper cavities, and with one of the operators. The pre- or post-treatment anxiety scores were not found to differ significantly between the two restorative appointments. However, children with the highest pretreatment scores were more likely to report higher pain scores with EDA. Despite this, 63% of the children preferred EDA to LA. Dental anxiety, cavity depth, the tooth being treated, and operator attitude may also be important factors in determining the success of EDA.
AIM: To examine differences in resting blood lipid and lipoprotein concentrations in male subjects of varying degrees of cardiovascular fitness ranging from the healthy elite athlete to the sedentary subject either with or without angiographically confirmed evidence of coronary artery disease (CAD). METHODS: Two-hundred-and-eighty-four clinically asymptomatic male subjects were selected from a group of Olympic distance runners (n = 1 7), physical education athletes (n = 44), and industrial executives (n = 223). Each subject received a detailed physical examination and provided a venous blood sample after fasting, which was analysed for lipid and lipoprotein concentrations. Maximum oxygen uptake was determined using on-line computerised respiratory analysis during a functional diagnostic test. The industrial executive group was further divided according to their electrocardiographic (ECG) response to exercise; negative ECG (n = 138), positive (abnormal) ECG but no angiographic evidence of CAD (n = 18) and positive ECG with angiographic evidence of significant CAD (n=67). RESULTS: Lipid-lipoprotein profiles were consistently abnormal in subjects with a positive ECG and documented evidence of CAD, whereas those subjects who tested negative or false-positive were less affected. The lipid-lipoprotein profiles observed between Olympic distance runners and an age-matched group of physically active students were not significantly different despite clear differences in physical activity patterns. CONCLUSIONS: In addition to the abnormal lipid-lipoprotein profile in subjects with CAD, the present data also suggest that while physical activity confers metabolic cardioprotection, a threshold stimulus exists beyond which no further benefits can be gained.