Search PubMed⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

T A Clark

Publications and source records attributed to T A Clark.

8 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1996

Prevalence of drugs and alcohol in autopsied homicide cases in St. John Parish, Louisiana.

This article presents a retrospective review of all autopsies conducted by the St. John Parish coroner's office between January 1992 and June 1995. The overall prevalence of illicit drugs or alcohol detectable in the autopsied homicide cases for that time period was 60%. Cocaine was the most prevalent substance, detected in 40% of homicide victims. This study also describes a preponderance of firearm violence among homicide cases, and an overrepresentation of young black men with detectable blood levels of drugs or alcohol at time of death. The data from this rural/suburban parish closely parallels that collected from larger urban areas in recent years. These trends in less urban areas will likely further come to resemble those in large cities, and continue to tax health care and community service resources.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1991

Housing instability and homelessness among rural schizophrenic patients.

OBJECTIVE: The authors examined housing instability among treated schizophrenic patients in a rural area and compared the findings with those from their previous study of urban patients. METHOD: Seventy-five patients with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder who were treated in a rural mental health center were assessed with research interviews and ratings by their clinical case managers. The patients were followed for 1 year to identify episodes of psychiatric hospitalization, incarceration, and literal homelessness. RESULTS: Of the 75 patients, 19 (25%) had housing situations characterized as unstable by their case managers. For the majority, housing instability signified tenuousness of living arrangements rather than literal homelessness. Noncompliance with medications, alcohol use, and negative symptoms accounted for 30% of the variance in unstable housing. During follow-up, the unstably housed patients, compared to those in stable living situations, were no more likely to be rehospitalized but were somewhat more likely to be jailed and significantly more likely to be literally homeless. CONCLUSIONS: In the authors' previous study of urban psychiatric patients, unstably housed patients were more likely to be literally homeless, highly symptomatic, and rehospitalized during follow-up than the rural patients with unstable housing. Better outcomes in the rural area appeared to be related to the greater availability of housing alternatives and to intensive case management. For patients with unstable housing in both settings, noncompliance with medications and substance abuse, as well as housing arrangements, should be assertively addressed.

Adult↗
PubMed1980

Cardiac myxoma arising from the inferior vena cava.

This report documents what we believe to be the first reported case of a cardiac myxoma originating from inferior vena caval tissue. Myxomas account for 50 percent of cardiac tumors and present with either embolic, obstructive, or constitutional symptoms and signs. Diagnosis is facilitated by angiography and echocardiography and should be followed promptly by careful and complete removal of the mass and adjacent tissue with close follow-up by clinical and echocardiographic examinations.

Adult↗
PubMed1966

An attempt to infer the electrophysiological functions of some intracellular structures in cardiac cells by an electronic analogue.

A circuit which simulates the electrical conduction characteristics of the neuron has been modified by the addition of a feedback loop to simulate the electrical properties of some of the "specialized" tissues of the mammalian heart. It is suggested that there is similar electrical feedback in the muscle cells which is responsible for their electrical properties, and possible relationships between the feedback and observed structures are discussed.

Calcium↗