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Biomedical subjects

T M Jones

Publications and source records attributed to T M Jones.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

Clinical efficacy of topical docosanol 10% cream for herpes simplex labialis: A multicenter, randomized, placebo-controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Recurrent herpes simplex labialis (HSL) occurs in 20% to 40% of the US population. Although the disease is self-limiting in persons with a healthy immune response, patients seek treatment because of the discomfort and visibility of a recurrent lesion. OBJECTIVE: Our purpose was to determine whether docosanol 10% cream (docosanol) is efficacious compared with placebo for the topical treatment of episodes of acute HSL. METHODS: Two identical double-blind, placebo-controlled studies were conducted at a total of 21 sites. Otherwise healthy adults, with documented histories of HSL, were randomized to receive either docosanol or polyethylene glycol placebo and initiated therapy in the prodrome or erythema stage of an episode. Treatment was administered 5 times daily until healing occurred (ie, the crust fell off spontaneously or there was no longer evidence of an active lesion) with twice-daily visits. RESULTS: The median time to healing in the 370 docosanol-treated patients was 4.1 days, 18 hours shorter than observed in the 367 placebo-treated patients (P =.008; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 2, 22). The docosanol group also exhibited reduced times from treatment initiation to (1) cessation of pain and all other symptoms (itching, burning, and/or tingling; P =.002; 95% CI: 3, 16.5); (2) complete healing of classic lesions (P =.023; 95% CI: 1, 24.5); and (3) cessation of the ulcer or soft crust stage of classic lesions (P <.001; 95% CI: 8, 25). Aborted episodes were experienced by 40% of the docosanol recipients versus 34% of placebo recipients (P =.109; 95% CI for odds ratio: 0.95, 1.73). Adverse experiences with docosanol were mild and similar to those with placebo. CONCLUSION: Docosanol applied 5 times daily is safe and effective in the treatment of recurrent HSL. Differences in healing time compared favorably with those reported for the only treatment of HSL that has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration.

Acute Disease↗

Once-daily oral gatifloxacin versus oral levofloxacin in treatment of uncomplicated skin and soft tissue infections: double-blind, multicenter, randomized study.

This was a double-blind, multicenter study in which 410 adults (> or =18 years of age) with uncomplicated skin and soft tissue infections (SSTIs) were randomized to receive either 400 mg of gatifloxacin orally once daily or 500 mg of levofloxacin orally once daily for 7 to 10 days. The study protocol called for four assessments-before and during treatment, at the end of treatment, and posttreatment. Efficacy evaluations included clinical response and bacterial eradication rates. Of 407 treated patients, 202 (108 women, 94 men) received gatifloxacin and 205 (111 women, 94 men) received levofloxacin. For clinically evaluable patients, the cure rates were 91% for gatifloxacin and 84% for levofloxacin (95% confidence interval [CI] for the difference, -2.0 to 15.2%). Clinical cure rates for microbiologically evaluable patients were 93% for gatifloxacin and 88% for levofloxacin (95% CI for the difference, -6.5 to 16.8%). The bacterial eradication rate was 92% for each group, with gatifloxacin eradicating 93% of the methicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus isolates and levofloxacin eradicating 91% of them. Both drugs were well tolerated. Most of the adverse events were mild to moderate, and nausea was the most common adverse event in each treatment arm. Once-daily oral gatifloxacin (400 mg) is clinically efficacious and well tolerated compared with once-daily levofloxacin (500 mg) for the treatment of patients with uncomplicated SSTIs.

Administration, Oral↗

Otology in ancient India.

Sushrutra Samhita is essentially a multi-volume textbook reporting the surgical practices of ancient India. It covers all aspects of surgery. However, specific references are made to otorhinological conditions, their description and subsequent treatments often being described in some detail. In this paper we outline the structure of the document and attempt to explain its underlying philosophies. We highlight the specific references to otological diseases and their treatment and draw the obvious comparisons with modern otological practice.

Female↗

Tracheal paraganglioma: a diagnostic dilemma culminating in a complex airway management problem.

A 41-year-old man presented to his general practitioner (GP) with a wheeze and dyspnoea on exercise. Asthma was diagnosed and treatment with inhaled corticosteroid and a beta(2)-agonist commenced. Despite this, his condition deteriorated over three weeks culminating in stridor, requiring emergency admission to hospital. Nasendoscopy revealed a polypoidal lesion in the upper trachea, acting like a ball valve. A local anaesthetic tracheostomy, secured his airway. Subsequent direct laryngoscopy allowed avulsion of the lesion. Alternative methods of airway management are discussed. Histology revealed a paraganglioma. The aetiology of paragangliomas is described and a literature review of tracheal paraganglioma is presented. Post-operative recovery was unremarkable. However, tumour recurrence occurred at nine months. A subsequent revision tracheostomy and laser resection has ensured disease-free survival, one year later. We recommend that acute onset wheeze, refractive to appropriate therapy, should be referred for urgent examination of the upper aerodigestive tract.

Acute Disease↗

Therapeutic studies with a new combination benzoyl peroxide/clindamycin topical gel in acne vulgaris.

Three independent clinical studies were conducted in more than 1250 patients with moderate to moderately severe acne vulgaris to evaluate the efficacy and safety of a new combination gel that stably combines 5% benzoyl peroxide and 1% clindamycin. The results indicated that the benzoyl peroxide/clindamycin combination product was an effective treatment for reducing the inflammatory and noninflammatory lesions of acne vulgaris. In overall improvement as rated by the physicians and patients, the combination gel was superior to clindamycin alone, and in 2 of the 3 studies, to benzoyl peroxide alone. The antimicrobial activity of the combination gel was significantly (each P < .01) superior to that seen with topical application of its individual constituents, 5% benzoyl peroxide or 1% clindamycin, and was numerically better than that found with topical application of a 5% benzoyl peroxide/3% erythromycin combination product. As with benzoyl peroxide, dry skin was the most frequent side effect with use of the combination gel, with isolated incidences of other localized irritation. No other safety or tolerability concerns were identified.

Acne Vulgaris↗

A combination benzoyl peroxide and clindamycin topical gel compared with benzoyl peroxide, clindamycin phosphate, and vehicle in the treatment of acne vulgaris.

A topical gel combining 5% benzoyl peroxide and 1% clindamycin as phosphate was evaluated in a 10-week randomized double-blind trial involving 287 patients with moderate to moderately severe acne. The combination agent demonstrated significantly greater reductions in inflammatory lesions than either of its active constituents (5% benzoyl peroxide and 1% clindamycin) or vehicle when used alone. Significantly greater reductions in comedos and improvements, as measured by both physicians' and patients' global evaluations, were obtained with the combination agent than with clindamycin or vehicle. The reduction in comedos and the global improvements were similar between the combination agent and benzoyl peroxide. The combination agent was well tolerated; the incidence of dry skin was similar to that found with benzoyl peroxide, and other adverse events were similar to that with vehicle. The improved efficacy obtained with combination therapy was accompanied by a safety profile similar to that of either constituent used alone.

Acne Vulgaris↗

Efficacy and tolerance of adapalene cream 0.1% compared with its cream vehicle for the treatment of acne vulgaris.

Adapalene gel 0.1% is approved for use in the treatment of acne vulgaris. A new cream formulation, adapalene cream 0.1%, has been developed. Our objective was to evaluate the efficacy and tolerability of adapalene cream 0.1% in comparison with its cream vehicle, applied once daily for 12 weeks to patients with facial acne vulgaris. We used a 12-week, multicenter, randomized, double-blind, vehicle-controlled, comparative phase 3 study of adapalene cream 0.1% and cream vehicle. The study enrolled 237 patients (125 males and 112 females), aged 12 through 30 years, with mild-to-moderate acne vulgaris. Adapalene cream 0.1% demonstrated superior efficacy compared with its cream vehicle. Significantly lower numbers of total inflammatory and noninflammatory lesion counts were observed at the end of the study period in patients using adapalene cream 0.1% as opposed to those using cream vehicle (P<.05 compared with baseline, for all 3 parameters). Adapalene cream 0.1% caused more cutaneous side effects than the cream vehicle, but these were tolerated in most patients. In summary, the results of this study indicate that adapalene cream 0.1% demonstrates superior efficacy over cream vehicle for the treatment of acne vulgaris. Adapalene cream 0.1% also has excellent tolerability and is associated with a low incidence of cutaneous adverse events.

Acne Vulgaris↗

Adaptive female choice for middle-aged mates in a lekking sandfly.

Most theoretical models of age-related mate choice predict that females should prefer older males because they have proven survival ability. An alternative view is that older males represent inferior mates because of negative genetic correlations between early and late fitness components, or because older males have traded off longevity against other fitness components, have accumulated deleterious germ-line mutations, or are less well adapted to current conditions than more recently born individuals. While numerous studies have reported female choice for older males, few have explicitly examined the fitness consequences of such a preference. We present evidence from a lekking sandfly, Lutzomyia longipalpis, showing that choosy females discriminate against older males and gain a fitness benefit from their choice. When permitted free choice from an aggregation consisting of males aged zero to two days (young), four to six days (middle-aged) and eight to ten days (old), females preferentially mated with middle-aged males, but all measures of female reproductive success were independent of male age. In contrast, when a second set of females was randomly assigned single virgin males of known age, the eggs of those paired to old mates exhibited lower hatching success than the eggs of females mated to young or middle-aged males. These results suggest that females avoid mating with older males because they represent poorer quality mates. Age-related differences in male quality may have a genetic basis, but could equally well arise through a phenotypic decline in sperm quality or sperm transfer ability with male age. The lack of evidence of female discrimination against older males from other studies may be because these did not explore the reproductive success of the full age range of males.

Adaptation, Physiological↗

A modified spacer device for inhalational drug therapy for chronic bronchitis/asthma in laryngectomised patients.

Following total laryngectomy, patients who need to continue their inhalational drug therapy for chronic pulmonary conditions experience a great deal of difficulty in administering the drugs. We describe a new spacer device to deliver inhalational drug therapy to laryngectomized patients which is simple to use and does not interfere with the patient's life style. The device involves a standard metered dose inhaler, a paediatric face mask and a small volume spacer. This device was used successfully in six laryngectomised patients for 12-18 months, who needed to continue their inhalational drug therapy for their pulmonary condition.

Administration, Inhalation↗

Snoring: recent developments.

Despite limited evidence validating its efficacy, surgery to overcome snoring is commonly undertaken. This article looks at the development of snoring surgery to present day, highlighting its limitations and outlining current methods being used to target the surgery more effectively.

Adult↗

Does adenotonsillectomy cure hypoxaemia in children with sleep apnoea and congenital cardiac pathology?

INTRODUCTION: Adenotonsillectomy usually cures obstructive sleep apnoea in otherwise healthy children. When children, with congenital cardiac pathology, suffer sleep hypoxaemia following their corrective cardiac surgery, they are referred to an otolaryngologist for adenotonsillectomy. Hardly any studies have been published to show how effective this operation is for these children. OBJECTIVE: To determine whether adenotonsillectomy significantly improves hypoxaemia in children with congenital cardiac pathology following corrective cardiac surgery. METHODS: Thirty children with sleep apnoea (aged 2-8 years) were recruited. Fifteen children with congenital cardiac pathology (Gp I) and 15 children who were otherwise healthy (Gp II). All children were assessed pre-operatively and at 1 and 3 months post-operatively with transcutaneous oxygen saturation monitoring. Tonsillar size, base oxygen saturation level, apnoeic episodes and snoring were recorded. Sleep apnoea and snoring was graded on a 5 point scale from I (no apnoea/snoring) to V (severe apnoea and snoring). RESULTS: All children had an initial sleep grade of IV or V. Tonsillar size did not appear to be a significant factor on sleep grade in Gp I and Gp II. The median base line oxygen saturation was 88 and 93%, respectively in Gp I and II pre-operatively and improved to 90.1 and 99.2%, post-operatively. Following surgery, snoring and sleep apnoea disappeared in group II. In group I, there was significant reduction in the number of apnoeic episodes at 3 months, but the majority of children were still snoring with hypoxaemic episodes. CONCLUSION: This study shows that adenotonsillectomy significantly reduces the apnoeic episodes in children with cardiac pathology but does not abolish it. At 3 months after surgery there was significant overall improvement in the baseline oxygen saturation.

Adenoidectomy↗

Cyclooxygenase-2 inhibition by rofecoxib reverses naturally occurring fever in humans.

Cyclooxygenase (COX) exists as constitutive (COX-1) and inducible (COX-2) isoforms. Nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as ibuprofen and diclofenac inhibit both COX-1 and COX-2. The role of COX-2 in the genesis of fever in monkeys and humans was examined with use of the specific COX-2 inhibitor rofecoxib. Rofecoxib was administered to monkeys made febrile by 6 microg/kg intravenous lipopolysaccharide. Induced pyrexia was followed by oral rofecoxib (1 or 3 mg/kg), diclofenac (3 mg/kg), or vehicle. Rofecoxib and diclofenac rapidly reversed the elevated temperature (P < .05 versus vehicle for 3 mg/kg rofecoxib and diclofenac at 70 to 90 minutes after dosing). A single-dose, parallel-group, double-blind randomized trial was conducted in 94 patients with fever caused by a viral-type illness. Mean baseline temperature was similar for all groups (-38.5 degrees C). Patients received oral doses of 12.5 mg rofecoxib, 25 mg rofecoxib, 400 mg ibuprofen, or placebo and the mean +/- SE change in oral temperature at 4 hours after dosing was -0.97 degrees C +/- 0.11 degrees C, -1.19 degrees C +/- 0.09 degrees C, -1.20 degrees C +/- 0.11 degrees C, and 0.01 C +/- 0.17 C, respectively (P < .001 for active treatments versus placebo). Specific inhibition of COX-2 by rofecoxib results in antipyretic activity in monkeys and humans comparable to dual COX-1/COX-2 inhibitors such as diclofenac or ibuprofen. The data support the hypothesis that it is the COX-2 isoform that is primarily involved in the genesis of fever in humans.

Administration, Oral↗

Manipulation of the fractured nose: a comparison of local infiltration anaesthesia and topical local anaesthesia.

Reduction of simple nasal fractures under local anaesthetic is now an accepted practice. The anaesthetic is usually administered using an external percutaneous approach, coupled with topical intranasal cocaine. Topical local anaesthetic with intranasal cocaine is an alternative method. Fifty-four adult patients with simple displaced nasal fractures were randomised to three different groups prior to fracture reduction in the outpatient department. Group A received external local infiltration, Group B received topical EMLA cream whilst Group C received topical AMETOP gel. All patients received topical intranasal cocaine. The cosmetic result and airway patency were comparable in all groups. However, patients in group A perceived the procedure as significantly more painful than the patients of groups B and C. Despite the increased procedure time, we recommend topical anaesthesia as the method of choice to reduce simple nasal fractures in the outpatient department. It offers a similar outcome, whilst being significantly less painful than external infiltration.

Administration, Intranasal↗

Localized amyloidosis of the parotid gland: a case report and review of the localized amyloidosis of the head and neck.

BACKGROUND: Localized amyloidosis in the head and neck is a rare and benign process. METHODS: We present the first case report in the literature of localized amyloidosis of the parotid glands and also comprehensively review the literature regarding localized amyloidosis of the head and neck. RESULTS: Amyloidosis affecting the head and neck region is uncommon and is mostly in the form of localized amyloidosis. Larynx is the commonest site of involvement and accounts for 0.2% to 0.5% of benign laryngeal tumors. Laryngeal involvement could be either diffuse subepithelial deposition or discrete tumor nodules. Although localized amyloidosis occurs much more frequently in the oral cavity and pharynx, only seven cases of nasopharyngeal amyloidosis and eight cases of nasal septum amyloidosis have been reported. There is no documentation to suggest that localized amyloidosis can progress to systemic amyloidosis. Local surgical excision is the treatment of choice for laryngeal amyloidosis and laser excision is probably the best. CONCLUSION: While localized amyloidosis of the head and neck region is rare, it should be recognized, understood, evaluated, and properly treated.

Aged↗

Life threatening airway obstruction: a hazard of concealed eating disorders.

The ingestion of unusual objects is not uncommon in florid mental illness. Less common is the accidental ingestion of a foreign body which has been used to induce vomiting. A case is reported of complete dysphagia that resulted from impaction of a plastic fork in the hypopharynx. The patient had been attempting to induce vomiting and, as a result of the presentation, was found to be suffering from a previously concealed eating disorder (bulimia). Self induced vomiting is one criterion for the diagnosis of bulimia and a review of the literature indicates that accidental ingestion of large foreign bodies is an increasingly familiar hazard of occult bulimia.

Adult↗

General practitioner consultations after a paediatric tonsillectomy.

General Practitioner (GP) consultations were audited in paediatric patients who have undergone an elective tonsillectomy on our unit over a 6 month period. As there is no formal follow-up, it is the department's practice to discuss with the patients the problems to expect following the operation. This is reinforced with a tonsillectomy advice sheet. An initial audit of GP consultations was performed by a telephone survey of the relevant GP. This revealed an attendance rate of 41%. Following the implementation of a change in management (chewing gum was added to the post operative care instructions) a subsequent audit of 91 children was performed. A marked reduction in the GP attendance was observed. We now routinely recommend the use of chewing gum in the post-operative period after tonsillectomy to our patients.

Chewing Gum↗

Norgestimate and ethinyl estradiol in the treatment of acne vulgaris: a randomized, placebo-controlled trial.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the efficacy of a triphasic, combination oral contraceptive (OC), (norgestimate-ethinyl estradiol), in comparison with placebo in the treatment of moderate acne vulgaris. METHODS: Two hundred fifty women were enrolled in a multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial to evaluate the effectiveness of norgestimate-ethinyl estradiol in the treatment of acne vulgaris. Subjects were 15-49 years old and had moderate acne vulgaris. Each month for 6 months, subjects received either 3 consecutive weeks of active OC treatment followed by 1 week of inactive drug, or 4 consecutive weeks of color-matched placebo tablets. Efficacy was assessed by facial acne lesion counts, the investigator's global assessment, and the subject's self-assessment. Hormone levels were also measured. RESULTS: Despite the large placebo effect inherent in an acne trial (due to, for example, careful skin care, frequent office visits, regression to the mean), of the 164 subjects who completed the study without major protocol deviations, the OC group was significantly better than the placebo group for all primary efficacy measures: inflammatory lesions (mean reduction, 51.4% compared to 34.6%; P = .01), total lesions (mean reduction, 46.4% compared to 33.9%; P = .001); investigator's global assessment (83.3% compared to 62.5%; P = .001). Free testosterone decreased significantly and sex hormone-binding globulin increased significantly in the OC group, but remained unchanged in the placebo group. CONCLUSION: A triphasic combination of norgestimate and ethinyl estradiol is an effective treatment for moderate acne vulgaris in women with no known contraindication to OC therapy.

Acne Vulgaris↗