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Biomedical subjects

A B King

Publications and source records attributed to A B King.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1992

Do induction loops pose a hazard to health?

The RNID actively promotes the use of induction loops as a means of improving communication using hearing aids, particularly in public places. The magnetic flux density, 100-500 nT, needed for effective performance is comparable with fields to which people are exposed every day in the home, and much less than those which can be encountered in the work environment. In the light of current scientific knowledge, the risks to health would appear to be minimal.

Electromagnetic Fields↗
PubMed1991

Maggot therapy revisited: a case study.

This article chronicles a personal experience with the care of a patient with chronic, recalcitrant stasis ulcers who presented with maggot infestation. A case study format is used. A brief history, technique, and benefits of maggot therapy are also included.

Aged↗
PubMed1987

Effects of the antituberculous drug ethambutol on zinc absorption, turnover and distribution in rats fed diet marginal and adequate in zinc.

Ethambutol, [CH3CH2-CH(CH2OH)-NH-CH2]2 (EMB), is an oral antituberculous agent that is administered therapeutically over extended time periods. It has chelating properties and may affect mineral metabolism. Male weanling Sprague-Dawley rats received 0, 400 or 600 mg EMB per kilogram body weight daily by gavage for 30 d. They were fed a casein-based diet with either adequate (49 ppm) or marginal (11 ppm) zinc. Both adequate-Zn (AZn) and marginal-Zn (MZn) rats receiving EMB showed alopecia and dose-dependent reductions in feed intake, weight gain and feed efficiency. None of these changes was seen in rats fed the MZn diet without EMB. Serum and tissue zinc levels were similar in rats not receiving EMB, regardless of the dietary zinc level. Serum zinc was consistently lower in AZn and MZn rats receiving EMB than in rats without EMB. Apparent zinc absorption, measured by 65Zn balance, was higher in AZn rats receiving EMB than in AZn rats without EMB. Thus changes in absorption could not account for lower serum zinc levels in EMB-treated rats. However, 65Zn turnover was also higher in EMB groups. This suggests that EMB may have increased urinary zinc losses resulting in reduced circulating zinc and a consequent increase in zinc absorption.

Animals↗
PubMed1986

Personal and mediated health counseling for sustained dietary reduction of hypercholesterolemia.

Methods of effective cardiovascular risk reduction that are suitable for use in clinical settings are needed. Several behavioral interventions were designed to be compatible with office-based medical practice, to be delivered by paraprofessional counselors, and to be of low intensity and low cost. Eighty-three hypercholesterolemic volunteers were assigned to one of three experimental conditions (face-to-face counseling, mail and telephone counseling, initial session only). Twenty-six nonrandomized subjects served as a no-contact group and were followed for 1 year. Participants in the first three groups received risk factor education, behavioral recommendations, and a packet of materials, while those in the face-to-face and mail/telephone counseling groups were contacted for five brief follow-up sessions over a 4-month period. At the 1-year follow-up evaluation, subjects in the face-to-face and mail/telephone counseling conditions showed decreases in plasma cholesterol of 6.2 and 4.6%, respectively (P less than 0.01), while the other two groups evidenced small increases. There were no differences by condition for plasma triglycerides, systolic or diastolic blood pressure, or weight. Low-intensity, low-cost behavioral interventions delivered by paraprofessionals can produce long-term decreases in a major cardiovascular risk factor. Physicians are encouraged to incorporate similar interventions into their practices.

Adult↗
PubMed1986

Audiological assessment in the selection of cochlear implant candidates.

In the UCH/RNID Cochlear Implant Programme, patients referred for further audiological assessment are all post-lingually deafened adults with bilateral hearing losses in excess of 90 dB HL in the frequency range 500 Hz to 4 kHz. The purpose of this assessment as part of the selection procedure for implant candidates is to ascertain whether or not the patient has any residual auditory function which can be aided by conventional means. The procedure includes measurement of thresholds of sensation (whether auditory or vibrotactile) for pure tones, and testing for Uncomfortable Loudness Levels up to 130 dB HL. It also includes measurements of frequency discrimination and abnormal adaptation, and assessment of the effect of acoustic stimulation on tinnitus if present. Those with measurable hearing are further tested for discrimination of simple sound patterns related to the perception of speech. Results of assessment, and criteria of suitability for a trial with a high-powered hearing aid are discussed in this paper. Of the 29 patients tested to date, 14 were judged to have sufficient residual auditory function to justify a hearing aid trial. In 10 cases the trial was successful and these people were then no longer considered to be potential candidates for cochlear implantation.

Acoustic Stimulation↗
PubMed1984

Is AGC beneficial in hearing aids?

Three different functions of Automatic Gain Control (AGC) circuits in hearing aids are distinguished and the evidence for their benefits is considered. The value of AGC's function as a relatively distortion-free means of limiting output has been well established. With regard to compression, the benefit of short-term or 'syllabic' compression has not been demonstrated convincingly. Most evaluations of this type of AGC have looked for increase in speech intelligibility, but theoretical predictions of its effect do not appear to take account of the acoustic cues to consonant contrasts actually used by hearing impaired people, and empirical studies have often used listening conditions which do not give a realistic test of benefit. Relatively little attention has been paid to long-term compression, or to the effect of AGC on comfort rather than intelligibility. Listening tests carried out at the RNID and reported here have shown that AGC can benefit hearing aid users by allowing them to listen to a wider range of sound levels without either strain or discomfort, and, if time constants are well chosen, without adverse effects on speech intelligibility in quiet or in noise.

Amplifiers, Electronic↗
PubMed1984

Spontaneous reduction of growth rate of a large intracranial meningioma. Case report.

A relatively young patient with a large intracranial meningioma producing a paucity of neurological signs and symptoms showed no progression of symptomatology over 14 years. This may represent a spontaneous growth arrest in an otherwise early expected fatal outcome. The location of the tumor with its benign course producing no demonstrable increase in visual loss over 14 years in such a young patient is quite unusual.

Adult↗