PubMed Health⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

A Björnham

Publications and source records attributed to A Björnham.

5 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1999

A physiotherapy test package for assessing back and neck dysfunction--discriminative ability for patients versus healthy control subjects.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: A physiotherapy test package of 10 tests designed for assessing dysfunction due to back or neck pain was tested for its ability to discriminate between back- or neck-pain sufferers and healthy control subjects. Twenty-seven patients and 26 healthy control subjects participated in the study. METHOD: Fifteen patients suffering from back or neck pain and 15 matched healthy control subjects were assessed using the package to compare the results between the groups. The results from a further 12 back- or neck-pain sufferers and 11 unmatched healthy control subjects were analysed with respect to sensitivity and specificity, cluster formation and correlation with ratings of pain and perceived exertion. RESULTS: The differences in the test results for the patients and the matched healthy control subjects were highly significant in all variables but one. High sensitivity for cut-off points of clinical relevance was found in all variables but one, whereas specificity was moderate in most variables. CONCLUSIONS: Despite the small sample size, the significant differences between patients and healthy control subjects, with the sensitivity and specificity figures, suggest that the content validity of the test package is satisfactory.

Adult↗
PubMed1987

Acidic deposition and human exposure to toxic metals.

Acid precipitation affects the solubility of several metals in aquatic systems and in soil. Cadmium levels in tap water samples from geological areas having low resistance to acidic pollution were significantly higher than those in samples from a neighbouring reference area where there was a different geological structure. The median cadmium levels and pH values were 0.14 microgram l-1 and 5.6 respectively, for the acidic areas compared with 0.07 microgram l-1 and 6.4 respectively for the reference area. Further, there was a significant inverse relationship between both cadmium and lead contents and the pH values of the samples. The mobility of the metals was thus dependent on the acidity. The blood lead levels in 195 subjects from the acidic areas were lower than those in 91 subjects from the reference area (medians 60 vs. 70 micrograms l-1); no significant differences were found in blood cadmium or blood mercury levels. Subjects in the acidic areas had lower plasma selenium levels than those from the reference area (medians 85 vs. 90 micrograms l-1); the difference was mainly attributed to subjects with private wells. The data may indicate a negative effect of the acidic pollution on selenium intake via water and/or foods. There was also a positive relationship between intake of fish on the one hand and blood mercury and plasma selenium on the other, which is in accordance with the role of fish as a source of these metals.

Cadmium↗
PubMed1983

Chloroquine in long-term treatment of rheumatoid arthritis.

The effect of long-term (18-70 months) chloroquine treatment 250 mg daily, in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) was studied in 20 patients. Sedimentation rates were significantly reduced, as compared to a reference group of 10 RA patients on no treatment of disease modifying anti-rheumatic drugs. Radiographical progression of the disease was low in the majority of chloroquine-treated patients but not significantly different from the finding in the patients of the reference group. Rapid radiographical progression during 2-3 years was, however, observed in 5 patients despite chloroquine treatment.

Adult↗