PubMed Health⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

A Darnborough

Publications and source records attributed to A Darnborough.

9 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1985

Can preliminary screening of dyspeptic patients allow more effective use of investigational techniques?

A total of 1041 patients with undiagnosed dyspepsia were interviewed to determine whether they required investigation for organic disease. The interviewer, a research assistant without medical qualifications, used a standard data sheet. The information obtained was analysed by computer, and, according to the results, patients were predicted to be at high, medium, or low risk. They were then followed up and the final diagnosis was compared with the risk predicted by computer. Patients predicted to be at low risk had a 10% chance of having ulcer disease and a 0.3% chance of having cancer, whereas patients predicted to be at high risk had a 20% chance of having ulcer disease and a 10% chance of having cancer. Appropriate preliminary screening of patients with acute dyspepsia can separate a group at low risk who will require investigation only if their symptoms do not resolve and a group at high risk requiring urgent outpatient consultation.

Duodenal Ulcer↗
PubMed1982

Comparison between cimetidine and Caved-S in the treatment of gastric ulceration, and subsequent maintenance therapy.

One hundred patients with benign gastric ulceration were treated in a single-blind, endoscopically controlled trial to assess the relative efficacy of cimetidine (1 g daily) and Caved-S (six tablets daily). Ulcer healing was assessed after six weeks' treatment, and, if incomplete, after a further six weeks. There was no significant difference between the two drug regimens (approximately 63% at six weeks and 91% at 12 weeks). If an ulcer remains unhealed after 10 weeks' treatment the patient should undergo surgery. There was no difference in the relief of day pain between the two drug regimens but cimetidine was more effective over the first two weeks of treatment relieving night pain, than was Caved-S (p less than 0 . 02). After ulcer healing, drug dosage was reduced (cimetidine to 400 mg at night and Caved-S to two tablets twice daily). So far, 56 patients, 28 in each group, have completed the first year's maintenance treatment, and there have been four ulcer recurrences in each group (14%).

Aged↗
PubMed1976

Transfer of computer-aided diagnosis of dyspepsia from one geographical area to another.

This paper reports a comparison in Airedale District General Hospital between computer-aided diagnosis of dyspepsia and endoscopy in a prospective unselected series of 165 patients. Patients were interviewed immediately before endoscopy and the findings analysed by a small desk-top computer-aided system. Each 'new' patient was compared by the computer with a group of 360 similar patients from Leeds (25 miles away). Overall, 83% of the positive lesions found at endoscopy were correctly predicted by the computer, including all but three of the 22 cases of gastric cancer. It is suggested (1) that there is little loss of accuracy in transferring the computer-aided system from one locality to another; and (2) that a computer-aided analysis of the patient interview may be of value in selecting 'high-risk' patients for intensive investigation.

Diagnosis, Computer-Assisted↗