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Biomedical subjects

A Greer

Publications and source records attributed to A Greer.

36 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1990

Process issues in consultancy.

A piece of short term consultancy work in a school for the Mentally Handicapped is described from the perspective of both the consultants and the consultees with particular reference to the process issues involved. Reasons for the high levels of stress, experienced in the exercise are explored by an examination of the contributory factors within the school and the consultancy process itself. As well as a theoretical discussion questions of practical management are considered.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1989

An empirical comparison of the stone and dangerousness criteria for civil commitment.

Massachusetts civil commitment criteria were compared in an emergency setting with a set of criteria developed by Dr. Alan Stone. Contrary to expectations, the Stone criteria proved to be more restrictive in a sample of 503 patients. Few patients would be newly committable under the Stone criteria; of the 35 patients committable under the Stone standard, 32 also met the current Massachusetts criteria for commitment. The clinical and policy implications of the adoption of the Stone criteria are discussed.

Adult↗
PubMed1989

Triiodothyronine as an inotropic agent after open heart surgery.

Two small, randomized, blind clinical trials comparing the administration of triiodothyronine with that of placebo have been carried out in patients undergoing myocardial revascularization. In patients with a left ventricular ejection fraction of less than 30% (study I), triiodothyronine administration at the end of operation and during the initial 24 hours after operation was associated with a significantly reduced need for conventional inotropic agents (p less than 0.02) and diuretics (p less than 0.02). In patients with a left ventricular ejection fraction of greater than 40% (study II), triiodothyronine administration resulted in significantly improved stroke volume (p less than 0.01) and cardiac output (p less than 0.02) and reduced systemic (p less than 0.01) and pulmonary (p less than 0.05) vascular resistances. There were no adverse reactions to triiodothyronine in the dosages that were used. Triiodothyronine appears to be beneficial to all patients undergoing open heart surgery.

Cardiac Output↗
PubMed1988

Limitations on psychiatrists' discretionary civil commitment authority by the Stone and dangerousness criteria.

The dangerousness-oriented commitment criteria of Massachusetts were compared with the paternalistic Stone model of commitment in an emergency setting. In a sample of 1062 patients, the Stone criteria were more restrictive than the dangerousness-oriented criteria; 91 patients were committable by the Stone model compared with 218 under the present statute. A second comparison of only those patients who refused treatment yielded similar findings--52 patients were committable according to the Stone criteria compared with 80 under the Massachusetts statute. The greater restrictiveness of the Stone criteria in each comparison was in large part the result of the requirement that the treatment decisions of the patient be incompetent; in the broader sample, the criterion of major patient distress had a comparable impact. A comparison of patients committable under both standards with those patients currently committable who would be excluded under the Stone standard revealed significant differences. The dually committable patients were more likely to be psychotic, to meet statutory criteria for grave disability, and to be diagnosed as manic. The implications of the findings are discussed.

Adult↗
PubMed1987

Heroin abusers in psychiatric beds. A Glasgow study.

A retrospective study was carried out of all heroin abusers admitted to an acute psychiatric unit to examine their use of the facility of in-patient care. The compliance with treatment was low. Most patients discharged themselves or were discharged prematurely for using drugs while in the ward; only 21% were discharged as planned. The value of hospital admission in the management of opiate abusers may have to be reconsidered in view of the increasing prevalence of heroin abuse and the limited number of psychiatric beds.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1986

Comparison of the nutritional state of new and long-term patients in a psychogeriatric unit.

Nutritional deficiencies have been implicated in the pathophysiology of various mental disorders. Life in institutions has been associated with development of nutritional deficiencies, the elderly being most at risk especially those with senile dementia. In this study nutritional status, particularly vitamin and essential mineral status was assessed in a group of 64 new admissions to a psychogeriatric unit and 49 long-term patients. The results indicated that psychogeriatric patients were at risk of experiencing nutritional deficiencies and those with senile dementia were likely to have more abnormalities than those with functional illnesses. Those patients in long-term care would appear to have a better nutritional state than those on admission.

Aged↗
PubMed1976

The influence of growth medium on the interactions between Bordetella pertussis and Staphylococcus aureus.

Previous observers showed that many strains of Staphylococcus aureus stimulated the growth of Bordetella pertussis but we have found the reverse: the growth of all available strains of B. pertussis on charcoal-agar medium was inhibited by a standard strain of S. aureus; and 17 of 18 strains of S. aureus (as well as several other organisms) inhibited the growth of a standard strain of B. pertussis. All inhibiting colonies had an unusual brown colouration on the charcoal agar used in the investigation. Both the brown colouration and the inhibitory property were caused by acid production, probably from the starch in the medium. We therefore suggest that media containing starch and blood should not be used in studies of bacterial interference.

Agar↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Integration of intradisciplinary quality assessment into a multidisciplinary approach.

One challenge for the QA professional in healthcare today is initiating, coordinating, and facilitating QA programs that cross traditional departmental and discipline barriers and bring together multidisciplinary teams. When looking at healthcare from a customer's perspective, the QA professional must not isolate what nursing does for the patient, what the medical staff does for the patient, what pharmacy does for the patient, and so on. The imperative, instead, is to evaluate the healthcare as it truly is perceived and delivered-as a team effort. This article presents one method that uses the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations' 10-step model to create an effective multidisciplinary QA program.

Hospital Departments↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Fluorescence in situ hybridization studies on the sex chromosome constitution of human sperm.

More males are conceived than females and more males are born as a result of in vitro fertilization (IVF) and donor insemination procedures. All donor sperm samples are frozen for a minimum of 6 months before they are used. The ratio of more boys to girls has been consistently reported over the years. A similar finding has been noted in the Galway Fertility Unit at University College Hospital Galway, Ireland. Traditionally, it has been accepted that the reason for this excess is that a Y chromosome-bearing sperm swims faster than the X-bearing sperm because it contains less DNA and is therefore "lighter." To test this hypothesis, semen samples were collected at the Galway Fertility Unit from men presenting for routine semen assessments. Each sample was divided into a number of aliquots. The first aliquot was assessed as the "raw" ejaculate to measure the initial ratio of X to Y. The second aliquot was prepared using Percoll density gradients, which allows for greater recovery of sperm with higher motility and improved sperm function. The final aliquot was frozen. The frozen sample was later thawed and prepared using Percoll. The prepared sperm were kept for 48 h and sampled at the time of preparation and at 24 h and 48 h to establish if there was any differential survival over time. The X:Y ratio was analyzed using the technique of fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH). This allowed the sex chromosomes to be specifically stained and identified simultaneously. No difference was found in the X:Y ratio of the sperm. Therefore, any selection for the Y sperm must take place at some later stage.

Humans↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Interdisciplinary rural health training for health professional students: strategies for curriculum design.

Interdisciplinary rural health program offer a promising solution to the challenge of preparing graduates for rural practice, with the ultimate goal of promoting better health care for rural populations. This article focuses on the three-year experience of a model interdisciplinary rural health curriculum implemented in eastern North Carolina. Ten strategies are presented as a framework for the design and implementation of an effective practice-based curriculum for interdisciplinary rural health training. Allied health educators should examine existing curriculum models to build upon their strengths and explore new models to meet evolving delivery system and consumer needs.

Allied Health Personnel↗