PubMed Health⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

A L Garden

Publications and source records attributed to A L Garden.

6 recordsLinked to original sources

Myogenic and scalp signals evoked by midinspiratory airway occlusion.

A somatosensory potential that is evoked by transient added inspiratory load has previously been described (Davenport PW, Friedman WA, Thompson FJ, and Franzen O. J Appl Physiol 60: 1843-1848, 1986). This evoked potential is novel because it arises in response to a stimulus that also evokes a muscle response, and so this potential could contain myogenic components. The present study was undertaken to define the relationship between the scalp response and other physiological responses that are evoked by airway occlusion. Evoked signals were recorded from the scalp, scalenus anterior, masseter, and electrooculogram. Responses to a 200-ms midinspiratory occlusion were recorded in 12 healthy volunteers. Evoked responses were reliably recorded at C(3)-C(Z) and C(4)-C(Z) and from the skin overlying the scalenus anterior in 11 of these subjects. The onset latencies were 15.7 +/- 3.1 at C(3)-C(Z), 15.9 +/- 2.1 at C(4)-C(Z), and 17.6 +/- 5.5 ms at scalenus anterior. In nine subjects, the masseter response appeared to coincide with the mouth pressure trace, and this was interpreted as movement artifact. No consistent electrooculogram or frontal electroencephalogram response was recorded. Because of the similarity in onset latency at C(3)-C(Z), C(4)-C(Z), and scalenus anterior, it was concluded that the myogenic signal may contribute to the scalp response and should be viewed as a potential source of artifact in experiments of this nature.

Adult↗

Anaesthesia information--what patients want to know.

We developed and introduced into clinical practice a leaflet to improve the delivery of information to patients before obtaining their consent to anaesthesia. The amount of information needs to be what a "reasonable" patient thinks appropriate; therefore we tested patients' responses to three levels of information: "full" disclosure, "standard" disclosure (as contained in our leaflet) and "minimal" disclosure. Forty-five patients scheduled to undergo cardiac surgery were enrolled in the study. None of the information sheets caused a significant change in state anxiety score and only the "full" disclosure significantly increased knowledge about anaesthesia (P = 0.016). All leaflets were easy to understand. When only one leaflet was provided 64-73% of patients thought the content was "just right", whereas when all three leaflets were viewed together, 63% of patients thought the "minimal" leaflet withheld too much information.

Analysis of Variance↗

A child with valproic acid-associated carnitine deficiency and carnitine-responsive cardiac dysfunction.

Valproic acid enhances renal losses of carnitine esters and leads to decreased plasma free carnitine concentrations in many patients receiving valproic acid therapy. However, decreased serum carnitine levels are of unclear pathologic significance, and most children manifest no symptoms of carnitine deficiency. We report a child with valproic acid-associated carnitine deficiency who had severe cardiac dysfunction develop that resolved with carnitine replacement therapy.

Carnitine↗