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Biomedical subjects

A M Glasgow

Publications and source records attributed to A M Glasgow.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Adolescent diabetes management and mismanagement.

OBJECTIVE: To document the existence and prevalence of adolescent-generated diabetes management techniques. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: One hundred forty-four adolescents completed the confidential questionnaire developed for this study. Glycohemoglobin was also obtained for each individual. RESULTS: Within the 10 days before their clinic visit, many adolescents admitted to engaging in various mismanagement behaviors, with 25% admitting to missing shots. Parents tend to underestimate adolescent mismanagement. Missing shots was significantly related to poor control (P < 0.01). Older adolescents engaged in more mismanagement than their younger cohorts (P < 0.001). The questionnaire factored into two subscales: blatant mismanagement and faking. CONCLUSIONS: This study shows the importance of recognizing the prevalence of mismanagement among adolescents.

Adolescent↗

MRI, clinical, and biochemical features of partial pyruvate carboxylase deficiency.

We report a boy with a partial deficiency of pyruvate carboxylase as documented in enzyme assays of skin fibroblasts, lymphocytes, and hepatic tissue. Magnetic resonance imaging at age 20 months demonstrated a leukodystrophic process involving the brain stem and subcortical white matter, which, except for the brain stem, improved after biotin treatment. The lymphocyte pyruvate carboxylase activity of both heterozygous parents slightly increased after receiving oral biotin for 1 month, but a definitive enzymatic response to biotin was not confirmed in our patient. At age 6 years, he is dysarthric with a spastic quadriparesis despite improvements in development and myelination. This is the first demonstration of magnetic resonance imaging changes in this disease.

Biotin↗

Organic acids interfere in the measurement of carbon dioxide concentration by the Kodak Ektachem 700.

A significant discrepancy was noted in our laboratory between the total plasma carbon dioxide concentration measured by the Kodak Ektachem 700 and the bicarbonate concentration derived from the Corning 170 pH/Blood Gas analyser in an 8-day-old patient. The concentration of total carbon dioxide was 18 mmol/L while the derived bicarbonate was 13 mmol/L. The patient was eventually diagnosed as maple syrup urine disease. This finding led us to examine the effect of various organic acids on the measurement of carbon dioxide by the Ektachem 700. Several interfered significantly. Clinicians should be aware that when organic acid concentrations are increased, the Ektachem 700 total carbon dioxide result may be falsely raised.

Blood Gas Analysis↗

Alcohol and drug use in teenagers with diabetes mellitus.

Alcohol and drug use in adolescents with diabetes mellitus was assessed by an anonymous self-administered questionnaire with verification by urine drug screening. Approximately 50% of these adolescents report having tried alcohol and 25% report ongoing use. Almost 25% have tried drugs of abuse and 5% report ongoing use. One of 97 consecutive urine specimens was positive for marijuana. In general, the frequency of alcohol and drug use was less than expected based on other studies of different clinical groups of patients in the same age range. Patients with diabetes who reported drug use or who reported they live in an environment of substance abuse had poorer diabetes control than patients who did not.

Adolescent↗

Readmissions of children with diabetes mellitus to a children's hospital.

The characteristics of children with diabetes readmitted to Children's Hospital during a 5-year period, 1984 to 1989, were compared with those characteristics of new-onset patients admitted for stabilization and education and to outpatients in the Children's Hospital diabetes program to determine which characteristics were associated with patients who were readmitted. Changes in the frequency of readmissions were examined to determine whether the introduction of a diabetes team and a program that emphasizes the importance of ensuring that patients at risk of readmission consistently received insulin injections resulted in a reduction of readmissions. Readmissions occurred more frequently in patients who were black (71% compared with 38% of new-onset patients and 31% of outpatients) (P less than .001), from one-parent homes (56% compared with 27% of new-onset patients and 24% of outpatients) (P less than .001), and without third-party insurance (45% compared with 18% of new-onset patients and 15% of outpatients) (P less than .001). Readmissions were very common at 14 to 15 years of age (39% of readmissions vs 18% of outpatients) and very uncommon in children younger than age 9 (6% of readmissions vs 27% of outpatients) (P less than .001). Fewer readmissions for ketoacidosis occurred in the summer than in any other season (P less than .05). Readmissions fell by 47% over the 5-year period while new-onset patients increased by 85%. The reduction in frequency of readmissions was due to fewer readmissions for ketoacidosis and fewer readmissions in blacks, in patients from one-parent homes, and in patients without third-party insurance.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Age Factors↗

Retinol binding protein and prealbumin in Reye's syndrome.

Retinol binding protein (RBP) and prealbumin (PA) were analyzed in 29 serum samples from 8 patients with stages II and III Reye's Syndrome (RS), and from 10 healthy fasting children. All RS patients had at least one abnormally low RBP and PA value. A return toward normal was evident within 2-3 days in serial samples. The nadir RBP and PA values in RS (means of 9 and 107 mg/L) were significantly different (p less than 0.001) from those of the controls (RBP mean of 40 and PA of 157 mg/L). A significant correlation was found between RBP and PA serum values in RS (r = 0.7, p less than 0.001); the high admission NH4+ values tended to associate with low RBP levels; however, the correlation was not very high (r = -0.4, p less than 0.01). The presence of an abnormal vitamin A transport system at an early stage of RS raises the possibility of additional abnormalities in vitamin A metabolism in these patients. The findings of reduced serum levels of complement, clotting factors, fibronectin, and now RBP and PA, suggest a marked short-term impairment of hepatic synthesis of proteins and/or their release in RS.

Adolescent↗

Hypoglycemia, hepatic dysfunction, muscle weakness, cardiomyopathy, free carnitine deficiency and long-chain acylcarnitine excess responsive to medium chain triglyceride diet.

Fraternal twins who had fasting hypoglycemia, hypoketonemia, muscle weakness, and hepatic dysfunction are reported. The hepatic dysfunction occurred only during periods of caloric deprivation. The surviving patient developed a cardiomyopathy. In this sibling, muscle weakness and cardiomyopathy were markedly improved by a diet high in medium chain triglycerides. There was a marked deficiency of muscle total carnitine and a mild deficiency of hepatic total carnitine. Unlike patients with systemic carnitine deficiency, serum and muscle long-chain acylcarnitine were elevated and renal reabsorption of carnitine was normal. It was postulated that the defect in long-chain fatty acid oxidation in this disorder is caused by an abnormality in the mitochondrial acylcarnitine transport. Detailed studies of the cause of the hypoglycemia revealed that insulin, growth hormone, cortisol, and glucagon secretion were appropriate and that it is unlikely that there was a major deficiency of a glycolytic or gluconeogenic enzyme. Glucose production and alanine conversion to glucose were in the low normal range when compared to normal children in the postabsorptive state. The hypoglycemia in our patients was probably due to a modest increase in glucose consumption, secondary to the decreased oxidation of fatty acids and ketones, alternate fuels which spare glucose utilization, plus a modest decrease in hepatic glucose production secondary to decreased available hepatic energy substrates.

Cardiomyopathies↗

Ammonia metabolism in dogs with portacaval shunts.

Plasma ammonia, arginine, citrulline and urine ammonia, total nitrogen, and orotic acid were measured in shunted and control dogs. The progressive rise in plasma ammonia in the experimental group could not be explained solely by shunt hemodynamics. Similarity of control and experimental urinary nitrogen does not implicate nitrogen load. Urea synthesis was similar in experimental and control liver slices and was augmented by ornithine only in the experimental slices. Additionally, elevated urine orotic acid suggests urea cycle compromise at the ornithine transcarbamylase step.

Ammonia↗

A new method for measuring urinary orotic acid.

A relatively simple and specific method for measuring urinary orotic acid is reported. With this method, orotic acid is enzymatically converted to uridine 5-phosphate. The difference in absorbance produced by a simple colorimetric procedure in the presence and absence of the enzymatic conversion allows specific measurement of orotic acid. Normal values for urine are less than 4 micrograms/mg creatinine in infants and less than 3 micrograms/mg creatinine in older children and adults.

Adolescent↗