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Biomedical subjects

A Siebens

Publications and source records attributed to A Siebens.

6 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1993

Diagnosis of tracheoesophageal fistula by analysis of gastric air.

Two patients receiving positive pressure ventilation experienced marked gaseous abdominal distension. Analysis of gases from the stomach, ventilator, and room air suggested that the gastric gases came from the ventilator in one patient. The diagnosis of tracheoesophageal fistula was confirmed by esophagoscopy. Analysis of gases in the other patient did not support the suspicion of tracheoesophageal fistula, and no fistula was found at autopsy. The technique of gastric air analysis is presented as a simple supporting tool for the clinical diagnosis of tracheoesophageal fistula in patients receiving positive pressure ventilation.

Aged↗
PubMed1989

Bolus position at swallow onset in normal adults: preliminary observations.

A "delayed swallowing reflex/response" (i.e., when the swallow reflex is not triggered when the bolus passes the back of the tongue at the anterior facial arch) Logemann has been widely accepted as an abnormality. Careful review of the literature supports the premise that a "delayed swallowing reflex/response" may in fact be a variation of normal. This paper describes swallowing in normal adults. We report the videofluoroscopic measurements of bolus position at the onset of swallow. A radiopaque marker was affixed to the anterior facial arch and the distance between the head of the bolus and the anterior facial arch was measured at the onset of swallow. A statistically significant proportion of swallows (22 of 30) occurred after the head of the bolus passed the anterior facial arch. This finding suggests that there may be diverse sites for elicitation of the swallowing response/reflex rather than a single site (i.e., the anterior facial arch). The relevance of this finding to treatment using thermal stimulation is discussed, as is the versatility of the normal pharynx.

Adult↗
PubMed1986

Correlates and consequences of eating dependency in institutionalized elderly.

Loss of independent eating capacity is a major problem for the institutionalized elderly. Few studies have examined the factors associated with loss of functional eating capacity. The authors cross-sectionally studied 240 residents of a skilled nursing facility, classified their functional eating status, identified correlated deficits, and followed these residents for six months. Information was gathered through questionnaires, chart review, and physical examinations. Residents were stratified into independent (68%, N = 164) and dependent (32%, N = 76) eating status groups according to the need for physical assistance during meals. Dependency status did not correlate with age (P = .88) or weight loss (P = .27). Loss of independence in eating was associated with impaired mobility (P = .0001), impaired cognition (P = .0001), modified consistency diets (P = .0001), upper extremity dysfunction (P = .0001), abnormal oral-motor examinations (P = .0002), absence of teeth and dentures (P = .002), behavioral indicators of abnormal oral and pharyngeal stages of swallowing (P = .0001), and increased mortality within six months (P = .0001). Eating dependency is therefore associated with multiple impairments and early mortality.

Activities of Daily Living↗
PubMed1986

Exercise program for patients after cardiac surgery.

The effects of an exercise program on patients after cardiac surgery were studied. The physical status and length of hospitalization of 44 patients who were not exposed to the program (group I) were compared with those of 43 program participants (group II). All patients were evaluated preoperatively and before hospital discharge. Whereas 24 of the patients in group I scored lower at discharge than preoperatively on an assessment of functional activity, only 9 from group II did so (p = 0.001). Fewer patients in group I than in group II increased their performance in a test of distance walking. Patients in group I lost significantly more (p = 0.03) range of motion in upper and lower extremities than did patients in group II. The mean length of hospitalization for patients in group II was shorter than for those in group I by 1.9 days (p less than 0.001). In summary, the exercise program reduced the prevalence of activity morbidity incident to hospitalization for cardiac surgery, and was associated with a reduced length of stay.

Adult↗