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Biomedical subjects

A Spickard

Publications and source records attributed to A Spickard.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1997

Physician impairment by substance abuse.

Physician impairment by substance abuse represents a significant challenge to physicians, patients, and society as a whole. Although data is sparse, the prevalence of alcohol and illicit drug abuse among physicians is probably similar to that of the general population, while abuse of prescription drugs may be more prevalent. From a medicolegal standpoint, these issues are managed mostly at the state level and substance abuse is of increasing interest to credentialling organizations such as hospitals and managed care organizations. A variety of concrete steps can be taken to identify physicians with substance abuse problems and treatment approaches have been designed specifically for impaired physicians. With improved attention to the problem of physician impairment by substance abuse, the well-being of both physicians and their patients can be enhanced.

Alcoholism↗
PubMed1996

The paradox of cytokine monitoring-predictor of immunologic activity as well as immunologic silence following cardiac transplantation.

The utility of cytokine monitoring to predict the onset of significant rejection was evaluated in 34 patients following heart transplantation. Serial blood levels of 5 cytokines involved in inflammation and immune activation(IL-1, IL-2, IL-6, IL-8, and TNF) were correlated with clinical outcome and endomyocardial biopsy scores. The majority of patients (68%) experienced a significant rejection during the study period. IL-6 and IL-8 levels were effective markers of significant rejection 2-4 days before diagnosis with EMBX. IL-6 and IL-8 levels of 15 and 1000 pg/ml predicted the onset of rejection with sensitivities of 75% and 66% and specificities of 86% and 76%, respectively. In contrast, IL-6 and IL-8 levels less than 15 and 400 pg/ml predicted a rejection-free course with sensitivities of 91% and 91% and specificities of 81% and 68%, respectively. The remaining cytokines differentiated patients experiencing a clinically unremarkable course from those experiencing mild-to-moderate rejection but did not discriminate rejection severity. IL-6 levels identified steroid and OKT3 resistance within 48 hr of antirejection therapy. IL-6 levels elevated to 197 +/- 20 pg/ml among steroid-resistant patients and normalized to 20 +/- 5 pg/ml among responders. IL-8 levels delineated OKT3 resistance. IL-8 levels rose to 3496 +/- 500 pg/ml among nonresponders, whereas levels fell to 152 +/- 50 pg/ml among responders. This study demonstrates that IL-6 and IL-8 are useful markers of rejection and therapeutic efficacy following heart transplation.

Adult↗
PubMed1996

Improving residents' teaching skills and attitudes toward teaching.

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether a short, 3-hour teaching skills workshop could improve residents' teaching performances and attitudes toward teaching. DESIGN: Controlled study. PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING: Forty-four second- and third-year residents in a university-based internal medicine residency program. INTERVENTIONS: Twenty-two residents were assigned to a nonparticipant (control) group, and 22 residents were assigned to a 3-hour teaching skills workshop designed to help them establish a positive learning climate and provide effective feedback to medical students. MEASUREMENTS: Questionnaires completed by medical students and residents that measured the residents' abilities to establish a positive learning climate and provide feedback, their overall teaching skills, and their attitudes toward teaching. RESULTS: Four months after the workshop intervention, workshop participants improved their learning climate and feedback according to student evaluations (p = .02, p = .001, respectively) and resident self-assessments (p = .002, p = .01, respectively) compared with nonparticipants. Overall teaching skills were not significantly changed (p = .20 for student evaluation and p = .09 for self-assessments). Workshop participants also gained more confidence in their teaching (p = .001), and adopted more learner-centered approaches to teaching than did nonparticipants. CONCLUSIONS: A 3-hour instructional workshop is a feasible and effective method to help residents improve their teaching skills, their confidence in teaching, and the approaches they use to teach medical students on the wards.

Adult↗
PubMed1994

Exogenous lipoid pneumonia.

Exogenous lipoid pneumonia is an uncommon condition resulting from aspirating or inhaling fatlike material, such as mineral oil found in laxatives and various aerosolized industrial materials. These substances elicit a foreign body reaction and proliferative fibrosis in the lung. Because symptoms are absent or nonspecific and the roentgenographic findings simulate other diseases, exogenous lipoid pneumonia is often unrecognized. Yet, appropriate historical inquiries and simple laboratory tests can lead to the correct diagnosis, removal of the offending agent, and, potentially, improvement in lung function before serious complications develop.

Diagnosis, Differential↗
PubMed1986

Alcoholism: the missed diagnosis.

Physicians fail to recognize the early signs and symptoms of alcoholism in their patients. This results in delays in the proper diagnosis and treatment for alcoholism, the underlying cause for many common complaints. Reasons for missing the diagnosis include inadequate education opportunities for physicians in the field of chemical dependency, the physician's attitude toward alcoholics, and the alcoholic's own denial of his addiction. There are steps that physicians can take to increase their ability to identify alcoholism as the underlying cause of the patient's complaint.

Alcoholism↗
PubMed1984

Michigan Alcoholism Screening Test to diagnose early alcoholism in a general practice.

General medical patients can be easily screened for alcohol dependence on a routine basis. The Michigan Alcoholism Screening Test (MAST) is a 24-item yes-no questionnaire concerning alcohol-related behavior. When it was included in the history self-administered to new patients in an internal medicine faculty-resident outpatient practice, it uncovered unsuspected alcohol dependence. The combined questionnaire (health history plus MAST) was given to 351 consecutive new outpatients. Thirteen (4%) were found to have positive MAST scores (greater than 7), indicating alcohol dependence. Nine patients were in the mild dependence range (7 to 20), two in the moderate range (20 to 30), and two in the severe range (30 to 53). All patients with significant MAST scores had complaints related to active drinking. The MAST score directed the physicians' therapeutic efforts in nine of 13 patients; in four the significant MAST score was ignored. The MAST is useful to detect unsuspected alcohol dependence in office practice. When used by faculty and residents trained in recognizing alcohol-related behavior, the test will properly direct therapeutic and rehabilitative efforts for those patients with the primary diagnosis of alcohol dependence.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1979

Opportunistic infections in chronic lymphocytic leukemia.

Patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) are susceptible to infection from a variety of opportunistic pathogens. We have described an elderly man with CLL who had repeated, severe bacterial and fungal infections including recurrent cryptococcal meningitis, disseminated histoplasmosis, Vibrio fetus sepsis, Pasturella tularensis sepsis, and Aspergillus pneumonia. B cell and possible T cell defectiveness in CLL as well as chronic corticosteroid therapy contributed to the weakened host defenses.

Aged↗