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A Watkins

Publications and source records attributed to A Watkins.

34 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1995

Comparison of two reflectance photometers in the assessment of neonatal hypoglycaemia.

To assess the accuracy and reliability of reflectance photometers in estimating blood glucose concentrations, two were assessed: the Ames Glucometer 3 (Bayer Diagnostics) with Glucofilm Test strips; and the Reflolux S (Boehringer Mannheim) with BM Test Glycemia 20-800 strips. These were compared with laboratory blood glucose estimations in 100 assays (50 comparisons for each machine, measuring the difference (d) between the glucose reading and the mean of the reflectance photometer and the laboratory value). The Ames Glucometer 3 (mean d = + 0.7 mmol/l, (SD 1.1) mmol/l) was less accurate than the Boehringer Reflolux S (mean d = 0.2 mmol/l, (SD (0.7) mmol/l). The range of error of both machines is wide (Ames 2 SD range + 2.9 mmol/l to -1.5 mmol/l true readings; Boehringer + 1.8 mmol/l to -1.2 mmol/l of true readings). Because of this, any reflectance photometer readings that are even slightly low should be checked with laboratory estimations. The clinical value of such machines is limited in infants with low blood glucose concentrations.

Blood Glucose↗
PubMed1995

Long-term weight cycling reduces body weight and fat free mass, but not fat mass in female Wistar rats.

OBJECTIVE: The effects of repeated weight gain and loss, the weight cycling (WC) phenomenon, on body composition have been controversial. WC history and age are two confounding factors which may contribute to this inconsistency. In the present investigation, we examined the effects of WC on body weight regulation, body composition and feeding efficiency in a long-term study when WC history was controlled. METHOD: Six groups of female Wistar rats were used in this study. Five of these six groups were made obese by feeding a high fat (HF) diet for 11 weeks and then divided into five groups: non-cycling control group (HFCON); one group which cycled three times (HFCYC); and three one-cycle groups which cycled only once corresponding to each of the three cycles in the HFCYC group. The sixth group was fed the low fat diet without cycling (LFCON). Weight cycling (WC) was produced by feeding 50% of a HF diet with extra protein, vitamin and mineral mixture until body weight of the cycled groups reached the level of the LFCON group. After three cycles (52-56 weeks), all rats were killed. RESULTS: Results showed that repeated WC reduced final body weight and fat free mass, but not body fat mass in the HFCYC group. Repeated WC also reduced rate of weight regain. During the third cycle, the amount of fat regained during refeeding was more than the fat mass lost during restricted feeding in the HFCYC group. For the three one-cycle groups, the rate of weight regain was slower but rate of weight loss was the same in older rats as in the younger rats. CONCLUSION: Thus repeated WC may favor more body fat retention in later cycles. Aging affected rate of weight regain but not rate of weight loss, nor body composition, while repeated WC affected both rate of weight loss and regain.

Animals↗
PubMed1994

Phase II study of intravenous melphalan (NSC-8806) in the treatment of patients with advanced squamous carcinoma of the head and neck.

The Illinois Cancer Center entered 25 patients on a phase II trial of intravenous melphalan treating patients with recurrent, metastatic or locally advanced and inoperable squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck. All patients had bi-dimensionally measurable disease, at least a sixty day life expectancy, and adequate performance status (ECOG scale < or = 2). All patients except one had received prior radiotherapy, chemotherapy or both. Melphalan dosage was 30 mg/m2 every three weeks. Twenty-four patients were evaluable for response. One patient with laryngeal carcinoma had a clinical complete response of a nodal metastasis. Four patients had stabilization of disease for one to three months. There was formidable toxicity, including neutropenia (ANC < 1000/microliters 36%), and thrombocytopenia (< 50,000/microliter 32%). There were no drug-related deaths. Melphalan administered intravenously does not appear to be efficacious therapy in patients with previously treated advanced head and neck squamous carcinomas.

Adult↗
PubMed1992

Mucormycosis of the neonatal gut: a "new" disease or a variant of necrotizing enterocolitis?

Mucormycosis is an opportunistic infection that has been mainly described in adults with preexisting disease affecting immune status, eg, diabetes, leukemia, lymphoma, and renal failure on peritoneal dialysis. Few cases have been described in neonates. The presentation of mucormycosis as a cause of neonatal necrotizing enterocolitis is an unusual phenomenon. Three fatal cases of mucormycosis of the gut in premature infants in the period 1990 to 1991 are described. It is not clear whether this should be considered a separate disease or a variant of necrotizing enterocolitis. All three patients died soon after laparotomy from septic shock and the histological diagnosis of mucormycosis was made too late for effective chemotherapy.

Enterocolitis↗
PubMed1992

Tachyarrhythmia, cardiac rhabdomyomata and fetal hydrops in a premature infant with tuberous sclerosis.

An hydropic infant was delivered at 32 weeks gestation by emergency Caesarean section for acute polyhydramnios. A diagnosis of cardiac rhabdomyomata was made on echocardiography. The baby survived 10 days, during which time repeated episodes of supraventricular tachycardia occurred. She eventually died of cardiac failure following an episode of septicaemia, convulsions and aspiration pneumonia. Necropsy showed multiple cardiac rhabdomyomata and numerous cerebral germinal layer and periventricular white matter nodules. This case stresses the importance of clinical investigations and perinatal necropsy in non-immune hydrops fetalis (NIHF) in determining the causes of clinical presentation and the underlying pathology.

Female↗
PubMed1988

Significance of seizures in very low-birthweight infants.

Of 506 very low-birthweight (VLBW) infants, the authors review data on 67 identified as having seizures. 29 survivors with seizures and 305 without were followed up at the ages of one, two and five years: statistical significance of psychological and mental impairment was evaluated. Impairment was higher in the seizure group at 66 per cent (15 per cent in non-seizure group) and 43 per cent of these were considered to be severely impaired. Infants with seizures occurring for more than seven days and lasting for more than five minutes had the poorest outcome, and infants with late onset had the best outcome. Analysis showed that 40 per cent of seizures were caused by birth asphyxia, and these were strongly prognostic, correlating with mortality and impairment rates. 60 per cent of the infants who died had the same cause for both their seizures and death, and for 57 per cent of these the cause was perinatal asphyxia. The poor outlook for the VLBW infants suggests that the seizures themselves are a serious neurological insult.

Female↗
PubMed1986

An ultrastructural morphometric study of membranous glomerulonephritis.

Sixteen cases of membranous glomerulonephritis and 17 controls were studied using electron microscopy and morphometry of whole glomerular cross-sections. It was found that, in relation to controls, in membranous glomerulonephritis the following parameters are increased: total area, total number of cells, all basement membrane parameters, visceral epithelium compartment area and visceral epithelial cell area, area of parietal epithelium, mesangium and urinary space, number of endothelial and mesangial cells; by contrast, the following are decreased: number of visceral epithelial cells, capillary and endothelial volume fractions. Correlation analysis between morphometric and clinical parameters demonstrated significant correlations between capillary basement membrane thickening and duration of disease, proteinuria and renal function; the changes in visceral epithelial cells correlated with serum albumin, proteinuria and inverse of creatinine; changes in relative area of capillary lumina correlated with blood pressure. It is concluded that the ultrastructural morphometric study of renal biopsies will lead to better understanding of glomerular disease.

Basement Membrane↗
PubMed1985

Combination therapy with pulsed methylprednisolone in rheumatoid arthritis.

Pulsed methylprednisolone (PMP) has been shown to produce clinical improvement and reduction in the ESR and acute phase protein concentrations in patients with active rheumatoid arthritis and has been advocated for use either as an alternative to slow-acting antirheumatoid drugs (SAARDs) or in conjunction with SAARDs to accelerate the response to treatment. To test these potential roles for PMP 45 patients with active RA were randomly allocated to treatment with PMP alone, PMP + sulphasalazine (SAS - at a maintenance dose of 2.0 g/day), or PMP + D-penicillamine (DPA - at a maintenance dose of 500 mg/day). In each case three 1 g intravenous infusions were given on alternate days during the first week of the trial. Patients were monitored for 24 weeks by standard clinical and laboratory measurements. All three treatment groups showed significant clinical and laboratory improvements at two weeks. With PMP + DPA and PMP + SAS these improvements were sustained and were not significantly different in these two treatment groups. However, in the 'PMP only' group ESR and CRP rose to pretreatment values by eight weeks. Twelve patients withdrew from the study owing to a relapse of the RA. No serious adverse effects were seen in the 'PMP only' group. Both combination regimens were well tolerated; adverse effects seen were attributable to either DPA or SAS. We conclude that PMP alone is insufficient for treatment of RA but can be used successfully in combination with either DPA or SAS. A comparison between these results obtained from two previous groups of 15 patients treated with DPA alone and SAS alone (using the same study design) shows that PMP accelerated the response to therapy by at least six weeks.

Arthritis, Rheumatoid↗
PubMed1984

Neonatal and postneonatal mortality in very low birthweight infants.

We reviewed 388 very low birthweight infants admitted to this neonatal intensive care unit over a four year period to determine the pattern of neonatal and postneonatal deaths up to age 2 years. Neonatal mortality is no longer an adequate indicator of outcome because deaths arising from perinatal events occur after the first month of life.

Australia↗
PubMedDate not supplied

The impact of lifestyle factors on serum 25-hydroxy vitamin D levels in older adults: a preliminary study.

We studied 49 adults between the ages of 60 and 91 to determine the impact of lifestyle factors on serum 25-hydroxy vitamin D levels. The subjects were interviewed to determine their sunscreen use, sun exposure, dietary and supplemental vitamin D intake, current medical problems, and medications used. Serum levels of 25-hydroxy vitamin D (D2 and D3) were measured. Forty-six percent of our subjects had a total vitamin D intake less than 400 IU/day and 49% never used sunscreen. Sunscreen use was positively correlated with 25-hydroxy vitamin D serum levels. Total vitamin D intake was more significant than sun exposure in determining 25-hydroxy vitamin D levels.

25-Hydroxyvitamin D 2↗
PubMedDate not supplied

A hypothetical model of the effect of medical education on specialty choice.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Using the Theory of Reasoned Action, we propose a model that diagrams medical school characteristics known or hypothesized to influence the process of specialty choice. The medical school characteristics we consider are administrative support, special programs, primary care funding, number and quality of primary care faculty, faculty influence, primary care residencies, committee representation, primary care environment, required time, and student contact. This model provides explicit hypotheses to be tested in future research on specialty choice.

Career Choice↗