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Biomedical subjects

B Christiansen

Publications and source records attributed to B Christiansen.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1992

[The danger of infection in inhalation rooms].

There are alarming reports about high counts of Legionella and Pseudomonas in the aerosol of inhalation-rooms. We therefore investigated 14 institutions (6 kurhauses, 5 hospitals and 3 sanatoria for children) in Schleswig-Holstein, each of them at least five-fold. For that purpose the inhalant (seawater as a rule) was investigated for the total bacterial number and the number of Legionella. Cfu/m3 air were determined at the aerosol outlet and a qualitative search for Legionella was done in the piping. In addition bacterial numbers in the air at the breathing-levels of patients were measured in order to be able to assess health hazards by germs of other patients. Detected bacterial numbers (10(1) - > 10(4)) were basically subject to the handling of the equipment and the type of apparatus used. Predominantly Staphylococci and Bacilli were found and above all when the first row of investigations was carried out large numbers of Pseudomonas, Aeromonas and others occurred. Legionella could not be detected. As a whole the investigations showed that properly maintained room-inhalators pose no higher risk of infection. These facilities, however, might be contaminated at any time and there is a certain--even though comparatively low--risk of infection due to germs exhaled by other patients. Patients, which are predisposed to infections of the respiratory tract--f.i. patients suffering from mucoviscidosis or patients with lowered resistance--should therefore generally use single inhalators.

Aerosols↗
PubMed1991

[The suitability of commercial bioindicators with spores of B. stearothermophilus for the testing of formaldehyde gas sterilizers].

Commercially available biological indicators with spores of B. stearothermophilus were investigated by the Hygiene-Institutes of Kiel and Lubeck. The objective was to find out if those indicators to which sheep blood was added subsequently correspond to the formaldehyde resistance required by. DIN 58948, part 14 (DIN 58948, part 13). Both working groups determined unanimously that the indicators of one producer showed a resistance too low compared to the remaining biological indicators showing a much higher resistance than required. Even biological indicators manufactured strictly in accordance to the testing standard were more resistant than demanded. This also corresponded to the commercially available untreated spores. On the other hand, practice showed that the biological indicators investigated within this study can be easily killed by formaldehyde sterilizers if they respond to the technical standard. In order to realize the testing of these sterilizers with indicators of a generally accepted resistance we propose either to demand for an equivalently higher formaldehyde resistance or to set up a killing period for the spore resistance from 150 to 240 min until experimentally important data are available. Concerning the blood containing indicators the results of both working groups differed considerably within the limits of formaldehyde efficiency whereas this was not the case with untested commercially available spores. As the addition of thinned blood did not cause an increase in resistance we recommend, in the interest of standardized investigative conditions, not to use it.

Drug Resistance, Microbial↗
PubMed1989

The role of psychopathology and gender in respiratory self-regulation.

A group of 12 male and 12 female psychiatric patients were recruited among an anxiety-disordered population, and their performance on a respiratory modulation test was compared with that of a matched non-patient sample. Inferior performance was expected in the patient group, and males were expected to show better respiratory modulation than females. Results supported the conclusion that females were less able than males in modulating respiratory muscle behaviour according to requested patterns, and female psychiatric patients showed a relative lack of flexibility in the thorax or abdomen regions or in both trunk levels.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1989

Global increase in response latencies by early middle age: complexity effects in individual performances.

Ten young women (age 20 to 22 years) and 10 middle-aged women (age 36 to 44 years) served as subjects in choice reaction time, letter classification, and abstract matching-to-sample tasks. In each of seven conditions, the older group responded more slowly than the younger group. Age differences showed a complexity effect. That is, differences between the latencies of young and old subjects increased as the latency of the young subjects increased. Both linear and power functions accurately described the relation between the latencies of the middle-aged and young adult groups. This was true not only for the relation between average latencies but also for the relation between corresponding quartiles of latency distributions. Similar results were observed at the individual level: All middle-aged subjects showed complexity effects, and, for each middle-aged subject, the relation between her latencies and those of the average young adult was well described by linear and power functions. These findings indicate that age-related slowing is apparent by age 40, and that complexity effects are observable in individual performances. This slowing is global and not specific to particular tasks, as indicated by the fact that the latencies of older adults can be predicted directly from those of younger adults without regard to the nature of the task.

Adult↗
PubMed1988

[The effectiveness of a skin disinfectant with a cation active additive].

Within the scope of studies on efficacy of skin disinfection an alcoholic preparation with a cation-active substance (Octeniderm) was tested by way of the quantitative cotton swab method. To study the remanent effectiveness the skin of the upper arm was contaminated with Staph. epidermidis (10(2), 10(3) and 10(6)/cm2 skin) a) 1 minute and b) 2 h after disinfection. Swabs of the contaminated skin areas were taken after 1 min, 10 min and 2 h. It was shown, that Octeniderm compared with 70% Isopropanol and with the preparation without the active substance lead to a significant higher reduction of the contamination flora. Recent studies showed, that alcoholic disinfection of skin areas with many sebaceous glands was as good as inefficacious. A first experiment with Octeniderm on the forehead brought a significant better effect than 70% Isopropanol, but too the mean log reduction factors (RF) amount only to 0.76 for the aerobic and 0.64 for the anaerobic bacteria (exposure time of the disinfectant: 10 min) respectively 0.75 (aerobe) and 0.95 (anaerobe) one hour after disinfection.

1-Propanol↗
PubMed1987

Behavioral medicine programs in teaching hospitals.

Behavioral medicine is a relatively new interdisciplinary field which combines biomedical and behavioral science knowledge, and applies them to prevention, diagnosis, treatment and rehabilitation. Behavioral medicine programs provide a valuable service to patients with chronic illness, psychosomatic or functional disorders, treatment noncompliance, and behavioral risk factors. Behavioral medicine faculty are also active in teaching and research on patient behavior, interviewing skills, health promotion and counseling, and management of chronic illnesses. However, the survival of behavioral medicine programs in teaching hospitals depends on their economic viability and academic status. Positive action is needed to ensure their continued growth and development.

Behavior Therapy↗
PubMed1985

New methods for determining pre-operative and postoperative skin disinfection.

A comparison was made of the Thran pressurized spray gun and scrubbing with cotton swabs on the removal of organisms from the skin. Both methods showed similar results but sometimes considerable differences in counts were found on adjacent skin areas. The cotton swab method was used to compare the effect of 60 or 70% isopropanol and 10% povidone-iodine on the flora of the outer side of the upper arm over 24 h. With the exception of one test person, no significant difference was found between the disinfectants.

1-Propanol↗
PubMed1985

Joint distension arthrography for disabling hip pain. A controlled clinical trial.

Thirty-eight patients (age 27-73 years) with unilateral hip pain, restricted movement of the hip joint and radiologically no or only slight osteoarthrosis were studied in a double-blind controlled clinical trial. Twenty-one patients received active treatment with hip joint distension arthrography and 17 received placebo treatment. All patients were assessed clinically on entry, the day after and 3 months after treatment. The incidences of subjective improvement were similar in the two groups. Apart from a slight deterioration in the treated group of hip flexion, abduction and lateral rotation at the one-day assessment, neither group showed any change in the registered movements of the hip joint compared with the assessment on entry. The measured intermalleolar distance at maximal straight-leg abduction was the sole variable which tended to increase (p = 0.05) 3 months after active treatment. Thus, the therapeutic effect of a single treatment with joint distension seems to be dubious.

Adult↗
PubMed1978

Intravesical pressure during transurethral resection using Iglesias resectoscope with continuous irrigation and suction.

Intravesical pressure was studied in 20 patients during transurethral resection (TUR) of the prostate using the Iglesias resectoscope with continuous irrigation and suction. The suction pressure (50 cm H20) was considerably lower than that suggested by Iglesias. The amount of irrigant was thereby appreciably diminished and blocking of the outlet system was avoided. The intravesical pressure averaged 35 cm H20 during resection, which is less than in conventional resection, and 15 cm during evacuation of tissue chips. Signs of TUR syndrome were not seen. We consider the new resectoscope to be a considerable improvement for TUR.

Humans↗