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Biomedical subjects

B Cunha

Publications and source records attributed to B Cunha.

15 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2001

A prospective evaluation of the incidence of bacteremia associated with EUS-guided fine-needle aspiration.

BACKGROUND: Endoscopic ultrasound (EUS)--guided fine-needle aspiration (FNA) is frequently performed for diagnostic evaluation of lesions in or near the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. Little data exist concerning possible infectious complications associated with EUS-guided FNA. This prospective evaluation was undertaken to determine the frequency of bacteremia and infectious complications associated with EUS-guided FNA. METHODS: All patients undergoing EUS-guided FNA for any indication were enrolled in this study. Patients who required antibiotic prophylaxis as per the American Heart Association or American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy guidelines were excluded from the study as were patients with cystic lesions, patients with advanced liver disease/ascites and those with human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immune deficiency syndrome. Blood cultures were obtained 30 and 60 minutes after the EUS-FNA. Patients were monitored for evidence of infection after procedure including telephone follow-up of each subject 1 week after procedure. RESULTS: One hundred patients underwent EUS-FNA of 108 lesions. All blood cultures were negative except in 6 patients in whom 1 of 2 bottles were positive for coagulase negative Staphylococcus, which was considered a contaminant. There were no complications of acute febrile illness, abscess or other infections. CONCLUSION: EUS-guided FNA was not associated with bacteremia or infectious complications.

Adult↗
PubMed2000

Promoting independent task performance by persons with severe developmental disabilities through a new computer-aided system.

This study involved two experiments. In Experiment 1, a computer-aided system for promoting task performance by 6 persons with severe developmental disabilities was compared with a card system. The computer-aided system was portable and presented pictorial task instructions (one instruction per step) and prompts. In Experiment 2, the same system was used, but the number of instruction occasions was reduced. In one condition, the system presented all the instructions used in Experiment 1 but mostly in clusters rather than individually. In another, the system presented part of the Experiment 1 instructions. Three Experiment 1 participants also served in Experiment 2. Experiment 1 results indicated all 6 participants had higher percentages of correct steps with the computer system and preferred it to the card system. Experiment 2 results indicated that the condition in which the instructions were clustered was more effective for maintaining correct task performance. Implications of the findings were discussed.

Activities of Daily Living↗
PubMed1999

Evaluation of a computer-aided system providing pictorial task instructions and prompts to people with severe intellectual disability.

The present study extended the evaluation of a computer-aided system providing pictorial instructions and prompts to promote task performance in people with severe intellectual disability. Four people were presented with two sets of tasks. The participants used the computer-aided system for one set and a card (control) system for the other. The results indicate that the computer-aided system was more effective than the card system with all participants. Three of the participants preferred the computer-aided system, while one favoured the card system.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1999

Evaluation of the heart rate and arrhythmias following the maze procedure for chronic atrial fibrillation.

PURPOSE: To assess the presence and the prevalence of arrhythmias and the variability of the heart rate in the medium-term postoperative period following the maze procedure for chronic atrial fibrillation (AF). METHODS: Seventeen patients with a mean age of 51.7 +/- 12.9 years, who previously underwent the maze procedure without cryoablation for chronic atrial fibrillation, were evaluated with the 24 hour electrocardiogram (ECG)--Holter monitoring from the 6th month after the operation. Valvular and coronary procedures were concomitantly performed. RESULTS: The mean heart rate during Holter monitoring was 82 +/- 8 bpm; the maximal heart rate was 126 +/- 23 bpm and the minimal heart rate 57 +/- 7 bpm. Sinus rhythm was found in 10 (59%) patients and atrial rhythm was found in 7 (41%). Supraventricular extrasystoles had a rate of 2.3 +/- 5.5% of the total number of heartbeats and occurred in 16 (94%) patients. Six (35%) patients showed nonsustained atrial tachycardia. Ventricular extrasystoles, with a rate of 0.8 +/- 0.5% of the total heartbeats, occurred in 14 (82%) patients. The chronotropic competence was normal in 9 (53%) patients and attenuated in 8 (47%). The atrioventricular conduction (AV) was unchanged in 13 (76%) patients and there were 4 (24%) cases of first degree atrioventricular block (AVB). CONCLUSION: After the maze procedure, the values for the mean heart rate, AV conduction and chronotropic competence approach the normal range, although some cases show attenuation of the chronotropic response, first degree AV block or benign arrhythmias.

Adult↗
PubMed1999

Results of the surgical treatment of chronic atrial fibrillation.

OBJECTIVE: Report clinical experience in surgical treatment of atrial fibrillation (AF) by Cox-maze procedure. METHODS: 61 patients underwent surgical treatment for AF. Two had primary AF and 59 AF secondary to heart disease (2 atrial septal defects, 57 mitral). Ages ranged from 20 to 74 years (mean = 49). There were 44 females (72%). The surgical technique employed was Cox 3 without cryoablation. The patients were follow-up in specific at patient clinics and underwent periodical ECG, exercise tests, echocardiogram and Holter monitoring. RESULTS: In-hospital mortality was 4.9% and late mortality 1.6%. A temporary pacemaker was used in 28 (46%) and a definitive in 7 patients (11.4%). On hospital discharge, AF remained in 17%; 63.9% had sinus rhythm, 6.9% atrial rhythm, 1.7% junctional rhythm, and 10.3% had pacemaker rhythm. In the last evaluation, AF was present in 19.5%; (70.5% sinus rhythm, 4% atrial rhythm, 2% atrial tachycardia, and 4% pacemaker rhythm). There was no report of thromboembolic episodes. Chronotropic response was considered adequate in 19%, intermediate in 29%, and inadequate in 42%. In Holter monitoring, the mean heart rate was 82 +/- 8 bpm, with a minimum of 57 +/- 7 bpm and maximum of 126 +/- 23 bpm, with supraventricular extrasystoles in 2.3 +/- 5.5% of the total heartbeats and ventricular extrasystoles in 0.8 +/- 0.5%. In the echocardiogram, the A wave was present in the left atrium in 87.5%. CONCLUSION: Maze procedure is effective and has acceptable surgical risk. Atrial or sinus rhythms remain stable with a small but remarkable frequency of atrial and ventricular arrhythmias. Left atrial contraction is present, although attenuated, as well as the chronotropic response to exercise.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

MRI appearance of AIDS subacute encephalopathy.

A case of biopsy documented subacute encephalopathy of AIDS was evaluated by CT and MRI. CT scanning revealed ventriculomegaly and ill-defined nonspecific periventricular white matter hypodensities. MRI, however, demonstrated extensive unequivocal diffuse white matter disease as the cause of the ventriculomegaly. MRI findings in this patient support the preliminary suggestion that MRI is more useful than computed tomography (CT) in demonstrating AIDS subacute encephalopathy.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗