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Biomedical subjects

B Kelly

Publications and source records attributed to B Kelly.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources
PubMed2000

Measuring psychological adjustment to HIV infection.

AIMS: A modified version of the Mental Adjustment to Cancer Scale (The Mental Adjustment to HIV Scale--MAHIVS) was used to evaluate patterns of psychological adjustment in response to HIV infection. METHODS: A sample of 164 HIV positive homosexual/bisexual men were recruited across three Australian centers (79 asymptomatic (CDC II/III) and 85 symptomatic HIV infection (CDC IV)). Factor analysis of the MAHIVS was conducted and the predictive validity of the MAHIVS was investigated using the General Health Questionnaire, while The Diagnostic Interview Schedule was used to assess current and lifetime psychiatric disorder. Other measures of adjustment/coping were used to investigate the construct validity of the MAHIVS (neuroticism, locus of control, defense style). RESULTS: Factor analysis of the MAHIVS detected four factors: Hopelessness, Fighting Spirit/Self Efficacy, Personal Control, and Minimization. Hopelessness and Fighting Spirit factors exhibited acceptable levels of internal consistency and validity, with significant correlations detected with psychological symptoms and significant association with other measures of psychological adjustment and personality. Fighting Spirit emerged as a potential indicator of psychological resilience, whereas Hopelessness was significantly associated with psychological symptoms and current major depression (but not past depression). CONCLUSIONS: The findings indicate the validity of the MAHIVS and support the presence of common themes in the psychological adaptation to life-threatening illness that can be detected across disease categories and groups.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMed2000

Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome: life-threatening haemorrhage from aneurysms within the liver, small bowel mesentery and kidney, requiring both surgical and radiological intervention.

Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome (WAS) is a rare, generally X-linked recessive condition, originally described by Wiskott in 1937 as a triad of discharging ears, eczema and thrombocytopoenia. Aldrich included bloody diarrhoea in his report of 1954, with severe immunodeficiency and predisposition to malignancy being recognised subsequently. The incidence currently quoted is approximately 4 per million live male births, although there is some regional variation. We report the case of a long-term survivor who had massive haemorrhage from an intrahepatic aneurysm and, on a separate occasion, the right kidney.

Adult↗
PubMed2000

Knowledge and attitudes of hospital staff to occupational exposure to bloodborne viruses.

In order to assess awareness of occupational risk of exposure to bloodborne viruses a questionnaire was sent to 245 health care workers, representing a 10% sample of employees with patient contact in a large teaching hospital in Scotland, stratified by occupational group. One hundred and eight questionnaires (44%) were returned. Seventy per cent of respondents in laboratory and clinical areas described themselves as having sufficient knowledge for their own area of practice, but many gave incorrect answers or expressed uncertainty about the infectivity of HIV and hepatitis B and hepatitis C viruses. Ninety-four respondents were unaware that a regimen containing more than one antiretroviral drug is now recommended for post exposure prophylaxis of HIV infection, 37 thought they had been at risk of bloodborne viral infection and had contacted the occupational health department for advice, and 68 respondents disagreed with guidelines from the United Kingdom's General Medical Council on testing of patients for bloodborne viruses. The results indicate a need for educational initiatives for new and existing staff.

Attitude of Health Personnel↗