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Biomedical subjects

B S Harris

Publications and source records attributed to B S Harris.

11 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1992

Genetic localization of Hao-1, blind-sterile (bs), and Emv-13 on mouse chromosome 2.

The blind-sterile (bs) mutation in the mouse was localized on Chromosome 2 between Hao-1 and Emv-13. N2 progeny from a backcross between congenic female 129.AKR-bs Emv-13 mice and (129.AKR-bs/bs x Mus musculus molossinus) F1 male mice were typed by analysis of isozyme variants for Hao-1, visible inspection for bs, and restriction fragment length polymorphism for Emv-13 and Emv-15. Comparison between markers on mouse Chromosome 2 and corresponding markers on human chromosomes suggest that the human homolog of bs will be located on 20q11-q13.

Alcohol Oxidoreductases↗
PubMed1989

Breast cancer in women with scoliosis exposed to multiple diagnostic x rays.

Although exposure to ionizing radiation is a recognized risk factor for breast cancer, the potential hazard from low-dose, fractionated exposures during early breast development has not been thoroughly evaluated. Women with scoliosis represent a valuable population for studying this issue because they are exposed to multiple diagnostic x rays during childhood and adolescence, times when the breast may be highly sensitive to the carcinogenic effects of radiation. A study was conducted of 1,030 women with scoliosis who were seen at four Minneapolis area medical facilities between 1935 and 1965. The average age at diagnosis was 12.3 years; 60% of the women had idiopathic scoliosis. Individual x-ray films were counted and the number per patient ranged from 0 to 618 films (mean, 41.5). On average, the x-ray exposures were given over an 8.7-year period. Ninety percent of the women were located, of whom over 92% responded to a mail questionnaire or telephone interview. The average period of observation was 26 years. Overall, 11 cases of breast cancer were reported, compared with six expected (standardized incidence ratio = 1.82, 90% confidence interval = 1.0-3.0). Excess risk increased with time since exposure and was highest among those followed for more than 30 years (standardized incidence ratio = 2.4). Risk also increased with the number of x rays and with the estimated radiation dose to the breast (mean, 13 rad). These data suggest that frequent exposure to low-level diagnostic radiation during childhood or adolescence may increase the risk of breast cancer.

Adult↗
PubMed1988

Reproductive outcomes in scoliosis patients.

In a retrospective cohort study of 1,409 persons diagnosed with scoliosis between 1927 and 1965 in Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota, mailed questionnaires were obtained for 846 white women. Six hundred and eight (72%) of these women had ever been pregnant, and they reported a total of 1,733 pregnancies and 1,413 livebirths. Adverse outcomes among the pregnancies and livebirths of the 608 women were reported, including spontaneous abortion, stillbirth, low birth weight, prematurity, congenital anomalies, and complications of pregnancy or delivery. Rates of these events for the scoliosis patients were compared with corresponding expected rates. Comparison of the overall rates suggested that the scoliosis patients had more premature births than expected, but their rates of other adverse reproductive events did not differ from expected.

Adult↗
PubMed1986

Percutaneous placement of ventriculoatrial shunts: four-year case experience.

During the past 4 years, we have used percutaneous placement of the atrial catheter in 39 patients who have undergone ventriculoatrial shunting. The age range of our patients has been from 9 to 74 years of age, with routine indications existing. Both subclavian and internal jugular venous access have been utilized, with the latter being our preferred route of access for reasons of safety. Average operative time has been approximately 35 to 40 minutes. Both traditional and split-sheath introducer catheters have been used. Patient follow-up has been up to 4 years. Intraoperative complications have been limited to puncture of the carotid artery on two occasions; neither affected the ultimate performance of the procedure. Postoperative complications have been limited to those peculiar to shunt procedures in general and have required revision in four instances. One patient suffered an infection secondary to shunting. The benefits of this procedure seem to include safety, decreased operative site exposure, and decreased operative time, all factors that may contribute to a lower than normal infection rate and may warrant consideration of this procedure in adolescents and adults for whom ventriculoatrial shunting is indicated.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

A survey approach for finding cases of epilepsy.

Identify persons with epilepsy by first looking for prescriptions for particular antiseizure drugs. Follow these prescriptions from the pharmacies to the physicians who wrote them for patients. Ask the physicians whether the patients have epilepsy. Finally, contact the patients who do have epilepsy to elicit information about the impact of that condition on their lives. With these steps, it may be possible to carry out successfully a probability survey of epilepsy in the United States population. To learn more about this approach, a field test was funded by the National Institute of Neurological and Communicative Disorders and Stroke (NINCDS) of the Public Health Service. From 1978 through 1982, the work was planned, carried out, and evaluated by Research Triangle Institute, Research Triangle Park, NC. Epilepsy is a sensitive topic to ask about in a survey. Also, the condition is sufficiently rare to render ordinary survey approaches inefficient. Even if rarity were not an issue, there would be the problem of response error because a person with epilepsy does not, as a rule, have much clinical information on his or her condition. Better information lies with the physician who provides the care, but many physicians are busy with their practices. Furthermore, their record systems are usually not designed for easy retrieval of information, unless the names of patients are available. In the survey approach considered here, the names of patients are obtained through a random sampling of prescriptions for antiseizure drugs. The field test was divided into three phases with special activities reserved for each. The most important problem confronted was how to safeguard the confidentiality of relationships between pharmacist and patient and between physician and patient.Special guidelines on confidentiality were put into effect for the data collection. These guidelines,however, contributed to serious problems of nonresponse-especially for physicians. This article provides a brief account of the field test, including a rationale for the survey strategy of finding cases of epilepsy through prescriptions for antiseizuredrugs.

Anticonvulsants↗