PubMed Health⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

C D George

Publications and source records attributed to C D George.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

An audit of job application forms in response to adverts in the British Medical Journal.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to examine the speed of response of human resources departments to requests for job application forms for posts advertised in the British Medical Journal (BMJ). Of particular interest was the closing date for applications, postage cost, and the period to reply. DESIGN: Twenty posts were randomly selected and application forms requested by telephone and then 20 by letter on two separate dates from the BMJ Classified (issues of 21 July 2001 and 28 July 2001). During the first week the forms were requested by telephone on receipt of the BMJ (Friday afternoon). During the second week the forms were requested by first class post. All letters were sent out on Saturday morning. OUTCOME MEASURES: The date of receipt of the application form/information pack, the cost of postage, and the closing date for application were recorded for each position. RESULTS: Fifteen forms were received after the telephone application and 18 forms after the letter applications. One trust sent two replies spaced one week apart for the same job and two replies contained job application forms for the wrong job. The response rates to telephone requests varied from four to 10 days and by letter from three to 12 days. The minimum time between the reply being received and the closing date was one day, and the maximum 21 days. The time between the closing date for applications and the start date of the job varied from minus one week (closing date before advertisement) to three months. Thirteen replies gave no indication of the start date of the job. The cost of postage varied from 27p to pound 1.90. Thirty one trusts used first class postage. CONCLUSION: There is very limited scope to return job application forms on time, and significant delays in sending out application forms and information packs compound this problem. It is recommended that trust human resources departments place advertisements early and respond promptly to requests for application forms.

Advertising↗

Intra-articular dislocation of the patella: two cases and literature review.

Intra-articular dislocation of the patella remains uncommon and is generally thought to be a problem of young adolescent males. This report reminds emergency physicians that it can occur in the arthritic knee, and it should be considered in the differential diagnosis of locked knee in the elderly. Closed reduction should be attempted in these cases, because the dislocation is liable to be held in place by osteophytes rather than impaction of the patella deep in the intercondylar notch and a good functional outcome can be expected.

Age Distribution↗

The radiological features of adult T-cell leukaemia/lymphoma.

Adult T-cell leukaemia/lymphoma (ATLL) results from a monoclonal expansion of T-cells infected with the human T-cell lymphotropic virus type 1 (HTLV-1). Six cases of ATLL, three males and three females all from the Caribbean and with a mean age of 55 years, have been reviewed retrospectively, illustrating the wide spectrum of radiological changes. One patient had extensive mediastinal adenopathy, hitherto an unrecorded finding in ATLL.

Female↗

Digital sialography: imaging and intervention.

Digital subtraction imaging (DSI) has been widely used in angiography but less commonly applied to sialography. Over a 3-year period 109 patients referred for sialography, 42 males and 67 females with a mean age of 44 years (range 8-85 years), were examined using a digital subtraction imaging technique. 13 patients went on to have an interventional procedure, stone removal or duct dilatation. The role of DSI imaging in sialography and its use in facilitating interventional procedures on the salivary glands are discussed.

Adolescent↗

Abdominal ultrasound in Noonan syndrome: a study of 44 patients.

Noonan syndrome affects approximately 1 in 1500 live births. Affected individuals may have characteristic phenotypic features some of which are shared with Turner syndrome, although in Noonan syndrome the karyotype is normal, unlike the 45X karyotype of Turner syndrome. Renal anomalies have been described in both syndromes and in Turner syndrome they are both common and frequently severe. The frequency and spectrum of renal anomalies in Noonan syndrome have not been well documented. Upper abdominal ultrasound was performed to establish the frequency of renal anomalies in Noonan syndrome. Forty-four individuals with Noonan syndrome, aged between 9 months and 38 years, were studied. Sixteen scans (36%) were normal and 28 (64%) were abnormal. Five patients (11%) had renal anomalies. Twenty-three patients (53%) had splenomegaly, 6 of these with associated hepatomegaly. One patient had a choledochal cyst and a midgut malrotation. The frequency of renal anomalies in Noonan syndrome is 11%, which is lower than that seen in Turner syndrome. However, splenomegaly with or without hepatomegaly occurs commonly. Choledochal cyst and solitary kidney, previously unreported in Noonan syndrome, are documented.

Abdomen↗

Balloon dilatation of the pharynx.

Balloon dilatation has become a widely accepted technique in the management of oesophageal and other gastrointestinal strictures. The use of this procedure in the pharynx has rarely been reported. We have performed 55 balloon dilatations on 13 patients with pharyngeal strictures. In three patients all symptoms were permanently abolished after one dilatation. Seven patients were successfully managed with repeated, regular dilatations. Two patients had a good initial response but this was not maintained and one patient had no relief of symptoms. Balloon dilatation is minimally invasive, less traumatic than rigid pharyngoscopy with dilatation, and well tolerated. It may be frequently repeated, and has successfully relieved dysphagia caused by benign and malignant strictures of the pharynx, including instances where previous rigid bouginage had failed.

Adult↗

Bowel preparation before intravenous urography: is it necessary?

Whether or not bowel preparation should be used before intravenous urography (IVU) remains a controversial issue. Despite strongly held views on both sides there is little scientific evidence to support either viewpoint. We have conducted a prospective randomized study designed to test the hypothesis that adequate bowel preparation before IVU facilitates better quality studies requiring fewer films and consequently less time and a lower radiation exposure. Data on 188 patients were analysed; 90 patients received bowel preparation and 98 received no bowel preparation. There was no difference between the groups in terms of the number of films taken, the duration of the procedure, the visibility of the renal tracts or the overall quality of the studies. The prepared group did have significantly less faecal residue than the unprepared group. However, the renal tract visibility was no greater, as the combination of gas and haustral folds seen after bowel preparation obscured fine detail of the urinary tract as effectively as faecal residue. The hypothesis that adequate bowel preparation before IVU facilitates better quality studies must therefore be rejected.

Cathartics↗

Accelerated thrombolysis using pulsed intra-thrombus recombinant human tissue type plasminogen activator (rt-PA).

The efficacy of regional thrombolysis for treating leg ischaemia is well established, but the duration of infusion and the frequent complications remain major disadvantages. By delivering recombinant human tissue type plasminogen activator (rt-PA) as pulsed intra-thrombus 5-mg aliquots combined with catheter manipulation to maintain an intra-thrombus location, the average time taken to achieve thrombolysis in 20 consecutive patients with infra-aortic occlusions was 109 min. Immediate thrombolysis was achieved in every case. Pulsed delivery of high dose rt-PA significantly accelerates thrombolysis, decreases dose and reduces costs.

Adult↗

Thrombolysis and the femorofemoral bypass graft: a new technique.

Two patients with acutely thrombosed femorofemoral bypass grafts are presented. Recombinant human tissue-type plasminogen activator (rt-PA) was used successfully in thrombolysis of the occluded grafts. Utilizing a new technique the grafts were punctured directly and bolus doses of rt-PA administered.

Aged↗

Parotid haemangioma in infants: MR imaging at 1.5T.

Parotid gland neoplasms are uncommon and account for less than 2% of human tumours. Haemangiomas account for about 50% of parotid tumours in infants and children compared to only 2% in adults. As the clinical course of infantile haemangiomas may be self limiting and the initial treatment is expectant, early and accurate diagnosis is essential. We report 3 cases of paediatric parotid haemangioma and discuss the Magnetic Resonance (MR) characteristics of these tumours. In two cases the diagnosis was proven histologically and in one case Computed Tomography (CT) was also performed.

Female↗