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Biomedical subjects

C McPherson

Publications and source records attributed to C McPherson.

12 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1994

Circadian variation of sustained ventricular tachycardia in patients with coronary artery disease and implantable cardioverter-defibrillators.

BACKGROUND: While previous studies using epidemiological data and ambulatory ECG monitoring have shown peak occurrence of sudden death and nonsustained ventricular tachycardia in the morning, none have examined circadian variation of potentially life-threatening ventricular tachycardia (VT), nor has any study observed circadian behavior of any arrhythmias in individuals followed longitudinally. We used the event memory of multiprogrammable implantable cardioverter-defibrillators to evaluate the circadian pattern of sustained VT over time. METHODS AND RESULTS: Data were reviewed from 32 consecutive patients with coronary artery disease and sustained VT who had received the Ventak PRX (CPI, Inc) cardioverter-defibrillator between May 1991 and August 1993 and had experienced at least one episode of VT terminated by their device. Mean follow-up was 14 +/- 7 months. Among the 2558 episodes recorded by the device logs, VT occurrence peaked between 6 AM and noon (P = .007 by ANOVA among four 6-hour time periods). Harmonic regression revealed a morning peak at 9 AM (P < .01). This morning peak occurred in patients with both frequent and infrequent events. Among 21 patients who experienced more than four VT events, 8 (38%) had an AM peak of VT occurrence (> 35% of VT between 6 AM and noon). Neither age, ejection fraction, event frequency, presenting arrhythmia, nor drug therapy distinguished patients who displayed the AM VT peak. CONCLUSIONS: In patients with coronary artery disease, sustained VT displays circadian variation with peak frequency in the morning, similar to that for sudden death. Individual patients who display specific patterns of circadian variation over time can be identified using defibrillator logs. Investigation of circadian variation of other phenomena to elucidate mechanisms of VT should focus on these patients.

Aged↗
PubMed1992

Implantable cardioverter defibrillator: a review.

Sudden cardiac death claims 400,000 to 450,000 lives annually. It is believed that sudden cardiac death results predominantly from ventricular fibrillation or sustained ventricular tachycardia that deteriorates into ventricular fibrillation. Conventional treatments for patients who suffer from ventricular arrhythmias have been limited to antiarrhythmic drugs or surgery. These treatments have proved ineffective to a portion of arrhythmia sufferers. The implantable cardioverter defibrillator offers hope to a segment of ventricular arrhythmia sufferers whose disease is resistant to conventional therapies.

Electric Countershock↗
PubMed1984

Elective modules in the behavioural sciences.

An elective modules programme in the behavioural sciences was designed for the undergraduate medical curriculum at The Ohio State University College of Medicine. The programme provides a mechanism by which a broad range of behavioural science content can be introduced into the curriculum without increased allocation of teaching staff or budget. Student preference data indicate some clear differences with the more popular modules being those which focus on skills or behaviours that students perceive to be useful in the immediate practice of medicine. The elective aspect of the programme was part of its initial appeal, both to students and teaching staff. Two years of course evaluation data from the students indicate that most individual modules and the programmes as a total have been successful in achieving their intentions. The programme has now been included as a permanent component of the curricula.

Behavioral Sciences↗
PubMed1984

An interdisciplinary team approach to development of health professions education.

In this article, the authors provide a practical approach to developing interdisciplinary educational programs for health professions students from different colleges. A three-stage model that enables interdisciplinary teams of faculty members to collaborate during planning and implementing programs is described. These three stages are identifying interdependence, exploring roles and sources of influence, and developing work methods. Common problems occurring during each stage and suggested solution alternatives are cited. The value of this model is the translation of philosophical perspectives into workable methods.

Cooperative Behavior↗
PubMed1982

Health care team training in U.S. and Canadian medical schools.

This paper reports the results of a survey to determine the extent to which interdisciplinary health team concepts are being taught as part of the undergraduate curriculum in U.S. and Canadian medical schools. Less than a third (29 percent) of the respondents indicated the existence of a formal program or program component designed to teach health care team skills. Although the total number of reported programs is small, 53 percent of these programs were required for all students. Three overall categories of content taught within the programs included group process skills, role and function of the team and its members, and content related to the health care context. Although the team approach is a process orientation, fewer than half of the programs reported using direct application of the process, that is, building groups of students into teams.

Canada↗
PubMed1980

Type A behavior pattern: relationship to variation in blood pressure, parental characteristics, and academic and social activities of students.

This study has analyzed the relationships between the Type A, or coronary-prone, behavior pattern and several physiological, behavioral and psychosocial characteristics and also has tested whether an increase in academic demands was associated with an increase in students' Type A scores. The Type A behavior pattern, as assessed by the Type A score of the Jenkins Activity Survey, was not related to average blood pressure, variability in blood pressure over a nine-week period, or increases in blood pressure following weeks when the respondent's normal life routine had been disrupted. Students who were more Type A spent more time studying or in classes. Type A students also had higher grade point averages. In contrast, Type A students were not more successful in relationships with the opposite sex nor in social relationships generally. Thus, the Type A behavior pattern appears to contribute to career success, which has traditionally been emphasized for men, but not to social success of the type that has traditionally been emphasized for women. Type A men recalled their fathers as having been more severe, having punished them more often physically, and having made them feel resentful rather than guilty when punished. Type A women recalled their mothers as having punished them more often physically. These parental behaviors may contribute to the development of anger and aggression, which are important components of the Type A behavior pattern. For the students who showed a large change in Type A scores between the beginning and the end of the academic semester, Type A scores increased at the end of the semester. Students with greater evidence of academic pressure showed more increase in Type A scores.

Blood Pressure↗
PubMed1980

Regulation of animal care and research? NIH's opinion.

It is the position of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) that investigators and institutions who use animals have the responsibility to provide for the animals' humane care and use. NIH policy requires that recipients of its awards assure NIH that they are carrying out this responsibility. NIH uses the National Academy of Sciences--National Research Council "Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals" to define acceptable animal care standards and a set of 12 "Principles for the Use of Animals" to define humane animal use.

Animal Husbandry↗