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Biomedical subjects

C du V Florey

Publications and source records attributed to C du V Florey.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1998

Variations in cotinine levels in smokers during and after pregnancy.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the antenatal and postnatal cotinine levels in smoking women after controlling for the differences in smoking practices. STUDY DESIGN: A paired comparison of two measurements of cotinine concentration was conducted in 40 smoking women voluntarily recruited in a prenatal education program held in La Fe Hospital, Valencia, Spain, during 1990 and 1991. Cotinine concentration was assayed by gas chromatography in samples of saliva obtained during and after pregnancy. The Wilcoxon matched-pairs test and multiple linear regression analysis were used. RESULTS: The cotinine per cigarette ratio during pregnancy (median 3.53 ng/ml per cigarette) was significantly lower than the ratio in the postnatal testing (median 9.87 ng/ml per cigarette). This difference persisted after allowing for differences in reported cigarette consumption. CONCLUSION: These findings suggest that the available equivalencies between cotinine level and nicotine intake obtained from adult nonpregnant populations cannot be directly applied during pregnancy.

Adult↗
PubMed1998

Episiotomy and perineal tears in low-risk UK primigravidae.

BACKGROUND: The aim of the study was to determine the rates and to describe the risk factors for episiotomy and perineal tears in low-risk primigravidae. METHOD: A cross-sectional survey of 101 randomly selected NHS hospitals in the UK was carried out between February 1993 and January 1994. Subjects were 40 consecutive low-risk primigravidae in each hospital. The main outcome measures were number and reasons for episiotomy, and number and degree of perineal tears. RESULTS: A large proportion of women (83 per cent) experienced some form of perineal trauma. Forty per cent of the women had an episiotomy only, 6 per cent an episiotomy and perineal tear, and 37 per cent perineal or other tears without episiotomy. The main reasons for performing an episiotomy were foetal distress (27 per cent), impending tear (25 per cent) and delay of the second stage of labour (21 per cent). Fifty-nine per cent of women with a delayed second stage had a spontaneous vaginal delivery and 41 per cent required instrumental assistance. The likelihood of having an episiotomy increased with the duration of the second stage of labour, irrespective of type of delivery. Episiotomy rates varied appreciably throughout regions and hospitals in the United Kingdom, ranging from 26 to 67 per cent. There was also a large regional variation in the rates of perineal trauma; generally, high rates of one outcome were associated with low rates of the other. Compared with white women, women from the Indian sub-continent were almost twice as likely and those from the Orient almost five times as likely to have an episiotomy. CONCLUSIONS: The magnitude of the geographical variation suggests a lack of uniformity in indications for performing episiotomies and that guidelines for performing episiotomies may need to be reviewed. The rates of episiotomy in women from the Indian sub-continent and Orient were very high compared with those for white women, and this requires clarification and explanation, as they are contrary to rates experienced in these ethnic groups in other countries.

Adult↗
PubMed1995

Assessment of exposure to environmental tobacco smoke in nonsmoking pregnant women in different environments of daily living.

The relation between duration of recent exposure to environmental tobacco smoke and salivary cotinine concentration was assessed in a cross-sectional study conducted during the third trimester of pregnancy of 710 nonsmoking women attending a prenatal clinic in La Fe Hospital, Valencia, Spain, between September 1, 1989, and September 30, 1991. A structured interview questionnaire was used to obtain information on duration of exposure to environmental tobacco smoke in the last 3 days to four sources: 1) partner's smoking at home, 2) others' smoking at home, 3) others' smoking at work, and 4) others' smoking in vehicles and in indoor public places. Cotinine levels were determined in saliva samples obtained during interviews. The duration of exposure to any source was positively related to cotinine levels independent of exposure to the other sources (p < 0.05). Self-reporting of the duration of recent exposure was a proxy measure of the integrated dose as assessed by saliva cotinine concentrations. The results underline the need to consider sources of exposure other than partner's tobacco smoke and to assess them individually rather than as an unweighted summative measure.

Activities of Daily Living↗
PubMed1995

Exposure to environmental tobacco smoke in nonsmoking pregnant women in relation to birth weight.

The objective of this study was to determine whether birth weight is related to maternal exposure to environmental tobacco smoke. A cohort study was conducted in a sample of 710 nonsmoking women attending a prenatal education program in the third trimester of pregnancy in La Fe Hospital, Valencia, Spain. The duration of exposure to environmental tobacco smoke in the home, at work, and in vehicles and public places was collected by structured questionnaire. Cotinine levels were determined in saliva samples. Multiple regression was used to control for infant's sex and gestational age and for maternal age, height, prepregnancy weight, parity, education, social class, and episodic illnesses during pregnancy. The mean birth weight of infants of women with cotinine levels > 1.7 ng/ml was 87.3 g lower than that of infants of women with cotinine levels in the range 0-0.5 ng/ml (p = 0.048). Birth weight was negatively associated with average weekly duration of exposure in public places (p < 0.05), whereas mothers exposed to the partner's smoke for up to 14 hours/week had infants 177.2 g heavier than those of unexposed mothers. Although the evidence is weak for an effect of exposure to environmental tobacco smoke on the fetus of nonsmoking pregnant women, it may be sufficient to recommend restriction of smoking in enclosed work-and public places to reduce any risk of growth retardation.

Adult↗
PubMed1982

Childhood respiratory illness and the home environment. I. Relations between nitrogen dioxide, temperature and relative humidity.

The relation between the use of gas for cooking, nitrogen dioxide (NO2), temperature and relative humidity was investigated in an urban area of northern England. In a pilot study conducted in a random sample of 40 homes measurements of temperature and relative humidity were not significantly different between homes with a gas cooker and homes with an electric cooker but weekly average levels of NO2 were higher in bedrooms (p less than 0.005) and living rooms (P less than 0.01) of gas homes. In the main study conducted in gas cooking homes only, access was gained to 183 (54.3%) of 337 randomly selected homes. No correlation was found in children's bedrooms between with weekly average level of NO2 (range 4.7 to 160.8 ppb) and weekly average temperature (ranged 7.7 to 22.0 degree C; r = 0.05, p greater than 0.10) or relative humidity (range 37.0 to 98.1%; r = 0.07, p greater than 0.10). Levels of NO2 in the bedroom were positively correlated with those in the living room (range 9.0 to 292.2 ppb; r = 0.39, p less than 0.01). Factors which tended to be associated with high levels of NO2 in the home included gas fires, paraffin heaters and use of the cooker for heating and drying clothes.

Air Pollutants↗
PubMed1982

Childhood respiratory illness and the home environment. II. Association between respiratory illness and nitrogen dioxide, temperature and relative humidity.

The relation of respiratory illness to nitrogen dioxide (NO2), temperature and relative humidity in homes with a gas cooker was investigated in five and six year old children living in an urban area of the northern England. NO2 was measured for one week in the child's bedroom and living room of each home, and temperature and relative humidity were measured in the bedroom only. Information on respiratory conditions experienced by the child and characteristics of the home was collected in a self-administered questionnaire completed by the child's mother. Access was gained to 183 homes (54.3% of 337) where only gas was used for cooking. Complete information was obtained for 179 (93.7%) of 191 children who lived in the 183 homes. After allowing for the effects of age, sex, social class, and number of cigarette smokers in the home and temperature or relative humidity, no statistically significant relation was found between the prevalence of having one or more respiratory conditions and weekly average levels of NO2 in the bedroom (range 4.7 to 160.8 ppb) or living room (range 9.0 to 292.2 ppb). However, the prevalence of having one or more respiratory conditions tended to be highest in homes with high levels of NO2 and lowest in homes with low levels, consistent with earlier findings. A significant positive association was found between the prevalence of respiratory conditions and relative humidity (p less than .05). A harmful effect on health from NO2 cannot be totally dismissed but if it exists it is weak and difficult to detect in small samples of children.

Air Pollutants↗
PubMed1982

The epidemiology of indoor nitrogen dioxide in the U.K.

The results of three studies on the effect of gas cooking on the lung function of children are reported. The studies which have been carried out in England and Scotland with children aged 6-11, 6-7 and 5-6 years, respectively, show that there is only a weak association between indoor levels of NO2 and respiratory illness. Nevertheless, the consistency of the difference in the rate of respiratory diseases in children from homes with electric and gas cookers suggest there is some hazard to the use of unflued gas appliances which may warrant further epidemiological investigation.

Child↗
PubMed1980

National study of health and growth: respiratory symptoms and height in primary schoolchildren.

An analysis of the relationship between the height of primary schoolchildren in England and Scotland and their respiratory symptoms as reported by their parents showed that children with morning cough, day and night cough, wheeze and asthma or bronchitis in the preceding 12 months were shorter than those without these symptoms. In subsequent analyses account was taken of differences in social and biological factors as measured by father's social class, sibship size and parent's height. The relationship between height and asthma remained statistically significant. Morning cough and day and night cough were related to short stature in children living in more deprived conditions. The number of respiratory symptoms was inversely related to height but once the children with asthma were excluded from the analysis the trend tended to disappear. There was also some evidence that children with respiratory symptoms gained less height in a year than those without. Our results indicate that, with the exception of asthma, the association between respiratory symptoms and height in primary school children is only marginal. Nevertheless in lower social classes and where sibling size is large common respiratory symptoms are related to short stature.

Analysis of Variance↗