Motorcycle helmet laws: every surgeon's responsibility.
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Craniocerebral Trauma↗
Biomedical subjects
Carol Schermer
Publications and source records attributed to Carol Schermer.
Evaluation of aminoaciduria in severely traumatized patients.
BACKGROUND: It has been documented in the literature that hypocalcemia, hypoaminoacidemia, and hyperaminoaciduria are sequelae of trauma. The aminoaciduria of patients with different types and severity of traumatic injuries was investigated. METHODS: Eight severely traumatized patients (ISS range, 20-43 years) and eight age-, gender-, and weight-matched controls were studied. Plasma and urine were collected 2.5-72 h after admission. Quantification of 28 amino acids in plasma and urine was performed by reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography. Urine concentrations of amino acids were indexed to creatinine. RESULTS: The patients' mean serum concentrations of 4 amino acids (arginine, threonine, isoleucine, and glutamine) were significantly decreased, 2 others (tryptophan and glutamic acid) were significantly increased, and 22 were unchanged (p-value< or =0.05). Fractional (urinary) excretion of 11 amino acids was increased in the patients. The patients' serum total calcium and albumin concentrations were decreased, but the mean ionized calcium concentration was not significantly different from the controls. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study showed that aminoaciduria involving many amino acids is common for patients with different traumatic injuries and that the aminoaciduria is correlated with a reduction of the total serum calcium concentration.
Adult↗
Atheists, agnostics and Alcoholics Anonymous.
OBJECTIVE: In spite of the strong emphasis in AA on spiritual beliefs and practices, findings are mixed about the importance of such beliefs in predicting AA affiliation. This study of the Project MATCH outpatient (N = 952) and aftercare (N = 774) samples tested three hypotheses about the role of client God belief and subsequent AA attendance and benefit, taking into account that some individuals may, in fact, deny the existence of a God. METHOD: Longitudinal analyses were conducted (N = 1,526) investigating client God beliefs, AA attendance, patterns of AA attendance and alcohol use. Assessments were conducted at intake and in 3-month intervals using the Form 90, Religious Behaviors and Background, and the Alcoholics Anonymous Inventory. RESULTS: 12-Step treatment was significantly more likely to promote pre-post shifts in client God beliefs, and atheist and agnostic clients attended AA significantly less often throughout follow-up relative to clients self-labeled as spiritual and religious. AA attendance, however, was significantly associated with increased abstinence and reductions in drinking intensity regardless of God belief. Finally, no differences in percent days abstinence and drinking intensity were found between atheist and agnostic versus spiritual and religious clients, but clients unsure about their God belief reported significantly higher drinking frequency relative to the other groups. CONCLUSIONS: God belief appears to be relatively unimportant in deriving AA-related benefit, but atheist and agnostic clients are less likely to initiate and sustain AA attendance relative to spiritual and religious clients. This apparent reticence to affiliate with AA ought to be clinically recognized when encouraging AA participation.
Adult↗