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Biomedical subjects

D Irvine

Publications and source records attributed to D Irvine.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1998

Comparison of carprofen and pethidine as postoperative analgesics in the cat.

The postoperative analgesia and sedation in cats given carprofen (4.0 mg/kg bodyweight by subcutaneous injection preoperatively) was compared to that in cats given pethidine (3.3 mg/kg bodyweight by intramuscular injection postoperatively) in a controlled, randomised, blinded, multicentre clinical trial. Further dosing with the particular analgesic was allowed if a cat was exhibiting unacceptable pain. In total, 57 carprofen cases and 59 pethidine cases were evaluated. Significantly fewer cats in the carprofen group required additional doses of analgesic, and mean pain scores were significantly lower from four hours after ovariohysterectomy, and at 18 to 24 hours after castration, compared to the pethidine group. In conclusion, carprofen provided as good a level of postoperative analgesia as pethidine, but of a longer duration (at least 24 hours) and was well tolerated. It thus provides an option for 'pre-emptive analgesia' in cats about to undergo surgery.

Analgesics, Opioid↗
PubMed1996

Exposure to cosmic radiation of British Airways flying crew on ultralonghaul routes.

British Airways has carried out radiation monitoring in Concorde for more than 20 years and has used a heuristic model based on data quoted by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) to model radiation exposure in all longhaul fleets. From these data it has been calculated that no flight deck crew would exceed the control level of 6 mSv/y currently under consideration by regulatory authorities, which is three tenths of the occupational dose limit of 20 mSv/y recommended by the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP). The model suggested that less than 4% of cabin crew based in Tokyo flying only between London and Japan could reach or exceed the 6 mSv/y level, based on a predicted effective dose rate of 7 microSv/h. To validate this calculation a sampling measurement programme was carried out on nine round trips flown by a Boeing 747-400 between London and Tokyo. The radiation field was measured with dosimeters used for routine personal monitoring (thermoluminescence dosimeters (TLDs) and polyallydiglycol carbonate neutron dosimeters). The limitations of the methodology are acknowledged, but the results indicate that the effective dose rate was 6 microSv/h which is consistent with the predicted effective dose rate of 7 microSv/h. This result, which is in accordance with other reported studies indicates that it is unlikely that any of the cabin crew based in Tokyo exceeded the 6 mSv/y level. In accordance with "as low as reasonably achievable" principles British Airways will continue to monitor flying crew routes and hours flown to ensure compliance.

Aerospace Medicine↗
PubMed1995

The development of measures of organizational citizenship behaviour and changes in job behaviours related to quality management in health care.

A study was conducted at two tertiary care hospitals in Canada for the purpose of developing instruments to measure organizational citizenship behaviours (OCB) and changes in job behaviours that occur as a result of participation on hospital quality improvement (CQI) teams. Semi structured interviews were conducted among 52 hospital employees in order to elicit critical incidents of OCB and changes in job behaviours related to CQI. The results of the staff interviews were used to develop a measure of OCB in the hospital setting, and a measure of changes in job behaviours related to CQI. 39 employees, who were drawn from the major departments within the two hospitals on the basis of their membership on CQI teams, participated in a test of the psychometric properties of the two research instruments. Exploratory factor analysis, employing an orthogonal rotation, yielded two factors that accounted for 30% of the variation among the OCB items. The Cronbach alpha for items loading highly on the first factor was .88. The factor was labelled 'OCB directed towards individuals within the organization'. This factor was dominated by items reflecting the kinds of extra-role job behaviours employees engage in to assist patients, family members, visitors, and other employees within the organization. The Cronbach alpha for items loading highly on the second factor was 0.71. The second factor was labelled 'organizationally directed OCB', and consisted of behaviours that reflected an impersonal form of OCB in the hospital setting. Factor analysis, employing an orthogonal rotation, yielded four factors that accounted for 48% of the variation among the items measuring changes in job behaviours related to CQI. The four factors were labelled 'problem-solving', Cronbach alpha 0.82; 'customer awareness', Cronbach alpha 0.79; 'use of CQI knowledge', Cronbach alpha 0.77; and 'organizational interests', Cronbach alpha 0.79. The two OCB factors were moderately correlated, there were no significant correlations among any of the factors measuring changes in job behaviours related to CQI, and the problem-solving job behaviours factor was moderately correlated with the two OCB factors. Directions for future research are discussed.

Cross-Sectional Studies↗
PubMed1995

Fatigue-reducing strategies used by patients receiving treatment for cancer.

In order to determine which strategies are most effective in relieving fatigue of women undergoing treatment for cancer, women receiving either chemotherapy (n = 45) or radiation therapy (n = 54) were interviewed twice to determine their level of fatigue and the effectiveness of the strategies they used to relieve their fatigue. The subjects were interviewed either at the start and mid-point of any cycle of chemotherapy, or at the beginning and end of a 5- or 6-week course of radiation therapy. At each interview, the subjects completed the Pearson Byars Fatigue Feeling Checklist and the Fatigue Relief Scale. At the second interview, the patients were significantly more fatigued than they had been at the first interview (p < 0.0001). The more effective the fatigue-relieving strategies at the second interview, the less fatigue experienced by the women (p < 0.0001). At both interviews, subjects used similar strategies to relieve their fatigue. Sleep and exercise were among the most effective strategies. However, there was a wide range of scores for each strategy used, indicating variability among subjects as to the effectiveness of the strategy. The results of the study provide nurses with some guidance as to strategies they might suggest to patients who experience fatigue.

Adult↗
PubMed1994

The prevalence and correlates of fatigue in patients receiving treatment with chemotherapy and radiotherapy. A comparison with the fatigue experienced by healthy individuals.

Fatigue can be a prevalent and serious problem for the individual with cancer and can negatively impact on the individual's quality of life. Little is known about the prevalence of clinical fatigue among patients with cancer and how the fatigue cancer patient's experience compares with the fatigue people experience as a function of their normal daily activities. This study, which utilized a control group, investigated the prevalence of fatigue among patients receiving treatment with radiotherapy (n = 54) and chemotherapy (n =47) over two measurement points. The level of fatigue experienced by cancer patients was compared with the level of fatigue experienced by apparently healthy auxiliary staff (n = 53) working at three cancer treatment facilities. There were no differences in the mean level of fatigue experienced by cancer patients and the mean level experienced by healthy controls before the start of cancer treatment. However, cancer patients experienced a significant increase in fatigue over a 5- or 6-week course of radiotherapy and 14 days after treatment with chemotherapy, and these increases were significantly greater than the fatigue reported by healthy control subjects. The midpoint of the Pearson Byars Fatigue Feeling Checklist was accepted as a crude measure of clinical fatigue and was found to be significantly different from the mean level of fatigue reported by healthy controls. The prevalence of fatigue among patients after undergoing cancer treatment was determined to be 61%. Fatigue in cancer patients was found to covary with weight, symptom distress, mood disturbance, and alterations in usual functional activities. The best predictors of fatigue in the patient sample were their symptom distress and mood disturbance. Symptom distress and fatigue were significant predictors of impairment in functional activities related to illness. Implications for practice and future research are discussed.

Activities of Daily Living↗
PubMed1993

Irritant contact dermatitis in warehouse employees.

A detailed survey of skin complaints amongst 114 airline employees working in a new warehouse revealed 26 cases of skin problems which originated during the 2 1/2 year operation. A clinical survey of broadly the same population confirmed 14 cases from 98 employees as chronic irritant contact dermatitis of the hands. The work involved the reception, unpackaging, inspection, repackaging and dispatch of aircraft parts. The source of the skin irritation was not to be found in the work itself. Rather, the presence among the employees of two severe cases of non-occupational eczema, combined with the idea that incoming aircraft parts from foreign countries might be 'dirty' in some way, had caused a heightened perception of a risk of skin disease, and the frequency of hand washing had increased as a result. Over-frequent hand washing in a few employees had resulted in precisely what the warehouse staff had been trying to avoid.

Aircraft↗
PubMed1993

A study of thorium exposure during tungsten inert gas welding in an airline engineering population.

To investigate the theoretic possibility of excessive exposure to thorium during the process of tungsten inert gas (TIG) welding using thoriated rods we carried out a cross-sectional study of TIG welders and an age- and skill-matched group. We measured the radiation doses from inhaled thorium that was retained in the body and investigated whether any differences in health or biologic indices could have been attributable to the welding and tip-grinding process. Sixty-four TIG welders, 11 non-TIG welders, and 61 control subjects from an airline engineering population participated. All of the subjects were interviewed for biographic, occupational history and morbidity details. All of the welders and eight control subjects carried out large-volume urine sampling to recover thorium 232 and thorium 228; this group also had chest radiographs. All of the subjects had a blood sample taken to estimate liver enzymes, and they provided small-volume urine samples for the estimation of retinol-binding protein and beta 2-microglobulin. We found no excess of morbidity among the TIG or non-TIG welding groups, and the levels of retinol-binding protein and beta 2-microglobulin were the same for both groups. There was a higher aspartate aminotransferase level in the control group. The internal radiation doses were estimated at less than an annual level of intake in all cases, and considerably less if the exposure (as was the case) was assumed to be chronic over many years. Some additional precautionary measures are suggested to reduce further any potential hazard from this process.

Adult↗
PubMed1992

The mortality of British Airways pilots, 1966-1989: a proportional mortality study.

Of 446 deaths among serving and retired British Airways pilots between 1966 and 1989, 411 were analysed using the Proportional Mortality Ratio (PMR) technique. After removal of the predictable excess of aircraft accidents, excesses of cancer (PMR 1.31) and other accidents (1.60) were balanced by deficits in diseases of the circulatory (0.83) and respiratory (0.49) systems. While lung cancer was close to expectation (1.10), consistent excesses were shown in all analyses for malignant melanoma (6.68), cirrhosis of the liver (2.88), colon cancer (2.30) and brain/CNS cancer (2.68). Consideration of these ratios in relation to pilots' lifestyle and occupation leads to the conclusion that the brain/CNS cancer excess must be studied further.

Aerospace Medicine↗
PubMed1991

SELEXION. Systematic evolution of ligands by exponential enrichment with integrated optimization by non-linear analysis.

Recently, novel technologies for isolation of nucleic acid molecules with specific biological activities have been reported. In each case, the enrichment process involves repeated rounds of selection from complex mixtures of nucleic acid sequences, followed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification of ligand sequences that function in the desired manner. Particular variations in experimental conditions can dramatically alter the outcome of these processes. In this study, we use mathematical analysis and computer simulation to predict which variations have the greatest impact and to develop strategies and guidelines for enhanced effectiveness. First, we perform reconstruction tests to demonstrate that a mathematical description based on equilibrium binding is sufficient to explain the high levels of enrichment attained in the laboratory after just a few rounds. Then, we show the expected enrichment for an extensive range of conditions; and, finally, we determine the optimum protein and nucleic acid concentrations to use for maximum enrichment, while also ensuring a high likelihood of recovering even the rare molecule that binds well. The strategies and guidelines for enhanced effectiveness are generally applicable to processes for systematic enrichment of DNA, RNA or peptide ligands and have been implemented in an interactive simulation program for integrated non-linear optimization of enrichment using any target of interest.

Biological Evolution↗