Preschool vision screening: FNSA resolution to be implemented.
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Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to D Rogers.
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Children receiving chemotherapy for malignant diseases show different patterns of infection depending on their underlying disease and its therapy. Granulocytopenia carries the risk of bacterial infection, and also, if prolonged, of fungal infection. Impairment of cell-mediated immunity predisposes to infections with Pneumocystis carinii and is thought to be responsible for severe primary infections with varicella and measles, as well as the severe cytomegalovirus infections seen after allogeneic bone marrow transplantation. Absence or impairment of splenic function predisposes to overwhelming septicaemia with encapsulated organisms, while defects in the normal mechanical barriers to infection provide routes for bacterial and fungal invasion. Despite the lack of physical signs of a normal inflammatory response, clinical evaluation may be critical to the localization of infection in the immunocompromised child. Blood culture and biopsy remain pivotal investigations in the achievement of a microbiological diagnosis. Empirical treatment with a combination of antibiotics has been shown in comparative studies to be effective in initial management of the febrile neutropenic patient: continuing studies are evaluating the role of monotherapy and of different antibiotic combinations, particularly in the light of changing patterns of bacterial infections. Empirical antifungal therapy has been shown to be necessary for persistent or recurrent fever, particularly as persistent fungal infection may compromise the outcome of continuing cytotoxic therapy. Continuing uncertainties over many aspects of management of the infected immunocompromised child provide scope for clinical trials in parallel with trials evaluating new anticancer regimens. The use of new diagnostic methods, the role of prophylaxis, the most appropriate empirical regimen, the evaluation of new antimicrobial agents, all require careful evaluation for efficacy and safety. Perhaps the greatest dilemma of all is how far results from trials in adults can be extrapolated to paediatric practice.
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Among 236 in-patients in one hospital for the mentally handicapped, there was a significant relationship between the amount of motor disorder (rated using a comprehensive check-list) and the severity of mental handicap, the presence of associated psychiatric disorder and the use of neuroleptic medication. The population was fairly evenly divided between those currently, previously and never having received neuroleptic medication. All categories of motor disorder, including abnormal movements, were present in all three subgroups. Neuroleptic medication appeared to modify the expression of motor disorder rather than producing it de novo. The range and frequency of motor disorders was comparable with that in patients with severe psychiatric illness. A common cerebral basis for the motor disorders of patients with mental handicap and severe psychiatric illness is suggested.
The assessment of catatonic symptoms, unlike that of other schizophrenia symptoms, has not acquired accuracy and phenomenological rigour, and their distinction from extrapyramidal side-effects is not always easy. The Modified Rogers Scale can rate abnormalities in movement, volition, speech, and overall behaviour in schizophrenia. It is detailed, reliable and valid, and permits the isolation of a score for non-extrapyramidal and hence presumably catatonic phenomena.
From October 1984 to November 1987, 34 patients aged from 1 year 1 month to 7 years 7 months with resistant or relapsed neuroblastoma (NB) (group 1, 10 patients), unselected disseminated NB (group 2, 14 patients), or selected disseminated NB (group 3, 10 patients) received myeloablative therapy (MAT) followed by unpurged autologous bone marrow transplantation (ABMT) at the end of an intensive protocol, which included high-dose chemotherapy and surgery to the primary tumor. Median time from diagnosis to MAT and ABMT was 6 months (5 months from last relapse to MAT and ABMT in the relapsed patients). The MAT regimen included vincristine, fractionated total body irradiation (TBI), and melphalan. Seventeen patients were grafted in complete remission (CR), five in very good partial remission (VGPR), 10 in partial remission (PR), and two in progressive disease (PD). The acute toxic death rate was 2.9%. The overall progression-free survival was 29%. The median progression-free survival was 20 months for the 17 patients grafted in CR, 6 months for the five patients grafted in VGPR, and 12 months for the 10 patients grafted in PR.
These are case reports of two children with structurally normal hearts and with normal coronary arteries, who survived myocardial infarction in the early neonatal period. They are only the third and fourth reported survivors of neonatal myocardial infarction and the first in which hypercholesterolemia is postulated to have played an important role. The most likely cause of the myocardial infarction was thrombosis or thromboembolism. Changes in hemostatic function associated with hypercholesterolemia may be relevant.
The aim of the study was to see whether adults who had been sexually abused in childhood were vulnerable to physical symptoms and therefore investigation and intervention. The case histories of seven patients who were aged 22-39, were under the care of three consultant psychiatrists, had experienced childhood sexual abuse, and had a history of medical or surgical intervention were surveyed. The patients had had a mean of 18 contacts with non-psychiatric consultant teams and a mean of eight operations, with a high rate (66-70%) of normal findings. They had experienced many somatic symptoms, which led to investigations and interventions in the specialties of gynaecology, obstetrics, gastroenterology, urology, rheumatology, haematology, orthopaedics, neurology, and neuropsychiatry. The history of childhood sexual abuse was recognised only in the later stages of this medical and surgical intervention. The possibility of childhood sexual abuse should be considered earlier in such cases to prevent further unnecessary intervention.
This open label study evaluated the effect of nine intralesional injections of two different doses of interferon gamma on basal cell carcinomas in 29 patients. One group of 15 patients received interferon gamma, 0.01 mg (20,000 IU), intralesionally three times a week for 3 weeks. Fourteen patients received interferon gamma, 0.05 mg (100,000 IU), intralesionally in the same dosage schedule. Excisional biopsy specimens 12 weeks after therapy showed no evidence of tumor remaining in 7 of 14 patients (50%) treated with the higher dose of interferon gamma, whereas only 1 of 15 patients (7%) treated with low-dose interferon gamma was cured according to histologic criteria (p = 0.025). Seventy-six percent of patients reported at least one adverse reaction, but most were considered mild by the patient and the investigator.
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Hydralazine is a vasodilator antihypertensive drug that has been in use for many years. Efficacy after oral administration correlates well with the levels of the drug in blood. Factors such as food ingestion that affect blood levels of hydralazine may therefore be of importance. There is dispute regarding the effect of food intake on blood levels of hydralazine and on the antihypertensive response. This randomized cross-over study examined the effect of food (642 K calories, 25 g protein, 43 g fat, 40 g carbohydrates, 32 mEq sodium, 17 mEq potassium) ingested immediately before hydralazine (taken as Apresoline, Ciba Geigy, or as slow-release hydralazine, SRH, Pennwalt Corporation) on the blood levels of hydralazine in 16 essential hypertensive patients who were slow acetylators currently taking at least 100 mg Apresoline daily. Peak blood hydralazine levels were reduced by food after both Apresoline and SRH, by 69 and 66%, respectively. Time to peak blood hydralazine concentration was delayed significantly with SRH. We could detect a statistically significant food-related reduction of area under blood hydralazine concentration versus time curves (AUC) only with Apresoline (by 44%). The AUC for SRH was decreased only 29% by food. Hydralazine should be taken at a consistent time with respect to meals.
Non-mydriatic retinal photography was offered as a screening service to 37 general practitioners providing diabetes care in their practices. Of 84 patients photographed, 22 had appearances of diabetic retinopathy and these were compared with 25 of the remainder without retinopathy. In only seven of 11 patients with maculopathy or proliferative retinopathy had this been detected by their GP and, likewise, only six of 11 cases of probable background retinopathy had been detected. The mean annual examination rate in general practice was 33 (95% Cl 18-47)%. Of the 18 cases in whom action in response to recommendations for follow-up or referral could be ascertained, 15 (83%) had had the recommendations implemented. Thus, despite the potential risks of false-negative screening using non-mydriatic retinal photography, the technique may improve the comprehensiveness of screening in patients under the care of their GPs.
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was used in patients with epilepsy and psychosis. From 50 patients with epilepsy, a subgroup of 12 patients were categorised by the Present State Examination (PSE) as having nuclear schizophrenia (NS) and then compared with an epileptic control group with no psychiatric history. Further, patients with hallucinations were compared with patients without hallucinations. No differences in T1 relaxation times in any regions of interest were noted in the NS group compared with the other group. However, patients with hallucinations had a significantly higher T1 value in the left temporal lobe. These findings support the concept that specific abnormalities in limbic system structures relate to the phenomenology of the psychoses of epilepsy, especially left temporal lobe epilepsy.
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A patient classification system is essential for staffing, budgeting and patient scheduling. This process involves selecting a system, selecting a style, testing, and retesting. This article describes the development and implementation of such a system.