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Biomedical subjects

D T Hansell

Publications and source records attributed to D T Hansell.

29 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

The oxidation of body fuel stores in cancer patients.

In an attempt to define the mechanism of weight loss in cancer patients, fat and carbohydrate oxidation rates were calculated in 93 patients. Seventy patients with colorectal or gastric cancer were compared with a control group of 23 patients with nonmalignant illness. Twenty-seven patients with cancer and 13 control patients had lost more than 10% of their pre-illness body weight. Fat and carbohydrate oxidation rates were derived from measurements of oxygen consumption, carbon dioxide production, and urinary nitrogen excretion. Patients with cancer had significantly higher fat oxidation rates (p less than 0.01) and significantly lower carbohydrate oxidation rates (p less than 0.05) when compared with controls. Weight-losing cancer patients had significantly higher fat oxidation rates when compared with weight-stable cancer patients (p less than 0.02), weight-stable controls (p less than 0.01), and weight-losing controls (p less than 0.02). Cancer patients with liver metastases (N = 14) had significantly higher fat oxidation rates (p less than 0.01) and significantly lower carbohydrate oxidation rates (p less than 0.01) compared with cancer patients who had localized disease. There were no significant differences among the groups with respect to resting energy expenditure when expressed as kilocalorie per kilogram lean body mass per day. The presence of cancer appears to be associated with abnormal fat and carbohydrate metabolism. The increased rate of fat oxidation seen in patients with cancer, especially those with weight loss or liver metastases, may be a significant factor in the development of cancer cachexia.

Aged↗

An unusual case of diarrhoea during enteral nutrition.

An unusual case of diarrhoea during enteral nutrition is reported. Disintegration of the capsule of a mercury-tipped enteric feeding tube resulted in spillage of mercury into the small intestine. This fault was discovered some days later when the tube was removed due to coincidental blockage of its lumen.

Adult↗

Clinical significance and etiology of infected catheters used for total parenteral nutrition.

Catheter related sepsis (CRS) is the most serious complication of total parenteral nutrition. Frequently, however, low rates of CRS are associated with a high incidence of infection of the catheter tip, the clinical significance of which is unclear. The relationships between CRS, infection of the catheter tip and infection at the site of catheter insertion have been investigated in 283 catheters of 257 patients receiving total parenteral nutrition. CRS occurred in only ten patients (3.5 per cent) whereas organisms were isolated from 108 catheter tips (38.2 per cent). The most common organism isolated was Staphylococcus epidermidis (66.7 per cent). Eight catheter tips were colonized from a distant septic focus. Organisms were isolated from 90 catheter tips which were removed electively from patients who displayed no clinical evidence of sepsis. There was a poor correlation between infected catheter tips and infected catheter insertion sites. Asymptomatic infection of the catheter tip appears to be of little clinical relevance, resulting in no patient morbidity. Contamination of the catheter tip during or after removal seems to account for a significant proportion of these infections.

Bacteria↗

Operative transampullary extraction of pancreatic calculi.

Transduodenal sphincteroplasty (TDS) was performed upon five patients with chronic pancreatitis shown on endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography to have stones in the pancreatic ductal system. Stone removal was achieved after TDS using either a Fogarty balloon catheter, a Dormia basket or surgical forceps. All had suffered from a two to three year history of severe pain and weight loss which was relieved in each after stone removal. One patient suffered recurrent pain in the follow-up period of 21 to 45 months (a median of 35 months) and a recurrent stone in the pancreatic duct was removed endoscopically using a Dormia basket. Contrary to widely held views, TDS and simple stone extraction have a place in the management of some patients with chronic pancreatitis.

Adult↗

The early diagnosis of acute gall-bladder disease: the accuracy of overnight eight-hour infusion cholangiography.

The reliability of overnight 8-hour infusion cholangiography in confirming the diagnosis of acute cholecystitis or biliary colic was assessed by a prospective study in 100 patients. 55 positive infusion cholangiograms were subsequently confirmed at operation in 45 patients and by cholecystogram in 10 patients who did not have surgical treatment. The absence of false positive examinations is of fundamental importance if early cholecystectomy is to be performed without the risk of an unnecessary laparotomy. Infusion cholangiography proved to be a safe, simple and reliable investigation in the confirmation of acute gall-bladder disease.

Acute Disease↗

Metronidazole prophylaxis in colorectal surgery: the need for additional aminoglycoside?

A randomized double-blind trial was conducted in two phases to compare the efficacy of prophylactic oral and intravenous administration of kanamycin and metronidazole in preventing wound infection and other complications in patients undergoing colorectal surgery, and also to assess the need for inclusion of an aminoglycoside in the prophylactic regimen. Adequate prophylaxis did not depend on the route of antimicrobial administration, but wound infection rates were increased following exclusion of kanamycin.

Aged↗

The effects of an anabolic steroid and peripherally administered intravenous nutrition in the early postoperative period.

Sixty patients undergoing colorectal surgery for malignancy were randomized to receive the anabolic steroid stanozolol (n = 30) or to a control group (n = 30). Patients were further randomized to receive on the first 4 postoperative days a) a standard dextrose-saline regimen (DS), b) an amino acid regimen (AA), or c) a glucose-amino acid-fat regimen (GAF) via a peripheral vein. Fat and carbohydrate oxidation rates were calculated pre- and postoperatively using indirect calorimetry. Postoperative nitrogen balance (NB) in patients receiving amino acids was significantly improved (p less than 0.02) by the administration of stanozolol. Fat and carbohydrate oxidation rates were not significantly affected by stanozolol. Patients in the stanozolol and control AA groups showed a fall in carbohydrate oxidation (p less than 0.01) and a rise in fat oxidation (p less than 0.05) postoperatively, whereas no significant changes in fat and carbohydrate oxidation occurred in the two DS and two GAF groups. Cumulative NB for the first 4 postoperative days was significantly better (p less than 0.01) in the two AA groups than in the two DS groups, due to an improved NB in the two AA groups on the 1st and 2nd days only. Cumulative NB in the two GAF groups was significantly better (p less than 0.01) than in all the other groups. This study shows that stanozolol improves postoperative NB in patients receiving amino acids alone, whereas the provision of a more complete nutritional regimen containing glucose, amino acids, and fat results in a positive NB unaffected by stanozolol.

Evaluation Studies as Topic↗

Management of diabetic patients requiring nutritional support.

A retrospective analysis was performed on 70 patients with diabetes mellitus who required nutritional support over the 10-yr period 1979-1989. Information was available for 65 patients, of whom 55 had non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM). Enteral nutrition (EN, 750-2200 kcal/day) was given to 40 NIDDM patients (group A) and 6 insulin-dependent diabetic (IDDM) patients (group B), and parenteral nutrition (PN, 1600-2400 kcal/day) was given to 18 NIDDM patients (group C) and 4 IDDM patients (group D). Three NIDDM patients required both types of feeding. Preadmission diabetes treatment remained the same during feeding for 31% of the total group (38% of group A, 33% of group B, 23% of group C, and 0% of group D). The NIDDM patients in group C who received insulin during PN required a high daily dose of approximately 100 U. The IDDM patients on PN required an increase of 225% from their preadmission daily dose. The likelihood of a patient requiring a major change from preadmission diabetes therapy depended mainly on the severity of the underlying illness and on the type of feeding (greater with PN) but not on preadmission therapy, age of patient, or type of EN (cyclic vs. continuous). Hypoglycemic episodes were uncommon in all groups. There were no significant differences between the prefeeding and feeding blood glucose levels and HbA1c results.

Adult↗