Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to E B Larkin.
An unusual case of metastatic paraspinal abscess and paraplegia is presented. This was a consequence of simple dental extractions and subsequent bacteraemia from a neglected mouth. Neurosurgical intervention and tissue culture yielded organisms almost certainly of dental origin. No alternative primary nidus of infection could be found. The importance of oral health to general health is emphasised.
Delayed conduction along one optic nerve can result in an incorrect appreciation of moving objects. The temporal mismatch between the two different pathways results in altered perception of the vector of a moving target and is known as 'the Pulfrich phenomenon'. This is a well-recognised handicap in patients with multiple sclerosis, but has not previously been reported as a consequence of injury. All 187 patients who presented during 1991 with reduced visual acuity as a result of midfacial injuries were examined with a pendulum. Six had the defect and five of these had symptoms. In each case the patients were disturbed by car travel, because they perceived oncoming traffic moving in a hyperbolic curve towards them. These patients have been examined in detail and given a tinted lens for the normal eye to eliminate the illusion by delaying the input from the normal side to equal that on the damaged side. We recommend that this phenomenon is sought in all patients with mid-facial injuries or with later evidence of mild traumatic optic neuropathy, particularly if they are disturbed by car travel.
The poor performance of latex gloves in preventing penetrating injury is well established. Oral and maxillofacial surgeons face the additional problems associated with wiring techniques and high-speed rotary instruments. A pilot study is presented assessing the efficacy of high-strength polyethylene fibre gloves, used in a triple-gloving technique, in preventing inner glove perforation. The results showed that there were fewer perforations of the inner glove in the surgeon wearing the glove liner, but the difference was not significant.
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