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Biomedical subjects

F P Retief

Publications and source records attributed to F P Retief.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1987

[Strife between the dispensing physician and the pharmacist--a historical overview. I. To 1840].

The historic origins of the medical and pharmaceutical professions, since the dawn of civilization, are briefly reviewed. The development of these professions in Great Britain as a prototype of the European situation over the past 3 centuries is traced, with emphasis on the developing strife between apothecaries and physicians. The corresponding situation in South Africa over the period 1652-1840 is then reviewed. The first Commission of Inquiry into health matters at the Cape, appointed by the British after their occupation of the region in 1806, was precipitated by complaints regarding unsatisfactory services rendered by apothecaries and medical practitioners. Health services were subsequently regulated by way of two Medical Proclamations in 1807, one Medical Proclamation in 1823 and a Medical Ordinance in 1830. According to this legislation apothecaries in Cape Town were not allowed to treat patients, and doctors were not allowed to sell medicines--but due to a shortage of rural practitioners, apothecaries and doctors were allowed to supplement each other in the country districts.

Drug Compounding↗
PubMed1987

[Strife between the dispensing physician and the pharmacist--a historical overview. II. 1840-1928].

The professional interaction between physicians and the pharmaceutical profession in South Africa in the years 1840-1928 is reviewed. The years 1840-1880 were characterised by relatively peaceful coexistence in metropolitan areas, but rather unorthodox developments in outlying rural areas. Here physicians found it difficult to make a living due to fierce competition from medicine-selling traders, self-medicating farming communities and apothecaries allowed to practise as clinicians (even appointed as district surgeons). The establishment of professional and statutory organisations and the promulgation of appropriate health legislation brought stability to the health scene but failed to remove friction between dispensing doctors and pharmacists. After the unification of South Africa in 1910, the two professions co-operated in fits and starts towards the ultimate formulation of the Medical Dental and Pharmacy Act of 1928. The rise of the pharmaceutical manufacturing industry brought a new perspective to the retail pharmacist's professional role.

History, 19th Century↗
PubMed1987

[Strife between the dispensing physician and the pharmacist--a historical overview. III. 1930-1979].

The uneasy relationship between pharmacists and dispensing doctors during the years 1930-1979 is reviewed. The relatively easy association of the 1930s and the early 1940s ended abruptly in the post-war era when the impact of the manufacturing industry rang the death knell of the old-fashioned dispenser and at the same time made dispensing by doctors easier and safer. The retail pharmacist attempted unsuccessfully to define an acceptable new professional role, and the two professions failed to formulate an amicable working relationship. The promulgation of the Medicines Control Act (1964), the Pharmacy Act (1974) and the Medical, Dental and Supplementary Health Professions Act (1974) brought new dimensions to the strained relationship.

History, 20th Century↗
PubMed1987

[Strife between the dispensing physician and the pharmacist--a historical overview IV. 1979-1987].

In 1981 a liaison committee established between the Medical Association of South Africa (MASA) and the Pharmaceutical Society of South Africa (PSSA) to probe the dispensing-doctor issue, published a joint declaration of co-operation. After a brief truce, however, relationships deteriorated again. Pharmacists claimed that the numbers of dispensing doctors were rapidly increasing and each profession accused the other of breaking the agreement. According to the PSSA many doctors were transgressing the MASA's guidelines and the Medical Council's ethical rule 28 by trading in medicines. Subsequent legislation approved by the Council and designed to obviate this problem brought unexpected complications, and led to a joint effort by the Medical Council and the Pharmacy Council to reach an acceptable compromise. In 1984 a tentative agreement was reached but not endorsed by the full Medical Council, largely because of pending recommendations from the Competition Board which would profoundly affect dispensing by pharmacists and doctors. These recommendations were made public in November 1986, and the Government's response to them is still being awaited. The author finally summarises the status quo of the age-old feud as he perceives it.

Association↗
PubMed1982

The Medical University of Southern Africa after 5 years.

The Medical University of Southern Africa (MEDUNSA), created by an Act of Parliament on 1 August 1976, comprises Faculties of Medicine, Dentistry and Veterinary Science. Optimal co-operation between these faculties in teaching, research and even patient care is basic to the education philosophy of MEDUNSA. The first students enrolled 5 years ago, in February 1978, and will graduate on 26 November 1982. Students were admitted to degree courses in veterinary science and dentistry at the beginning of 1982. The training of nurses and supplementary health-professionals (encompassing the fields of physiotherapy, occupational therapy, radiography and dietetics) take place within the Faculty of Medicine. Schools of pharmacy and optometry will open in 1984. Although the university is empowered to admit students to all racial groups it sees its primary task as being the training of Black health professionals. Students of other races are at present admitted only when suitable Black candidates are not available. Academic standards are monitored by respective statutory councils, and are on a par with other, comparable South African health science faculties. MEDUNSA is enthusiastic to co-operate with neighbouring states in the field of health education, and students from as far afield as Malawi and Zaire number among our graduates.

Faculty↗
PubMed1980

Preparation of a viable population of indium-111-labelled human blood platelets.

Factors influencing labelling of human platelets with 111Indium-8-hydroxyquinoline ([111In]-oxine) in a physiological saline medium were investigated. The efficiency of labelling is influenced by time of incubation, concentration of oxine, and pH of the incubating medium. It was found that a viable platelet population could be labelled under the following conditions: (1) centrifugation of platelet rich plasma in polystyrene conical tubes at 800 g for 15 min; (2) resuspension of the platelet pellet in saline, pH 5.5; (3) incubating for 30 min at 22 degrees C with [111In]-oxine at a concentration of 6.25 mg oxine/litre platelet suspension; (4) washing once with platelet poor autologous plasma (PPP); and (5) finally resuspending the platelets in PPP. The labelled platelets aggregated normally with collagen and ADP. Electron microscopy, done immediately after labelling, showed internal organelle reorganization characteristic of activated platelets. These ultrastructural features were reversible on incubation in PPP at 37 degrees C for 30 min. The 111In is not released from aggregated platelets and the label does not elute from incubated platelets for at least five hr. We conclude that human platelets thus labelled are suitable for in vivo kinetic studies.

Blood Platelets↗
PubMed1980

Plasma cell leukaemia. Diagnostic problems in our experience with 11 cases.

11 patients with plasma cell leukaemia (PCL) are reported. Diagnostic clinical, haematological, immunological, biochemical and electron microscopical (TEM) data were analysed and compared to the largest series of PCL cases reported in the literature. Special attention was paid to four facets of this disease: (a) the clinical picture at admission; (b) the frequency of PCL; (c) the production of M components in relation to the maturity and type of the asynchronous plasma cells, and (d) the diagnostic problems of this entity of acute leukaemia of the afferent limb of the B lymphocyte transformation. In this series PCL emerges as a distinct clinical entity: patients are severely anaemic, hepatosplenomegaly is prominent, bone lessions are uncommun, but if present are usually non-osteolytic, and the response to treatment with an alkylating agent and glucocorticoid is poor. The diagnosis is difficult since the circulating plasma cells may have morphological features which only allows the diagnosis to be made after the TEM examination. If the peripheral blood of cases of acute leukaemias and immunocytic dyscrasias is routinely examined by TEM, PCL appears to be a not uncommon variant of plasma cell dyscrasia--in the present study it was 11%.

Adult↗
PubMed1979

Thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura. A case investigated with 111In-oxine-labelled platelets.

A 34-year old woman presented with the clinical and laboratory features of thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP). Studies with isologous platelets labelled with 111In-oxine revealed a short half-life of circulating platelets (18,5 hours) and destruction of the transfused platelets in the spleen, liver and bone marrow. There was no scientigraphic evidence of deposition of labelled platelets in the vasculature. The patient was treated with daily fresh frozen plasma transfusions, but no improvement in platelet count or serum urea level was noted. Although there was no clinical evidence of a bleeding tendency at the time, the patient had a fatal cerebrovascular haemorrhage. The findings in this case suggest that an immune type destruction of platelets may occur in TTP.

Adult↗
PubMed1979

[The first ten years].

On 6 June 1979, the Medical Faculty of the University of the Orange Free State, Bloemfontein, will be 10 years old. The completed Faculty buildings, situated between the Universitas teaching hospital and the University campus, were officially opened on 20 March 1978 by the Minister of National Education, Dr P. Koornhof. The first 46 medical students graduated in Novemer 1976, and with a present annual intake of 120 students the final-year class will grow to approximately 100 students. In addition to medicine, undergraduate training is offered in physiotherapy, occupational therapy, radiography, hospital dietetics and basic medical sciences. More than 50 M.Med. candidates have completed their specialist training, 10 doctorates were conferred and 32 students obtained Honours or Master's degree in the basic medical sciences. The undergraduate course with electives in non-medical fields, fully integrated clinical medicine teaching and interdisciplinary co-ordination of final clinical examinations, were novel endeavours for South Africa.

Curriculum↗
PubMed1979

A stable non-prostaglandin inhibitor of platelet aggregation in human aorta intima extracts.

An inhibitor of platelet aggregation induced by adenosine diphosphate, collagen, adrenaline and thrombin is present in aorta intima extracts. The inhibitor is relatively stable and is not inactivated by prolonged incubation at 37 degrees C or 22 degrees C, but boiling for 15 seconds destroys it. It is not extracted by diethyl ether or chloroform, and is not affected by incubation with indomethacin or tranylcypromine. Platelet aggregation induced by arachidonic acid is not affected by this inhibitor. These results suggest that this inhibitor is not PGI2 (prostacyclin), a recently described potent anti-aggregatory agent generated by blood vessel microsomes.

Aorta↗
PubMed1979

Folate metabolism and in vivo radiofolate binding in normal, folate-deficient and folate-saturated subjects.

After ingestion of 14C-CH3H4Pte Glu by folate-deficient and folate-saturated subjects, and 14C-CH3H4PteGlu as well as 3H-PteGlu by a normal control subject, the dialysis-resistant (bound) plasma radiofolate fraction appeared increased in folate saturation and decreased in folate deficiency (compared with normal folate status). This suggests that absorbed radiofolate does not admix with the total folate pool before complexing with the plasma binder. As the bound plasma fractions appeared later than did the total biofolate peaks, in vivo plasma folate binding probably occurs independently of the intestinal folate absorption process. It also appears unrelated to postabsorption storage folate displacement, as this biofolate fraction is unbound. A bound radiofolate fraction persisting in plasma for 72 hours in spite of a normal food intake indicates a relatively inert binder complex.

Adolescent↗