Biomedical subjects

G Eilers

Publications and source records attributed to G Eilers.

9 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed1995

Interrater agreement in the interpretation of microscopic urinalysis.

To determine the reliability of specimen interpretation by outpatient laboratories, 150 consecutive specimens from three family practice centers were analyzed by either two laboratory technicians (n = 99) or two family physicians (n = 51). The results showed good to excellent agreement for contamination (defined as five or more epithelial cells per high-power field) or significant pyuria (five or more white blood cells per high-power field) or hematuria (five or more red blood cells per high-power field). Agreement between laboratory technicians did not differ significantly from agreement between physicians for the interpretation of contamination or pyuria, but for hematuria, agreement was higher between technicians (P = .02). These results suggest that outpatient interpretation of microscopic urine specimens shows levels of interrater agreement similar to or better than other tests that have been evaluated.

Humans↗

PubMed1995

The effectiveness of preterm-birth prevention educational programs for high-risk women: a meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate whether preterm-birth prevention educational programs are effective at reducing neonatal mortality, low birth weight (LBW), and preterm delivery. DATA SOURCES: A MEDLINE literature search of English-language studies was performed, supplemented by a bibliography search of original research and review articles to locate studies assessing preterm-birth prevention programs. METHOD OF STUDY SELECTION: We identified 31 studies that reported results from trials evaluating preterm-birth prevention programs. From this group, only the six randomized controlled trials evaluating preterm-birth prevention education programs satisfied criteria of homogeneity to be included in a meta-analysis. One of these six studies was a subset of another study and was excluded except when reporting outcomes that were not included in the larger report. DATA EXTRACTION AND SYNTHESIS: Two independent reviewers assessed study methodology and identified the following outcomes: LBW frequency, preterm birth frequency, neonatal survival, birth weight, gestational age at delivery, and preterm labor diagnosis rates. When data were combined using meta-analytic techniques, no significant benefits were found for preterm-birth education programs in preventing neonatal death (cumulative relative risk [RR] 1.00, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.99-1.01), LBW rates (RR 0.99, 95% CI 0.88-1.11), or preterm delivery rates (RR 1.08, 95% CI 0.92-1.27). The only statistically significant effect of preterm birth education programs appears to be an increase in the frequency at which preterm labor is diagnosed (RR 1.71, 95% CI 1.41-2.08). CONCLUSION: Preterm-birth prevention educational programs appear to have little benefit in reducing preterm birth and may result in an increased rate of diagnosis of preterm labor.

Female↗

PubMed1994

Potassium supplements prevent serious hypokalaemia in colon cleansing.

The association between colonic cleansing and hypokalaemia was studied prospectively by monitoring the serum potassium levels in four groups of patients: groups 1 (55 patients), 2 (72 patients), and 3 (97 patients) received the same 2-day preparation of 15 g magnesium sulphate and 10 mg bisacodyl twice daily; group 4 (96 patients) received a 1-day preparation of 2.4 mg sennoside per kg of bodyweight. Groups 1 and 2 were on diuretics, but only group 2 received potassium supplementation. Serum potassium levels were measured before and after bowel preparation. Hypokalaemia was present prior to cleansing in six (11%), and after cleansing in 20 (36%) of the 55 patients in the group 1 patients on diuretics but without potassium supplements. There was, after cleansing, no significant fall in serum potassium in the group 2 patients on diuretics who received potassium supplements. No hyperkalaemia resulted from supplementation. A significant fall of the mean level of serum potassium occurred in patients in both group 3 (2-day-preparation) and group 4 (1-day-preparation). We conclude that both 1 day and 2 days of cleansing with cathartics may result in a significant fall in serum potassium, which can be prevented by oral potassium supplements. Potassium supplements (three times a day 15 ml of potassium chloride with 0.9 mmol K per ml during the preparation) in patients on diuretics may be prudent to avoid the risk of cardiac arrhythmia.

Aged↗

PubMed1986