PubMed Health⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

G R Fitzgerald

Publications and source records attributed to G R Fitzgerald.

15 recordsLinked to original sources

Cephamycin C treatment of induced swine salmonellosis.

Weanling pigs in groups of 12 were infected orally with Salmonella choleraesuis and were treated intramuscularly with doses of cephamycin C ranging from 12.5 to 337.5 mg twice daily for 10 days beginning 1 day postinoculation. Pigs in two other infected groups either received 300 mg of tetracycline orally on a similar schedule or served as nonmedicated controls. Optimal responses to cephamycin C were achieved at a twice daily dose of 112.5 mg. With this regimen, the febrile response was significantly reduced on day 2 and eliminated by day 5 postinfection, and the shedding of Salmonella spp. in feces was eliminated by day 5 postinfection; essentially, no lesions were found in the gastrointestinal tract at necropsy (day 26 postinfection). There was no mortality among recipients of the 112.5-mg dose; diarrhea was present on only 2% of the observation days. In contrast, 83% of the infected, nonmedicated pigs and 25% of the tetracycline-medicated pigs died, and diarrhea was present in these groups on 63 and 54% of the observation days, respectively. The striking benefits of cephamycin C treatment was achieved without adverse reactions. The weight gain and feed efficiency of the infected pigs treated with the 112.5-mg dose of cephamycin C and the noninfected, nonmedicated control pigs were equivalent.

Animals↗

Hepatitis-associated-antigen-positive hepatitis in a tuberculosis unit.

An outbreak of hepatitis-associated-antigen-(HB Ag)-positive hepatitis in a hospital unit for the care of male patients with pulmonary tuberculosis is described. Sixty-four patients were studied of whom 37 were HB Ag positive. Hepatitis developed in at least 20 and was icteric in 11. The illness was mild, without fatality due to hepatitis and persistent jaundice did not occur. A carrier state developed in 15 of 24 HB Ag-positive patients followed up for more than six months and was unrelated to the presence or absence of initial hepatitis. Spread of HB Ag to domestic and medical staff occurred and following the discharge of the patients, household contacts became positive. Five, all wives of patients, developed jaundice. Faeces and sputum were HB Ag negative in seropositive cases. The origin of the outbreak remains undetected. The probability of non-parenteral transmission of HB Ag in this outbreak is discussed. Closure of the unit, isolation of HB Ag-positive cases with separate toilet and kitchen facilities, and discharge of patients when their respiratory condition allowed, resulted in prevention of further spread and eventually all patients were discharged from the unit.

Adolescent↗

Bidirectional tachycardia in a child. A study using His bundle electrography.

This is a report of a case of bidirectional tachycardia in a 6-year-old girl with no evidence of any structural abnormality of the heart. The patient had never received digitalis. The arrhythmia appeared to be precipitated by effort and emotional stress, and could be induced by increasing the heart rate by atrial pacing or isoprenaline administration. His bundle electrography showed that the arrhythmia was ventricular in origin. This emphasizes the importance of recording an effort electrocardiogram in all children with unexplained syncopal episodes, even when the resting electrocardiogram is normal.

Bundle of His↗

Localized left ventricular myocardial defect leading to fatal cerebral embolism.

The case of a previously health 17-year-old youth who presented a fatal cerebral infarct is described. A localized defect in the anterior left ventricular myocardium with overlying thrombus, and left ventricular hypertrophy were found at necropsy. An old infarct was found in the left kidney. There were no signs of ischaemic or inflammatory heart disease. The possible origins of the lesion are discussed.

Adolescent↗