Biomedical subjects

H A Anton

Publications and source records attributed to H A Anton.

7 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed1998

Clinical utility of a portable ultrasound device in intermittent catheterization.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the clinical utility of a new portable ultrasound device (PUD) in the management of intermittent catheter programs in patients with neuropathic bladder. DESIGN: Intervention study using randomized control trial. SETTING: Tertiary care center providing inpatient and ambulatory rehabilitation services to persons with neurologic disabilities. PARTICIPANTS: Thirty-eight inpatients and outpatients with neuropathic bladders requiring intermittent catheterization. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Mean frequency of intermittent catheterization, mean number of episodes of overdistension, and patient satisfaction as measured with a Patient Satisfaction Questionnaire. RESULTS: The mean frequency of catheterization per day was reduced in the PUD group in comparison with controls (2.99 vs 4.12, p = .026). The number of episodes of overdistension was also reduced in the PUD group but did not reach statistical significance (12.45 vs 14.76, p = .61). Subjects generally expressed satisfaction with the PUD, with 16 of 18 patients at least somewhat satisfied with the device. CONCLUSION: The PUD is a useful tool for clinicians in patients undergoing intermittent catheterization programs that can reduce the number of required catheters. It is associated with a high degree of patient satisfaction.

Adult↗

PubMed1996

The performance of a limited set of items from the Functional Independence Measure for use in acute trauma care and rehabilitation.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the performance of a limited set of three items from the Functional Independence Measure--eating, walking, and expression--(henceforth referred to as the Set) for use in acute trauma care and rehabilitation. DESIGN: Retrospective comparison of the Set-scores (3-item total) to the Functional Independence Measure (FIM) scores in 83 consecutive patients with a primary diagnosis related to trauma (90% of those eligible) over a 2-year period, on an acute rehabilitation unit in a tertiary care university hospital. METHODS: The age distributions of gender and diagnostic categories were examined. The sensitivity and specificity of the Set-score in detecting changes in the FIM were evaluated across a range of cut-off values. Correlation between FIM scores and Set-scores at admission, at discharge, and for interval change were assessed using the intraclass correlation coefficient. Sources of the Set's weaknesses were explored. RESULTS: Age distribution reflects the predisposition of older women to hip fractures and males to the other trauma. No degree of change in the Set-score provided a combination of sensitivity and specificity satisfactory for detecting potentially important changes in the FIM. Intraclass Correlation Coefficients (ICC) for Set-scores and FIM scores on admission and discharge were both .12. The ICC for the interval change data was .11. (95% confidence limits:--.11 to .34). CONCLUSION: This Set is not a useful measure of functional disability in a heterogeneous population of trauma patients.

Activities of Daily Living↗

PubMed1994

Cerebrospinal fluid cell count following spinal cord injury.

Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) changes after spinal cord injury (SCI) were evaulated by retrospective analysis of all patients admitted to the Acute Spinal Cord Injury Unit (ASCIU) at University Hospital, Shaughnessy Site in Vancouver, British Columbia. A total of 1,917 admissions occurred during the 10-year study period with 1,151 due to acute trauma. The charts of all patients with SCI due to trauma were reviewed to identify patients in whom a CSF puncture was performed for any reason. Traumatic SCI is associated with elevations in the corrected white blood cell count (cWBC) that we believe reflect an inflammatory response to injury. The elevation in cWBC is greatest in the first week after injury. Elevations in cWBC more than 1 week after injury do occur but are uncommon. The white cell differential count consists primarily of lymphocytes and polymorphonucleocytes. Three weeks after injury cell counts should be normal. Protein levels are elevated after trauma and should not be used to assess the presence of infection. LP should be part of the septic workup of SCI patients just as it would be for any other population if meningitis is a consideration.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1993

Frozen shoulder.

The frozen shoulder is a common cause of shoulder pain and disability. Most patients slowly improve over 12 to 24 months. Some have prolonged loss of movement, pain, and associated disability. Treatments include physiotherapy, corticosteroid injections, and manipulation. Clinical trials of these treatments have produced conflicting results.

Adrenal Cortex Hormones↗

PubMed1991

Anemia after traumatic spinal cord injury.

The incidence and natural history of anemia in patients with spinal cord injuries (SCI) were investigated in a prospective study of 68 patients consecutively admitted to a regional acute SCI unit. Fifty had SCI and 18 had spine injuries (SI) without neurologic deficit. Thirty-six of 41 males (88%) and six of nine females (67%) with SCI were anemic on at least one occasion. In the first two weeks after injury, in females and in males, there was no significant difference in mean hemoglobin level between SI and SCI patients. At six weeks, no male with SI was anemic, and males with SCI had significantly lower mean hemoglobin levels than those with SI (121.6 g/L vs 145.4 g/L, p less than .001). Identified early causes of anemia were blood loss due to bony soft tissue or visceral injury, gastrointestinal bleeding, and surgery. In the postacute phase (more than six weeks after injury), anemia occurred in 25 of 41 male and three of nine female SCI patients, and its occurrence was associated with the presence of an identified chronic disease, especially urinary tract infection.

Adult↗

PubMed1988

Visual neglect and extinction: a new test.

A new computerized test for visual neglect and extinction was developed and evaluated by testing twenty-five patients with right-hemisphere cerebrovascular accidents. The test consisted of a series of unilateral or bilateral lights on a semicircular array to which the subject responded by pushing a button. A computer controlled the sequence of stimuli and stored the responses. Results of the computer test were compared to conventional occupational therapy and beside clinical tests. Extinction was present in 16 subjects on the computerized test, and in 11 on the clinical test. Neglect was present in 13 subjects on the computerized test, in seven subjects on the occupational therapy test, and in five subjects on the clinical test. The computerized test was more sensitive than the other tests. On both computerized and clinical testing, all subjects with left-sided neglect also had left-sided extinction, but not all subjects with extinction had neglect. Neglect may represent a more severe manifestation of an underlying perceptual defect that produces both neglect and extinction.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1986

Posttraumatic syringomyelia: the British Columbia experience.

Posttraumatic syringomyelia is an uncommon late complication of spinal cord injury. This study identified nine patients with posttraumatic syringomyelia and examined initial presentation, neurologic status, ability to perform functional activities, and results of treatment. Pain and numbness were the most common presenting symptoms. Motor impairment occurred later but was more disabling. Functional abilities depended mainly on the level of the original spinal cord injury. Three patients were managed conservatively and have had no significant progression of their neurologic deficit. Six patients were managed with syringoperitoneal or syringosubarachnoid shunts. Pain improved most consistently after surgery. Motor power improved less and sensation least. Ability to perform activities of daily living did not significantly change after surgery. Posttraumatic syringomyelia remains a difficult therapeutic problem in the spinal cord-injured population.

Adult↗