PubMed Health⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

H D Petersen

Publications and source records attributed to H D Petersen.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1989

The controlled study of torture victims. Epidemiological considerations and some future aspects.

Sequelae to torture have only been described in recent years. Only few controlled and no longitudinal studies have been made. Such studies are encumbered with many difficulties. Torture victims included in documentary and scientific studies have been selected on several levels. Certain forms of exposure e.g. torture and exile, which often occur simultaneously, may cause identical clinical pictures. Thus, some of the health effects of torture may be concealed in controlled studies in which matching is very close. Small populations present a considerable risk of confounding. So far, only simple methods have been used to assess the health of torture victims quantitatively. The validity of these methods is not known. In the future, methods used for health assessment of torture victims should be evaluated. Longitudinal studies may disclose characteristics for victims with specific prognostic features and may thereby be helpful when setting priorities and choosing strategies for treatment.

Adult↗
PubMed1988

Sequelae to torture. A controlled study of torture victims living in exile.

Twenty-eight Turkish refugees living in Denmark were examined by the authors in the period 1984-85. Fourteen of the persons alleged having been tortured in Turkey during the period 1980-83. The remaining 14 persons reported that they had not been tortured and thus acted as controls. All the testimonies were found valid according to a method previously used by us. The most common forms of violence reported were blows and electrical torture. Blindfolding, solitary confinement and threats were also frequent. At the time of examination the main mental complaints were sleep disturbances with nightmares and impaired memory. Emotional lability and concentration disturbances were also frequent. Physically the torture victims suffered from headache, various cardio-pulmonary and muscular pains, dyspepsia and reading disturbances. All reported that they had been healthy before torture. The clinical examination revealed only a few signs related to torture, although examples of minimal scars, fractured or missing teeth, discrete neurological disorders and mental depression were found. The 14 controls had significantly fewer complaints, and almost no abnormalities were found during the clinical examination. The present study clearly demonstrates the traumatic effects of torture.

Adult↗
PubMed1988

Visual and chemical tissue markers for bovine carcass components.

A two-component, nontoxic, quantifiable animal/carcass tracing system was developed using riboflavin as an on-premises, initial carcass identifier visible under longwave ultraviolet (UV) light and deuterium oxide (D2O) as a tracer analytically quantified via fixed wavelength infrared spectrophotometry. Twenty-four cull cows and heifers were allocated into eight antemortem treatment groups (1, 12, 24, 48, 72, 96, 120, 144 h) for evaluation of the efficacy of riboflavin and D2O as tissue tracers in postmortem meat tissues. All cattle were slaughtered using conventional procedures and inspection. To study postmortem riboflavin marker changes due to constant light exposure over time, fluorescence and emission intensity scores were obtained by a trained panel 24, 48, and 168 h postslaughter. The riboflavin marker intensity rating means for UV fluorescence were classified as identifiable on all carcasses when evaluated under UV light, but were classified as not identifiable when evaluated under ambient light. Deuterium oxide levels in all tissue water samples, regardless of antemortem infusion group, contained D2O concentrations at least 2.5 times greater than those found in background water. Deuterium oxide was shown to disperse rapidly throughout living tissues. Correlations within animals for D2O levels from blood and muscle were all highly significant (r = .99).

Animals↗
PubMed1987

Detection of antibodies to human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) in eluates from whole blood impregnated filter paper discs.

A method for elution of HIV antibodies from whole blood or serum impregnated filter paper discs was developed. The results from testing of 73 eluates in an enzyme linked immunosorbent assay and the immunoblotting test agreed with the results obtained by ordinary serum testing. Significant loss of antibody activity was not observed, neither in the eluates after storage for 1 mth at -20 degrees C nor in the filter paper discs after storage for 3 mths at +4 degrees C. This technique may be useful in facilitating sample collection and transportation, particularly in remote areas of the world.

Africa, Central↗
PubMed1987

A prevalence study of HIV antibodies in rural Kenya.

In order to describe the prevalence of HIV antibodies and AIDS in West Kenya, serological tests, including ELISA, and in some cases immunoblotting, were performed on whole blood collected on filter paper from 603 Kenyans. Serum samples from 55 of these persons underwent the same examinations, and 45 were further examined by immunofluorescence and a commercial ELISA. The majority of the Kenyans examined were residents of a province in West Kenya, while the others were students from other parts of Kenya, predominantly rural areas. Male/female ratio was 62/38. Median age was 18 years (range 0-70). Five Danes with previously demonstrated HIV antibodies, and 10 Danish controls were examined for HIV antibodies in filter paper whole blood, and in serum by ELISA and immunoblotting. The tests carried out on the filter paper blood were found to be reliable. Only one of the examined Kenyans had antibodies to HIV by both ELISA and immunoblotting, representing a prevalence of 0.17% (95% confidence limits: 0.00-0.93%). This low prevalence is not in accord with results previously presented from rural districts in Kenya.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗
PubMed1985

Psychological and physical long-term effects of torture. A follow-up examination of 22 Greek persons exposed to torture 1967-1974.

After an observation period of about 10 years a follow-up examination was made of 22 Greeks earlier exposed to torture. All had physical symptoms and about 90% of the examinees had chronic psychological symptoms which had appeared after the torture experience, the most notable of which were emotional instability, depression, passivity, fatigue and disturbed sleep. Eight of the victims had a chronic organic psychosyndrome as defined by us. The clinical picture of the torture victims is very similar to other stress-conditioned syndromes, which underlines the significance of the psychological trauma for the pathogenesis. Certain physical symptoms can be related to specific forms of torture; in this series particularly, symptoms of the feet and lower extremities can be related to 'falanga' (repeated blows to the soles of the feet). The most noticeable objective finding was unilateral atrophy of testis in 2 of the examinees caused in all probability by genital torture. Treatment of the sequelae to torture should be initiated as early as possible in the course of the illness, and studies on the effect of this treatment should be carried out.

Adult↗
PubMed1983

Sequelae to genital trauma in torture victims.

Possible sequelae to genital trauma were investigated in ten male victims of torture. Two of the victims examined showed testicular atrophy. No significant difference was found in the serum concentrations of follicle-stimulating hormone, luteinizing hormone, testosterone, and prolactin in those subjected to genital torture, when compared with a control group. Serum spermatocoagglutinins were not found to be increased in either of the two groups.

Adult↗
PubMed1980

Cortisone-induced remission of hypothyroidism in Schmidt's syndrome.

A patient with autoimmune Addison's disease, hypothyroidism and primary gonadal insufficiency is described. Initial treatment with cortisone improved his thyroid function, probably through cortisone suppression of the autoimmune reactions. It was, however, not possible to normalize the thyroid function completely. The decreased testicular function did not improve during the cortisone treatment.

Addison Disease↗
PubMed1980

Hematologic study of effects of levamisole on stressed cattle.

The effects of shipping stress, increased serum cortisol concentrations, and levamisole treatment on the hematologic values of cattle were studied. Complete blood counts were done on blood samples from 40 calves; samples were collected 9 times during a period that began immediately after the calves were weaned and continued through an auction barn-truck transport cycle plus 5 weeks. The object of the study was to determine whether the combination of shipping stress and levamisole treatment would alter the hematologic values (granulocytic series). There was no effect observed.

Animals↗