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Biomedical subjects

H Hudson

Publications and source records attributed to H Hudson.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2006

Engineering and public health at CDC.

Engineering is the application of scientific and technical knowledge to solve human problems. Using imagination, judgment, and reasoning to apply science, technology, mathematics, and practical experience, engineers develop the design, production, and operation of useful objects or processes. During the 1940s, engineers dominated the ranks of CDC scientists. In fact, the first CDC director, Assistant Surgeon General Mark Hollis, was an engineer. CDC engineers were involved in malaria control through the elimination of standing water. Eventually the CDC mission expanded to include prevention and control of dengue, typhus, and other communicable diseases. The development of chlorination, water filtration, and sewage treatment were crucial to preventing waterborne illness. Beginning in the 1950s, CDC engineers began their work to improve public health while developing the fields of environmental health, industrial hygiene, and control of air pollution. Engineering disciplines represented at CDC today include biomedical, civil, chemical, electrical, industrial, mechanical, mining, and safety engineering. Most CDC engineers are located in the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) and the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR). Engineering research at CDC has a broad stakeholder base. With the cooperation of industry, labor, trade associations, and other stakeholders and partners, current work includes studies of air contaminants, mining, safety, physical agents, ergonomics, and environmental hazards. Engineering solutions remain a cornerstone of the traditional "hierarchy of controls" approach to reducing public health hazards.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, U.S.↗
PubMed2005

An exceptionally bright flare from SGR 1806-20 and the origins of short-duration gamma-ray bursts.

Soft-gamma-ray repeaters (SGRs) are galactic X-ray stars that emit numerous short-duration (about 0.1 s) bursts of hard X-rays during sporadic active periods. They are thought to be magnetars: strongly magnetized neutron stars with emissions powered by the dissipation of magnetic energy. Here we report the detection of a long (380 s) giant flare from SGR 1806-20, which was much more luminous than any previous transient event observed in our Galaxy. (In the first 0.2 s, the flare released as much energy as the Sun radiates in a quarter of a million years.) Its power can be explained by a catastrophic instability involving global crust failure and magnetic reconnection on a magnetar, with possible large-scale untwisting of magnetic field lines outside the star. From a great distance this event would appear to be a short-duration, hard-spectrum cosmic gamma-ray burst. At least a significant fraction of the mysterious short-duration gamma-ray bursts may therefore come from extragalactic magnetars.

Journal Article↗
PubMed2005

Hysteroscopic sterilisation: a study of women's attitudes to a novel procedure.

Laparoscopy is the most common mode of surgery for female tubal sterilisation. Hysteroscopic sterilisation is a new method which can be performed in the outpatient setting under local anaesthetic. We carried out a prospective cohort trial to determine whether women would actually favour hysteroscopic sterilisation over laparoscopic sterilisation. Data analysis in a cohort of 96 women showed that 77% would prefer laparoscopic sterilisation over the hysteroscopic procedure (23%), despite the advantages of an outpatient setting. Age, obstetric history, employment and marital status, access to transport and previous anaesthetic did not significantly influence the choice made.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1997

A qualitative study of medication-taking behaviour in primary care.

BACKGROUND: Prescribed medication is a mainstay of primary care but it is clear that a large proportion of treatment is not taken correctly. Such 'non-compliance' is considered to be a major problem, but research to date has provided few solutions. There have been increasing calls for a change in approach in order to gain a deeper understanding of why the problem remains and new ways of addressing it. OBJECTIVES: We aimed to investigate how adult primary care patients perceived medication-taking using a Grounded Theory methodology. METHOD: Fifty general practice patients without major current mental health or recreational drug abuse problems were interviewed at home using a flexible interview schedule. Subjects' accounts of taking prescribed treatments were verified where possible by tablet counts or case-record review, six interviews being excluded as unreliable. Medication use was discussed for 159 prescribed treatments of which 34 were reportedly not taken as directed. RESULTS: The analysis is presented as a model of decision making which suggests that: (i) knowledge (about disease and treatment) combined with faith in the doctor produces the motivation to start using medicines; (ii) most patients test a medicine before accepting it fully; (iii) three types of medicine user exist: those who (a) passively accept treatment advice, i.e. try to take the medicine as they perceive the doctor wants them to, (b) actively use medicines, i.e. take it as they decide they want to, and (c) reject medication altogether; (iv) the process of accepting a treatment is closely linked to accepting the illness; and (v) practical problems are a late obstacle which only play a small part in the process. CONCLUSIONS: These concepts have been organized within a comprehensive model of the decision-making process, which is discussed with reference to other current theories of medication use. Researchers and clinicians must move beyond compliance when assessing or trying to improve medication use. Making the medication-testing process explicit is proposed as one way of assisting patients to use treatments better.

Adult↗
PubMed1996

Multiple mycotic pseudoaneurysms due to Yersinia enterocolitica: report of a case and review of the literature.

The etiology of mycotic aneurysms is variable but most often includes streptococci, staphylococci, Salmonella, and Pseudomonas infections. Yersinia enterocolitica is an organism that has been infrequently associated with vascular infections. We report a case of two ruptured mycotic pseudoaneurysms occurring in the same patient in the superficial femoral artery and the infrarenal abdominal aorta only 10 days apart. The literature is reviewed, and the clinical findings and pathology are discussed. The unique problem of multiple mycotic aneurysms developing at different times as a result of Yersinia bacteremia suggests the need to monitor these patients longitudinally and evaluate multiple sites on the arterial tree to detect occult pseudoaneurysms and prevent late death from rupture.

Aneurysm, False↗
PubMed1996

Portfolio-based learning and general practice vocational training.

This action research project developed a portfolio-based learning system, based around a 'log dairy,' with the trainers and general practitioner registrars of one training region in the UK. For those that found benefit from the system, the diary became an important way of holding all the events of a training year together; a way of looking back, in order to view the progress made, and looking forward, to view potential learning needs. Such portfolios were not found to be effective formal assessment mechanisms because the threat of assessment influenced the type of material collected. The enthusiasm of trainers was crucial in encouraging use of the model. The action research process was fundamental in stimulating explorations of ideas on reflective learning. There remains some resistance to the idea of reflective writing, and in this context, portfolios may be one educational tool for use by some, but which may not be universally applicable. Their development and implementation requires considerable local support through facilitation.

Family Practice↗
PubMed1995

Gastrointestinal complications following cardiac surgery.

This study sought to determine which factors influence the mortality rate in patients developing gastrointestinal complications following cardiac surgery. Between July 1988 and January 1992, 2054 patients underwent cardiac surgical procedures at the Boston University Medical Center. Of these, 29 (1.4%) developed postoperative gastrointestinal complications. The overall mortality rate among these patients was 27% (8/29). Those who died following such complications had a higher incidence of New York Heart Association (NYHA) class IV and unstable symptoms (8/8, 100% versus 3/21, 14%; P < 0.0001), and an increased need for preoperative intra-aortic balloon pump support (4/8, 50% versus 1/21, 5%; P < 0.004). The need for gastrointestinal surgical intervention increased the mortality rate significantly compared with patients managed medically (8/18, 44% versus 0/11, 0%; P < 0.01). Patients with ischemic bowel also had a significantly higher mortality (5/5, 100% versus 3/24, 12%; P < 0.001). It is concluded that most patients with gastrointestinal complications following cardiac surgery can be treated, and with acceptable mortality rates. The presence of unstable symptoms, preoperative intra-aortic balloon pump support, ischemic bowel and the need for gastrointestinal surgical intervention adversely affect mortality.

Aged↗
PubMed1991

Pituitary tumor volume as a predictor of postoperative visual field recovery. Quantitative analysis using automated static perimetry and computed tomography morphometry.

We attempted to define the relationship between the volume of pituitary adenomas and postoperative visual field recovery. Fourteen consecutive patients (27 eyes) were studied who presented with visual complaints and who were confirmed to have pituitary macroadenomas at the time of resection. For each eye, preoperative visual field loss in each quadrant as well as whole field loss were analyzed. Tumor volume was determined from computed tomography scans by summing serial axial sections. Statistically significant correlations (p less than 0.05) of preoperative superonasal and whole visual field loss with tumor volume were found. Postoperative visual field recovery was determined for each patient by subtracting the postoperative visual field loss from the preoperative field loss. Postoperative inferonasal field recovery was significantly correlated (p less than 0.01) with whole tumor volume, with markedly greater recovery in patients with tumor volumes of 5 cc or less. In general, tumor volume proved to be a poor predictor of postoperative visual field recovery.

Adenoma↗
PubMed1982

Effect of retinol and retinoic acid on permeability, electrical resistance and phase transition of lipid bilayers.

Retinol and retinoic acid have been incorporated into the artificial membrane systems, planar bimolecular lipid membranes and liposomes, and their effects on several membrane parameters have been measured. 1. Retinol and retinoic acid increased the permeability of egg lecithin liposomes to K+, I- and glucose when incorporated into the membranes at levels as low as 0.5 membrane mol%. Retinoic acid influenced permeability more than did retinol for each of the solutes tested. 2. Retinol and retinoic acid both decreased the electrical resistance of egg lecithin-planar bimolecular lipid membranes from 0.5 to 8 membrane mol%. Retinoic acid effected a larger change than did retinol. 3. Retinol and retinoic acid increased the permeability of dimyristoylphosphatidylcholine and dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine liposomes to water at 1.0 and 3.0 membrane mol%. A larger effect on water permeability was measured for retinoic acid than for retinol. 4. Retinol and retinoic acid at 1.0 and 3.0 membrane mol% were shown to lower the phase-transition temperature of liposomes composed of dimyristoylphosphatidylcholine or dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine. Phase-transition temperatures were monitored by abrupt changes in water permeability and liposome size associated with the transition. Retinoic acid lowered the phase-transition temperature of dimyristoylphosphatidylcholine liposomes more than did retinol, while both retinoids had almost the same effect on dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine liposomes.

Dimyristoylphosphatidylcholine↗
PubMed1981

Birth centre confinement at the Queen Victoria Medical Centre. I. Obstetric and neonatal outcome.

A review of hte first 175 confinements at the Queen Victoria Medical Centre Birth Centre is presented. The design, structure and function of hte Birth Centre is described and the safety of the programme demonstrated. Seventy-four pregnancies (42%) accepted for Birth Centre confinement required transfer because of antepartum or intrapartum complications. There were satisfactory obstetric and neonatal outcomes in all pregnancies. The first year's experience has allowed a reassessment of the risk factors, which will permit greater use of the Birth Centre without any increases risk to mothers or babies.

Australia↗