Biomedical subjects

J B Rohr

Publications and source records attributed to J B Rohr.

10 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2000

Toxic epidermal necrolysis in Western Australia.

Toxic epidermal necrolysis is a severe, life-threatening illness with up to one-third mortality. We report a retrospective analysis of all cases treated in Royal Perth Hospital over a 20-year period from July 1978 to June 1998, by analysis of medical records. A total of 12 patients with an age range of 23-73 years was identified. The female to male ratio was 2:1, with age of onset earlier in females. All cases were associated with medications, most commonly antibiotics, anticonvulsants and allopurinol. The mortality rate was one-third (four deaths), mostly resulting from cardiorespiratory failure, renal failure and sepsis. Risk factors for death were advanced age and severe underlying disease, including diabetes, alcoholic liver disease sepsis and malignancy. Among the six patients treated with systemic corticosteroids there was only one death. Treatment with corticosteroids appeared to be beneficial, with such patients having both fewer complications and a lower mortality rate.

Adrenal Cortex Hormones↗

PubMed2000

Acne vulgaris: yesterday, today and tomorrow.

Acne vulgaris is one of the commonest diseases known to humanity, affecting up to 98% of all adolescents. This review examines important aspects of its epidemiology, aetiology and management in Australia in the year 2000, in comparison with a symposium in the inaugural volume of the Australian Journal of Dermatology in 1951.

Acne Vulgaris↗

PubMed1995

Discoid lupus erythematosus.

Discoid lupus erythematosus is a manifestation of chronic cutaneous lupus erythematosus with a small risk of systemic involvement. In this review article, the role of predisposing factors such as haplotype, hormones, antibodies and sunlight are discussed. The clinical features, including variants and associations, and management options are presented.

Fluorescent Antibody Technique↗

PubMed1992

The effect of bacterial colonization on venous ulcer healing.

To determine the effect of bacterial colonization on venous ulcer healing, 82 patients with 100 venous ulcerated limbs were each studied prospectively for six months. Despite bacteriological swab results, topical or systemic antibiotics were not administered unless cellulitis supervened. Initial ulcer size, length of ulcer history and time to complete healing of colonized and uncolonized ulcers were determined and compared. Organisms were cultured from 83 limbs prior to commencement of treatment, the commonest isolates being Staphylococcus aureaus (48%), mixed coliforms (28%), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (21%) and anaerobes (17%). When compared with ulcers with no bacterial growth, colonized ulcers were of longer duration (p [symbol: see text] 0.01), had a larger initial size (p [symbol: see text] 0.001) and had significantly longer healing time (p [symbol: see text] 0.001). When analysed individually beta-haemolytic streptococci, anaerobes, Staphylococcus aureus and coliforms were associated with delayed healing. Delayed healing was not found with Pseudomonas aeruginosa, although pseudomonas-colonized ulcers were significantly larger and of longer duration than uncolonized ulcers. Bacterial colonization is associated with delayed venous ulcer healing. To further clarify the pathogenicity of colonizing bacteria, however, the effect of their eradiction on healing of venous ulcers needs to be established.

Adult↗

PubMed1991

Outpatient treatment of chronic venous ulcers in a specialized clinic.

Chronic leg ulcers have many different causes and therefore need an accurate diagnosis in order to give the most effective treatment. A specialized clinic was set up in Fremantle Hospital in July 1988 with the aims of performing a thorough clinical and laboratory assessment to establish the cause of ulceration in every patient, and treating patients according to the cause of ulceration. Patients with arterial, neoplastic or dermatological conditions were treated as appropriate for their diagnosis and patients with other chronic ulcers were managed as outpatients where possible. Patients were seen between July 1988 and July 1989. Only 43% had purely venous ulcers, 32.6% had a venous component plus some other abnormality, and 5.2% were purely arterial. Using an outpatient treatment regimen, 67% of all ulcerated limbs and 73.7% of limbs with purely venous ulcers were healed within 6 months. Only 11 patients with venous ulceration (15 limbs) failed on this therapy and required admission during the observation period. The initial ulcer size was shown to influence the time to total healing of the limb. The healing rates achieved compare favourably with studies from other specialized centres and suggest that the majority of patients with chronic leg ulcers can be treated successfully using ambulatory outpatient dressing techniques.

Adult↗

PubMed1989