PubMed Health⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

J D Wright

Publications and source records attributed to J D Wright.

At least 73 records · Page 4Linked to original sources
PubMed1991

Hypertension management in health care for the homeless clinics: results from a survey.

BACKGROUND: With the exception of alcohol abuse, hypertension is the most common chronic physical health problem encountered among homeless persons. The material conditions of homelessness greatly complicate the management of this disorder. Some of the complications and their solutions are discussed here, based on the experiences of health clinics for the homeless in large US cities. METHODS: In 1988, the Stewart B. McKinney Homeless Assistance Act established health care clinics for homeless persons in 108 cities. We surveyed medical directors in these clinics, asking about the management of hypertension in this difficult-to-treat population; 65 responded. RESULTS: Comparisons between our survey data and those obtained in two recent surveys of clinicians in "normal" clinical practice provide interesting lessons in how medical practice is adapted to respond to the unique needs and problems of the urban homeless. Although therapeutic goals are similar, the means chosen to achieve them often are not. CONCLUSIONS: The treatment of homeless hypertensives illustrates the problems inherent in strict biomedical models of disease and its alleviation. Preferred treatments, course of disease, and success of intervention are powerfully affected by social factors.

Ambulatory Care Facilities↗
PubMed1990

Knowledge and experience of young people regarding drug abuse, 1969-89.

OBJECTIVE: To establish a baseline of knowledge to plan an effective health education programme in schools. The survey was repeated at five year intervals from 1969 to 1989. DESIGN: To preserve consistency, the same anonymous questionnaire, which was confidential to the research workers, was used throughout. SETTING: Three secondary schools in Wolverhampton in different parts of the town and representing different social groups. SUBJECTS: Sample sizes ranged from 471 fourth year pupils (aged 14 to 15) in 1969 to 540 in 1984 and 380 in 1989, the decrease being due mainly to the falling birth rate. There were slightly more girls than boys, and the pupils covered the whole range of academic ability. RESULTS: Over the 20 years the proportion of pupils who knew someone taking drugs more than doubled from 15% (71) to 31% (117) and the proportion who had been offered drugs almost quadrupled from 5% (24) to 19% (72). The changes taking place over the past five years were characterised by an increased knowledge about drugs and the first mention of "crack," a purified form of cocaine, and "ecstasy" (methylenedioxymethamphetamine). Peer influence continued to be given as the prime reason for taking drugs. Over the 20 years, though less often mentioned in 1989, television and newspapers remained the most common source of information. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest the need for responsible coverage by the mass media and for more effective health and social education programmes to prevent the spread of drug misuse.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1987

The urban homeless: estimating composition and size.

Although homelessness has been recognized as a serious and growing urban social problem, scientifically acceptable methods for estimating the composition and size of the homeless population have been lacking. A new research approach to estimating the size and composition of undomiciled urban populations is presented, and its utility is illustrated through a description of the literal homeless of Chicago. The homeless in the Chicago sample are unaffiliated persons living in extreme poverty, with high levels of physical and mental disability. Homelessness is interpreted as a manifestation of extreme poverty among persons without families in housing markets with declining stocks of inexpensive dwelling units suitable for single persons.

Chicago↗
PubMed1986

Knowledge and experience of young people of drug abuse 1969-84.

An anonymous questionnaire survey of the knowledge and experience of drug abuse among fourth year pupils in three Wolverhampton secondary schools in 1969, 1974, 1979, and 1984 showed familiarity with the names of drugs but considerable ignorance and misunderstanding about how the drugs were taken and their dangers. The proportion of pupils who knew someone taking illicit drugs almost doubled over the period from 15% in 1969 to 28% in 1984, and the proportion of those who had been offered illicit drugs almost trebled, from 5% in 1969 to 14% in 1984. Television remained the most important source of information about drugs. Peer group and social pressures continued to be the most important reason for starting to take drugs. The results of this study endorse the need for continued evaluation of programmes of education about drugs. Such programmes must be part of a wider programme of health and social education, define clear goals, and be sensitive to culture, locality, and ability.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1986

Human sympathetic ophthalmia. Immunologic analysis of the vitreous and uvea.

The inflammatory cell reaction within the vitreous and uvea of a human eye with atypical sympathetic ophthalmia was studied immunohistologically and with the fluorescence-activated cell sorter. The uveal infiltrate consisted predominantly of T cells of the helper/inducer subset, with less than 5% of the cells characterized as B cells, plasma cells, or monocytes. These results suggest that T cells perform an important role in atypical human sympathetic ophthalmia. A similar population of mononuclear cells was observed in the vitreous inflammatory infiltrate, in marked contrast to the peripheral blood, where there was a significant depression of circulating T cells. The similarity between the inflammatory cell populations within the vitreous cavity and uvea, in contrast to the peripheral blood, underlines the importance of studying the intraocular inflammatory reaction in uveitis to gain further insight into the mechanism of this disease.

Autoimmune Diseases↗
PubMed1986

Extended-wear contact lens correction of aphakia in infant primates. Corneal studies.

Extended-wear contact lenses (EWCL) are being used increasingly for the correction of aphakia in infants, but there is a lack of data documenting their effects on the corneas of young children. Therefore, corneal studies were performed on infant monkeys wearing EWCL for the correction of surgical aphakia. Nine newborn monkeys underwent unilateral lensectomy and anterior vitrectomy. Seven eyes were fitted with aphakic EWCL postoperatively and two wore no lenses. After at least six months, corneas were studied with slit-lamp and specular microscopy, and with light microscopy (LM) and electron microscopy (EM). Small central corneal opacities developed in two aphakic eyes corrected with EWCL after episodes of keratoconjunctivitis. One of these corneas was found to have a mildly increased coefficient of variation (CV) of endothelial cell size (polymegathism). Although EWCL are well tolerated by the corneas of aphakic infant primates, their association with endothelial polymegathism, which may indicate physiologic compromise, mandates careful long-term follow-up.

Animals↗
PubMed1986

Closed-circuit metabolic system with multiple applications.

A closed-circuit metabolic system has been designed and tested for multiple applications. Air pressure within a closed chamber is regulated electronically while allowing for respiratory gas exchange. Compared with a previously reported standard indirect calorimetry system, the new device had by virtue of longer duration of measurement improved precision (coefficient of variation 3% vs. 14%) during studies of O2 consumption both at room temperature and at 5 degrees C. In addition, a more physiological atmospheric environment is maintained. This system has also been utilized for simultaneously labeling groups of up to 20 weanling rats with 18O2 over a 2-day period and for exposure of rats to a hyperoxic (84% O2), normobaric environment for 4-day periods. Potential applications include maintenance of pressure (hypobaric through hyperbaric) and O2 (hypoxic through hyperoxic) controlled environments, exposure to toxic gases, study of diurnal variations in metabolic rate, measurement of metabolic expenditure with activity, and adaptation to other species including humans.

Animals↗
PubMed1984

Ocular involvement in primary hyperoxaluria.

Ocular involvement from primary hyperoxaluria developed in one infant and one teenaged patient. Autopsy procedures in the first case used special histopathologic staining techniques to demonstrate a wider deposition of calcium oxalate crystals within the eye than was previously suspected. Clinical photographs and fluorescein angiograms in the older patient demonstrated a widespread retinal distribution of crystals with a periarterial predilection. This patient also demonstrated a unique acquired black macular lesion.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1984

Arthropod studies with rabies-related Mokola virus.

A cell culture-adapted variant of the rabies-related Mokola virus was demonstrated to replicate in inoculated Aedes aegypti mosquitoes. Replication was slow compared to many arboviruses in their vectors. Maximum titers were not obtained until after approximately 6 weeks of extrinsic incubation. Mokola virus underwent nine mosquito-mosquito passages at approximately monthly intervals and was thus maintained in insects for 340 days before terminating the study. Virus antigen was detected by immunofluorescence in a variety of mosquito tissues and organs, including salivary glands, but primarily in nervous tissue. Irrefutable virus transmission by bite could not be demonstrated because of equivocal results. Transovarial passage of virus was observed in the mosquito. Viremia in baby mice was demonstrable. Ornithodoros moubata nymphal ticks were exposed to viremic mice but failed to become infected.

Aedes↗
PubMed1983

Loss of eyes after intraocular lens implantation. A clinicopathologic study.

This paper describes the clinicopathologic findings in 38 eyes that were surgically enucleated or eviscerated after cataract extraction with implantation of an intraocular lens (IOL). Endophthalmitis and/or complications of wound healing accounted for loss of the eye in 29 cases. Eight of the 38 eyes had complications of IOL insertion that necessitated multiple surgical procedures. These procedures were the removal of an IOL, the secondary insertion of an IOL, and penetrating keratoplasty. Two cases of endophthalmitis were the result of contamination of the solution used to sterilize the lens. A mild foreign body type granulomatous inflammatory reaction surrounded the intraocular lens in four cases.

Aged↗
PubMed1983

Distribution of 3H-dextran in two colonies of Wistar rats after intravenous injection.

The rate of elimination of 3H-dextran from the blood after intravenous administration was found to be considerably faster in rats which react to dextran with an anaphylactoid reaction than in rats which do not. Correspondingly, the rate of appearance of 3H-dextran in the anaphylactoid target organs such as the footpad was faster in reactive rats, approximately three times as much radioactivity being located in their footpads, 30 min after injection. This difference in distribution may reflect differences in the sensitivity of mast cells of the two rat colonies to dextran.

Anaphylaxis↗
PubMed1981

Knowledge and experience of young people regarding drug abuse between 1969 and 1979.

A trend survey carried out by anonymous questionnaire of the knowledge and experience of drug abuse among fourth-year pupils in three Wolverhampton secondary schools in 1969, 1974, and 1979 showed familiarity with the names of drugs, but that there continues to be considerable ignorance and misunderstanding about how drugs are taken and their dangers. Contact with drugs and drug-taking increased over the first five years, but this trend was not continued through to 1979. Television remained the most important source of information about drugs, while peer group and social pressures remained the most important reason for starting to take drugs. Effective preventive measures must include a health education programme that discusses decision-making processes and a wider view of "drugs in society".

Adolescent↗