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Biomedical subjects

J F Kraus

Publications and source records attributed to J F Kraus.

At least 127 records · Page 7Linked to original sources
PubMed1978

The validity of 99mTc-pyridoxylideneglutamate (P.G.) cholescintigraphy as a diagnostic test for cholecystitis.

The purpose of this investigation was to determine the diagnostic value (validity) of technetium-99m-pyridoxylideneglutamate cholescintigraphy (99mTc-PGC) in patients with and without cholecystitis and to compare its validity to those of oral cholecystography (OC) and ultrasonography (US). 99mTc-PGC was applied to 50 patients with acute, subacute, and/or chronic cholecystitis with cystic duct obstruction proven histologically and operatively, and also to 27 non-diseased volunteers and 43 patients with right upper quadrant abdominal pain who subsequently were proven free of gallbladder disease. In addition, 38 patients had OC, and 31 had US performed. The results shows that the sensitivity and specificity of 99mTc-PGC were 100%. Whereas for OC the sensitivity was 87%, specificity was 100%. For US the sensitivity was 70%, and specificity was 93%. The repeatability of 99mTc-PGC, OC, and US were 100%, 97% and 81% respectively. These data show that 99mTc-pyridoxylideneglutamate cholescintigraphy is a valid diagnostic tool in the evaluation of patients with cholecystitis, and is also safe and simple.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1977

Physiological response to organophosphate residues in field workers.

The physiologic response of 21 male agricultural field workers exposed to foliage-borne Guthion residues was monitored during routine peach-thinning operations in a northern California orchard. Surveillance included daily venipuncture and urine collection to determine whole blood cholinesterase (CHE) activity and level of dialkylphosphate excretion for 3 baseline (nonexposed) and 5 normal work days. Foliage samples were obtained to measure dislodgeable and total Guthion residues. A decrease in group-mean CHE activity by 15% over the surveillance period was found. Apart from one worker who showed a consistent decrease in CHE activity, reaching a maximum of 30% below baseline at the end of the work week, daily changes in individual CHE activity were erratic. Group-mean dialkylphosphate excretion levels provided a semiquantitative indication of exposure to Guthion. Medical examination before and after the exposure period revealed an absence of clinical signs of organophosphate intoxication.

Adult↗
PubMed1977

The risk of neurologic damage with fractures of the vertebrae.

The incidence of spinal cord injury with spine fractures and dislocations is approximately 14% of the total as ascertained from a survey of these injuries in Northern California, and 17% of traumatic spinal cord injuries gave no overt radiographic evidence of vertebral injury. Patients sustaining fractures of the vertebral bodies and posterior elements with some degree of malalignment of the spine had a 61% incidence of neurologic deficit. Injuries to the cervical spine most often produced neurologic damage, the incidence of neurologic deficit being 39%. Motor vehicle collisons continue to be the major cause of these injuries and the victim is usually a young adult male.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed1977

Electrocardiographic response to intravenous urography: prospective evaluation of 275 patients.

A total of 275 consecutive patients referred for intravenous urography were monitored for electrocardiographic changes during administration of Conray 400 or Renovist II in the form of either intravenous bolus or infusion. Three patients who received Conray (two bolus and one infusion) developed sustained ventricular tachycardia; they reverted to sinus rhythm with intravenous lidocaine. A statistically significant (P less than .05) number of patients developed a heart rate increase of 10 beats/min or more with bolus of either drug (65 of 128) compared to infusion (21 of 147). Depression of ST segment (greater than or equal to 0.5 mm) was encountered statistically more often (P less than .05) with bolus (20 of 128) compared to infusion (six of 147). Increase of corrected QT of 0.10 sec or more was observed more often (P less than .05) with bolus (43 of 128) compared to infusion (five of 147). Abnormal resting ECG, coronary artery disease, or congestive heart failure imposed a higher (P less than .05) risk for development of ventricular tachycardia, ST depression, or ectopic ventricular beats. It is concluded that a bolus injection be very cautiously administered to patients with risk factors such as abnormal ECG, coronary artery disease, or congestive heart failure during intravenous urography and that resuscitative facilities be available.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1977

Acute spinal-cord lesions from diving--epidemiological and clinical features.

The aquatic activity that produces the greatest number of spinal-cord lesions is diving. Persons in the general population at greatest risk are males aged 15 to 19 years. Of the cases identified, 45 percent resulted from diving into a river or stream, 27 percent into swimming pools and 28 percent into lakes, reservoirs or the ocean. Distribution by age differed for the major groups of bodies of water. The incidence of spinal-cord injuries was related to season (spring-summer) and day of the week (weekends). The incidence of injuries was highest in those county areas with the least opportunity for exposure to swimming pools or rivers. Of the injured persons, 60 percent were tetraplegic at hospital admission. The most frequent radiologic finding was wedge fracture. This finding, in the absence of objective evidence that most divers struck the bottom of the water reservoir or a hard object, suggests that hyperventroflexion was the mechanism responsible for injury in most of the cases. Physicians and others should be aware of strategy options for preventing or reducing such injuries.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed1976

Prevention of lower extremity venous thrombosis by early mobilization. Confirmation in patients with acute myocardial infarction by 125I-fibrinogen uptake and venography.

To determine the effects of early ambulation on peripheral venous thrombosis in the coronary care unit, 29 patients with acute myocardial infarction had daily 125I-fibrinogen point counting of both legs using a standard portable technique in the first 3 to 7 days after admission. Twenty-one patients underwent early ambulation during the initial 3 days, while 8 remained at complete bed rest for 5 days. Only 2 of 21 early ambulated patients had positive fibrinogen point counts, in contrast to 5 of 8 nonambulated patients (P less than 0.01). With heart failure, only 2 of 9 ambulated patients had positive point counts, compared with 4 of 5 nonambulated patients (P less than 0.05). In 16 patients undergoing venography, point counts were confirmed in 6 positive and 10 negative findings. These results show that the high frequency of peripheral venous thrombosis in immobilized acute myocardial infarction patients, particularly those with heart failure, can be effectively reduced by early ambulation.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed1975

Some epidemiologic features of motorcycle collision injuries. I. Introduction, methods and factors associated with incidence.

Using official police reports and hospital admission and emergency room medical records, 1273 persons with confirmed medically treated motorcycle injury were identified in Sacramento County, California, during 1970. Less than 39% of all injured motorcyclists were identified in this study using only official police reports. The annual incidence rate was highest for 18-year-old male drivers. In addition to age of driver, risk of injury was associated with drivers of short stature (less than 173 cm) operating an intermediate or larger size motorcycle. Risk of injury was higher for drivers with training than for those without training or those who operated their motorcycles frequently regardless of type of use. Risk of injury was not related to make of motorcycle but was related to engine size. Two-thirds of the injury-producing collisions involved a motorcycle and a second motor vehicle. Motorcycle collisions occurred most fre quently during the afternoon and early evening hours and during the summer months, but peaks in incidence of collisions occurred during weeks which included a holiday.

Accidents, Traffic↗
PubMed1975

Some epidemiologic features of motorcycle collision injuries. II. Factors associated with severity of injuries.

Male drivers sustained relatively more serious motorcycle collision injuries than did male passengers, female drivers, or female passengers. For male drivers, severity of injury was related to age. The relative frequency of serious head injury was highest for drivers not wearing helmets who were involved in collisions at low or high speeds. Severity of injury was related to speed at the time of collision but not in all types of collisions. Factors associated with the incidence of collisions were not identical to those related to the severity of the injury sustained.

Accidents, Traffic↗
PubMed1975

Injury patterns in motorcycle collisions.

This report describes the incidence, nature, and severity of trauma for injuried and medically treated motorcyclists in Sacramento County, California in 1970. Using official police reports, hospital admission, and emergency-room medical records, 1,273 persons with a confirmed medically treated motorcycle injury were identified. Since less than 39% of all injured motorcyclists were identified in this study by use of official police reports only, statistics which rely solely on these reports greatly underestimate the frequency of motorcycle collision injuries in the community. The annual injury incidence was 2.0 per 1,000 population, with peak incidence injury rate for male drivers 18 years of age. Slightly more than 4% of all registered motorcycles were involved in an injury-producing collision in a single year. Almost 45% of injured motorcyclists suffered a serious injury, with injuries to the musculoskeletal system in the form of fractures being the most common. The average length of hospital stay was 12 days, and three-fourths of those injured indicated one or more days of disability. Physicians should be alert to the fact that persons injured in motorcycle collisions commonly sustain multiple fractures and other serious injuries.

Abdominal Injuries↗
PubMed1973

Post-neonatal sudden unexplained death in a California community.

To gain further insight into the problem of infant sudden death, a study was undertaken to investigate a complete series of cases of infant sudden unexplained death that occurred during a seven-year period in Sacramento County. Needed information was abstracted from autopsy records, Medical Examiner's records and death certificates. The average death rate for the seven-year period was 1.7 for 1,000 live births. Average age at time of death was 2.8 months. There were no records of sudden death among infants over the age of eight months. Higher than average death rates were observed within many of the low socioeconomic areas of Sacramento County. Also, sudden unexplained deaths appeared to occur more frequently in the winter months than in the spring, summer or fall. In over half the cases the infants had a cold, the sniffles, or other respiratory tract congestion within two weeks of the date of death, which seems to support the oft-quoted contention concerning the possibility of nasal obstruction which could initiate the fatal apnea. An additional notable finding was the very frequent occurrence of petechial hemorrhage in the thymus, heart, and lung tissues. The unique age distribution of these deaths in combination with the high frequency of low socioeconomic groups and the frequency of minor respiratory ailment would suggest approaches that can be taken to identify infants at high risk and thus initiate effective community health programs for prevention.

California↗