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Biomedical subjects

J H Mayefsky

Publications and source records attributed to J H Mayefsky.

7 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1993

Use of a chart audit: teaching well child care to paediatric house officers.

A prospective study employing a randomly assigned control group was conducted to assess the usefulness of a chart audit in teaching paediatric residents the components of well child care. The charts of children less than 5 years of age were reviewed and compared with audit criteria. Per cent compliance scores were calculated for five categories: present history; behaviour-development; family history; past medical history; and physical assessment. Five separate audits (10 charts per resident per audit) were conducted--two prior to giving the residents feedback, one after informing them that a study was being conducted, once a month after giving feedback, and one a year later. There was no significant difference between the baseline scores of the two groups. In addition, there were no significant changes in the experimental group's scores during the first three audits or the control group's scores over the whole 3-year course of the study. However, one month after receiving feedback, the scores of the experimental group improved significantly in present history, behaviour-development, and past history. One year later, the experimental group's scores were lower in every category than in the preceding audit. However, their scores were higher than the control group and the difference reached statistical significance in present history. We conclude that regular chart audits with feedback are a valuable addition to the primary care curriculum in a paediatric residency programme.

Audiovisual Aids↗
PubMed1992

The usefulness of pulse oximetry in evaluating acutely ill asthmatics.

To examine the usefulness of pulse oximetry in determining the severity of acute asthma, the arterial oxygen saturation (SaO2) of 196 acutely ill asthmatic children was measured while the children were being treated in the emergency department (ED). The measure of severity used was the disposition from the ED--discharge or hospitalization--after receiving standard ED care. The mean pretreatment SaO2 of the 172 children discharged was 96.4% (range, 84-100%), and that of the 24 children admitted was 94.4% (range, 85-100%). A Receiver Operating Characteristic curve indicated that the optimal cutoff point for identifying disposition was an SaO2 of 93%. The sensitivity of an SaO2 < or = 93% was 35%, and the specificity was 92%. We conclude that SaO2 lacks the sensitivity to differentiate the child who will respond to ED therapy from the child who will require further inpatient care.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed1987

Determination of leukocytosis in traumatic spinal tap specimens.

White and red blood cell counts from peripheral blood and from the cerebrospinal fluid of all patients who had traumatic lumbar punctures over a five-year period were studied to determine the diagnostic value of using the ratio of white blood cells to red blood cells in peripheral blood to adjust the white blood cell count found in the bloody cerebro-spinal fluid. In patients without meningitis, 55 percent of the cerebrospinal fluid specimens had more white blood cells than could be attributed to trauma. However, in only 10 percent was the actual white blood cell count more than 10 times greater than the number referable to trauma. In 38 percent, there were fewer white blood cells in the cerebrospinal fluid than the ratio predicted. Such underestimation was uncommon among patients with culture-positive meningitis: the ratio failed to detect leukocytosis in only 10 percent, and all but one of these patients had clinical reasons for the low cerebrospinal fluid count. It is concluded that true leukocytosis is rarely masked in blood-contaminated cerebrospinal fluid, and that the presence of more than 10 times the number of white blood cells than allowed by the adjustment is a sensitive and specific indicator of meningitis. However, a simple mechanical use of the formula is not justified, and all available clinical and laboratory data should be used when deciding whether to institute treatment in a patient with possible meningitis and bloody spinal fluid.

Adult↗