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Biomedical subjects

J Hatcher

Publications and source records attributed to J Hatcher.

14 recordsLinked to original sources

Emotional distress of mothers of hospitalized children.

Compared 20 mothers of children hospitalized on a pediatric intensive care unit (PICU), 20 mothers of children hospitalized on a general pediatric medical surgical unit, and 20 mothers of nonhospitalized ill children on standardized measures of anxiety and negative moods. The mothers of children admitted to the PICU experienced greater state anxiety, depression, confusion, and anger than the other mothers. There were no differences between the mothers of children admitted to the general pediatric floor and mothers of nonhospitalized ill children. Maternal age, family stress, number of prior hospitalizations of the ill child, and the mother's rating of the severity of her child's illness were predictive of emotional distress. Results indicate that hospitalization of a mildly or moderately ill child per se may not necessarily increase maternal emotional distress.

Adaptation, Psychological

Practical screening priorities for hearing impairment among children in developing countries.

Routine screening for hearing impairment in childhood is now widespread in industrial countries, although there is considerable controversy over the most efficient techniques and procedures. In most developing countries, however, routine screening programmes for hearing impairment do not currently exist. The problems involved in implementing screening programmes in developing and industrial countries are very different, and in selecting screening procedures for a particular population the following factors have to be taken into consideration: the environmental test conditions; the availability of resources for equipment and the training of testers; the local attitudes towards disability; the level of hearing impairment that may cause handicaps; and the major types of pathology causing hearing impairment. We suggest that in developing countries children should be screened at school entry using a simple field audiometer and that the external ear be inspected for the presence of a discharge. There is an urgent need to develop reliable and simple screening procedures for infants and young children; where possible, all children should be screened for severe or significant hearing impairment before the age of 2 years. No screening should, however, be implemented until appropriate follow-up services are available.

Acoustic Impedance Tests

Comparison of azabicyclic esters and oxadiazoles as ligands for the muscarinic receptor.

The link between the cognitive deficit associated with Alzheimer type dementia and the loss of cholinergic function in the disease provides a basis for examining muscarinic agonists as potential therapeutic agents. This paper describes the design and synthesis of novel azabicyclic methyl esters as ligands for the muscarinic receptor. Replacement of the methyl ester by a 3-methyl-1,2,4-oxadiazole ring produces potent metabolically more stable muscarinic agonists capable of penetrating the central nervous system. These compounds generally show improved affinity relative to the corresponding methyl esters. 3-Methyl-1,2,4-oxadiazole 7b has an affinity 4 times that of acetylcholine. Receptor affinity is discussed in relation to the size and geometry of the azabicyclic ring and the electronic properties of the heteroaromatic ring.

Aminoquinolines

The selective dopamine antagonist properties of BRL 34778: a novel substituted benzamide.

BRL 34778, exo-4-amino-5-chloro-2-methoxy-N-[9-(4-fluorophenylmethyl)-9-azabi cyclo(3.3.1) non-3-yl]-benzamide, is a very potent and specific dopamine D2-receptor antagonist. It exhibits a Ki value of 2.14 nM for dopamine D2-receptors but much lower affinity for D1-(Ki 5700 nM) and for many other receptor types. Its action is potent and of long duration in models for antipsychotic activity (4 h ED50s PO are 0.017 mg/kg for antagonism of apomorphine-induced climbing in mice and 0.028 mg/kg for antagonism of amphetamine-induced locomotion in rats). In contrast to its high potency in models for antipsychotic activity, BRL 34778 is much weaker in models for extrapyramidal effects and sedation (4 h ED50s PO are 2.4 mg/kg for inducing catalepsy in rats and 1.14 mg/kg for inhibition of rearing behaviour in rats). These data indicate potent activity of BRL 34778 in models for antipsychotic activity but low activity in models for extrapyramidal effects and sedation.

Adenylyl Cyclase Inhibitors

A comparison of physician and patient reports of Pap smear histories.

We describe the level of agreement between patients and their physicians with respect to their use of the Pap smear, the symptoms present, and the smear results. The data derived from a case-control interview study of 181 newly diagnosed invasive squamous cell cervical cancer cases and 905 age-matched controls, a second case-control interview study of 250 cases of cervical dysplasia and 500 age-matched controls, and the medical records of attending physicians for all patients. Cases and controls in both studies reported more smears over the previous 5 years than their medical records indicated; also patients reported their last smear as more recent than noted in physician files. Cancer cases were somewhat more accurate on frequency and timing of smears than the other patient groups. Patients tend to report more symptoms at interview than recorded in their files. Disagreements on smear results were probably because of differences in terminology, especially in distinguishing invasive from pre-cancerous conditions; cancer cases tended to report some dysplasias as cancer, but the controls in both studies under-reported dysplasia. If high physician response rates can be obtained, we would prefer to use physician records as the basis of evaluation of screening programs, especially when accurate dating of screening events is required. However it is less clear whether physician records are to be preferred, if the evaluation is to take symptoms into account.

Adult

Depression in medical in-patients.

Between one-fifth and one-third of patients hospitalized on general medicine wards experience significant depressive symptoms during their hospitalization. This study employed 71 general medical in-patients and examined the relative association of illness/hospitalization characteristics, patient characteristics and environmental characteristics with in-patient medical depression. Multiple regression results indicated that in-patient medical depression was related to pre-hospitalization depression and social functioning, patient perception of physician supportiveness and patient perception of illness-related life-disruption. None of the objective illness/hospitalization variables related to depression while in the hospital. These results are interpreted with regard to several current theories in medical psychology including a life-stress model emphasizing the ability of prior disorder to predict subsequent disorder, a social interaction model focusing on the effects of physicians' supportive behaviour on patients' emotional adjustment in the hospital, and models of illness that stress cognitive appraisal in determining illness-related mood and behaviour.

Adolescent

Cervical dysplasia: association with sexual behavior, smoking, and oral contraceptive use?

Information on possible risk factors of cervical dysplasia, including indices of sexual behavior, smoking habits, and the use of oral contraceptives was obtained from a case-control study in Ontario in which 250 cases of histologically proved cervical dysplasia and 500 age-matched neighborhood controls were interviewed. Initial analysis showed an increased risk associated with more than one sexual partner, an early age at first intercourse, current smoking, the use and duration of use of oral contraceptives, and education. However, the increased risk of use and duration of use of oral contraceptives and education was reduced after adjustment for indices of sexual behavior and smoking. This finding does not confirm previously reported large adverse effects of pill use. The relationship between smoking and cervical dysplasia might be explained by some agent in cigarette smoke which depresses the immune mechanism, thus permitting a sexually transmitted agent to result in abnormal cellular development that leads to the onset of cervical dysplasia.

Adolescent