PubMed Health⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

J M Ferguson

Publications and source records attributed to J M Ferguson.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1992

Comparison of endocrine changes and ultrasound as means of identifying ovulation in the bitch.

Twenty bitches were monitored through pro-oestrus and oestrus using both circulating plasma hormone levels and ultrasonic examination of the ovaries. Using luteinising hormone (LH) as being the generally accepted optimum indicator of the day of ovulation, comparisons were made of the accuracy of progesterone and ultrasound to identify ovulation. Progesterone agreed with LH in 12 of 20 bitches and was within one day in seven of the other eight. Ultrasound was less accurate in that only four of the 16 estimates agreed, with a further six being within one day. However, if only the bitches which were examined by ultrasound with the latest equipment were included, while only three of 11 coincided, six of the remaining eight were within one day of the LH estimated ovulation. It is concluded that, at present, of the rapid assessments, the measurement of plasma progesterone is a better estimator of ovulation than ultrasound.

Animals↗
PubMed1992

Development of spontaneous echocardiographic contrast after surgical trauma.

To determine if hypercoagulability is associated with contrast, surgical trauma was studied in a canine model. Contrast increased in the right heart and aorta after laparotomy, but not after anesthesia alone in either the right or the left heart. The inferior vena cava had the largest amount of contrast after surgery, implying that contrast development was primarily a local response to injury. The cellular composition of this contrast was not determined, but it occurred in the absence of changes in systemic rheologic or hematologic parameters and was not affected by heparin administration.

Anesthesia, Intravenous↗
PubMed1991

Comparison of high purity factor IX concentrates and a prothrombin complex concentrate in a canine model of thrombogenicity.

A non-stasis canine model of thrombogenicity has been used to evaluate batches of high purity factor IX concentrates from 4 manufacturers and a conventional prothrombin complex concentrate (PCC). Platelets, activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT), fibrinogen, fibrin(ogen) degradation products and fibrinopeptide A (FPA) were monitored before and after infusion of concentrate. Changes in FPA were found to be the most sensitive and reproducible indicator of thrombogenicity after infusion of batches of the PCC at doses of between 60 and 180 IU/kg, with a dose related delayed increase in FPA occurring. Total FPA generated after 100-120 IU/kg of 3 batches of PCC over the 3 h time course was 9-12 times that generated after albumin infusion. In contrast the amounts of FPA generated after 200 IU/kg of the 4 high purity factor IX products were in all cases similar to albumin infusion. It was noted that some batches of high purity concentrates had short NAPTTs indicating that current in vitro tests for potential thrombogenicity may be misleading in predicting the effects of these concentrates in vivo.

Animals↗
PubMed1991

Use of factor VII-deficient beagles bred by artificial insemination to evaluate mechanisms of thrombosis associated with prothrombin complex concentrates.

Artificial insemination with frozen semen was used to breed beagles homozygous for a deficiency in clotting factor VII, with plasma concentrations of 2-3% of normal adult beagle pooled plasma. The factor VII-deficient beagles were used to determine if factor VII activity has a role in the thrombogenic activity of prothrombin complex concentrates (PCCs) containing factors II, IX and X by evaluating changes in selected indicators of thrombogenicity. No differences were seen between the responsiveness of the factor VII-deficient and normal beagles, indicating that the thrombogenic activities of PCCs are mediated via effects on the intrinsic clotting system.

Animals↗
PubMed1991

Ovulation, fertilization and early embryonic development in the bitch (Canis familiaris).

Using circulating plasma hormone estimations, ovulation was monitored in bitches. The results obtained indicate that the timing of ovulation bears little relationship to alterations in sexual behaviour. The bitches were killed and reproductive tracts were removed at various intervals after ovulation and ova or embryos were recovered. The embryo stages were assessed visually and some were investigated histologically. Embryonic development, to early blastocyst stage, took place within the oviducts during the first 12 days after ovulation and there was a marked increase in size between the early and late blastocyst. A culture system using cells from the uterine tube supported the development of one 1-cell embryo to the morula stage.

Animals↗
PubMed1991

Estazolam treatment of insomnia in generalized anxiety disorder: a placebo-controlled study.

Estazolam, a triazolobenzodiazepine with an intermediate elimination half-life, has been shown previously to be an effective and safe hypnotic in insomniacs without concomitant psychiatric illness. Our study of the efficacy of estazolam in patients with insomnia associated with generalized anxiety disorder began when 108 patients meeting criteria for generalized anxiety disorder (mean total score of Hamilton Rating Scale for Anxiety [HAM-A] = 22.0 +/- 3.1 [SD]) and insomnia were given single-blind placebo for 7 nights. Nine patients whose anxiety and/or insomnia improved were dropped as placebo responders. The remaining 99 patients were randomly allocated (1:1) to double-blind treatment with either estazolam 2.0 mg or matching placebo for 7 nights. Hypnotic efficacy, as determined by patient-completed sleep questionnaires, was statistically significant for estazolam 2.0 mg versus placebo for all sleep indices (p less than 0.01). Patients treated with estazolam 2.0 mg showed significantly greater improvement in anxiety than those receiving placebo on the mean total score of HAM-A ([placebo, -3.4; estazolam, -7.1; p less than 0.001] and without the insomnia item [placebo, -2.7; estazolam, -5.5; p less than 0.001]). Anxiety scores on the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory showed greater improvement in the estazolam group, but without statistical significance (p = 0.237). Estazolam 2.0 mg is an effective hypnotic in patients with generalized anxiety disorder and appears to have a favorable anxiolytic action.

Adult↗
PubMed1989

Insemination of beagle bitches with frozen semen.

Behaviour, vaginal cytology and plasma progesterone concentrations were monitored during oestrus in a group of 6 beagle bitches before intrauterine insemination with frozen semen. At intervals after insemination, the reproductive tracts were examined for evidence of conception, which occurred in 5 of the bitches. One pregnant bitch had received treatment with stilboestrol before insemination.

Animals↗
PubMed1988

Treatment of bulimia with bupropion: a multicenter controlled trial.

In a placebo-controlled, double-blind study of the unique antidepressant agent bupropion in the treatment of nondepressed subjects with bulimia (bupropion group, N = 55; placebo group, N = 26), we found the drug significantly superior to placebo in reducing episodes of binge eating and purging. In general, side effects with bupropion were minimal. However, four subjects experienced grand mal seizures during treatment with bupropion, a frequency of seizures far higher than observed in previous studies with this drug. Pending a satisfactory explanation for the occurrence of these seizures, we recommend that bupropion not be administered alone to bulimic patients.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1988

Paradoxical worsening of depressive symptomatology caused by antidepressants.

Major depressive episodes can be precipitated by a variety of mechanisms, including the administration of medications. We report four cases in which antidepressant medication appeared to exacerbate a major depressive episode to the point of suicide. Subsequent withdrawal of the initially prescribed antidepressant medication led to a partial remission in each case. These case reports point out the possibility of antidepressant medication precipitating suicidal behavior in depressed patients and underscore the need for careful monitoring of symptomatology during the initial weeks of medication prescription in this population.

Adult↗
PubMed1987

Fluoxetine-induced weight loss in overweight non-depressed humans.

This study shows fluoxetine to be a potent anorectic agent in non-depressed clinically overweight individuals. It is as effective an anorexic compound as a currently available appetite control agent, benzphetamine, and highly significantly more effective than the placebo treatment. A relative lack of serious side-effects and a low abuse potential make it an interesting drug in the slim armamentarium of agents that are used to treat the overweight. If the lack of tolerance to the effects of this drug seen in the long-term studies of depression is confirmed in long-term studies of obese patients, fluoxetine may have a major part to play in the treatment of the obese patient where weight loss is medically indicated. This would include the morbidly obese, the type II diabetic, and the hypertensive patient. Although ideally behavior modification should accompany the drug treatment for obesity, clinical practice indicates that in many cases, patients will not follow through with the behavioral treatment. A strictly medical prescription of an acceptable pharmacologic agent like fluoxetine on a chronic or long-term basis may provide a new possibility for the treatment of these individuals.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1985

Three cases of posttraumatic anorexia nervosa.

Three patients developed anorexia nervosa after car accidents that caused physical injuries. These cases suggest that anorexia nervosa can be secondary to real or perceived figure distortion and that some cases may be caused by it.

Accidents, Traffic↗
PubMed1978

A rapid behavioral treatment for needle phobics.

A morbid fear of injections and injection paraphernalia can on occasion seriously compromise both the inpatient and outpatient treatment of medical illnesses. Two individuals with a severe needle phobia were treated using participant modeling. In both cases, this very rapid treatment resulted in a remission of symptoms, that in one case persisted at 1 year follow-up post-treatment.

Adult↗