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Biomedical subjects

J Oldham

Publications and source records attributed to J Oldham.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1993

The degree of day-to-day variation in food intake in diabetic patients.

A prospective study of food intake using 7 day food diaries was undertaken in 92 diabetic men and women aged 17-81 years. The median individual day-to-day coefficients of variation for energy intake were: in insulin treated patients 12.0%, in non-insulin treated patients 13.7%; for carbohydrate intake 14.5% and 13.8% and for fat 20.7% and 20.8%, respectively. The median individual differences between the minimum and maximum daily intake of energy in insulin treated patients was 787 kcal, in non-insulin treated patients 649 kcal, for carbohydrate intake 89g and 77g and fat 50g and 43g, respectively. Only 39% patients ate within 20% of their prescribed carbohydrate diet. In non-insulin treated patients on prescribed calorie controlled diets, calorie consumption was on average 46% in excess of that prescribed. Although the variation in dietary intake in diabetic patients is large, it is smaller than that reported in non-diabetic subjects in the UK. This variation is likely to make the manipulation of other antidiabetic therapy both difficult and somewhat arbitrary.

Adult↗
PubMed1992

Diabetic diets and nutritional recommendations: what happens in real life?

Prospective 7-day estimated weight food records were computer analysed in 92 diabetic patients, 45 men and 47 women, 25 with Type 1 and 67 Type 2 diabetes, attending a hospital-based diabetic clinic. The nutrient intakes were compared with a national survey in non-diabetic British adults (OPCS) and the current EASD recommendations for the diabetic diet. Only three diabetic patients achieved the recommended 50-60% energy intake as carbohydrate, four achieved less than 30% energy as fat, one patient less than 10% saturated fat and 20 ate greater than 30 g fibre per day. The overall nutrient intakes of these diabetic patients reflected those of non-diabetic subjects except for a greater intake of protein and smaller intakes of sugar and alcohol. These findings reinforce the problems currently faced in achieving the present recommendations for the diabetic diet.

Adult↗
PubMed1990

Second-trimester termination with 16,16 dimethyl-PGE1-methyl ester (gemeprost), compared with a regimen that included intra-amniotic PGF2 alpha and hypertonic saline.

The use of gemeprost (16,16 dimethyl-PGE1-methyl ester) pessaries was compared in an open, randomized single-centre trial with the intra-amniotic injection of PGF2 alpha combined with hypertonic saline, intravenous oxytocin and a hygroscopic cervical dilator (Dilapan) for the termination of pregnancy between 14 and 20 weeks. There was no significant difference in the induction-delivery interval for the two groups. With the exception of an increased incidence of diarrhoea in the gemeprost group, there was no significant difference in other side effects, analgesic requirements or retained placentae. Gemeprost pessaries are an effective alternative to the more invasive methods previously used for the induction of second-trimester termination.

Abortifacient Agents, Nonsteroidal↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Rehabilitation: objective assessment of muscle function.

The lack of an appropriate and objective measuring scale or tool has ensured that rehabilitation nurses' assessments of patients' muscle function have tended to be subjective and, arguably, inconsistent. Such inexact methods are no longer acceptable to the increasingly audit-conscious health service and research-oriented nursing profession. The authors introduce a means of completing an objective assessment of patients' muscle function which, they claim, will enable nurses to evaluate the efficacy of current and potential treatment options. In follow-up articles appearing in the next two editions of Nursing Standard, they discuss electrotherapeutic rehabilitation of skeletal muscle function.

Humans↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Rehabilitation of muscle function. Part 1.

This article, which develops the concepts introduced in the authors' paper in last week's edition (1), is the first of two which review and summarise recent studies describing techniques to test the hypothesis that uniform frequency stimulation of skeletal muscle deprives the muscle of the type of signals that are necessary for rapid, appropriate and effective adaptation. Next week, clinical trials which have tested this hypothesis will be described, and the implications of the results for nurses involved in rehabilitation work discussed; Part 1 sets out the methodology of extracting the firing patterns of single motor units from a fatiguing muscle.

Electric Stimulation↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Statistical tests (Part 1): Descriptive statistics.

This series of three articles has been designed to facilitate an understanding of some commonly used statistical terms encountered when reading research articles. In addition, it is hoped that the nurse researcher who has access to a personal computer containing basic statistical software will gain some insight into which statistical tests to use and in what circumstances. The articles do not attempt to provide any understanding of the mathematics of the statistical tests employed.

Humans↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Statistical tests (Part 3): Non-parametric tests.

The previous two articles in this series (1,2) have considered in some detail the descriptive and parametric approaches to statistical analysis. This final article now considers principally the non-parametric approach to statistical analysis and, briefly, looks at the concepts of dimension reduction, factor analysis and confidence limits.

Nursing Research↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Functional tests in elderly osteoarthritic subjects: variability of performance.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the variability of performance of timed walking and sit-to-stand tests in elderly osteoarthritic subjects. Thirteen elderly subjects were asked to walk, as quickly as possible, along a flat corridor a distance of ten metres. The time and number of strides taken were recorded. Fourteen subjects were asked to perform a series of five sit-to-stand movements as quickly as possible from a plinth 48 cm high. Subjects performed three repeats of each test procedure with a two-minute rest period between each. This was undertaken on three separate occasions within a one-week period. A significant difference (p < 0.05) was observed for the time taken to complete the ten metres over the nine tests, but no significant difference was observed in the number of strides taken. The mean coefficient of variation for time taken was 7.3 per cent, which compares favourably with normal biological systems (1). No significant difference was observed for the time taken during the sit-to-stand test over the nine tests. These simple tests of functional ability may be confidently applied as sequential measures in the clinical setting.

Clinical Nursing Research↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Measuring muscle tone and movement.

Abnormal or altered muscle tone in the neurologically damaged patient presents major problems for restoring motor function. Many nursing interventions, such as passive limb exercises and correct limb positioning, attempt to normalise muscle tone. The effect of abnormal tone on movement can be clearly seen, therefore it may be more appropriate to measure the 'quality' of movement. This article describes various methods of measuring muscle tone, such as video analysis, and examines the reliability of these techniques.

Humans↗