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J Sleigh

Publications and source records attributed to J Sleigh.

10 recordsLinked to original sources

Intermittent enteral nutrition--a comparative study examining the effect on gastric pH and microbial colonization rates.

In a prospective randomized study we aimed to examine the effect on gastric pH and microbial colonization of enteral nutrition (EN) delivered both by intermittent and continual infusion. Forty-three mechanically ventilated patients were randomized to receive EN by one of three methods, intermittent or continual gastric or continual jejunal. We sampled gastric aspirate for pH and culture in all patients at 0600 hours and pH in gastric intermittent feeders at 2200 hours daily. Patients were studied for 12 days or until extubated. Data was obtained on 41 patients, of whom 73% had a diagnosis of trauma. Median APACHE II score was 17 and ventilation time 11 days. Twelve patients received gastric continuous, 15 gastric intermittent and 14 jejunal nutrition. No significant difference was observed between the three groups with regard to median 0600 pH (P = 0.16). This was lowest in the jejunal group (3.2) followed by the gastric intermittent group (4.0) and then gastric continuous group (5.0). With overnight cessation of EN in the gastric intermittent group, the median pH fell from 5.2 at 2200 to 4.0 at 0600 (P = 0.01) with no effect on gastric colonization. The probability of gastric colonization over time however was significantly lower in the jejunal group compared with the two gastric groups (Log rank test, P = 0.02). These results demonstrate that in a patient population consisting predominantly of trauma, overnight cessation of EN made no overall difference to 0600 gastric pH or colonization rates. The preservation of pH and lowered colonization in those given jejunal feeding may have implications in the pathogenesis of ventilator-associated infection and may warrant further study using larger patient numbers.

APACHE↗

Detection of bacteraemia in critically ill patients using 16S rDNA polymerase chain reaction and DNA sequencing.

OBJECTIVE: To confirm the sensitivity of the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technique (versus blood cultures) and to gain a better understanding of the incidence of true- and false-positive results when using this technique. DESIGN: Observational study. SETTING: Fourteen-bed, level 3 intensive care unit. PATIENTS: Hundred twenty-six critically ill adult patients. Hundred ninety-seven blood culture and PCR samples taken as clinically indicated for suspected sepsis, according to routine ICU protocol. MEASUREMENTS AND RESULTS: The PCR product (16SrDNA: 341F-1195R) was sequenced and compared with a database of known species (Genebank) to identify the bacterial nucleic acid. The PCR or blood culture result was classified as a true-positive if there was other microbiological or clinical supporting evidence.

Adult↗

Management and outcomes of patients with brain trauma in a tertiary referral trauma hospital without neurosurgeons on site.

Waikato Hospital is a tertiary hospital of over 700 beds receiving large numbers of trauma patients, but has no neurosurgeon closer than 130 kilometres. Over the 10 years ending July 1997, 831 cases of brain trauma were admitted to the Intensive Care Unit. Of these, 191 died before leaving hospital (overall mortality 23%). Of the 547 who had a Glasgow Coma Score (GCS) < or = 8, 173 died (mortality 32%). Of the children who were < 15 years of age and had a GCS < or = 8, there was a 23% mortality. These mortality rates are acceptable when compared with other reports (average 37%, over 12 adult series). Using brain AIS scores, our mortality figures also compared favorably with those in the literature, and suggest that the quality of brain trauma care is adequate in this non-neurosurgical centre with intensive care, backed by CT scanning and general surgeons able to do urgent burr holes. Six percent of the brain trauma patients (approximately five per year), required interhospital transfer for definitive neurosurgical care.

Adolescent↗

Fluorinated analogues of 1-(2-chloroethyl)-3-cyclohexyl-1-nitrosourea: an attempt to control metabolism.

In seeking to block and thereby determine the role of the rapid in vivo hydroxylation of the cyclohexyl moiety of 1-(2-chloroethyl)-3-cyclohexyl-1-nitrosourea (CCNU) in relation to antitumor activity and tissue distribution, the 3-(1H-decafluorocyclohexyl) analogue (FCCNU) was synthesized. FCCNU showed marked toxicity and little activity against the intracerebral L1210 leukemia in mice. At pH 7 in phosphate buffer at room temperature FCCNU rapidly decomposed to give 1-(1H-decafluorocyclohexyl)-3-nitrosoimidazolidin-2-one (3) and thence, by loss of HF, the 1-(nonafluorocyclohexenyl) derivative (4); CCNU did not follow this decomposition pathway to any significant extent. Both 3 and 4 were unstable in the buffer, but each was isolated crystalline and characterized. The formation of 3 and 4 account for the biological properties of FCCNU.

Animals↗