Biomedical subjects

J Spinelli

Publications and source records attributed to J Spinelli.

39 records · Page 3Linked to original sources

PubMedDate not supplied

Q fever hazards from sheep and goats used in research.

Two recent outbreaks of Q fever in research institutions prompted the authors to review extant data, in an effort to delineate hazards to humans from small ruminants used in research. Prevalence of Q fever antibodies was 24% among 2097 sheep and 57% among 1475 goats from various sources. In a facility using sheep for prenatal research, in which an epidemic of human Q fever later occurred, antibody prevalence among sheep was 77%, with larger than usual proportions of high (greater than or equal to 128) titers. Antibody prevalence was 5% in a sample from the general human population and 11% among 347 persons at three research institutions (17% among students, 8% among the research staff). Except for animal caretakers routinely exposed to sheep, antibody prevalence among research staff approximated prevalence in the general population. Suggestions are made for surveillance and vaccination of sheep and goats used in medical research institutions.

Animals↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Cardiac resynchronization for heart failure: present status.

Ventricular dysfunction is a hallmark of heart failure, and is often linked to ventricular dilatation and ventricular conduction delays. Recent studies have demonstrated that systolic function can be improved in patients with left bundle branch block by pre-exciting the site of late activation, usually the left ventricular free wall. Furthermore, it has been recently reported that this improvement is associated with a decrease in myocardial oxygen consumption. We hypothesize that the pre-excitation of the region covered by the blocked bundle acts as an "electrical bypass," resynchronizing the contraction of the septum and the left ventricular free wall. In addition, optimization of the electronic atrioventricular delay allows the simultaneous resynchronization of the atrioventricular contractions, and minimization of diastolic mitral regurgitation. Systolic mitral regurgitation may also be reduced by removing the geometric distortion introduced by the left bundle branch block. The recently reported positive outcome of the PATH-CHF I controlled trial reinforces that the positive acute and chronic results that have been reported up to now may translate into long-term clinical benefit for patients with heart failure and conduction defects. Larger studies are needed to confirm these initial results and to establish the impact of this new therapeutic modality on morbidity and mortality. (c)2000 by CHF, Inc.

Journal Article↗

PubMedDate not supplied

The lack of efficacy of a foam brush in maintaining gingival health: a controlled study.

Foam brushes have been used in the oral care of hospitalized patients for many years. However, no controlled study of their efficacy has been conducted. A randomized crossover study, comparing the effectiveness of a foam brush with that of a toothbrush, was carried out. The gingival condition and presence of plaque in the mouths of 29 volunteers were followed. It was shown that a toothbrush was more effective in controlling plaque levels and gingivitis.

Dental Plaque↗