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Biomedical subjects

J Steward

Publications and source records attributed to J Steward.

15 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2006

Treatment of murine pneumonic Francisella tularensis infection with gatifloxacin, moxifloxacin or ciprofloxacin.

The efficacies of gatifloxacin and moxifloxacin were assessed in a BALB/c mouse model of pneumonic tularemia and compared with the efficacy of ciprofloxacin. The rate of relapse following dexamethasone treatment was also investigated. Mice were given 100 mg/kg of the antibiotic by oral administration twice daily for 14 days following an aerosol challenge. All three fluoroquinolones prevented disease during the treatment period, but significant failure rates occurred after the cessation of therapy. Both gatifloxacin and moxifloxacin were more effective than ciprofloxacin at reducing late mortality. Fluoroquinolones may therefore be considered useful candidates for the treatment of pneumonic tularemia.

Animals↗
PubMed2005

In vivo efficacy of fluoroquinolones against systemic tularaemia infection in mice.

OBJECTIVES: The in vivo efficacy of ciprofloxacin, gatifloxacin and moxifloxacin were assessed in an experimental Francisella tularensis Schu S4 infection in the BALB/c mouse model. METHODS: Mice were given 100 mg/kg of antibiotic by oral administration twice daily commencing at 6, 24 or 48 h post-exposure and continued for 14 days post-exposure. All mice were challenged subcutaneously with 1 x 10(6) cfu F. tularensis Schu S4 and observed for a period of 56 days. RESULTS: Treatment initiated 6 h post-exposure resulted in 94, 100 and 100% survival for ciprofloxacin, gatifloxacin and moxifloxacin, respectively. When treatment was delayed until 24 h post-exposure the survival rates were ciprofloxacin 67%, gatifloxacin 96% and moxifloxacin 100%. Treatment initiated at 48 h post-exposure resulted in a significant reduction in the survival rate of the ciprofloxacin-treated mice, with 0% survival compared with 84 and 62% for gatifloxacin and moxifloxacin, respectively. Non-treated infected control mice died within 96 h post-exposure. Dexamethasone given at day 42 for 7 days to suppress the animals' immune system caused relapse in all of the treatment groups. CONCLUSIONS: Both gatifloxacin and moxifloxacin were more effective at preventing mortality than ciprofloxacin and could be considered as alternative antibiotics in the treatment of systemic F. tularensis infection.

Administration, Oral↗
PubMed2005

Comparison of gatifloxacin, moxifloxacin and ciprofloxacin for treatment of experimental Burkholderia pseudomallei infection.

OBJECTIVES: To compare the efficacy of moxifloxacin, gatifloxacin and ciprofloxacin for the post-exposure prophylaxis and treatment of experimental Burkholderia pseudomallei infection. The presence of persistent infection in treated animals and the rate of relapse following dexamethasone treatment were also investigated. METHODS: BALB/c mice were inoculated subcutaneously with 1.75 x 10(6) cfu of B. pseudomallei strain 576. Gatifloxacin, moxifloxacin and ciprofloxacin (100 mg/kg) were given orally at 12 hourly intervals for 14 days starting at 6 h, 7 days or 12 days post-challenge. Control mice did not receive antibiotic therapy. RESULTS: No regimen gave 100% protection. Prophylaxis was most effective when started 6 h post-challenge, with survival rates at 42 days for ciprofloxacin, gatifloxacin and moxifloxacin being 58%, 75% and 75%, respectively. For treatment started at day 7 post-challenge, survival rates were 17%, 11% and 44%, respectively. When antibiotic treatment was delayed until day 12 post-challenge, survival rates fell to 21%, 17% and 28%, respectively. Following dexamethasone treatment of survivors at 42 days post-challenge, relapses occurred in all treatment groups. CONCLUSIONS: Fluoroquinolones do not provide good post-exposure protection against infection with B. pseudomallei. The newer agents moxifloxacin and gatifloxacin are not significantly better than ciprofloxacin for this purpose.

Animals↗
PubMed2004

Post-exposure prophylaxis of systemic anthrax in mice and treatment with fluoroquinolones.

OBJECTIVES: To compare the fluoroquinolones gatifloxacin and moxifloxacin with ciprofloxacin for post-exposure prophylaxis of systemic anthrax in a BALB/c mouse model. METHODS: Treated mice and controls were inoculated subcutaneously with 5 x 10(4) spores/mouse of Bacillus anthracis Ames strain and observed for 37 days after challenge. Treated mice were given 100 mg/kg of antibiotic orally twice daily for 14 days, starting at various times post-challenge. RESULTS: Treatment starting 6 h post-challenge resulted in survival rates of 90%, 15% and 40% for gatifloxacin, moxifloxacin and ciprofloxacin, respectively. Treatment commencing 24 h post-challenge resulted in survival rates of 65%, 10% and 5%, respectively. Treatment starting more than 24 h after exposure had little effect on survival. CONCLUSIONS: Gatifloxacin appeared to be more effective than moxifloxacin or ciprofloxacin, at similar doses, for early post-exposure treatment of murine systemic anthrax. However, these results might be due to differences in potency or pharmacokinetic properties.

Animals↗
PubMed2004

Efficacy of the latest fluoroquinolones against experimental Yersinia pestis.

The efficacies of prophylactic and therapeutic gatifloxacin and moxifloxacin were assessed in a BALB/c mouse model of systemic and pneumonic plague and compared with ciprofloxacin. Mice were given 100 mg/kg of the antibiotic by oral administration twice daily for 7 days starting 1h prior to infection or following infection. All antibiotics offered full protection for up to 6h following systemic challenge, and for up to 30 h following an aerosol challenge. The efficacy of each of the antibiotics decreased when antibiotics were started 18 h following systemic challenge and 48 h following aerosol challenge. Fluoroquinolones may therefore be considered useful candidates for the treatment of bubonic and pneumonic plague.

Animals↗
PubMed2002

The implementation of guidelines and computerised forms improves the completeness of cancer pathology reporting. The CROPS project: a randomised controlled trial in pathology.

The aim of this study was to determine whether reporting guidelines and computerised form-based reports improve the completeness of histopathological cancer data available for patient management and population cancer registration and to evaluate the acceptability of the intervention. The study was a randomised controlled trial with a split unit design and stratified cluster randomisation. All 16 hospital pathology laboratories in Wales were randomly allocated to report either breast or colorectal resection specimens by computerised form or conventional free text. 1044 reports were analysed in the study arm, 998 in the control arm. Use of pre-defined forms led to a 28.4% (95% confidence interval (CI): 15.7-41.2%) increase in complete reporting of a minimum dataset required for cancer registration and a 24.5% (95% CI: 11.0-38.0%) increase in complete reporting of minimum data required for patient management. Form-based reporting was acceptable to pathologists and preferred by clinicians. In conclusion, guidelines and computerised forms significantly improve the quality of histopathology reporting.

Breast Neoplasms↗
PubMed2000

The role of the mother-daughter relationship in explaining weight concern.

OBJECTIVE: The literature highlights two possible roles for the mother-daughter relationship in the development of weight concern in young girls. The first is simply as a forum for modeling the mother's own concerns and the second is as an interaction between two individuals, which is either protective or facilitative of weight concern. The present study aimed to assess both the modeling and the interactive hypotheses. METHOD: Thirty mothers and their daughters (aged 16-19) completed a questionnaire concerning their weight concern (restrained eating and body dissatisfaction) and their beliefs about aspects of their relationship (daughter's autonomy, mother's autonomy, projection, intimacy, mother's role). RESULTS: The results found no support for the modeling hypothesis, with no significant correlations between the mothers' and daughters' aspects of weight concern. However, the results showed support for the interactive hypothesis. In particular, the daughters were more likely to show restrained eating if their mothers reported a low belief in their own autonomy and if both the mother and daughter rated projection as important in their relationship. Similarly, the daughters were more likely to show body dissatisfaction if their mothers reported a low belief in both their own and their daughter's autonomy and if they rated projection as important. CONCLUSION: The results indicate that the role of the mother-daughter relationship may be more complex than simply as a forum for modeling and are discussed in terms of the impact of aspects of the relationship on subsequent psychopathology.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1996

Extra low frequency electric and magnetic fields in the bedplace of children diagnosed with leukaemia: a case-control study.

This retrospective case-control study of 56 cases and 56 controls measured extra low frequency (ELF) electric and magnetic fields between 2000 h and 0800 h in the bedplaces of children with leukaemia. Mean ELF electric field (E-field) levels found in case homes of 13.9 Vm-1 (SD: 13.6) were significantly higher (P < 0.01) compared with only 7.3 Vm-1 (SD: 12.9) in controls matched for age and sex. Moreover, applying conditional logistic regression, a dose-response relationship emerged between E-field exposure and incidence: above 20 Vm-1 the relative risk was 4.69 (95% CI: 1.17-27.78; P = 0.025), whereas at levels of 10-19 Vm-1 it was 2.40 (95% CI: 0.79-8.09) and at levels of 5-9 Vm-1 it was only 1.46 (95% CI: 0.47-5.10). By contrast, similar readings of the rms ELF magnetic field found no significant case-control differences: mean levels in cases' homes of 0.070 microT (SD: 0.070) compared with 0.057 microT (SD: 0.038) in controls. Although there were imperfections in the study design, it is concluded that the importance of the E-field may have been overlooked in epidemiological studies to date.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1996

Validation of the functional assessment of multiple sclerosis quality of life instrument.

Based on scientific literature and interviews with clinicians and patients, we developed a quality of life instrument for use with people with MS called the Functional Assessment of Multiple Sclerosis (FAMS). The initial item pool consisted of 88 questions: 28 from the general version of the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy quality of life instrument, plus 60 generated by patients, providers, and literature review. The validation samples comprised a mail survey cohort (N = 377) and a clinical cohort (N = 56). Both cohorts provides evidence for internal consistency of the derived subscales, test-retest reliability, content validity, concurrent validity, and construct validity. Principal components and Rasch measurement model analyses were applied sequentially to survey sample data, reducing test length to 44 questions, divided into six subscales: mobility, symptoms, emotional well-being (depression), general contentment, thinking/fatigue, and family/social well-being. Fifteen initially rejected questions were added back as miscellaneous (unscored) questions for their potential clinical and empirical value. The mobility subscale was strongly predictive of the Kurtzke Extended Disability Status Scale and the Scripps Neurologic Rating Scales. The other five subscales were not, indicating they measure aspects of patient quality of life not captured by the neurologic exam. The final 59-item English language instrument (FAMS version 2) is available for inclusion in clinical trials and clinical practice.

Adult↗
PubMed1992

Multiple occult vascular malformations of the brain and spinal cord: MRI diagnosis.

We report a patient with multiple angiographically occult vascular malformations in the brain and spine. Magnetic resonance imaging showed multiple lesions in brain and spine with hypointense areas on both T1 and T2-weighted images. These hypointense areas are usually secondary to hemosiderin deposits consistent with remote bleeding in the lesions. We conclude that when magnetic resonance reveals an intraspinal lesion with signal intensity characteristics consistent with a vascular malformation, an examination of the brain should be performed to rule out associated intracranial lesions. The finding of multiple lesions in the brain with identical signal intensity characteristics reinforces the diagnosis of vascular malformation.

Brain↗
PubMed1984

A treatment programme for faecal incontinence.

The authors describe their method of treating children with faecal incontinence, which is a combined treatment approach and includes intensive physiotherapy. An initial pilot study of 31 children showed that 20 maintained their remission one year after completing the programme.

Behavior Therapy↗