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Biomedical subjects

J Windsor

Publications and source records attributed to J Windsor.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1998

The impact of antioxidant and splanchnic-directed therapy on persistent uncorrected gastric mucosal pH in the critically injured trauma patient.

BACKGROUND: Critically ill trauma patients with gastric intramucosal acidosis, as measured by gastric tonometry, have an increased incidence of multiple organ dysfunction syndrome despite supranormal O2 delivery. We altered our resuscitation protocol to maximize splanchnic blood flow and decrease oxygen-derived free radical damage. DESIGN: Prospective clinical trial with historical controls. METHODS: The protocol differed from control by including administration of folate, mannitol, and low-dose isoproterenol. All patients had gastric tonometers and pulmonary artery catheters. If the intramucosal pH (pHi) was less than 7.25, splanchnic-sparing inotropic and vasodilatory agents were used to optimize systemic cardiac output. Two groups of trauma patients with persistent intramucosal acidosis at 24 hours (pHi < 7.25) were compared: a control group (n = 7), and patients who received the splanchnic/antioxidant protocol (n = 13). RESULTS: The two groups were similar based on Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II score, Injury Severity Score, age, cardiac index, oxygen delivery, and oxygen consumption. The "splanchnic therapy" group had fewer organ system failures as well as shortened length of intensive care unit and hospital stay. Three of 7 patients in the control group and 2 of 13 patients in the splanchnic therapy group had a final pHi < 7.25. CONCLUSION: Gastric tonometry-guided resuscitation and antioxidant/splanchnic therapy in critically ill trauma patients with persistent gastric mucosal acidosis may decrease multiple organ dysfunction syndrome.

APACHE↗
PubMed1998

Failure of splanchnic resuscitation in the acutely injured trauma patient correlates with multiple organ system failure and length of stay in the ICU.

INTRODUCTION: The purpose of our study was to evaluate the relationship between the state of splanchnic perfusion and morbidity and mortality in the hemodynamically unstable trauma patient acutely resuscitated in the ICU. METHODS: Gastric intramucosal pH (pHi) was monitored in a blinded fashion in 19 consecutive critically ill trauma patients with evidence of systemic hypoperfusion (arterial pH [pHa] <7.35, base excess >2.3 mmol/L, lactic acid >2.3 mEq/L) who received right heart catheters to guide resuscitation and subsequent hemodynamic monitoring. DESIGN: Prospective randomized consecutive series with retrospective analysis of data. SETTING: University hospital, surgical ICU. RESULTS: The mean values of APACHE II (acute physiology and chronic health evaluation) Injury Severity Score, pHa, arterial base excess, cardiac index, oxygen delivery index, and oxygen consumption index by 24 h were similar (Student's t test, p>0.1) between survivors and nonsurvivors and between those who developed at most a single (SOF) vs multiple organ system failure (MOSF). Supranormal oxygen delivery and utilization parameters were evenly distributed among survivors and nonsurvivors and patients with SOF and MOSF (chi2, p>0.5). Ten patients had a pHi <7.32 and nine patients had a pHi > or = 7.32 by 24 h. Fifty percent of patients with a pHi <7.32 died, compared with 11% of patients with a pH > or = 7.32 (chi2, p=0.07). Sixty percent of patients with a pHi <7.32 developed MOSF compared with 11% of patients with a pHi > or = 7.32 (chi2, p=0.03). The one patient who developed MOSF and died in the pHi > or = 7.32 cohort suffered from massive head trauma and had all futile medical interventions halted. No other patients who achieved a pH > or = 7.32 by hour 24 developed MOSF. Survivors with a pHi <7.32 at hour 24 had an increased ICU stay (pHi <7.32=46+/-15 days, pHi > or = 7.32=13+/-9 days; p<0.01). A pHi <7.32 carried a relative risk of 4.5 for death and 5.4 for the occurrence of MOSF. CONCLUSION: Attainment of a pHi > or = 7.32 at hour 24 carried a significantly reduced likelihood of MOSF. Being an inference of the state of regional perfusion, in a high-risk microvascular bed, gastric intraluminal tonometry should identify perfusion states of compensated or uncompensated shock during hemodynamic resuscitation of the critically ill injury patient. A low pHi appears to be a marker of postresuscitative morbidity and subsequent increased length of stay.

Critical Care↗
PubMed1997

Stab wounds to the back and flank in the hemodynamically stable patient: a decision algorithm based on contrast-enhanced computed tomography with colonic opacification.

PURPOSE: The authors wanted to determine whether contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CE-CT) with colonic opacification is an accurate tool to triage hemodynamically stable victims of stab wounds to the flank and back. PATIENTS AND METHODS: One hundred forty-five consecutive patients were categorized as low-risk ( penetration superficial to the deep fascia) or high-risk (penetration beyond the deep fascia) based on CE-CT findings. RESULTS: There were no significant differences in admission vital signs, Glasgow Coma Scale, or complete blood counts between low- and high-risk groups. None of the 92 low-risk patients required surgery or had sequelae. Six of the 53 high-risk patients underwent surgery, 2 based on initial CE-CT, 4 due to evolving clinical signs. The CE-CT correctly predicted surgical findings in all cases. CONCLUSIONS: Hemodynamically stable patients with stab wounds to the back and/or flank can be successfully triaged based on CE-CT findings. Low-risk patients may be discharged immediately. High-risk patients may have a discharge decision implemented at 24 hours.

Abdominal Injuries↗
PubMed1997

Management of paroxysmal atrioventricular nodal reentrant tachycardia in the critically ill surgical patient.

OBJECTIVES: Paroxysmal atrioventricular nodal reentrant tachycardia is an infrequently encountered supraventricular arrhythmia that continues to present difficult management problems in the critically ill surgical patient. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of a new treatment algorithm involving the sequential administration of different classes of antiarrhythmic agents until conversion to sinus rhythm was achieved. DESIGN: Nonrandomized, consecutive, protocol-driven descriptive cohort. SETTING: University hospital surgical and trauma intensive care unit (ICU). PATIENTS: During an 11-month period, we prospectively evaluated all hemodynamically stable patients who sustained new-onset atrioventricular nodal reentrant tachycardia. INTERVENTIONS: Vagal maneuver, followed by the rapid, sequential infusion of antiarrhythmic agents (i.e., adenosine, verapamil, and esmolol, respectively) until the arrhythmia was terminated. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Twenty-seven patients (4% of all admissions) were evaluated, including 16 trauma patients (injury Severity Score of 20 +/- 8) and 11 general surgical patients (Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II score of 17 +/- 7). Time from ICU admission to onset of atrioventricular nodal reentrant tachycardia was 4.5 +/- 5 days (median 2.5). Arrhythmia termination was achieved in all patients within minutes (mean 13 +/- 10 [SD]). Incremental sequential adenosine administration alone, however, was successful in affecting conversion to sinus rhythm in only 44% of initial episodes of atrioventricular nodal reentrant tachycardia (95% confidence interval 21% to 67%). A total of 14 (52%) patients developed 38 relapses of paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia in the ICU after initial conversion to sinus rhythm. These relapses required additional antiarrhythmic therapy. Adenosine was only effective in 34% of the relapses (95% confidence interval 17% to 53%). Seven (50%) of these 14 patients developed multiple relapses. However, only two patients were receiving suppressive calcium-channel or beta-adrenergic receptor blockade at the time of relapse. CONCLUSIONS: The use of a multiagent algorithm was effective for the initial conversion of new-onset atrioventricular nodal reentrant tachycardia to sinus rhythm in critically ill surgical and trauma patients. This preliminary report suggests that adenosine has marginal efficacy in the critically ill surgical or trauma patient. Given the high frequency of relapses, regardless of the agents used to achieve initial control, suppression therapy for the arrhythmia during the period of maximal cardiovascular stress is essential.

Adult↗
PubMed1997

Evaluation of specialists' outreach clinics in general practice in England: process and acceptability to patients, specialists, and general practitioners.

OBJECTIVES: The wider study aimed to evaluate specialists' outreach clinics in relation to their costs, processes, and effectiveness, including patients' and professionals' attitudes. The data on processes and attitudes are presented here. DESIGN: Self administered questionnaires were drawn up for patients, their general practitioners (GPs) and specialists, and managers in the practice. Information was sought from hospital trusts. The study formed a pilot phase prior to a wider evaluation. SETTING: Nine outreach clinics in general practices in England, each with a hospital outpatient department as a control clinic were studied. SUBJECTS: The specialties included were ear, nose, and throat surgery; rheumatology; and gynaecology. The subjects were the patients who attended either the outreach clinics or hospital outpatients clinics during the study period, the outreach patients' GPs, the outreach patients' and outpatients' specialists, the managers in the practices, and the NHS trusts which employed the specialists. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Process items included waiting lists, waiting times in clinics, number of follow up visits, investigations and procedures performed, treatment, health status, patients' and specialists' travelling times, and patients' and doctors' attitudes to, and satisfaction with, the clinic. RESULTS: There was no difference in the health status of patients in relation to the clinic site (ie, outreach and hospital outpatients' clinics) at baseline, and all but one of the specialists said there were no differences in casemix between their outreach and outpatients' clinics. Patients preferred, and were more satisfied with, care in specialists' outreach clinics in general practice, in comparison with outpatients' clinics. The outreach clinics were rated as more convenient than outpatients' clinics in relation to journey times; those outreach patients in work lost less time away from work than outpatients' clinic patients due to the clinic attendance. Length of time on the waiting list was significantly reduced for gynaecology patients; waiting times in clinics were lower for outreach patients than outpatients across all specialties. In addition, outreach patients were more likely to be first rather than follow up attenders; rheumatology outreach patients were more likely than hospital outpatients to receive therapy. GPs' referrals to hospital outpatients' clinics were greatly reduced by the availability of outreach clinics. Both specialists and GPs saw the main advantages of outreach clinics in relation to the greater convenience and better access to care for patients. Few of the specialists and GPs in the outreach practices held formal training and education sessions in the outreach clinic, although over half of the GPs felt that their skills/expertise had broadened as a result of the outreach clinic. CONCLUSIONS: The processes of care (waiting times, patient satisfaction, convenience to patients, follow up attendances) were better in outreach than in outpatients' clinics. However, waiting lists were only significantly reduced for gynaecology patients, despite both GPs and consultants reporting reduced waiting lists for patients as one of the main advantages of outreach. Whether these improvements merit the increased cost to the specialists (in terms of their increased travelling times and time spent away from their hospital base) and whether the development of what is, in effect, two standards of care between practices with and without outreach can be stemmed and the standard of care raised in all practices (eg, by sharing outreach clinics between GPs in an area) remain the subject of debate. As the data were based on the pilot study, the results should be viewed with some caution, although statistical power was adequate for comparisons of sites if not specialties.

Attitude of Health Personnel↗
PubMed1997

Discriminative power of the health status questionnaire 12 in relation to age, sex, and longstanding illness: findings from a survey of households in Great Britain.

STUDY OBJECTIVE: To assess the ability of the health status questionnaire 12 (HSQ-12) to discriminate between older and younger age groups, its appropriateness for use with an older population in terms of the spread of responses across categories, floor or ceiling effects, and its ability to discriminate between those with and without a reported longstanding illness and type (sensitivity and specificity). DESIGN AND SETTING: The vehicle for the study was the Office for National Statistics (ONS) omnibus survey in Great Britain. The sampling frame was the British post-code address file of "small users", stratified by region, and socioeconomic factors. This file includes all private household addresses. The postal sectors were selected with probability proportional to size. Within each sector 30 addresses were selected randomly. The number of selected addresses was 3000. PARTICIPANTS: Altogether 1912 adults aged 16 and over were interviewed in person in their own homes, giving a response rate of 72%. MEASURES: The HSQ-12, and the ONS general household survey questions on longstanding illness; the ONS omnibus standard sociodemographic items. MAIN RESULTS: There were exceptionally high rates of item response in all age groups. The score differences by construct (e.g., age group, sex, longstanding illness) were in the expected directions with statistically significant age gradients. Age was associated with most of the HSQ-12 domains, although this association had interactions with longstanding illness or sex. The differences in HSQ-12 scores with reported longstanding illness and type of longstanding illness made theoretical sense, which supports the discriminative power of the scale. The frequency distributions for HSQ-12 items in relation to age and sex, and by reporting of longstanding illness are also presented here in order to demonstrate ceiling effects. Most respondents in all age groups achieved high (good) scores on the "social functioning" subscale. The HSQ-12 had good results for specificity when tested against reporting of a longstanding illness, although this was at the expense of sensitivity. CONCLUSIONS: The results support the use of the HSQ-12 with older populations, particularly for those with chronic illnesses, although it will reveal relatively few problems among younger populations. The results presented here indicate that it will require supplementation with more sensitive disease and/or domain specific scales in the areas of interest or intervention, but it provides an acceptable, brief, core measure of health related quality of life. This paper present the first British normative data using the HSQ-12.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1996

Children's analysis of derivational suffix meanings.

This note examined the relation between school-age children's production and comprehension of derivational suffixes in nonsense words and their knowledge of suffix meaning in real derivatives. Results indicated that knowledge of derivational suffixes was used often in defining low-frequency derivatives and that it was significantly correlated with suffix production in the nonsense task. In addition, suffix productivity was found to be an important factor determining the comprehension as well as the production of particular suffixes to convey a range of meanings.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1996

Effects of priming on the naming accuracy of preschoolers with word-finding deficits.

Eight preschoolers with word-finding (WF) deficits and 16 controls with normal word-finding abilities (8 preschoolers and 8 adults) named 40 pictured objects under primed and unprimed conditions. Each picture could be correctly labeled with a simple noun or a compound (e.g., cane or walking stick). The primed condition involved semantic primes for both the simple and compound targets as well as a partial lexical prime for the compound targets. All participant groups decreased naming errors when given the primes. Two results indicated that the participants made use of the lexical primes. The first was a shift in form of correct responses from simple nouns in the unprimed condition to compound nouns in the primed condition. The second was an increase in errors that incorporated the lexical prime in the primed condition. There were limits to the benefit that the WF group derived from the primes. First, the primes did not enable the WF group to compensate fully for their naming problems. The gap between the error rates of the WF group and the control groups was not reduced in the primed condition. Second, the quality of errors made by the WF group did not improve in response to primes. Compared to the controls, the WF group made proportionately more errors that indicated no access to the target neighborhood (particularly "I don't know" responses) in the unprimed condition. With primes, the controls further reduced their use of these errors, but the WF group did not. When members of the control groups did make errors, they were more likely than the WF children to produce a word substitution that bore a close semantic, visual, or phonological relation to the target in both unprimed and primed conditions. These limitations on the benefit of priming for participants in the WF group suggest deficiencies in size, elaboration, or organization of their lexicons.

Child Language↗
PubMed1996

Re-engineering ventilatory support to decrease days and improve resource utilization.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to describe the development of a cost-effective ventilatory strategy using a portable microprocessor-controlled respiratory monitor (Bicore CP-100; Allied Healthcare Products, Riverside, CA.) SUMMARY BACKGROUND DATA: Until recently, clinicians have had to accept the uncertainties of clinical judgment, which unfortunately, often biased the patient to a prolonged ventilatory course to avoid extubation failures, necessitating reintubation. METHODS: Over a 4-year period, the authors attempted to re-engineer the process of ventilatory support based on measured work of breathing (WOB), including physiologic (WOBPhys), imposed (WOBImp) and total (WOBTot). RESULTS: The authors made 90 determinations of WOB in 31 patients. The coefficient of determination (i2) of WOBTot, with the breathing frequency was 0.35, with tidal volume was 0.10, and with the rapid shallow breathing index (f/V(tau)) was 0.23; therefore, the authors discarded them as reliable inferences. Of 27 patients ventilated for > 2 days with satisfactory blood gases, but with breathing frequency > 30 breaths/minute, 6 had WOBTot < 0.8 J/L and were extubated successfully. In 21 patients, WOBTot was elevated to 1.6 +/- 0.83 J/L, WOBImp was 1.1 +/- 0.64 J/L, approximately twice the WOBPhys (0.5 +/- 0.26 J/L), a normal value. Extubation was successful in 20 of those 21 patients. This approach was extended to the spontaneous breathing pre-extubation trial. In addition, the ventilator was adjusted so that the patient sustained a WOBTot of 0.6 to 1 J/L during the ventilatory support. This evolution was tracked for 18 months in a series of 838 trauma intensive care unit patients. Average duration of ventilation decreased from 8.2 to 4.2 days (49%; p < 0.01). This translated into approximately 2400 decreased ventilator days per year. CONCLUSION: Objective measurement to guide the adequacy of ventilatory support and interpret apparent clinical weaning failures decreased total ventilatory time by 50%, permitting extubation in nearly 20% of patients previously considered failures.

Adult↗
PubMed1995

Biliary tract complications of laparoscopic cholecystectomy are detected more frequently with routine intraoperative cholangiography.

Controversy over whether intraoperative cholangiography (IOC) should be done routinely has intensified since the advent of laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC). As yet, no study has demonstrated a clear benefit to its use, although their have been suggestions in the literature that routine use may confer an advantage to detection of injuries. One-hundred seventy-seven biliary tract complications occurring secondary to LC were identified from the combined data of seven institutions. The goal of this retrospective study was to examine the impact of IOC on the occurrence, recognition, and correction of such complications. The complications identified include 39 cystic duct leaks, 69 major ductal leaks or strictures, and 69 major ductal transection or excision injuries. Whether IOC was performed was known in 157 (88%) patients with 53 patients definitely having and 104 not having an IOC. Data concerning IOC were unavailable in 20 cases. More injuries were detected intraoperatively in the group having IOC (P < 0.001). Conversion of the LC to a laparotomy, often for repair of the injury, occurred more commonly in the group having a correctly interpreted IOC (P < 0.001). Conversion resulted in detection of injuries sooner, resulting in fewer operative procedures to correct the injury (P < 0.001). A transecting injury was prevented in at least seven patients when no visualization of the proximal biliary tree was documented by IOC. These partial ductal incisions were treated by t-tube placement. Incorrect interpretation of the IOC occurred in at least eight patients, with no identification of the proximal biliary tree in six.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Bile Ducts↗
PubMed1995

Guided percutaneous drainage for posttraumatic empyema thoracis.

BACKGROUND: Guided percutaneous drainage (GPD) is used in the management of posttraumatic empyema thoracis; however, its equivalence to decortication has not been evaluated. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed the records of 12 patients who underwent GPD and nine who were treated with decortication. RESULTS: No primarily GPD-managed empyemas necessitated a subsequent thoracotomy. The size and number of fibrinopurulent loculations treated by each technique were equivalent. Sterile purulent collections were found in 55.6% of decortication-treated patients and in 33% of patients who underwent GPD. Intrapleural analgesia was administered to 71.4% of decortication-treated patients and 28.6% of GPD-treated patients. Five patients undergoing decortication required intensive care unit monitoring after operation (average, 2.8 days), compared with no GPD-treated patients. The catheter was left in place at discharge in 41.6% of GPD-treated patients and was removed on an outpatient basis. CONCLUSIONS: The efficacy of GPD in handling loculated pleural space infections equals that of decortication. An intensive care unit stay is avoided. The ability to discharge patients with external drainage catheters and the decreased requirement of pain control should reduce the number of inpatient hospital days. GPD is an effective first-line approach for posttraumatic empyema thoracis.

Algorithms↗
PubMed1995

Elevated imposed work of breathing masquerading as ventilator weaning intolerance.

OBJECTIVE: To test the hypothesis that, if apparent ventilatory insufficiency observed during a weaning or preextubation trial is due to a significant contribution of imposed work of the endotracheal tube and breathing apparatus (WOBImp), and the patient's actual physiologic work of breathing (WOBPhys) is not excessive, it should be possible to extubate these patients safely. DESIGN: Prospective descriptive study. SETTING: University hospital trauma intensive care unit. PATIENTS: A total of 28 (17% of all ventilated patients) adults intubated for 48 h or longer, who developed tachypnea (40 +/- 9 breaths/min) but whose blood gas exchange met predefined extubation criteria, were evaluated over a 3-month period. INTERVENTIONS: Using a microprocessor-based monitor (Bicore Monitoring Systems Inc, Irvine, Calif) total patient work of breathing (WOBTOT) was determined by integrating the change in intraesophageal pressure with tidal volume measured with a miniature pneumotachograph positioned at the airway opening. If the patient's WOBTOT was equal to or greater than 0.8 J/L, WOBImp was determined by integrating the changes in carinal pressures with tidal volume. If neither the patient's WOBTOT or WOBPhys was excessively greater than that of spontaneous breathing at rest (ie, < 0.8 J/L: normal range, 0.5 to 0.6 J/L), the patient was extubated. MEASUREMENTS AND RESULTS: Breathing frequency, peak inspiratory flow rate (PIFR), auto-Peep (PEEPa), dynamic compliance (CDXN) WOBTOT, WOBImp, resistance to expiratory airway flow (RAWE) were measured, and WOBPhys calculated (WOBTOT) minus WOBImp). The means and SDs were calculated, and data were analyzed by unpaired t test and linear regression. Six patients (5%) were found to have WOBTOT of < 0.8 J/L and were successfully extubated without determination of WOBImp. Twenty-one patients were found to have an elevated WOBTOT (1.6 +/- 0.83 J/L), and had WOBImp measured. In these 21 patients, WOBImp (1.1 +/- 0.64 J/L) was twice WOBPhys (0.5 +/- 0.26 J/L). Extubation was successful in 20 of 21 patients in which WOBPhys was determined not to be excessive (ie, < 0.8 J/L). The last patient had an elevated WOBPhys (1.4 J/L) and was not extubated until his disease improved later. Overall, reintubation rate was 4%. CONCLUSIONS: Increased WOBTOT may be misinterpreted as a patient failure (ie, tachypnea) and weaning halted or extubation not done, prolonging intubation. The ability to measure the contribution of WOBImp to WOBTOT can identify those patients who may be safely extubated when WOBphys (WOBTOT minus WOBImp) is acceptable and the apparent ventilatory insuffiency is related to significant WOBImp.

Adult↗
PubMed1994

Language acquisition after mutism: a longitudinal case study of autism.

This longitudinal case study challenges the assumption that individuals with autism who have severely restricted speech and language skills have a poor prognosis for further development of expressive oral language. The study follows the development of a woman with autism from mutism at age 10 to acquisition of a range of spoken and written language skills at age 26. The intervention in which the woman participated and her skills pre- and post-intervention and at two follow-up assessments are documented. The results support the hypotheses that speech and language development may proceed after mutism associated with limited verbal imitation and phoneme production skills, that some skills may plateau or decline, and that both spoken and written language may become viable forms of communication.

Adult↗
PubMed1994

Children's comprehension and production of derivational suffixes.

Relational knowledge of 21 derivational suffixes conveying six different meanings was investigated with 120 children from 3rd to 8th grade, and with 40 adults. The results obtained from a nonsense-word paradigm indicated that suffixes were comprehended with greater accuracy than they were produced, particularly by the children. Children in the 5th through 8th grades were more accurate than children in the 3rd and 4th grades in both suffix comprehension and production. Children and adults demonstrated greatest accuracy in both comprehension and production with the meaning "without X" (conveyed by the suffix less). Overall, they showed low comprehension accuracy with a diminutive suffix, ette, and the suffix ful, meaning "character of X." They showed low production accuracy with "can be Xed" (able). Productive suffixes were produced more frequently than less productive suffixes to convey a given meaning.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1994

Incidental finding of occult hydronephrosis after blunt abdominal trauma.

Occult congenital and acquired renal lesions are often discovered during evaluation of patients with haematuria after minor blunt torso trauma. This relatively 'minor trauma', can precipitate severe haematuria and hypovolemic shock. This group of patients frequently presents a difficult diagnostic and therapeutic challenge. We discuss the significance of occult hydronephrosis and minor blunt trauma in one patient.

Abdominal Injuries↗
PubMed1993

The functions of novel word compounds.

The traditional assumptions that novel word compounds fill lexical gaps and allow speakers to convey an intended meaning more precisely were explored. Examples from spontaneous language demonstrated that some novel compounds occur in the absence of a lexical gap and that not all compounds serve a communicative function. The relation between communicative demands and novel noun-noun compound use was explored experimentally also. Twenty-eight five-year-old children and 16 adults participated in referential and non-referential communication tasks in which they were exposed to referents whose elements were inherently and non-inherently related. Both children and adults produced more compounds for inherent than for non-inherent referents. However, although the children demonstrated that they were sensitive to the need for greater communicative precision in the referential compared to the non-referential task, there was no difference in frequency of compound use across tasks. These results suggest that the functions ascribed to novel compounds warrant closer scrutiny.

Adult↗
PubMed1992

What can you ask about? The effect on response to a postal screen of asking about two potentially sensitive questions.

STUDY OBJECTIVE: The purpose was to determine whether asking about ethnic origin and housing tenure in a postal survey affects the response rate. DESIGN: The study derived from a postal survey designed to determine eligibility for a study of outpatients. A two way factorial design was used to look at the two experimental factors, questionnaires being randomly divided into four groups with or without questions about ethnic origin and housing tenure. PARTICIPANTS: 10,000 people (1000 from each of 10 areas) were systematically sampled from electoral registers, the areas being chosen to give a nationally representative sample. MAIN RESULTS: The response rate was 66% irrespective of whether ethnic origin was asked about, but was 65% and 67% respectively to questionnaires with and without questions about housing tenure. CONCLUSIONS: Asking about ethnic origin did not affect the overall response to this survey although it is possible that the response from some ethnic minority groups was lower. Asking about housing tenure slightly, but significantly, decreased response.

Cooperative Behavior↗