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Biomedical subjects

K M Nicol

Publications and source records attributed to K M Nicol.

4 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1999

Encounters with doctors: quantity and quality.

Continuity of care and the large numbers of health care professionals who deliver that care are issues that frequently concern patients and their families. This study examined the number of doctors encountered by 50 patients, during the period of their cancer care. This ranged from 4 months to 26 years, with a median time of 2 years and 4 months. The doctors included in this number were general practitioners, doctors met during hospital inpatient admissions and when attending outpatient appointments, and doctors at the hospice. Descriptive statistics are included detailing the total number of doctors encountered by patients; the number met by patients within the first year of their cancer care; and the average number of new doctors met each year. The minimum number of doctors met was 13, maximum 97 and median 32. Notable examples include one patient who met 31 doctors during a 6-month period, and one patient who met 73 doctors during a period of 2 years and 1 month. Patients in this study with a history of less than 1 year met 28 doctors on average. Semi-structured interviews with these patients were conducted adopting a qualitative approach. Patients were asked about their recollections of the doctors they had met during their cancer care and what value they attributed to these encounters. Interviews were subject to thematic analysis. The major themes to emerge were: continuity of care, the provision of information and explanations and honesty in that process, breaking of bad news, the manner adopted by the doctor and issues relating to specialist referral. The large number of health care professionals, including the doctors quantified in this study, involved in the care of each patient represents a major challenge to 'seamless' and consistent communication between those involved.

Aged↗
PubMed1992

Behavioural evidence for recovery of auditory function in guinea pigs following kanamycin administration.

Deterioration followed by recovery of behavioural absolute threshold and frequency selectivity has been observed in guinea pigs following kanamycin administration of 200 mg/kg body weight daily for 16 days. Deterioration in function consistently follows a high-to-low frequency pattern and recovery generally occurs at the lowest of the high (8-32 kHz) frequencies affected. The degree of recovery is related to the magnitude of the threshold elevation; where large (40-45 dB) elevations occur initially, the process appears to be partial since threshold recovers only to within 5-12 dB of pre-administration levels. In instances where smaller threshold elevations (5-20 dB) take place initially, recovery can sometimes be complete. However, when threshold elevations of over 50 dB occur, no recovery is apparent. Recovery is relatively slow, taking place over periods of up to 100 days post-kanamycin administration. Hair cell counts have established that the threshold elevation which remains in instances of partial recovery is not related to a reduction in hair cell numbers at the light microscope level.

Acoustic Stimulation↗
PubMed1980

Enzyme-linked immunoassay for placental lactogen in human serum.

We describe an enzyme-linked immunoassay for measuring human placental lactogen (HPL) in serum. After suitable dilution, sera are pipetted into the wells of polyvinyl microtitre plates previously coated with anti-HPL. After incubation the sera are decanted, and replaced by a conjugate of horseradish peroxidase and anti-HPL. An amount of enzyme proportional to the concentration of HPL in the serum is bound to the wells via an antibody--HPL--antibody bridge. Peroxidase activity is measured by oxidation of o-phenylenediamine, the resulting color being related to the concentration of HPL. Results correlate well with those by radioimmunoassay (r = 0.96). Our between-assay coefficient of variation was 13%; no discernible effect of protein was observed. This 4-h assay can be used to monitor placental function in pregnancy.

Evaluation Studies as Topic↗