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Biomedical subjects

K Pearl

Publications and source records attributed to K Pearl.

10 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1991

Treatment of constitutional growth delay in prepubertal boys with a prolonged course of low dose oxandrolone.

Forty six prepubertal boys who had constitutional growth delay were treated with oxandrolone. Mean age at the onset of treatment was 11.9 years (range 9.0-14.0) and bone age delay was 1.9 'years'. The dose of oxandrolone used was a mean of 0.05 mg/kg (range 0.03-0.18) for a mean of 0.9 years (range 0.2-3.6). Height velocity increased from a mean (SD) before treatment of 4.0 (1.0) to 7.5 (1.2) cm/year with oxandrolone. Growth rate was sustained at 7.6 (2.2) cm/year in the period after treatment. Those boys who attained a testicular volume of 4 ml or greater at the end of the treatment period had the most pronounced sustained growth acceleration. Height for bone age SD score did not alter significantly from a mean of -1.0 before treatment to -1.2 after treatment. Oxandrolone is a safe and effective treatment for prepubertal boys with constitutional growth delay.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1987

Early acquisition of cytomegalovirus infection.

Two hundred and fifty three infants were screened for cytomegalovirus (CMV) in the urine at birth and were followed up at regular intervals for one year. Twelve per cent (of 249) were excreting virus at 3 months, and 20% (of 234) at 12 months. In all cases infection was subclinical. The major factors determining risk of acquiring infection were the mother's serological state and whether the infant was breast fed. There was no association with social class, mother's age, or whether the child had been in a special care baby unit or a postnatal ward. By one year 33% (of 123) of infants of seropositive mothers had acquired CMV infection compared with 4% (of 123) born to seronegative mothers. Twenty per cent (17) of seropositive women who breast fed had virus isolated from their breast milk on at least one occasion, and 76% (13) of their infants became infected. In four mother-infant pairs comparison of CMV isolates from the mother's milk and the child's urine was made by restriction endonuclease digestion; in each pair infection had apparently occurred with the same strain of virus. All 13 infected infants followed up for three years were still shedding virus. Infection with CMV is common in infancy, and virus shedding persists for years. Congenital infection cannot be distinguished from acquired infection unless the presence of CMV in the urine is identified within three or four weeks after birth, even when clinical problems suggestive of congenital infection are present.

Actuarial Analysis↗
PubMed1983

Clinical range of neonatal rotavirus gastroenteritis.

A baby admitted to a special care baby unit with profuse watery diarrhoea was found to have a rotavirus infection. A total of 196 babies were admitted to the unit over the next year. Routine stool samples were taken weekly from all babies and additional samples were taken from all babies who developed clinical signs suggesting sepsis. A total of 76 babies excreted rotavirus; 32 of these developed a diarrhoeal illness, 12 of whom were severely ill with bloody diarrhoea and abdominal distension; and two had perforations. The smaller, sicker babies who stayed in hospital longer were more likely to acquire infection; colostrum did not confer protection against rotavirus or symptomatic infection. The outbreak of rotavirus declined independently of the measures taken to eradicate it. Our findings suggest that neonatal rotavirus infection may occasionally cause severe gastrointestinal problems.

Cross Infection↗
PubMed1983

A comparative trial of choline theophyllinate and controlled release aminophylline in chronic childhood asthma.

A comparison of pharmacokinetics and therapeutic effects of a standard oral theophylline preparation (Choline Theophyllinate) and controlled release aminophylline (Phyllocontin) was made in two parallel double blind trials in 25 children with chronic asthma. Fourteen children entered a double blind cross-over trial; the remaining 11 were allocated to a parallel trial with no change of theophylline preparation throughout. Sustained plasma theophylline levels were observed with the controlled release preparation in contrast to the low morning levels obtained with Choline Theophyllinate. No significant differences were found for peak theophylline levels, morning or evening peak flow rates or required access to other bronchodilators. However nocturnal symptoms were significantly reduced and daytime activity scores improved (P less than 0.05) on the controlled release preparation. The sustained plasma theophylline levels found in children taking the controlled release aminophylline may have provided a small but useful therapeutic advantage over the standard preparation.

Adolescent↗