PubMed Health⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

K Solomons

Publications and source records attributed to K Solomons.

11 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2000

Olanzapine use in the elderly: a retrospective analysis.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of olanzapine in a hospitalized geriatric population that had previously failed to respond to, or tolerate, numerous trials with other antipsychotic medications. METHOD: A retrospective chart analysis was conducted on 58 elderly patients with psychotic symptoms who were given a trial on olanzapine. Data was collected regarding patients' psychiatric diagnoses, duration of illness, duration of hospitalization, prior response to psychotropic therapies, concomitant psychotropic agents, side effects, and clinically determined changes over time. RESULTS: Results indicated that 60.3% of this refractory group of patients improved on olanzapine. Side effects were reported for 38% of the patients, with delirium, extrapyramidal symptoms (EPS), and drowsiness or lethargy being the most common. CONCLUSIONS: The reported level of improvement in this group of refractory elderly psychotic patients indicates that olanzapine can make an important contribution to the mental health of elderly patients with similar characteristics.

Aged↗
PubMed1990

Toxic cannabis psychosis is a valid entity.

One hundred black men admitted to hospital with acute psychiatric symptoms were investigated for the presence of urinary cannabis metabolites in order to delineate the psychiatric role played by 'dagga', the potent South African cannabinol, in the study population and to determine the diagnostic value of the entity 'toxic psychosis (dagga)'. Cannabinoids were present in 29% of patients, and 31% were discharged with a diagnosis of toxic psychosis (dagga). Clinical and demographic material was gathered for all patients and no consistent differences were found between dagga-positive and dagga-negative patients or toxic dagga psychotic patients and 'functional' psychotics other than a history of recent dagga use and the dagga screening test result. The latter measure was found to be both more sensitive and more specific than the history of dagga use alone. The findings support the routine use of a simple screening test for dagga in the sample population studied. The study demonstrated the heterogeneous nature of the toxic dagga psychosis syndrome by documenting a variety of different clinical presentations, which included schizophrenia (42%), paranoia (26%), maniform psychosis (16%) and organic psychosis (16%).

Adult↗
PubMed1989

Cannabis--its clinical effects.

The range of clinical, intoxicating, psychological and psychiatric effects of cannabis ('dagga') are reviewed. Controversial subjects, such as the entities of toxic cannabis psychosis and the cannabis amotivational syndrome, are discussed.

Cannabinoids↗
PubMed1985

Hypersensitivity among woodworkers in South Africa.

A group of South African woodworkers was investigated in respect of allergenic activity of three indigenous woods, yellowwood, stinkwood and blackwood, and Brazilian imbuia. Histories were taken, skin-prick tests performed, and total serum IgE levels estimated. A high rate of skin sensitivity was found, as well as previously undocumented skin sensitivities to stinkwood and yellowwood.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1984

Malignant mesothelioma--clinical and epidemiological features. A report of 80 cases.

The clinical and epidemiological features of 80 cases of malignant mesothelioma (as proved by examination of biopsy specimens) referred to the clinic at the National Centre for Occupational Health between January 1977 and June 1983 are reviewed. There was a positive history of asbestos exposure in 89% of cases. The mean survival time from diagnosis to death was 8,6 months and from the onset of symptoms to death 13,6 months. Survival time was unaffected by stage of the tumour, treatment, histological features, smoking status, presenting symptoms, presence or absence of effusion and asbestosis, side of the lesion, source of exposure and lag period from first exposure to diagnosis. The duration of survival was significantly affected by age at diagnosis, duration of asbestos exposure and the number, rather than the type, of treatment regimens used. Caution is advocated in interpreting these data since the number of cases was small and the study design was retrospective. A reference group of 546 cases notified over the same period was drawn from the records of the South African Asbestos Tumour Reference Panel. The incompleteness of national mesothelioma incidence data was noted, and an incidence figure of 7,2 per million per year was calculated from the best-available data for South Africa. This figure is an underestimate because not all diagnosed cases are reflected and, more important, significant numbers of cases are never diagnosed. The extent to which the compensation machinery functions is mentioned.

Adult↗
PubMed1984

Formaldehyde toxicity. Part II. Review of acute and chronic effects on health.

Inhaled formaldehyde has acute effects on the respiratory tract, central nervous system, skin and eyes and also chronic effects on the respiratory tract, particularly on pulmonary function. Formaldehyde has also been associated with adverse reproductive and mutagenic effects, and there is evidence of carcinogenic effects from two important animal studies. Some data, largely indirect, suggest a carcinogenic risk for man. The reactions of some international scientific bodies to the accumulated data are noted, and steps taken by a number of countries to control formaldehyde exposure in the workplace and other environments are discussed.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed1984

Formaldehyde toxicity. Part I. Occupational exposure and a report of 5 cases.

Formaldehyde is ubiquitous in the occupational, domestic and general environment, and in manufactured and consumer goods. The clinical and radiological findings in 5 shop employees exposed to formaldhyde are presented. Two features are of interest: (i) 1 of the workers developed vomiting, a symptom previously unreported in adults exposed to formaldehyde; and (ii) all 5 victims developed turbinate swelling, apparent clinically and radiologically. The swelling was marked, causing obstruction of the nasal passages, and persisted for some time after most of the sources of exposure had been dealt with. This phenomenon is also previously undocumented.

Adolescent↗