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Biomedical subjects

L M Arnold

Publications and source records attributed to L M Arnold.

34 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

Docents' and students' perceptions of the ideal and actual role of the docent.

In the study reported here, the authors investigated the perceptions of medical students and faculty mentors, called docents, regarding the docents' role. A total of 197 students and 22 docents responded to a questionnaire asking them to rate 32 docent activities on a 4-point scale where 1 = seldom done and 4 = very often done. They were requested to rate these activities on the basis of how often they would be carried out by a docent ideally and on the basis of how often in their experience they were actually carried out. Mean ratings of ideal and actual practice were calculated for each activity as perceived by the docents and by the students. Rank-order correlations were computed to compare the docents' and students' perceptions. Although both the docents and the students consistently felt that more time should be devoted to each activity than actually was, the rank-order correlation between the docents' rating of the ideal and actual practice was .87, and between the students' ratings of ideal and actual it was .93. Both the docents and the students perceived the docents as actually carrying out their essential role-modeling, teaching, and patient-care functions.

Clinical Clerkship↗

Nuclear scanning in necrotizing progressive "malignant" external otitis.

The usefulness of radionuclear scanning in the treatment of 18 patients with necrotizing progressive "malignant" external otitis is discussed. A Tc 99-m bone scan, a valuable test since results are positive in early cases of osteomyelitis of the temporal bone and base of skull, showed increased uptake in all 18 patients. In 6 patients, Ga-67 citrate scans were obtained at the start of therapy and at 5-6 week intervals thereafter. The serial gallium scans were useful in evaluating the effectiveness of therapy since the uptake decrease with control of infection.

Aged↗

Predictors of performance of minority students in the first two years of a BA/MD program.

This study examines cognitive and noncognitive selection variables as predictors of multiple criteria of performance for minority and nonminority students entering the University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Medicine between 1972 and 1977. Data analysis aims at identifying characteristics associated with success in the crucial first two years of the combined BA/MD program. Pearson product moment correlations and multiple regression equations have been determined for all selection variables and three criteria measures. A number of nontraditional variables are significantly predictive of minority student performance. The cognitive variables of aptitude test and high school science/mathematics preparation are significant predictors of all three performance measures in both racial groups. The data support the position that separate equations are not necessary to predict performance of minority and nonminority students, but that admission committees, when selecting minority students, should recognize both personal attributes and academic preparation as indicators of potential success or failure.

Adult↗

Primary chordoma of the maxillary sinus.

A case of primary chordoma of the maxillary sinus is presented. The embryology of the notochord is reviewed and it is suggested that the frequently used adjective "ectopic" is a misnomer. The literature of primary paranasal sinus chordomas is reviewed and the clinicopathological features described. It is emphasized that these lesions can mimic other benign and malignant processes both clinically, radiographically and histologically. The treatment and prognosis is more favorable than the more common craniocervical chordoma.

Adult↗

Schwannomas of the larynx: review and computed tomographic scan analysis.

Neurogenic tumors consist of schwannomas, neurofibromas, and neurosarcomas that arise from the Schwann cell of a peripheral nerve. Their occurrence in the larynx is rare, with only 115 cases having been reported. Three new cases are presented, the literature is reviewed, and the first computed tomographic (CT) scan of a benign schwannoma of the larynx is demonstrated. The diagnosis and treatment of these tumors and the CT scan analysis are discussed.

Adult↗

The role of gender in mixed mania.

This article reviews the literature regarding possible gender differences in adults with mixed mania. Studies examining gender differences in the prevalence of mixed mania, biological abnormalities, suicidality, long-term outcome, and treatment response were analyzed. Data from these studies suggest that mixed mania may occur more commonly in women than in men, especially when defined by narrow criteria. There were no significant differences between men and women with mixed mania in biological abnormalities, suicidality, outcome, and treatment response.

Adult↗

Psychopathology and trauma in epileptic and psychogenic seizure patients.

Forty-one patients admitted to an inpatient epilepsy unit for intractable seizures were evaluated for the presence of Axis I and Axis II diagnoses and for a history of trauma by use of a structured clinical interview. Both the interviewer and the patient were blind to the seizure diagnosis. Following video and electroencephalographic evaluation, 27 patients were diagnosed with epileptic seizures, and 14 had psychogenic seizures. The history of Axis I and Axis II disorders did not distinguish the two groups of patients. A history of trauma was significantly more likely in the patients with psychogenic seizures. The experience of trauma appears to be an important factor in the development of psychogenic seizures. Sexual trauma alone, however, was not significantly associated with psychogenic seizures.

Adolescent↗

An open clinical trial of venlafaxine treatment of fibromyalgia.

Of 15 patients with fibromyalgia who were first evaluated for the presence of Axis I psychiatric diagnoses by use of the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV, 11 completed an open 8-week trial with the novel antidepressant venlafaxine. Six (55%) of 11 completers experienced a > or = 50% reduction of fibromyalgia symptoms. The presence of lifetime psychiatric disorders, particularly depressive and anxiety disorders, predicted a positive response to venlafaxine. These findings suggest that it is important to assess for comorbid psychiatric disorders in patients with fibromyalgia and that venlafaxine may be helpful to some of these patients.

Adolescent↗

Health-related quality of life using the SF-36 in patients with bipolar disorder compared with patients with chronic back pain and the general population.

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to assess and compare the health-related quality of life of patients with bipolar disorder and chronic back pain and, in turn, to compare these results with those previously generated for the general population. METHODS: Subjects were patients with bipolar disorder (n=44), a comparison group of chronic back pain patients (n=30), and a population-based control sample (n=2,474). Health-related quality of life was assessed using the Medical Outcomes Study 36-Item Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36), a self-administered questionnaire in which lower scores are indicative of greater impairment. RESULTS: Patients with bipolar disorder had lower mean scores than the general population on all scales except Physical Functioning. Bipolar patients had significantly higher scores than chronic back pain patients in the categories of Physical Functioning, Role Limitations--Physical, Bodily Pain, and Social Function. There were no significant differences between bipolar disorder and chronic back pain groups in the Mental Health and Role Limitations - Emotional categories. LIMITATIONS: The results of the study are limited by the relatively small sample sizes of the bipolar and back pain patient groups. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with bipolar disorder had substantial impairment in health-related quality of life in comparison with the general population. Bipolar patients were less compromised in areas of physical and social functioning than chronic back pain patients but had similar impairment in mental health.

Adult↗

Antidepressant treatment of fibromyalgia. A meta-analysis and review.

Fibromyalgia is a common musculoskeletal pain disorder associated with mood disorders. Antidepressants, particularly tricyclics, are commonly recommended treatments. Randomized, controlled trials of antidepressants for treatment of fibromyalgia were reviewed by methodology, results, and potential predictors of response. Twenty-one controlled trials, 16 involving tricyclic agents, were identified; 9 of these 16 studies were suitable for meta-analysis. Effect sizes were calculated for measurements of physician and patient overall assessment, pain, stiffness, tenderness, fatigue, and sleep quality. Compared with placebo, tricyclic agents were associated with effect sizes that were substantially larger than zero for all measurements. The largest improvement was associated with measures of sleep quality; the most modest improvement was found in measures of stiffness and tenderness. Further studies are needed utilizing randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel designs with antidepressants administered at therapeutic dose ranges, using standardized criteria for fibromyalgia and systematically assessed for co-occurring psychiatric illness.

Antidepressive Agents↗

Malignant external otitis: a dangerous misnomer?

Review of our experience in treating 16 patients with malignant external otitis, along with survey of the compromised defense mechanisms of diabetic patients, confirms the need for immediate, intense, and vigilant therapy. Radioisotope scans, high-resolution computed tomography scans, and multidirectional tomograms are used to delineate the extent of the disease. Therapy includes intravenous aminoglycoside and penicillin derivatives, limited surgery, and hyperbaric oxygenation. In view of the tendency for this infection to extend beyond the external auditory canal and to produce an invasive lethal osteomyelitis, we feel that the tendency to classify this disease as a variant of diffuse external otitis may foster undertreatment.

Aged↗

Women medical students' ratings of the required surgery clerkship: implications for career choice.

This study examined the ratings of their required surgery clerkship by 150 women and 202 men students. The authors hypothesize that a positive, highly rated curricular experience will have a statistically significant relationship to performance in surgery and to selection of that specialty for further training. Women students rated 12 of the 15 aspects of the clerkship and the overall evaluation lower than their male peers did. Men students scored significantly above the women on objective examinations, but women were rated significantly higher than the men on the clerkship, and there was no significant difference in their performance as first-year residents. The women who entered surgery residencies (half as many women as men) rated the clerkship higher than the women who entered other specialties. Recognizing that experiences on a clerkship are but one influence on a student's eventual specialty choice, the authors nonetheless conclude that more women would select careers in surgery if their initial contact with the specialty provided more relevant work, more patient responsibilities, and more skill development, all conveyed with a more positive staff attitude.

Career Choice↗