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Biomedical subjects

M A Johnston

Publications and source records attributed to M A Johnston.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1993

Adder (Vipera berus) bites: a case report and review of the management for emergency medical personnel.

Few doctors working in the accident and emergency (A&E) department will have had experience in the management of adder (Vipera Berus) bites. While such events are uncommon, and rarely fatal, prompt correct management undoubtedly helps in reducing mortality and morbidity. Various isolated case reports (Watson & Harland, 1977; Gerard & Pugh, 1982; Jones & Clegg, 1985) and larger reviews (Reid, 1976; Pesson & Irestedt 1981; Hawley, 1988, 1990) have appeared in non A&E related journals. Following our own recent experience we felt it timely to report our case and review the management.

Animals↗
PubMed1991

Inactive renin levels in recurrent nephroblastoma.

A prospective study of four children with nephroblastoma has demonstrated elevation of plasma inactive renin levels at the time of detection of recurrent disease. Three of the four children had been shown to have elevated inactive renin levels at their initial presentation with primary nephroblastoma. These levels returned to normal following operation and chemotherapy. The observation provides further evidence that plasma inactive renin may be a useful tumour marker for nephroblastoma.

Child↗
PubMed1991

A process for developing a curriculum in ethics and human values.

This article describes the process and results of the deliberations of the group of authors at the 1989 spring meeting of the Northeast Group for Educational Affairs. The participants worked under the premise that someone had given an unlimited amount of money to fund a new medical school. They had to select and define what the educational goals would be and produce a plan to help students reach these goals. There had to be an evaluation process that documented progress toward the stated goals. This paper describes the ethics and human values curriculum, which should be of interest to cancer educators. The knowledge, skills, values, and attitudes are defined and the four-year process of implementing the teaching is described. This curriculum-planning process is applicable to any aspect of cancer education--first defining the outcome, then the evaluation process, and finally, how to get to that outcome.

Curriculum↗
PubMed1987

Factor VIII concentrate for hemophilia: comparison of two heat-treated products.

In a controlled trial of heat-treated factor VIII concentrate from Cutter Laboratories and from Connaught Laboratories Limited, 25 patients with hemophilia received Cutter factor VIII and 24 patients with hemophilia received Connaught factor VIII. The mean increase in factor VIII level was similar for the two products (1.88% and 1.98% per unit/kg of body weight respectively [p greater than 0.1], or 89% and 95% respectively of the expected increase [p greater than 0.1]). In-vivo survival (the duration of factor VIII in the circulation) was compared after seven infusions of each product. The mean half-disappearance times were 10.7 and 9.1 hours respectively (p = 0.1), and the mean biologic half-lives were 11.6 and 9.9 hours respectively (p = 0.04); the clinical significance of the latter difference is dubious. Both products could be reconstituted satisfactorily from the dried state. Two subjects experienced relatively minor side effects following infusion of one lot of Cutter factor VIII. Individual responses to both products showed considerable variation. Therefore, when it is critical to attain predetermined levels of factor VIII, such as before and after surgery, factor VIII assays should be performed to check the patient's response.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed1986

Microbiological quality of bottled water sold in Canada.

The microbiological quality of bottled water sold in Canada was evaluated. A total of 114 lots of bottled water, both domestic and imported, were analyzed for aerobic colony count, coliforms, fecal coliforms, and Escherichia coli. No fecal coliforms or E. coli were found. Nineteen (46%) of the 41 lots of domestic purified water were found to exceed aerobic colony count standards and another lot exceeded coliform standards. One lot each of domestic and imported mineral water exceeded coliform standards. If mineral water were governed by the aerobic colony count standards for bottled water, then five lots each of both domestic and imported mineral water would have been found to be unsatisfactory. More surveillance of the bottled water industry in Canada is recommended.

Canada↗
PubMed1984

The determination of leachable chromium from chromicized catgut sutures.

Application of the British Pharmacopoeia (BP) Analytical procedure for the determination of leachable chromium to samples of catgut sutures yielded fading coloured solutions and was considered to constitute a poor basis for an analytical method. The United States Pharmacopeia (USP) method and an adaptation of the American Public Health Association (APHA) method were explored and found to give linear responses over the concentration range of interest. Both these methods were applied to a series of samples and the results obtained were different as the APHA method measures total chromium while the USP procedure determines only chromium (VI).

Animals↗
PubMed1983

Factors XI and XII are low in subjects with liver disease.

We prospectively measured levels of factors XI and XII in parallel with other coagulation factors in 39 unselected patients with liver disease and in 20 control subjects. Mean levels of factors XI and XII in subjects with liver disease were significantly reduced, being 58% and 61%, respectively, compared with 100% and 94% in controls. Reductions in levels of factors XI and XII were most pronounced in those subjects with low serum albumin. The partial thromboplastin time (APTT) reflected low levels of either factor XI or XII and was most prolonged when both were low, but cause and effect was not demonstrated. Low levels of these factors may explain previous reports of poor response of APTT to infusions of prothrombin complex concentrates. Finally, these low levels strongly suggest that factors XI and XII are produced in the liver.

Blood Coagulation Factors↗
PubMed1983

Detection of human fetal fibrinogen in umbilical cord plasma by parallel assays of immunoreactive and thrombin-clottable protein.

Putative fetal fibrinogen was detected in normal human umbilical cord plasma by parallel assays of immunoreactive and thrombin-clottable protein. The 'excess' of immunoassayable fibrinogen was not due to products of proteolysis and the apparent 'insensitivity' to thrombin was reflected in delayed fibrin polymerization. Fetal fibrinogen was partially separable from the adult protein by two-dimensional immunoelectrophoresis.

Adult↗
PubMed1980

Effect of vitamin E therapy on blood coagulation tests in newborn infants.

A double-blind randomized trial of vitamin E therapy was conducted in premature infants whose birth weight was less than 1,500 gm. Treated infants received 25 mg of vitamin E daily by mouth for the first six weeks of life. Detailed studies of plasma coagulation factors were performed prior to therapy and at days 7 and 42. None of the factors differed significantly between the treated and control groups. Although vitamin E therapy has been reported to affect the blood levels of vitamin K dependent coagulation factors, no such effect was noted in this group of premature infants.

Blood Coagulation↗