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Biomedical subjects

M A McCarthy

Publications and source records attributed to M A McCarthy.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1994

Multi-species risk analysis, species evaluation and biodiversity conservation.

The multi-species conservation approaches starting from Vane-Wright et al. (1991) search for a biologically valid basis to evaluate biodiversity. Such evaluations can be used to optimize reserve boundaries so reserves contain a high level of biodiversity. However, these optimization procedures do not minimize the future loss of biodiversity. We provide a method that can be used to minimize the loss of biodiversity. The method integrates an evolutionary species evaluation with an ecological multi-species risk analysis to estimate the expected loss of phylogenetic diversity. A minimization of this loss will optimize the preservation of phylogenetic diversity.

Biological Evolution↗
PubMed1992

Obstetric care and cesarean birth rates: a program to monitor quality of care.

OBJECTIVE: To study the quality of obstetric care in relation to rising cesarean rates, a Task Force was formed in New York state by the Department of Health and ACOG District II. The Task Force also included the Organization of Obstetric, Gynecologic, and Neonatal Nurses and the Hospital Association of New York State. The goals were to enhance hospitals' in-house review processes, standardize terminology, and improve the quality of care. A premise of the program was that if quality of care improved, cesarean rates would fall. METHODS: A Dictionary of Terms was developed to standardize clinical and diagnostic terminology. A two-tiered review process was instituted, using internal and external hospital reviews. A format for in-house review of obstetric care was developed and recommended to hospitals. External reviews were conducted at 24 hospitals during 1989-1990. Review teams, composed of obstetrician-gynecologists and obstetric nurses in active obstetric practice, assessed obstetric facilities, staffing, medical care, and the in-house review process. Contacts continued with the hospitals after site visits to follow up on implementation of recommendations. General recommendations to improve care, based on the overall program experience, were distributed to hospitals and physicians as part of educational efforts to improve quality of care. RESULTS: The state cesarean rate reversed. Statistics for 1989 and 1990 showed a stronger downward trend in reviewed hospitals than in non-reviewed hospitals. A survey of reviewed hospitals reported a positive response to the review process. CONCLUSION: A successful quality assurance program can be jointly developed by a state regulatory agency and a medical specialty society.

Cesarean Section↗
PubMed1991

Epidermolysis bullosa and aplasia cutis.

Recessive dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa with aplasia cutis occurring in a male infant is described. The association of these two rare conditions is reviewed. Reports of the concurrence of large areas of congenital absence of skin, particularly on the lower limbs, in patients with several different types of epidermolysis bullosa suggest that areas of congenital absence of skin in these patients are an initial manifestation of the bullous disease rather than a distinctive entity.

Epidermolysis Bullosa Dystrophica↗
PubMed1987

Epidemic septic arthritis caused by Serratia marcescens and associated with a benzalkonium chloride antiseptic.

During a 6-week period, 10 patients were admitted to a hospital for treatment of knee or shoulder joint infections due to Serratia species. Isolates from eight patients were identified as Serratia marcescens with identical biochemical characteristics and antibiotic susceptibility patterns. Before the onset of infections, all patients had been treated by two orthopedic surgeons who shared an office. Studies revealed that infections were associated with previous joint injections (P = 4.44 X 10(-5] of methylprednisolone and lidocaine. Environmental cultures revealed that a canister of cotton balls soaked in aqueous benzalkonium chloride and two multiple-dose vials of methylprednisolone previously used by office personnel were contaminated with the epidemic strain of S. marcescens. The canister may have served as a potential reservoir for contamination of sterile solutions and equipment used for joint injections, of skin at the injection site, and of hands of personnel. No further cases occurred after the use of aqueous benzalkonium chloride was discontinued.

Adult↗
PubMed1984

Dermatitis from cashew nuts.

Between April 4 and May 10, 1982, fifty-four individuals developed a poison ivy-like dermatitis 1 to 8 days after eating imported cashew nuts. The patients had a very pruritic, erythematous, maculopapular eruption that was accentuated in the flexural areas of the body. Three had blistering of the mouth and four had rectal itching. Nineteen volunteers (eleven ill and eight well) were patch-tested with 2.5 micrograms of poison ivy urushiol and an acetone extract of cashew nut shells. Patch testing did not predict illness since positive tests to both materials occurred in those who had been ill as well as in those who had been well. Absence of cashew nut shells from two thirds of the bags probably accounted for the lack of correlation between patch testing and illness. All nine who reacted to the cashew extract also reacted to poison ivy urushiol. The three who were not sensitive to poison ivy had no reaction to cashew extract. Mass spectrometry of the cashew shell extract suggested the presence of cardol , one of the allergens in cashew shell oil.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1984

Survey of resting blood pressure values in clinically normal horses.

Resting coccygeal blood pressure values were measured, indirectly, on 296 horses (97 Thoroughbreds, 97 Standardbreds and 102 hacks). Blood pressure was found to vary with the class of horse examined; on average Thoroughbreds had significantly higher values than Standardbreds and hacks, whereas blood pressures of the last two groups were not significantly different. There was no demonstrable effect of sex, height or heart rate on blood pressure, but temperature and age did influence the value recorded. Mean (+/- sd) (n = 296) coccygeal uncorrected values (systolic pressure/diastolic pressure) were 112.1 +/- 16.5/77.3 +/- 14.3 mmHg. Allowing for bladder width to tail girth ratios used in each measurement, actual coccygeal pressures of 122.8 +/- 18.6/71.0 +/- 13.4 mmHg were determined. The latter corresponded to values of 149.4 +/- 19.0/97.6 +/- 14.0 mmHg, when corrected to heart (shoulder) level. Normal limits (defined as within 2.5th and 97.5th percentiles) for all horses, regardless of class, were 80 to 144 mmHg/49 to 105 mmHg for coccygeal uncorrected values and 86 to 159 mmHg/45 to 97 mmHg adjusted for bladder width to tail girth ratio.

Age Factors↗
PubMed1983

Hepatitis A associated with a hardware store water fountain and a contaminated well in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, 1980.

In August-October 1980, a sudden increase occurred in the number of cases of jaundice reported among residents of a rural, agricultural section of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. Investigation confirmed the cases as hepatitis A and showed that the outbreak was associated with consumption of water from a water fountain in a hardware store and water from the adjacent family home, both of which came from a well contaminated with feces. A total of 49 cases occurred from August 11 to October 21 in store customers, employees, family members, and persons visiting the family residence. Unusual features of the outbreak included an epidemic curve with two peaks, a very high attack rate in susceptibles at highest risk (greater than 90%), a high proportion of cases with jaundice (85%), absence of asymptomatic cases, and a high male to female ratio due to the makeup of the group at risk.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1982

Correct occlusive bladder width for indirect blood pressure measurement in horses.

The influence of occlusive bladder width on blood pressure, measured indirectly using a doppler ultrasound technique at the middle coccygeal artery, was studied in 6 anesthetized horses. The relationship was investigated on tails with and without hair, and the optimum bladder width (BW)/tail girth (TG) ratio was determined for systolic pressure (SP) and diastolic pressure (DP), with the data grouped as unclipped tails (TT-1), clipped tails (TT-2), and both unclipped and clipped tails collectively (TTB). The optimum BW/TG ratios for SP and DP were 0.296 and 0.866 for TT-1, 0.376 and 1.156 for TT-2, and 0.339 and 0.983 for TTB, respectively. Despite the differences in optimal BW/TG ratios between TT-1 and TT-2, their regression equations were not significantly (P less than 0.05) different and therefore, data could be considered as TTB. The regression equations for TTB showed that a BW/TG ratio of 0.482 underestimated SP and overestimated DP by approximately 8.8%. In mature Thoroughbreds (mean TG 21.5 cm), this value corresponded to a BW of 10.4 cm. Blood pressure measured directly in the greater metatarsal artery was significantly different from that measured directly in the middle coccygeal artery in individual horses, but when averaged over all horses, there was no significant difference between the 2 sites.

Animals↗
PubMed1980

Influence of head height on arterial blood pressure in standing horses.

Eighteen horses were used to investigate the influence of head position on arterial blood pressure, measured indirectly at the coccygeal artery. Head height significantly altered systolic pressure, diastolic pressure, pulse pressure, and mean arterial pressure, such that head-lowering decreased and head-raising increased all variables.

Animals↗