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Biomedical subjects

M Abramowitz

Publications and source records attributed to M Abramowitz.

8 recordsLinked to original sources

Adaptation of immigrant psychiatrists from the former Soviet Union in the Department of Mental Health of the Israel Defense Forces.

Psychiatrists from the former Soviet Union serve in the Department of Mental Health of the Israel Defense Forces. The new immigrant psychiatrists confront a wide range of difficulties during the process of integration to the military system and adaptation to the specifically military aspects of psychiatry. These include unfamiliarity with the military system, cultural clashes with the different groups of soldiers representing the various subgroups of the absorbing society, the psychopathology of soldiers, which is different from that seen in civil psychiatry, and the change in focus in the military mental health service, which emphasizes the importance of evaluating ego strength. Arbitrarily, one can describe four stages of adaptation that the immigrant psychiatrist has to pass through before recruitment and during service until adaptation and integration in the new role take place. Individual and group supervision are the main means by which the assimilation process is eased. The military service smooth the acculturation process and has an important role in helping the immigrant's adaptation to Israeli society and in building his or her professional identity.

Acculturation↗

Pleural effusion as a predictor of severity in acute pancreatitis.

Our objective was to determine whether pleural effusion is a predictor of severity in acute pancreatitis and, if so, whether it is an independent predictor. One hundred ninety-six consecutive cases of acute pancreatitis from October 1, 1994, to September 30, 1995, were reviewed. Medical records were analyzed for evidence of pleural effusion by chest radiograph and severe acute pancreatitis by identification of pancreatic necrosis or organ system dysfunction. Data were analyzed to determine if identification of pleural effusion provided an early sign of severity. Among 135 patients who underwent chest radiography, pleural effusion was seen in 16 of 19 (84.2%) with severe pancreatitis and 10 of 116 (8.6%) of patients with mild pancreatitis (p < 0.001). Pleural effusion was noted in severe pancreatitis prior to clinical or computed tomography evidence of severity in only 20% of cases. Pleural effusion is strongly associated with severity in acute pancreatitis but provides independent information on severity in only a minority of cases.

Acute Disease↗

Assessment of PTSD: validation of the revised PTSD Inventory.

The PTSD Inventory, a self-report diagnostic questionnaire based on DSM-III criteria, was revised to meet the more recent DSM-III-R criteria. This study examined the validity of the revised inventory relative to a structured clinical interview (SCID) and the Impact of Events Scale (IES). Results showed a high degree of concordance between the instruments, supporting the use of the more standardized, easy to administer and economical PTSD Inventory.

Adult↗

Surgical correction of familial diaphragmatic hernia of Morgagni in the Golden Lion Tamarin.

The Golden Lion Tamarin (Leontopithecus rosalia) is an endangered species of primate indigenous to the coastal rain forest of Brazil. Since 1971 a propagation and behavioral research program has been carried out on a colony of these monkeys at the Zoological Park. Several related animals have died and at necropsy have shown absence of the anterior portion of the diaphragm with a variety of abdominal viscera in the thorax. Diagnostic studies undertaken on the living members of the colony include plain chest radiographs and gastrointestinal series. Four of the animals have been found to have major diaphragmatic defects with the liver, stomach, spleen, colon, and portions of the intestine in the chest. In three of the animals so affected clinical signs of failure-to-thrive were clearly manifest, although one female born in 1968 has reproduced successfully for 8 yr with no deleterious clinical effects from the hernia. Surgical repair of the diaphragm with relocation of the abdominal viscera has been carried out in three of the animals under a combination of intravenous and intra-tracheal anesthesia. The monkeys weighed 550, 685, and 710 g, respectively. All three Tamarins have survived the operative procedure, and subsequently have shown improved clinical status. These cases have been instructive from the genetic point of view, the major anatomical defect, the type of repair necessary, and the postoperative care in small vigorous mammals. Additionally this study documents a familial factor in diaphragmatic defects in higher mammals.

Animals↗