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Biomedical subjects

M Andersen

Publications and source records attributed to M Andersen.

At least 109 records · Page 6Linked to original sources
PubMed1994

[Measles vaccination and age].

Recent studies have found administration of high-titre measles vaccine before 9 months of age to be associated with reduced survival. Since this suggests that early immunization could be unsafe, we examined the results of immunization campaigns with Schwarz standard measles vaccine carried out in 1980-1983 in three areas of Guinea-Bissau. Children were followed to death, migration or the age of five years. Children immunized at 4-8 months of age, of whom many were later re-immunized, had lower mortality between nine months and five years of age compared with children vaccinated at 9-11 months of age. The improved survival was unrelated to better protection against measles. There was no sign of socio-cultural differences between children immunized at different ages. Vaccination before 9 months of age is apparently safe and it may reduce childhood mortality compared with the currently recommended strategy of immunizing from nine months of age. Randomized trials are needed to confirm these observations which may have implications for the measles immunization strategy for developing countries.

Age Factors↗
PubMed1994

[Mesenteric venous thrombosis].

Mesenteric venous thrombosis (MVT) is a serious though rare abdominal disease. MVT often takes a subacute course with non-specific symptoms. The absence of simple and precise diagnostic tools result in delayed start of treatment and high mortality. Through information retrieval we have here given an overview of the incidence, etiology, pathophysiology, symptomatology, diagnosis, treatment and prognosis of MVT.

Humans↗
PubMed1994

Post-decision consolidation, as a function of the instructions to the decision maker and of the decision problem.

The effects of instructions and decision problems on post-decision processes were studied by varying the instructions to subjects. Subjects made a medical policy decision based on information on four attributes in Experiments 1-2. The subjects were given different instructions: (1) no instruction at all about a second session, (2) instruction to remember his/her decision until a session a week later, and (3) instruction to justify the decision at a later occasion one week later. The results indicated post-decision consolidation in the first group, as predicted by the Differentiation and Consolidation Theory (Svenson, 1992). The effect showed up in attractiveness restructuring in support of the chosen alternative on the most important attributes. The instruction to remember the decision until a later time increased the consolidation effect. Contrary to our expectations, the instruction to later justify the decision did not produce any consolidation. This effect was replicated in the second experiment and could not be interpreted as a random result. In a third experiment the decision problem was framed as an environmental pollution problem and it was preceded by a carefully designed booklet presenting arguments for and against different materials used in manufacturing packages for coffee. Subjects were then asked to make a choice of the same coffee in two different packages. The data indicated no difference in structural consolidation as a result of the instruction to justify or not. The paper concludes with a discussion pointing out the importance of the involvement in a decision task for decision differentiation and consolidation.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1994

Congenital and acquired curvature of the penis treated surgically by plication of the tunica albuginea.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effectiveness of plication surgery for patients with congenital and acquired curvature of the penis. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Forty-eight patients with congenital curvature of the penis and 57 with induratio penis plastica were treated by plication of the tunica albuginea. Their average age was 23 and 56 years, respectively. The operation was performed under local anaesthesia, using 2/0 Prolene and a specially designed suture. The average observation time in the two groups was 24 and 20 months, respectively. RESULTS: Nineteen per cent of patients in the first group and 8% in the second group reported normal intercourse pre-operatively. Post-operatively, the numbers increased to 81% and 82%, respectively, and all were able to perform intercourse. Although 18-19% experienced slight discomfort, mostly related to the cut ends of the suture, this minor problem was accepted by all. Five patients needed more than one operation. No impotence was recorded post-operatively and no patient complained of reduced sensibility of the skin. CONCLUSION: Satisfactory results were obtained with the plication technique in the first 105 patients. Since the follow-up study was completed more than 2 years ago, another 70 patients have been treated by the same procedure.

Adult↗
PubMed1994

Changes in cellular immune function after immune specific guided imagery and relaxation in high and low hypnotizable healthy subjects.

This article presents the results of two investigations, each measuring cellular immune function on 3 investigation days 1 week apart in 15 high and 15 low hypnotizable healthy subjects randomly selected for three groups: (1) a guided imagery group receiving instructions to enhance cellular immune function: (2) a relaxation group which did not receive instructions regarding the immune system, and (3) a control group. Study 1 investigated changes in monocyte chemotaxis (MC) and lymphocyte proliferative response (LPR) to three mitogens, while natural killer cell activity (NKCA) was measured in study 2. The results show similar patterns of brief decreases in LPR and NKCA immediately after intervention on all investigation days in both the imagery and relaxation groups. Increases in MC were found in both intervention groups on day 1. On a follow-up investigation day in study 2, a brief stress task yielded a slight increase in NKCA. In study 2, the control group showed decreases in NKCA similar to those observed in the two intervention groups. In general there were no significant changes in preintervention immune function throughout the investigation period. When comparing the effects in high and low hypnotizable subjects, we found that high hypnotizables showed greater decreases in LPR and NKCA than low hypnotizables. There are several inconsistencies between the results of the limited number of investigations studying the effects of guided imagery and relaxation on immune function. These differences may in part be explained by differences in methodology, time intervals between blood sampling, and subject characteristics such as age, health status and hypnotizability. The inconsistent results make it premature to make inferences about possible benefits of the application of these techniques in the treatment of immune related diseases, and further investigations are needed.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1993

Reduced childhood mortality after standard measles vaccination at 4-8 months compared with 9-11 months of age.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the impact on mortality of standard Schwarz measles immunisation before 9 months of age. DESIGN: Children vaccinated in 1980-3 at 4-5, 6-8, and 9-11 months of age were followed to migration, death, or the age of 5 years. SETTING: One urban district and nine villages in two rural areas of Guinea-Bissau. SUBJECT: 307 children vaccinated at 4-8 months and 256 at 9-11 months. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Mortality from 9 months to 5 years of age for children immunised at 4-5, 6-8, and 9-11 months. RESULTS: Mortality was significantly lower in children vaccinated at 6-8 months than at 9-11 months (mortality ratio = 0.63, (95% confidence interval 0.41 to 0.97), p = 0.047). As vaccination was provided in semiannual or annual campaigns it is unlikely that age at vaccination reflected a selection bias. The trend was the same in all three study areas. Improved survival after early immunisation was not related to better protection against measles infection. With a Cox multivariate regression model to adjust for age, sex, season at risk, season at birth, measles infection, and region, children vaccinated at 4-8 months had a mortality ratio of 0.61 (0.40 to 0.92, p = 0.020) compared with children vaccinated at 9-11 months. Reimmunised children tended to have lower mortality than children who received only one vaccine (0.59 (0.28 to 1.27, p = 0.176)). CONCLUSION: Standard measles vaccination before 9 months is not associated with higher childhood mortality than is the currently recommended strategy of immunising from 9 months, and it may reduce mortality. This has implications for measles immunisation strategy in developing countries.

Age Factors↗
PubMed1993

[Sclerotherapy of spermatoceles and hydroceles. Long-term results of polidocanol use].

Treatment of hydroceles and spermatoceles with evacuation, followed by injection of the sclerosing agent Polidocanol 3% (Aetoxysklerol), is a simple, low cost alternative to surgery. For the patient, it is also less painful compared to sclerotherapy using tetracycline. This article shows that the long term results are very promising. 28 patients, of whom two were treated for bilateral celes, gave us a total of 30 treatments. We interviewed the patients 62 months (52-67 months) after treatment, and found that in 24 of the 30 treatments there were no sign of relapse. In three cases the patient had noticed a small relapse, but had no pain. Three have later been treated with surgery.

Adult↗
PubMed1993

Wide local excision of recurrent breast cancer in the thoracic wall.

BACKGROUND: Local recurrence is one of the major problems in treatment of breast cancer. Approximately 20% of patients who have radical or modified radical mastectomy have a local recurrence. METHODS: The records of 98 women with locally recurrent breast cancer treated with wide local excision, in the years 1983-1987, were reviewed. The median age at excision was 62 years (range, 32-84 years). All patients were observed until death or December 31, 1989. The median follow-up period was 36 months (range, 2-79 months). RESULTS: At follow-up, 44 of 98 patients (45%) had had a new local relapse and 47 of 98 (48%) were dead. The median duration of local control for all patients was 21 months (range, 1-79 months). The diameter of the local recurrence seemed to influence the duration of local disease control but not total survival. Patients admitted directly for surgery had a longer period of local control compared with patients admitted after unsuccessful oncologic treatment of the local recurrence. The 5-year local control rates were 50% and 24%, respectively (P > 0.92). No statistically significant difference in local control could be shown whether or not the patient received additional oncologic therapy in continuity with the wide local excision. The 5-year local control rate in patients treated only by surgery was 33% compared with 42% in patients also receiving additional oncologic treatment (P > 0.63). CONCLUSIONS: Wide local excision of recurrent breast cancer seems to provide as good or even better local control than other treatment modalities. Surgery should not be postponed in cases of ineffective medical treatment or radiation therapy.

Adult↗