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Biomedical subjects

M B Kirkpatrick

Publications and source records attributed to M B Kirkpatrick.

27 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1985

Choosing an appropriate cutting point for conversion in annual tuberculin skin testing.

A previous report from our institution showed that the use of a two-step tuberculin testing program in new employees reduced the apparent rate of conversion in annual skin testing by eliminating the effect of the booster phenomenon. However, the converter rate subsequently remained too high. We propose that the use of 10 mm of induration as the cutting point gave a high rate of false conversion in our area of high prevalence of sensitivity to nontuberculous mycobacteria. A change to 15 mm of duration as the cutting point reduced our conversion rate from 2.6 to 1.2%, identified a group who demonstrated continued large tuberculin reactions at repeat testing, and eliminated age dependency from our converter population. We propose the choice of 15 mm of induration as the appropriate cutting point in annual employee tuberculin skin testing programs in areas in which sensitivity to nontuberculous mycobacteria is common.

Adult↗
PubMed1983

On pulsus paradoxus.

An abnormal amount of pulsus paradoxus may be produced in normal volunteers, for teaching purposes, by having them inspire and expire against resistance.

Airway Resistance↗
PubMed1982

Effect of the oronasal breathing route on sulfur dioxide-induced bronchoconstriction in exercising asthmatic subjects.

We undertook a study to determine how the oronasal breathing route affects the bronchoconstrictor response to sulfur dioxide (SO2) inhaled by asthmatic subjects during exercise. In 6 subjects, we compared the changes in specific airway resistance (SRaw) caused by breathing humidified air through a mouthpiece during 5 min of exercise on a bicycle ergometer (550 kpm/min) to the changes caused by breathing humidified air plus 0.5 ppm of SO2, (a) through a mouthpiece (oral breathing), (b) by facemask (oronasal breathing), and (c) by facemask with the mouth occluded (nasal breathing) during exercise. Breathing humidified air plus 0.5 ppm of SO2 through a mouthpiece or by facemask during exercise significantly increased SRaw in all 6 subjects, and breathing humidified air plus 0.5 PPM of SO2 by facemask with the mouth occluded significantly increased SRaw in 5 of 6 subjects. The increase in SRaw caused by breathing humidified air plus 0.5 PPM of SO2 through a mouthpiece was not significantly different from the increase caused by breathing SO2 by facemask (p greater than 0.05), but was significantly greater than the increase caused by breathing SO2 by facemask with the mouth occluded (p less than 0.05). These results indicate that although nasal breathing partially protected against SO2-induced bronchoconstriction in our subjects, both oral and oronasal breathing of low concentrations of SO2 during exercise can cause significant bronchoconstriction in people with asthma.

Adult↗
PubMed1982

Use of a bronchoscopic protected catheter brush for the diagnosis of pulmonary infections.

Fiberoptic bronchoscopy using a protected brush catheter was done in 65 patients with suspected pulmonary infections to obtain uncontaminated specimens for culture. Quantitative aerobic and anaerobic cultures were done on each specimen. Forty-one patients had pneumonia. Ten bacteremic patients had the same organisms recovered from the catheter and blood cultures. Seven patients had received antibiotics before the procedure, and cultures grew no organisms in high concentration. In 23 of 24 remaining patients probable pathogens were recovered in high concentrations, and specific therapy resulted in clinical improvement in all of these patients. Five patients with lung abscesses and seven with necrotizing pneumonia had mixed aerobic and anaerobic organisms recovered. Twelve patients had final diagnoses of nonbacterial lung disease, and cultures were negative or revealed low concentrations of organisms. Quantitative cultures were necessary in distinguishing pathogens from nonpathogens. There were no complications. The results of this study indicate that fiberoptic bronchoscopy using a special protected catheter is an accurate and safe technique for identification of etiologic agents in lower respiratory tract infections.

Bacterial Infections↗
PubMed1979

An intracavitary fungus ball composed of syncephalastrum.

A case of a pulmonary intracavitary fungus ball composed of Syncephalastrum sp., a member of the class Zygomycetes not previously reported in association with human disease, is presented. The fungus was cultured preoperatively from bronchial secretions as well as from the fungal mass from the resected lung. This fungus appeared to behave in a saprophytic manner similar to that of the more common Aspergillus fungus ball.

Fungi↗
PubMed1979

Severe obstructive lung disease after smoke inhalation.

A 26-year-old-man developed severe obstructive lung disease after inhalation of smoke from a house fire. Bronchography demonstrated changes characteristic of bronchiolitis. Despite intensive therapy with bronchodilators and corticosteroids, he continues to have severe obstructive lung disease nine months after the smoke inhalation.

Adult↗