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Biomedical subjects

M Castleden

Publications and source records attributed to M Castleden.

12 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2001

Economics of lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) in older people.

Urinary incontinence is an area of clinical and social importance to older people and providers of care. This article provides an update on the 'symptom' of urinary incontinence and reviews the concept of lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS). The challenges facing health services researchers working in this field are also discussed in terms of trying to quantify the size and extent of the underlying problem. Economic issues and work undertaken to evaluate the cost of LUTS are appraised and the common nonsurgical treatments for LUTS are described together with associated conditions and their cost implications. The cost to individuals and society of LUTS is generally underestimated and the importance of reducing its severity (if cure is not achievable) makes clinical and economic sense.

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PubMed1998

Nutritional status of hospitalized acute stroke patients.

The nutritional status of 201 hospitalized stroke patients was assessed from anthropometric, haematological and biochemical data in an observational prospective study. On admission, sixty-two (31%) stroke patients had BMI < 20, ninety-nine (49%) had a triceps skinfolds thickness below the 25th centile, twenty-five (12%) had a mid-arm circumference below the 25th centile and thirty-eight (19%) had a serum albumin concentration below 35 g/l. Baseline nutritional status was worse among those who later died or remained in hospital compared with those discharged and most patients who remained in hospital showed marked and significant deterioration in all measures of nutritional status within 4 weeks of hospitalization. After adjusting for age, stroke severity and co-morbidity, low serum albumin concentrations of these patients in hospital were a strong and independent predictor of death following acute stroke (odds ratio 1.13 (95% CI 1.01-1.27) for 1 g/l lower serum albumin concentration).

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PubMed1994

The acute effects of a single dopamine infusion in elderly patients with congestive cardiac failure.

1. Dopamine (DA) at low doses (2.5 micrograms kg-1 min-1) produces a measurable increase in glomerular filtration rate (GFR) and effective renal plasma flow (ERPF) in young healthy subjects and has a therapeutic effect in younger patients with congestive cardiac failure (CCF). In elderly healthy subjects, DA increases ERPF but does not increase GFR in all subjects. 2. To determine the potential therapeutic use of DA in elderly subjects with CCF, we studied 17 patients (5 male) aged 79.9 years (range 68 to 93 years) admitted to hospital for inpatient treatment of CCF resistant to diuretic and angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor therapy. The effects of a single infusion DA at 2.5 micrograms kg-1 min-1 on GFR and ERPF were assessed in a double-blind, placebo controlled prospective study. 3. There were no significant differences in GFR or ERPF between control and DA. A reduction in GFR was seen in some patients. 4. DA at low dosage was not shown to benefit elderly patients with resistant CCF, and in some patients was detrimental. Higher doses or a combination with other inotropes may be necessary for a renal effect in elderly patients.

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PubMed1993

Dependency, quality and staffing of institutions for elderly people.

There have been dramatic changes in residential and nursing care of elderly people in the community over the last decade. Despite this, little is known about how these institutions compare in terms of: the quality of care they provide to residents; the dependency of the residents; or the manpower levels and qualifications of the staff employed. This study was undertaken with the aim of comparing the public and private sectors providing care to elderly people. A random selection of institutions was invited to participate, including private residential and nursing homes, Social Services homes and National Health Services long-term care wards. The findings show that the dependency of residents in the public sector was greater than in the private sector, with more mentally confused, incontinent and socially disengaged residents in the public sector. The staff to resident ratio in public institutions did not differ significantly from the private sector. Overall scores of quality of care were similar. Nevertheless, these scores masked important differences between the sectors, eg poorer buildings and facilities characterised the National Health Service units. Fewer activities and therapies, but a better ambience, was noted in the private nursing homes. These results suggest that the outcome of a policy to transfer the most heavily dependent patients from the care of the public sector could increasingly burden the private sector. This would result increase the proportion of highly dependent residents, with no clear provision for improved staff ratios, quality of care or training of staff.

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PubMed1986

The use of benzodiazepines with particular reference to the elderly.

In general, the elderly tolerate drugs less well and the purpose of this review is to outline the indications, properties, side effects and withdrawal problems of the benzodiazepines with particular reference to the elderly and to make recommendations regarding their use.

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PubMed1978

Immunopathology of angioimmunoblastic lymphadenopathy.

Eight patients with angioimmunoblastic lymphadenopathy have been studied by a variety of immunological and pathological techniques. They exhibited a spectrum of immunological reactivities that, in this small series, could be roughly correlated with survival. Those patients with relative B-cell predominance as shown by cell marker studies, histologically showed large numbers of plasma cells, and this pattern was associated in 3 of our patients with a survival of 3 years or more. T-cell predominance or both B- and T-cell depletion was associated histologically with large numbers of blast cells and eosinophils, but with few plasma cells. These patients responded poorly to therapy and had short survival times. One patient with B-cell predominance subsequently died of a histiocytic lymphoma.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Management of myocardial infarction in the elderly: admission and outcome on a coronary care unit.

A data base of 1,511 patients admitted to a single Coronary Care Unit was analysed to examine the potential impact of thrombolytic therapy in elderly patients with myocardial infarction. Age was confirmed as a highly significant prognostic factor, and cost utility analysis showed that the cost of thrombolytic therapy with streptokinase in the elderly was lower per quality adjusted life year than in younger patients. However, median delay time of admission from onset of symptoms was significantly greater in this age-group, suggesting a need for a greater awareness of the benefits of thrombolytic therapy in elderly people.

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