Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to M D Read.
The efficacy of an orally administered calcium antagonist, nifedipine, in suppressing premature uterine activity, was compared with intravenous ritodrine and no treatment. Nifedipine was found to be significantly more effective than ritodrine or withholding therapy, and was almost devoid of side-effects.
Epidural pethidine was compared with epidural saline for relief of pain from episiotomy wounds. Pethidine 25 mg administered by the lumbar epidural route produced significant analgesia. However, the incidence and severity of episiotomy pain are so variable that routine use of the technique is not recommended.
A case of pregnancy complicated by severe rhesus isoimmunization is described. The finding of a sequence of fetal heart pattern changes on daily cardiotocography offers a simple method of detecting the severely compromised fetus, which appears to be related to the underlying pathological process, and is more sensitive than other tests of fetal well-being currently used.
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Iron deficiency anaemia in pregnancy is not a common problem among Black patients in the Durban area, and prophylactic iron supplements do not lead to an increase in haemoglobin values. Prophylactic iron therapy should give way to investigation and appropriate treatment of patients with low haemoglobin values.
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Using a 51Cr-labelled red cell dilution technique, the blood loss associated with elective lower segment Caesarean section was measured in 30 patients, half of whom had a previous history of Caesarean section. The blood loss (mean +/- SD) was 1290 +/- 240 ml for first Caesarean sections and 1012 +/- 380 ml for repeat operations.
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The total serum bilirubin levels at two and occasionally five days after birth were studied in 162 infants whose mothers received either intravenous oxytocin or oral Prostaglandin te2 during labour, and the results were compared with those obtained in forty-two control patients. Following labour of spontaneous onset, whether the mother received intravenous oxytocin or oral Prostaglandin E2, neonatal total serum bilirubin levels were not different from those in controls. After induction by amniotomy and an active agent, higher mean total serum bilirubin levels were found in infants whose mothers received intravenous oxytocin than in those given oral prostaglandin E2; a significant rise in the total serum bilirubin level appeared to occur when mothers received a total of more than 12,000 milliunits of oxytocin or more than 4,000 milliunits per kg birthweight of the infant.
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Using a Coulter Counter, sperm density and total sperm population per ejaculate has been measured repeatedly in a series of oligozoospermic and asthenozoospermic patients. Marked variations in these parameters were found with repeated sampling from the same patient. The implications of such findings are discussed.
Over the past 10 years, outpatient endometrial assessment has largely replaced traditional dilatation and curettage, offering a quick, reliable and cost-effective alternative which avoids the need for general anaesthesia. The techniques available and their scope are discussed in detail.