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Biomedical subjects

M Fine

Publications and source records attributed to M Fine.

16 recordsLinked to original sources

Nosocomial infection and antibiotic utilization in geriatric patients: a pilot prospective surveillance program in skilled nursing facilities.

Prospective surveillance of nosocomial infection was conducted at seven skilled proprietary nursing facilities in Orange County, Calif., USA. The average incidence of facility-acquired infection was 5.2 infections/1,000 patient days. The most common source of infection was urinary tract (47%), followed by respiratory tract (26%) and skin (14%). The four most common pathogens isolated were Proteus spp. (20%), Escherichia coli (17%), Staphylococcus aureus (13%) and Pseudomonas spp. (11%). Trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (20%) was the most frequently used antibiotic among all prescriptions, followed by ampicillin (16%) and ciprofloxacin (14%). Among all residents surveyed, 33% received at least one course of antibiotics during the study. Of special significance was the fact that 4 (22%) of the 18 strains of Pseudomonas were gentamicin resistant as were 12 of 80 (15%) of the strains of Enterobacteriaceae. Furthermore, 9 of 29 (31%) strains of Pseudomonas tested were found resistant to norfloxacin as were 15 of 129 (12%) strains of enterobacteriaceae. Susceptibility patterns of the isolated pathogens were similar to those of the acute care hospital. This study indicates that infection continues to be a major problem in the skilled nursing facility and that antibiotic-resistant pathogens will be a challenge for the future.

Adolescent

A comparison of the psychological profiles of teenage mothers and their nonmother peers: I. Ego development.

Two projective techniques were employed to explore the psychological characteristics of teenage mothers who were found, in a previous study, to have experienced more traumatic childhoods than the nonmother control group. Part I, presented here, investigated ego development using the Loevinger Sentence Completion Test. (Part II, responses to a set of TAT cards, will appear in a subsequent issue of Adolescence.) In comparison with the nonmothers, teenage mothers demonstrated more mature ego development. This is in distinct contrast with most reports in the literature, and the ramifications of these results are discussed. In addition, content analyses of the responses to the Sentence Completion Test confirm the highly involved mother-daughter and negative father-daughter relationships found in the previous study with this sample.

Adolescent

A comparison of the psychological profiles of teenage mothers and their nonmother peers: II. Responses to a set of TAT cards.

In Part I of this investigation (Oz, Tari, & Fine, 1992), it was found that, in comparison with nonmother peers, teenage mothers demonstrated a higher degree of ego development. This was in contradiction to most of the literature on the subject. In the second part of the study, the Thematic Apperception Test was employed to examine defenses and motivations which may impact upon the young girls' functioning within family and heterosexual relationships. Results confirmed reports in the literature which have indicated that adolescent mothers attempt to resolve autonomy-dependence conflicts in heterosexual relationships, whereas nonmothers do so within the family of origin. Consistent with their enhanced ego maturity, teenage mothers were more likely to confront their conflicts than were nonmothers. However, whereas nonmothers reacted to environmental stressors by rejecting the source of the stress, teenage mothers tended to react with self-abasement. It is recommended that further research be directed toward uncovering the emotional and cognitive resources of teenage mothers rather than focusing on their more obvious weaknesses.

Adolescent

Angiographic demonstration of recanalization of the basilar artery.

This report details the clinical course and angiographic findings of a patient with intermittent vertebrobasilar insufficiency. Recanalization of the basilar artery was demonstrated during anticoagulant therapy. A review of the literature failed to disclose a previous report of this occurrence.

Basilar Artery

Unusual metastases from a medulloblastoma: case report.

Calvarial and extracranial metastases by hematogenous spread of primary intracranial neoplasms have been considered a rare occurrence. This report deals with the clinicopathological and radiological findings of a child with metastatic medulloblastoma. Correlation of serial postoperative computed tomography (CT) scans and the autopsy examination indicated hematogenous calvarial and intracranial spread of the primary lesion.

Brain Neoplasms

Acute appendicitis: efficacy of prophylactic preoperative antibiotics in the reduction of septic morbidity.

The course of 200 patients who recently underwent appendectomy at UCLA for acute appendicitis has been reviewed to determine the efficacy of preoperative systemic antibiotic prophylaxis in reducing septic morbidity after surgery. Among those with nonperforated appendicitis who were given gentamycin and clindamycin preoperatively, a reduction of infection rate from 10.2 to 5.3 per cent was found when compared with patients who received no antibiotics.

Adolescent

Keratoplasty for bullous keratopathy with intraocular lens.

The presence of a pseudophakos does not appear to introduce any greater hazard when keratoplasty is required because of corneal edema. This, together with the histories obtained from patients requiring such keratoplasty, strongly suggests that the insult to the corneal endothelium takes place at the time of placement of the intraocular lens in the great majority of cases. Of possible further significance is the fact that five of the sixteen patients who underwent keratoplasty had had secondary procedures to stabilize or to reposition the lens following the original lens implantation. The increased trauma inherent in the intraocular lens operation has been pointed out by many authorities. The fact that twelve of the sixteen patients requiring keratoplasty had been operated by experienced, nationally known intraocular lens surgeons further emphasizes this. The immediate problem appears to be the development and refinement of surgical techniques to avoid some of the complications which have been described. The prognosis for keratoplasty in cases of bullous keratopathy with an intraocular lens has been found to be at least as good as in cases without an intraocular lens.

Corneal Diseases

Interhemispheric subdural hematoma.

The clinical presentation and surgical management of an interhemispheric subdural hematoma, a rare entity, is presented and the literature reviewed. Either hemiparesis, worse in the lower than the upper extremity, or lower extremity monoparesis is characteristic of this lesion. Computerized tomography (CT) is the preferred diagnostic procedure. An interhemispheric hematoma, either acute or chronic, is best treated by osteoplastic craniotomy. Specific anatomical considerations, clinical features, and the recommended surgical technique is described.

Adult

Penetrating keratoplasty in herpes simplex keratitis. Recurrence in grafts.

A review of 231 penetrating keratoplasties performed for corneal disease due to herpes simplex keratitis shows that clear grafts may be obtained in 75% and satisfactory visual results in about 70% during a long-term follow-up. Over a three-year follow-up period, recurrence of the herpetic disease in the graft was observed in 12%. Over a longer period of follow-up, up to 15 years, the rate of recurrence increased to 47%. About half of the corneas with recurrence achieved clear grafts with treatment. Recurrence did not appear to be less frequent in those cases which circumscribed scars as compared with those in which there was diffuse scarring. The state of activity of the disease preoperatively could not be demonstrated to influence greatly the results of the keratoplasty.

California

Evaluation of intracerebral hematoma by computed tomography.

The CT scan appearances of acute intracerebral hematoma are usually diagnostic, and can be differentiated from hemorrhagic tumor and infarction. Some prognostic evaluations can be made, depending on the site and size of the hemorrhage. Sequential studies indicate resolution of the density of the hematoma over a period of approximately six weeks. This however does not appear to correlate with pathological resolution, but does reflect the hemoglobin concentration in the hematoma. Angiography is indicated when an underlying AVM or aneurysm is suspected, whereas contrast infusion studies are not of great value in detecting these lesions.

Cerebral Hemorrhage

Lattice corneal dystrophy.

The clinical and histologic aspects of 34 primary and six reoperative keratoplasties for lattice corneal dystrophy are evaluated. Surgical and postoperative complications were minimal and not considered specific for lattice corneal dystrophy. Visual results were highly favorable in a long-term evaluation. No lattice figures were seen to recur in any of the 34 primary or six reoperative grafts; however, opacities did occur in several grafts. Amyloid was definitely found in one reoperative graft specimen. A nonamyloid material was also found in the subepithelial and superficial stromal area in both the lattice dystrophy and reoperative specimens.

Adult

The role of tissue typing in corneal transplantation.

The ABO relationships of 150 corneal transplant recipients and their donors were evaluated as were IgG and IgM isoagglutinins in recipients receiving grafts from ABO-incompatible donors. The HL-A antigens of 43 corneal transplant recipients and their donors were determined as were the cross-matches of donor lymphocytes in selected cases. No relationships of significance between mismatched donors and recipients or presence of antibody in recipients against antigens of the donor for either ABO or HL-A systems were found. It was concluded that in this series histocompatibility mismatches could not be shown to be a factor in corneal transplant failure.

ABO Blood-Group System

ABO Blood groups and corneal transplantation.

A study of 150 corneal donor-recipient grafts, examined for ABO type, revealed that 25% of the grafts were from corneas from incompatible donors. Recipients with histocompatible sensitization exposures such as prior corneal transplant, one or more pregnancies, or one or more blood transfusions were no more likely to experience graft failure if the graft were from an ABO incompatible donor than from a compatible donor. Of 13 graft failures (8%), three of the failed grafts were from AB donors, a significant result. No detrimental effect of transplanting across the ABO barrier could be proven with assurance for any parameter.

ABO Blood-Group System

Complex partial seizure-induced transient MR enhancement.

A 58-year-old man with complex partial seizures had transient symmetrical MR enhancement in the anterior mesiotemporal cortex bilaterally, correlated with the sites of seizure focus on electroencephalography. Preinfused T1-weighted and T2-weighted sequences showed no abnormality. After adequate control of seizures with medication, repeat MR was normal and the prior enhancement was no longer seen. This transient seizure-induced MR enhancement was consistent with ictal or postictal hyperemia and breakdown of the blood-brain barrier and should not be erroneously attributed to mesial temporal sclerosis, encephalitis, tumor, or infarction.

Contrast Media