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Biomedical subjects

M L Lefevre

Publications and source records attributed to M L Lefevre.

5 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2000

Urinary tract infections during pregnancy.

Urinary tract infections are common during pregnancy, and the most common causative organism is Escherichia coli. Asymptomatic bacteriuria can lead to the development of cystitis or pyelonephritis. All pregnant women should be screened for bacteriuria and subsequently treated with antibiotics such as nitrofurantoin, sulfisoxazole or cephalexin. Ampicillin should no longer be used in the treatment of asymptomatic bacteriuria because of high rates of resistance. Pyelonephritis can be a life-threatening illness, with increased risk of perinatal and neonatal morbidity. Recurrent infections are common during pregnancy and require prophylactic treatment. Pregnant women with urinary group B streptococcal infection should be treated and should receive intrapartum prophylactic therapy.

Anti-Infective Agents, Urinary↗
PubMed1998

Prostate cancer screening: more harm than good?

The American Cancer Society and other national medical organizations emphasize the need for routine screening for prostate cancer in men over the age of 50. The serum prostate-specific antigen (PSA) assay is the test most commonly recommended for the purpose of screening. However, when PSA screening is examined critically from the standpoint of the principles of screening, evidence from prospective studies to support the routine use of PSA testing is lacking. Data suggest that screening often detects what may be indolent, nonaggressive prostate cancer. The treatment of such a cancer with radiation or radical prostatectomy can result in significant morbidity, including urinary incontinence and impotence, without a proven decrease in mortality. Evidence from randomized clinical trials in support of routine PSA screening is urgently needed.

Age Distribution↗
PubMed1992

Preventing the complications of preterm birth.

Preterm birth is a major cause of infant morbidity and mortality. Although studies have been complicated by problems of definition and methodology, certain strategies have the potential to reduce both the incidence and the impact of preterm birth. These strategies include accurate assessment of gestational age, education about the signs and symptoms of early labor, recommendations for smoking cessation, and screening for asymptomatic bacteriuria in all prenatal patients. In addition, specific interventions such as cervical cerclage may be indicated in certain patients. The role of home uterine monitoring is not yet established. If preterm labor does occur, tocolysis should be used to delay delivery, and in appropriate cases the patient should be transferred to a medical center with a neonatal intensive care unit. Antenatal administration of corticosteroids in preterm labor appears to significantly reduce fetal morbidity.

Family Practice↗
PubMed1986

Similar effects of zinc deficiency and restricted feeding on plasma lipids and lipoproteins in rats.

The objective of this study was to determine whether alterations in HDL composition observed previously were due specifically to zinc deficiency or to reduction in food intake. Rats were placed into three groups and fed for 21 d a zinc-adequate diet (100 ppm) ad libitum, or a zinc-deficient diet (less than 1 ppm) ad libitum, or the zinc-adequate diet at an intake equal to that of the deficient group. Blood plasma was fractionated into VLDL, LDL and HDL fractions, and plasma and the isolated fractions were analyzed for lipids and apolipoprotein composition. Analysis of plasma and liver zinc indicated that animals consuming the low zinc diet were deficient. Zinc deficiency and restricted feeding were associated with lower plasma and VLDL triglyceride levels and lower HDL cholesterol levels. The similarities in overall pattern of lipoprotein composition between the zinc-deficient and restricted-intake groups indicate that reduction in food intake may account for the differences in lipoprotein composition which were observed.

Animals↗