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Biomedical subjects

M Plant

Publications and source records attributed to M Plant.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1991

Licit and illicit drug initiations and alcohol-related problems amongst illicit drug users in Edinburgh.

A non-random study group of one hundred and fifteen regular illicit drug users were interviewed in Edinburgh between January and July 1988. It was found that initiation to the use of alcohol and tobacco generally preceded the first use of illicit substances. The circumstances of initiation to alcohol use often differed from those of initiation to an illicit substance. Results from the first phase of this longitudinal study also indicate that the majority of current users of illicit drugs have experienced a wide range of problems attributed to alcohol consumption. Opiate users in particular, reported experiencing alcohol-related trouble with the police, being involved in alcohol-related violence and being banned from premises due to their drinking.

Adult↗
PubMed1990

Alcohol, drugs and AIDS-related risks: results from a prospective study.

This paper examines the relationship between AIDS-related risks amongst a cohort of young adults and alcohol, tobacco and illicit drug use. Data were elicited by standardized interview and self completed questionnaires from a non-random study group of 350 males and 428 females. Only a minority of respondents reported always using condoms during sexual activity. Over half the study group reported having had only one sexual partner in the past year. Levels of condom use were not significantly associated with general levels of alcohol-consumption or alcohol-related consequences. Experience of alcohol-related consequences by both males and females was associated with the perceived risk of their sexual behaviour. Respondents who reported a high frequency of combining alcohol and sex were seven times less likely than others to report always using condoms for vaginal intercourse.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗
PubMed1990

Young people and drinking: results of an English national survey.

An account is presented of a survey of self-reported drinking habits and beliefs about alcohol amongst a national sample of teenagers in England. Fieldwork was conducted during 1988 and 1989 and involved 27 systematically selected state secondary (high) schools. Respondents were virtually all aged 14-16. The majority of teenagers reported drinking only moderate amounts of alcohol. Even so, a third of the males and nearly a fifth of the females reported having at some time consumed the equivalent of five and a half pints of beer on a single occasion. Factual knowledge about alcohol was not high and more than half of the study group supported a reduction in the legal minimum age at which alcohol may be purchased in licensed premises.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1990

Drug problems and patterns of service use amongst illicit drug users in Edinburgh.

Some results are presented from a continuing prospective study of patterns of illicit drug use in the community. A study group of 115 illicit drug users in Edinburgh were contacted by a non-random method known as 'snowballing'. These were interviewed using a standardized schedule that related to over 200 variables. The use of drugs services are discussed and it is noted that reasons for making contact with such services are complex and not directly associated with any one factor. Extent of illicit substance use and adverse consequences experienced as a result of illicit substance use, are seen to be associated with agency contact, although it is suggested that many other reasons such as social pressure have a role to play. Some individuals, including opiate users, reported that their drug use had not led to any adverse consequences, others had experienced a variety of adverse consequences yet had had no contact with a drugs agency. The implications of these results are discussed.

Adult↗
PubMed1989

Alcohol consumption, cigarette sales and mortality in the United Kingdom: an analysis of the period 1970-1985.

This paper examines official published statistics for various causes of death in the United Kingdom between 1970 and 1985. The variables selected were mainly those that had been linked to alcohol or cigarette use. In particular, changes in mortality due to acute myocardial infarction, cancer of trachea, bronchus and lung, cirrhosis of the liver and 'alcoholism' were found to be associated with each other. Changes in all of these were highly associated with changes in both alcohol consumption and cigarette sales. For most of the causes of death examined, correlations were higher for changes in the current year than they were for lagged data. Thus even chronic disorders related to prolonged heavy alcohol or tobacco use appear to be influenced rapidly by shifts in general levels of drinking and smoking.

Alcohol Drinking↗
PubMed1987

Serum ferritin as a marker of alcohol consumption in working men.

For 576 working men the relationship between reported recent alcohol consumption, serum ferritin, mean cell volume, and gamma glutamyl transferase was studied. Serum ferritin was significantly increased in heavy drinkers, but as a screening test it failed to yield a useful advantage over a combination of mean cell volume and gamma glutamyl transferase.

Alcohol Drinking↗
PubMed1983

The management of malignant oesophago-airway fistulae.

Gastric bypass was performed for eight patients with advanced oesophageal cancer complicated by an established oesophago-airway fistula. There was one operative death. Seven patients could be discharged from hospital with complete relief from aspiration and eating a normal solid diet. The preoperative preparation, anesthetic management and operative technique is described. Gastric bypass is compared to other methods of palliation for malignant oesophago-airway fistulae.

Adult↗
PubMed1983

The microflora of the oesophagus.

A study of the oesophageal microflora was undertaken in 51 normal adults and in 50 patients with carcinoma of the oesophagus. Aerobic organisms were present in every case. Anaerobic organisms were cultured from 41 (80%) of normal controls and 48 (96%) of patients with carcinoma. The isolation rate of all species of aerobic and anaerobic bacteria was similar in both groups. The antibiotic sensitivities of the oesophageal microflora were examined to determine appropriate antibacterial therapy for patients undergoing oesophageal surgery and for the treatment of oesophageal perforation.

Adult↗
PubMed1981

Mean cell volume and gamma-glutamyl-transpeptidase as markers of drinking in working men.

The usefulness of serum-gamma-glutamyl-transpeptidase (gamma-GT) and mean cell volume (MCV) as markers of alcohol consumption was assessed in men in employment (266 company directors and 222 manual workers in alcohol-production firms) and in 34 male alcoholic patients. The correlations of admitted consumption with gamma-GT were 0.307 (directors) and 0.418 (manual workers) and with MCV 0.439 (directors) and 0.360 (manual workers). A man with an MCV of over 98 fl and a gamma-GT level above 50 i.u./l had a 62% chance of admitting to drinking over 450 g alcohol per week. Although the probability of being a heavy drinker increases progressively with elevation in both these tests, as screening tests they lack power, though false positives may be explained in party by inaccurate self-reports by both survey subjects and patients. For clinical purposes, however, the tests have a use in supplementing self-report and in following problem drinkers in outpatient treatment.

Alcohol Drinking↗
PubMed1981

Saving face ? Survey respondents who claim their last week's drinking was atypical.

Thirty-one per cent of survey respondents asked about their last week's drinking claimed it was atypical. They are shown, by examining their levels on two blood tests (mean cell volume and gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase) and by a comparison of their consumption on a recent social occasion with that of their companions, to be reporting a trivial difference between their last week and their typical week and appear to be attempting to deny heavy habitual consumption.

Adult↗