Biomedical subjects

M Swahn

Publications and source records attributed to M Swahn.

4 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2001

The prevention of youth violence. The rationale for and characteristics of four evaluation projects.

In response to the magnitude of violence in the United States, a number of violence-prevention programs have been implemented throughout the country. However, relatively few have been rigorously evaluated for effectiveness. To encourage development and evaluation of violence-prevention interventions that focus on young children and their families, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) provided funding to four projects in 1996. This paper briefly describes the rationale for funding these projects, which is based on our understanding of the development of aggressive and violent behavior and on the literature regarding promising approaches to prevent problem behavior in this age group. We provide an overview of the four specific projects funded by the CDC as well as a short discussion of some of the many challenges encountered during their implementation.

Aggression↗

PubMed2000

Prevalence of youth access to alcohol, guns, illegal drugs, or cigarettes in the home and association with health-risk behaviors.

PURPOSE: To describe the prevalence of access to alcohol, guns, drugs, or cigarettes in the home and its association with related health-risk behaviors among adolescents.METHODS: We analyzed cross-sectional data from the 1995 in-home survey of the National Longitudinal Study on Adolescent Health which used a nationally representative school-based sample (N = 6,504) of adolescents in grades 7-12. We used logistic regression analysis, adjusted for gender, race/ethnicity and age, to examine the associations between access to alcohol, guns, drugs, and cigarettes in the home and the practice of risk behaviors involving those variables.RESULTS: Overall, 1,817 (28%) adolescents reported having easy access to alcohol in the home, 1,616 (25%) had access to a gun, 189 (3%) had access to drugs, and 2,067 (32%) had access to cigarettes. Associations were found between easy home access to alcohol and drinking during the past 12 months (Adj. OR = 2.16, 95% CI = 1.89-2.47), ever being drunk at school (Adj. OR = 2.33, 95% CI = 1.85-2.95, and ever driving drunk (Adj. OR = 1.64, 95% CI = 1.29-2.09). Access to a gun at home was associated with carrying a gun to school (Adj. OR = 2.54, 95% CI = 1.40-4.64). Associations were also found between access to drugs and cigarettes in the home and ever using drugs and smoking regularly.CONCLUSIONS: Easy access to alcohol, guns, and cigarettes in the home is prevalent among adolescents and may increase involvement in risky behaviors. Limiting access therefore is important in order to reduce the occurrence of health-risk behaviors associated with substance use, deliquency and injury among adolescents.

Journal Article↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Pregnancy termination.

During pregnancy, the antiprogestin mifepristone will induce uterine contractions, increase the sensitivity of the myometrium to prostaglandin, and ripen the cervix. These effects indicate that mifepristone can be used for termination of pregnancy. The clinical experience has shown that mifepristone is sufficiently effective for this purpose only if combined with a suitable prostaglandin, e.g. gemeprost or misoprostol. The combined treatment has been used for termination of early pregnancy (up to 63 days of amenorrhea) and for termination of second trimester pregnancy. During early pregnancy, the recommended dose of mifepristone is 600 mg (although 200 mg seems sufficient), followed 36-48 h later by 0.4-0.8 mg misoprostol administered either orally or vaginally, or vaginal administration of 1.0 mg gemeprost. For termination of second trimester pregnancy, the treatment with mifepristone is most commonly combined with 1.0 mg gemeprost repeated at 3-6-h intervals. The combined treatment is as effective and safe during early pregnancy as is the alternative vacuum aspiration and is also equally acceptable if the woman is allowed to choose the method she prefers. During the second trimester, the pretreatment will significantly reduce the duration of labor, dose of prostaglandin, and the frequency of side effects.

Abortifacient Agents, Nonsteroidal↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Increased concentrations of neopterin in plasma, ascites and ovarian cyst fluid in malignant tumours compared with benign ovarian tumours.

Neopterin is a marker of the activation of cell-mediated immunity. The aim was to determine whether the concentrations of neopterin differ in plasma, ascites and ovarian cyst fluid between patients with ovarian cancer and patients with benign ovarian tumours. Neopterin was measured in 29 patients with cystic ovarian tumours of unknown histology. 14 ovarian cancers and 15 benign ovarian tumours were diagnosed histologically. Patient age and tumour size did not differ significantly between the groups. Neopterin levels were determined in plasma, and in ascites and cyst fluid by ELISA. The neopterin concentration in plasma, ascites and ovarian cyst fluid was significantly higher in patients with ovarian cancer compared with patients with benign ovarian tumours of the same size. The study shows that activation of cell-mediated immunity, defined as increased formation of neopterin, was increased in patients with ovarian cancer compared with patients with benign ovarian tumours.

Aged↗