Biomedical subjects

N B Allen

Publications and source records attributed to N B Allen.

58 records · Page 4Linked to original sources

PubMed1983

Occult fractures of the knee: tomographic evaluation.

Seven adults with painful effusions of the knee were examined for occult fractures using pluridirectional tomography in the coronal and lateral planes. Six patients (ages 50-82 years) were osteopenic and gave histories ranging from none to mild trauma; one 26-year-old man was not osteopenic and had severe trauma. In all cases, routine radiographs were interpreted as negative, but tomography demonstrated a fracture. Five fractures were subchondral. Bone scans in 2 patients were positive. The authors conclude that osteopenic patients with a painful effusion of the knee should be considered to have an occult fracture. While bone scans may be helpful, tomography is recommended as the procedure of choice to define the location and extent of the fracture.

Aged↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Combined general and epidural anesthesia versus general anesthesia for major abdominal surgery: postanesthesia recovery characteristics.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Outcome studies comparing general anesthesia combined with epidural anesthesia (GEN-EPI) to general anesthesia (GEN) for major abdominal surgery have been equivocal. However, many believe that patients anesthetized with GEN-EPI fair better than GEN. This study tests the hypothesis that there are favorable recovery characteristics associated with GEN-EPI as compared with GEN following abdominal surgery. METHODS: A prospective randomized double-blind trial, consisting of 30 patients ages 18-74 undergoing abdominal surgery was undertaken. Patients received either GEN-EPI or GEN by standardized protocol. At the end of surgery the epidural catheter was removed and psychological testing was performed over 24 hours to determine recovery characteristics. These included the modified Slater test, the Self-Assessment Manikin, the Kendrick Digital Copying Test, the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, as well as visual analog scales for pain and appearance. RESULTS: Patients receiving GEN-EPI emerged from anesthesia faster (P < .03) with less pain on awakening (P < .04 at rest; P < .01 on coughing), had better psychomotor function at 2 hours (P < .04), and were less drowsy at 4 hours (P < .04), than patients with GEN. There was no difference in pain intensity after the initial assessment, morphine usage, mood, anxiety, and depression at any other measurement period. CONCLUSION: Transient quantifiable differences in recovery characteristics exist between patients receiving GEN-EPI and GEN.

Abdomen↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Giant cell arteritis and polymyalgia rheumatica. Review for the otolaryngologist.

Patients suspected of giant cell arteritis or polymyalgia rheumatica are often referred to the otolaryngologist for temporal artery biopsy. These patients may initially present to the otolaryngologist with symptoms referable to the head and neck. A comprehensive review of these two interrelated disorders is provided, with emphasis on head and neck manifestations and features of obtaining the temporal artery biopsy specimen.

Biopsy↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Neuroradiologic findings in polyarteritis nodosa.

PURPOSE: To demonstrate the neuroradiologic findings in patients with polyarteritis nodosa. METHODS: A review of hospital records for a 10-year period revealed 50 patients with a discharge diagnosis of polyarteritis nodosa. Thirteen patients had undergone neuroimaging, and abnormal findings were found in 5 cases; these were the subjects of this study. RESULTS: All 5 patients had abnormal findings on CT scans, 3 had abnormal findings on MR images, and 1 had an abnormal finding on a cerebral angiogram. All patients had cerebral cortical or subcortical infarctions, and 1 also had small infarctions within the brain stem and cerebellum. One patient had cerebral angiographic findings of arteritis. The diagnosis of arteritis was considered probable or possible in 3 other patients. Three patients had echocardiographic evidence of concentric hypertrophy and a hypocontractile left ventricle resulting from polyarteritis nodosa-related hypertension. Cardiogenic embolism was considered the likely cause in 1 patient. CONCLUSION: Small peripheral cerebral infarctions, consistent with an arteritis involving medium-sized and small arteries, were the most common finding. However, cardiogenic embolism should also be considered as a possible cause of cerebral infarction in patients with polyarteritis nodosa who have left ventricular dysfunction.

Adult↗