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Biomedical subjects

N Birkett

Publications and source records attributed to N Birkett.

9 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1988

Post-herpetic neuralgia: 208 cases.

Two hundred and eight patients with post-herpetic neuralgia (PHN) were assessed in a prospective, longitudinal study designed to evaluate demography, clinical features, treatment results and long-term status. PHN affected both sexes equally increasing in frequency and severity with age. There was a predilection for involvement of the ophthalmic division of the trigeminal nerve and for mid-thoracic dermatomes. The pain descriptors chosen reflected both steady and brief paroxysmal components in most patients. Scarring, sensory loss and the exaggerated sensations of hyperesthesia, dysesthesia and allodynia were common findings. Hyperalgesia and hyperpathia were less common. From these open-label, uncontrolled data, antidepressants (amitriptyline and nortriptyline) appeared useful in about 60% of patients. Topical capsaicin seemed to be a promising new approach. A variety of other pharmacological agents and treatment approaches were less successful. Many patients with PHN even of long standing continued to improve with time.

Adult↗
PubMed1979

Evaluation of the body iron status of native Canadians.

The serum ferritin concentration was measured in 1417 Indians and 310 Inuit aged 1 to 89 years. The subjects were initially selected to produce a representative sample of the entire native population, but the rate of nonresponse was high, and the results reported in this paper are representative only of the people studied.In males the median serum ferritin values increased during early life and tended to plateau after the age of 30 years. In females the median values rose during childhood, tended to plateau during adolescence, increased slightly during the reproductive period, then gradually rose thereafter. Ranges of values were wide in all age groups, reflecting the variations in body iron stores. When compared with the Inuit, the Indians had a significantly higher prevalence of abnormal serum ferritin values.From an analysis of the serum ferritin values in Indians it is probable that iron stores were reduced in approximately 30% of children, 40% of adolescents, 34% of nonpregnant women of reproductive age, 11% of older women and 5% of adult males. The corresponding figures for the Inuit were 15%, 23%, 22%, 6% and 1%. In contrast, iron deficiency anemia was found in only 3% to 4% of native peoples. If "normality" requires more than small amounts of iron stores to meet physiologic needs, the results suggest a high probability of iron deficiency in 20% to 40% of native children, adolescents and nonpregnant women of reproductive age, and in 0% to 10% of other subjects; but if "normality" is defined as adequate iron stores for erythropoiesis the prevalence of iron deficiency was approximately 1% to 2% in children and adolescents, 3% to 5% in women and less than 1% in adult males.

Adolescent↗