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Biomedical subjects

N Glick

Publications and source records attributed to N Glick.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Factors associated with publication following presentation at a transplantation meeting.

Full publication of abstracts presented at scientific meetings ranges from 25-74%. To determine the rate and factors associated with publication in organ transplantation, we examined abstracts presented at the American Transplant Congress in May 2000. Of 1147 abstracts, 607 (53%) achieved full publication at 4.5 years (mean 1.32 +/- 0.88 years). Fifty-nine percent (357/607) were published in three transplantation journals. For randomized trials, the proportion published was 61%. On multivariate analysis, industry sponsorship (OR 1.78; 95% CI 1.04-3.06), basic science research (OR 1.68; 95% CI 1.32-2.14), non-American center (OR 1.67; 95% CI 1.28-2.20) and oral presentation (OR 1.36; 95% CI 1.07-1.73) were independent predictors of full publication. Nearly half of all abstracts presented at a transplantation meeting remain unpublished. This finding needs to be considered when interpreting systematic reviews in the field of transplantation.

Congresses as Topic↗

Risk factors for antibiotic-resistant infection and treatment outcomes among hospitalized patients transferred from long-term care facilities: does antimicrobial choice make a difference?

A prospective observational study of 153 patients transferred from long-term care facilities and admitted to acute-care hospitals who had microbiologically confirmed infections was undertaken to determine the risk factors, outcomes, and resource use associated with isolation of antibiotic-resistant bacteria (ARB). Eighty patients (52%) were infected with ARB. In multivariable logistic analysis, the presence of a feeding tube (odds ratio, 3.0) or polymicrobial infection (odds ratio, 4.6) was associated with isolation of ARB. Forty-nine percent of patients infected with ARB received an initial antibiotic regimen to which their isolate was not susceptible. Fifty-one percent of all patients had a change in their antibiotic regimen during their hospital course. For these patients, length of stay, number of days of antibiotic therapy, and cost of hospitalization were significantly higher. However, neither infection with ARB nor appropriateness of initial treatment regimen was significantly related to outcome or resource use.

Aged↗

A prospective study of heart rate response following trauma and the subsequent development of posttraumatic stress disorder.

BACKGROUND: Physiological arousal during traumatic events may trigger the neurobiological processes that lead to posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). This study prospectively examined the relationship between heart rate and blood pressure recorded immediately following a traumatic event and the subsequent development of PTSD. METHODS: Eighty-six trauma survivors who presented at the emergency department of a general hospital were followed up for 4 months. Heart rate and blood pressure were recorded on arrival at the emergency department. Heart rate, anxiety, depression, and PTSD symptoms were assessed 1 week, 1 month, and 4 months later. The clinician-administered PTSD scale defined PTSD status at 4 months. RESULTS: twenty subjects (23%) met PTSD diagnostic criteria at the 4-month assessment (PTSD group), and 66 (77%) did not (non-PTSD group). Subjects who developed PTSD had higher heart rates at the emergency department (95.5+/-13.9 vs 83.3+/-10.9 beats per minute, t=4.4, P<.001) and 1 week later (77.8+/-11.9 vs 72.0+/-9.5 beats per minute, t=2.25, P<.03), but not after 1 and 4 months. The groups did not differ in initial blood pressure measurement. Repeated-measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) for heart rate showed a significant group effect (P<.02), time effect (P<.001), and group x time interaction (P<.001). The time effect and group x time interaction remained significant when adjusted for sex, age, trauma severity, immediate response, and dissociation during the traumatic event. CONCLUSION: Elevated heart rate shortly after trauma is associated with the later development of PTSD.

Adult↗

Age, gender, dentures and oral mucosal disorders.

The numbers of participants over 75 years of age in previous studies of oral health have not been sufficient to permit a full investigation of the influence of age on the mouth. In this study a disproportionate stratified random sample of 255 independent elders was selected from a list of urban voters to provide similar numbers of men and women in three age groups. The subjects were interviewed and examined, and nearly half of them had mucosal disorders. There was a significant (P < 0.05) association between mucosal lesions and the use of dentures and tobacco, whereas stomatitis, denture-related hyperplasia and angular cheilitis in particular were associated significantly with men and with the use of defective dentures. Logistic regression revealed that neither age alone nor the quality of dentures predispose to mucosal lesions, but that the odds of finding stomatitis, denture-related hyperplasia and angular cheilitis in particular increased about three-fold in denture-users, and almost doubled in men.

Age Factors↗

An outcomes assessment of a hybrid-PBL course in treatment planning.

As part of an ongoing process of curriculum development, a new course was developed at the University of British Columbia (UBC) to address problems such as lack of student enjoyment of the learning process, poor student preparedness for clinical treatment planning, and underdeveloped critical thinking skills in students beginning their clinical experience. The new course utilized a hybrid problem-based learning (PBL) format that provided students with an overview in lecture format while encouraging active learning in small group tutorials and seminars. Half the second-year class was randomly selected to participate in the new course, while the other half received the standard lectures on the subject. An outcomes assessment examined whether the aforementioned problems had been addressed in the new course. Course participants completed a post-course evaluation, and all students completed a self-assessment of their preparedness and progress in treatment planning and diagnostic. Clinical instructors, who were blind to the identity of the new course participants, were asked to independently assess each student using the same criteria. Results indicate that students who participated in the hybrid-PBL course enjoyed the learning process and later rated themselves as being better prepared and improving more in the areas of treatment planning and diagnostic records than their counterparts, although the latter results were not routinely statistically significant (p < 0.1). Instructor evaluations supported these differences between the two groups.

British Columbia↗

Apical root strain as a function of post extension into a composite resin core.

This study tested the hypothesis that there is no difference in the amount of strain measured in the root of an extracted tooth at the apical end of a prefabricated post, whether a composite resin core completely covers the head of the post or the post is exposed at the occlusal surface of the core. Twenty extracted teeth were measured (1) after endodontic treatment (baseline), (2) after a composite resin core was fabricated over a prefabricated post, and (3) after a cast crown was cemented. The teeth were randomly divided into two groups after baseline testing. In group 1, the post was buried within the core, and in group 2, the head of the post was exposed on the occlusal surface of the core. Analysis of results indicated a statistically significant decrease in strain from the baseline to the crown when 1 mm of composite resin covered the head of the post. However, based on the small strain values measured, the difference may not be clinically significant.

Composite Resins↗

Midazolam following open heart surgery in children: haemodynamic effects of a loading dose.

Our objective was to establish the safety and effectiveness of a loading dose of midazolam for postoperative sedation of children recovering from open heart surgery; a prospective randomized placebo-controlled double-blind study was done with subjects randomized to three groups according to loading dose. I = 0.08 mg.kg-1; II = 0.04 mg.kg-1; and III = 0.00 mg.kg-1 (placebo). An open label continuous midazolam infusion protocol followed. Haemodynamic parameters were monitored. The study was discontinued following an adverse event involving the 23rd subject. When data for all 23 subjects were combined, there was a mean decrease of 10% in blood pressure (BP) 30 min after the loading dose (P < 0.001). Heart rate change was less significant. Clinicians identified four hypotensive episodes as temporally associated with the midazolam load, two each in Groups I (0.08 mg.kg-1) and III (placebo). One subject in Group I (the 23rd) became hypotensive within five min of receiving the loading dose, had a difficult clinical course and died four weeks postoperatively. We cannot conclude that the loading dose of midazolam had any systematic haemodynamic effect in our study population. Although the clinical course of the 23rd subject suggests a subset of more susceptible children (those who receive opioid analgesia with midazolam, are volume-restricted, and/or undergo more complex forms of surgical correction), many critical care patients are inherently physiologically unstable, and concluding clinically that blood pressure fluctuation is drug related may be erroneous.

Blood Pressure↗

The Vancouver sedative recovery scale for children: validation and reliability of scoring based on videotaped instruction.

We originally developed and tested the Vancouver Sedative Recovery Scale (VSRS) to measure recovery from sedation following paediatric open heart surgery and reported excellent clinical inter-observer reliability. We now report a new study using videotape instruction of novice raters and videotaped case examples to determine whether the instruction produces adequate skill with the VSRS. Inter-rater reliability was assessed using videotapes of 16 children across a range of ages (six months to six years), and all levels of sedation (unresponsive to fully awake). Variably randomized subsets of six of the 16 test cases were randomly assigned to be rated by each of 16 video-instructed ICU staff volunteers, according to a balanced incomplete block design, such that every pair of raters assessed two children in common. The validity of the ratings from the video-instructed raters was assessed by comparison with "gold standard" scores from two experts who rated all 16 children clinically as the test cases were videotaped. The experts were in agreement themselves (intraclass correlation of 0.976). The correlation between the novice scores (average of six ratings per video) and the live clinical scores (average of two expert ratings) was 0.977 over the 16 test cases. On average, the mean expert rating was slightly higher, but the difference was negligible. (The differences between the mean ratings of the experts and novices for 13 of the 16 videos are very close to zero, while the other three differences, from technically less good videos, are two standard deviations away from zero). The VSRS, video instruction method and incomplete block design may be of use to other clinicians and investigators.

Anesthesia Recovery Period↗

A comparison of regularly dosed oral morphine and on-demand intramuscular morphine in the treatment of postsurgical pain.

A randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind clinical trial was conducted to compare the use of regularly dosed po morphine and on-demand in morphine in 47 patients undergoing total hip arthroplasty. Patients were randomized to receive either 20 mg (initial dose) of regularly dosed morphine (every four hours po) plus breakthrough pain medication on-demand consisting of both 10 mg morphine po and placebo im, or an equivalent regularly dosed oral placebo (every four hours) with breakthrough pain medication consisting of oral placebo and 5-10 mg morphine im. Subsequent to each request for breakthrough pain medication, the next regularly dosed oral solution was increased by 5 mg (or equivalent volume of placebo) to a maximum of 40 mg po Q4H. Time-averaged pain scores were lower on both postoperative day 1 and 2 in the group receiving regularly dosed morphine po (P < 0.05). Fewer patients requested breakthrough pain medication on both days in the oral morphine group. The incidence of nausea and vomiting, and of decreased respiratory rates were similar in both groups. Regularly dosed oral morphine is inexpensive and should be compared to other methods of opioid delivery.

Administration, Oral↗

Influence of age and gender on oral health and related behaviour in an independent elderly population.

Previous studies have been unable to determine the influence of advanced age on oral health because they included relatively few subjects, particularly men, over 75 yr of age. In this study a disproportionate and stratified random sample of subjects over 70 yr and living independently was selected from a list of voters in Vancouver, B.C. The sample of 521 elders was structured to provide similar numbers of men and women in three 5-yr age-groups. All of the subjects were interviewed, and 255 of them, representing a similar distribution of age and gender, were examined to investigate the influence of aging on oral health and related behaviour. In bivariate analyses neither age nor gender was associated significantly with oral health or complaints. The use of dental services during the preceding year was associated with female and younger subjects, while men and older subjects usually went to dentists only to relieve pain. Logistic regression in a multivariate model confirmed the importance of natural teeth in predicting the use of dental services (by improving the prediction from 60% to 73%). Other models offered less useful improvements in predicting complaints (64% to 70%) or oral health (56% to 60%). Overall the study demonstrates that the age and gender of independent elders have very little direct influence on the oral health or related behaviour established early in life.

Age Factors↗

Predictors of caries in old age.

This study measured the incidence of dental caries for one year and identified factors associated with the risk of caries in a sample of 156 elderly subjects. The subjects were examined at baseline and after one year to record the number of missing, filled and decayed teeth, to measure oral hygiene and flow of saliva, and to estimate the numbers of Streptococcus mutans and Lactobacilli cultured from samples of saliva. All subjects were interviewed on both occasions for information on their use of medications and dental services and on their ingestion of sugar. At baseline the elders had a mean of 19 natural teeth with 5 decayed surfaces (DS), 38 filled surfaces and a mean Plaque Index (PI) of 1. The independent group, on average, had more teeth and fillings but a lower PI and less caries. At the end of the year more than two-thirds (71%) of the 98 institutionalised subjects and over half (59%) of the 58 independent subjects had at least one new decayed/filled surface (DFS). The mean net DFS increment per subject was 4.6 and 2.0 respectively. Regression analyses on multivariate models identified caries at baseline, residence in long term care facilities, high numbers of Lactobacilli, poor oral hygiene and frequent sugar consumption as the variables contributing most significantly to the risk of caries in old age.

Aged↗

A research tool for measurement of recovery from sedation: the Vancouver Sedative Recovery Scale.

The need for a research tool to measure recovery from sedation was identified during the design phase of a study investigating sedative protocols following open heart surgery in children. A thorough review of the literature failed to show any scales that measure degree of sedation in children at various times after initial awakening. The Vancouver Sedative Recovery Scale (VSRS) was developed through an iterative process during which we identified numerous indicators of levels of alertness among sedated children, and then determined the applicability and face validity of these indicators. The VSRS evaluated in this study consists of 12 distinct items that encompass three categories of indicators (response; eye appearance and function; and body movement). Total possible VSRS scoring ranges from 0 to 22 (higher score indicating more alert) because some of the 12 items have more than two rating levels. The VSRS was administered to 82 pediatric intensive care unit and postanesthesia recovery patients, with each patient assessed simultaneously by at least two observers. Internal consistency as measured by Cronbach's alpha was excellent: 0.85. Interobserver agreement or reliability as measured by intraclass correlation was also very high: 0.90; and for individual items Cohen's kappa ranged from 0.65 to 0.89. We consider the VSRS to be a good beginning in our effort to quantify level of alertness after sedation in the pediatric patient population.

Anesthesia Recovery Period↗

Predicting concerns for the mouth among institutionalized elders.

There is a widespread belief that old people do not have healthy mouths, although the reason for this neglect is not clear. A random sample of 41 long-term care facilities in Vancouver was selected--653 residents were examined and about three-quarters of them were interviewed--to find associations between variables that might influence a concern for oral health and to assess the effectiveness of multivariate models for predicting this concern. A bivariate analysis of the data, using chi-square tests, assessed any significant associations between the variables, and three classification techniques--discriminant analysis, logistic regression, and CART (classification and regression trees)--were used to assess the usefulness of the multivariate models. Complaints of oral problems were heard from half (53%) of the sample. Most (85%) of the participants expressed a desire for treatment, while fewer than half (44%) of the participants had used a dental service since entering the facility or in the previous year. The complaints were associated significantly with the subjects who had been to a dentist recently, with those dissatisfied with the cost or quality of previous treatment, and with women. The desire for treatment was associated significantly with the recent use of dental services, and with a lack of concern for the cost of dental treatment, while the use of services was associated significantly with subjects who were younger, dentate, or from the higher socioeconomic groups.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Age Factors↗

Prenatal care: a comparative evaluation of nurse-midwives and family physicians.

We evaluated the prenatal care provided to 44 low-risk women by nurse-midwives (NMs) at a special clinic of a large obstetric referral hospital and a sample of 88 low-risk women attended by family physicians (FPs) in their offices. The women were matched on the basis of date of delivery, age, parity, number of previous miscarriages, gravidity, socioeconomic status and delivery after 32 weeks' gestation. The Burlington Randomized Controlled Trial criteria, which reflect community standards of care, were updated and used to assess the information, which was provided on standard provincial prenatal care forms. Scoring was carried out blindly, and interrater reliability was high. A highly significant difference was found in the proportions of NM and FP charts that were rated adequate, superior or inadequate: 77% v. 24%, 7% v. 16% and 16% v. 60% respectively. The rate at which procedures were omitted (leading to an inadequate score) in the categories of initial assessment, monitoring and management also varied between the two patient groups. These findings, even when considered in terms of several biases that may have resulted in the high proportion of NM charts rated at least adequate, suggest that NMs provide prenatal care to low-risk women that is comparable, if not superior, to the care provided by FPs.

Adult↗

Cardiac arrest: comparison of paramedic and conventional ambulance services.

A prospective study conducted in the Greater Vancouver area compared survival rates in prehospital cardiac arrest managed by an advanced life support (paramedic) service with those in cardiac arrest managed by conventional ambulance service. Management by the paramedic service was associated with higher survival rates for patients found in cardiac arrest but not for patients who suffered the arrest while the ambulance was present. Cardiopulmonary resuscitation by bystanders was associated with a significant increase in survival rates when combined with paramedic services but not when only basic life support services were available.

Allied Health Personnel↗