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Biomedical subjects

N Mendis

Publications and source records attributed to N Mendis.

8 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1998

Ethics of resource allocation in developing countries: the case of Sri Lanka.

The issues of prioritization of health care services and allocation of resources have recently received increasing attention and discussion. Several reports have been published by governments in different countries and the issues are discussed in many recent books and papers. In this paper the focus is on the problems faced by a developing country when allocation of health care resources is considered. We consider these issues under three headings and exemplify the situation in a developing country by taking Sri Lanka as an example. Firstly the evidence to formulate an ethical basis for the existing health care system in Sri Lanka is discussed, in particular the problem of defining a minimum quality of health care for the population. Secondly, we consider the issues which arise when we want to formulate the ethical basis for health sector reform. In particular, we examine current World Bank proposals. We shall argue that there are a number of important conceptual and ethical issues that have not been properly addressed in the various policy documents. Finally, we introduce our own alternative ethical framework for policy reform.

Developing Countries↗
PubMed1989

A double-blind comparative study: amineptine (Survector 100) versus imipramine.

The aim of the study was to compare the antidepressant effects of amineptine with imipramine in depressive illness. According to the DSM-III criteria, 33 patients diagnosed as having depressive illnesses were given either imipramine or amineptine, 50-100 mg and 100-200 mg, respectively, per day on a double-blind basis over a period of 2 months. Both groups presented steady improvement of the symptoms of depression during treatment, as scored on the Hamilton and Montgomery and Asberg Depression Rating Scales and Clinical Global Impression Scale. Amineptine produced fewer anticholinergic effects than imipramine. The results show that amineptine, as well as imipramine, is well suited for treating depressed patients.

Adult↗
PubMed1989

Health and social aspects of the elderly. A preliminary community survey.

A preliminary study was designed to assess the health and social aspects of the elderly in a semi-urban community. Fifty-one elderly persons living in the community were randomly selected from the population registers in Kotte health area. The cognitive state, physical disabilities, social interactions, family attitudes towards the elderly, problems associated in caring for them and assistance needed by the families were assessed by using a semi-structured interview. The prevalence of disabilities of the elderly both cognitive and physical, are similar to those in the west, but the relations' perception of the elderly and their problems appear to be different. The importance of social and cultural perspectives in the care of the elderly are briefly discussed.

Aged↗
PubMed1981

Is the failure of (-)deprenyl, a selective monoamine oxidase B inhibitor, to alleviate depression related to freedom from the cheese effect?

The selective monoamine oxidase (MAO) B inhibitor (-)deprenyl failed to produce any greater benefit than placebo in a limited double-blind trial conducted in depressive patients. Its relative freedom from the so-called cheese effect was confirmed, however, in drug-treated patients challenged IV with tyramine. There is evidence to suggest that this cheese effect, a facilitated tyramine-induced hypertensive response, is pharmacologically distinct from MAO inhibition proper. Thus, it is conceivable that its central counterpart, an enhanced noradrenaline release due to the access of traces of tyramine to the CNS, is a prerequisite for any therapeutic benefit obtainable with the MAO-inhibitory drugs in general.

Blood Pressure↗
PubMed1976

Possession trance in a semi-urban community in Sri Lanka.

A survey of possession trance states in a semi-urban population of 7653 identified 37 subjects. The manifestations of the trance, and its course and outcome are outlined. The characteristics of the subjects, including presence of psychiatric disorder, are compared with that of the total population, and significant differences are noted. Four psychodynamic syndromes observed are described with illustrative case vignettes. The functions subserved by possession behaviour are reviewed, and comparisons are drawn between personal possession, ritual possession, and altered states of consciousness in Western society.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Heroin addiction among young people: a new development in Sri Lanka.

Heroin addiction is a recent phenomenon in Sri Lanka. The records of the University Psychiatry Unit of the General Hospital at Colombo show that in 1982 the first two Sri Lankans were hospitalized in the Unit for heroin addiction; the number increased to 92 in 1983. This article summarizes the results of a study of 100 heroin addicts who were treated in the Psychiatry Unit from January 1983 to March 1984. Most addicts inhaled heroin, and the average amount consumed was 340 mg per day. The majority of them had used heroin for a period of less than one year, while 9 per cent had used it for more than two years. All the addicts in the study were males. Only 6 per cent were older than 34 years; 5 per cent were unemployed at the time they started using heroin; 67 per cent were single; and 93 per cent had left school before the tenth grade. Two ethnic groups--Moors and Burghers--were relatively over-represented compared with the proportion of these groups in the national population. The majority of the employed addicts (70 per cent) reported that heroin addiction had interfered with their ability to work.

Adolescent↗