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Biomedical subjects

R A Weber

Publications and source records attributed to R A Weber.

5 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1991

Poisonous snakebite in central Texas. Possible indicators for antivenin treatment.

Sixty-seven patients hospitalized for poisonous snakebite between 1975 and 1990 were managed by elevation, tetanus prophylaxis, intravenous fluids and antibiotics, and often by a limited excision of the bite site in the Emergency Department, with sequential laboratory studies as needed. Antivenin was used for systemic envenomation, and 23 of the 67 patients (34%) received 133 vials. Thirteen of the twenty-three patients (56%) had adverse reactions to the antivenin. Two significant observations arose. First age was an indicator. Eleven of eighteen patients 12 years or younger (61%) received antivenin, whereas 12 of 49 patients older than 12 years (24%) received antivenin (p = 0.0085, Fisher's exact test). Second species of snake was an indicator. Sixty-two snakes were identified (93%). Of 39 rattlesnake (Crotalus and Sistrurus) bites, 20 patients received antivenin (53%), but of 23 copperhead and water moccasin (Agkistrodon) bites, only three patients (12.5%) received antivenin (p = 0.0025). Antivenin may be indicated for use in systemic rattlesnake envenomation, especially in younger patients.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1990

Older adults and daily living task profiles.

This paper describes data generated from a comprehensive study in which human factors techniques were applied to the analysis of 25 personal and instrumental activities of daily living (ADLs) performed by 60 older adults (age 55 to 93 years) living in the community. Demand profiles generated from task analysis of video-taped ADLs identify the demands inherent in task activities and the objects and environments associated with them. Examples of four different approaches to examine ADL performance using demand profiles are presented: global descriptions of demands across all ADL tasks, task component profiles, task-specific profiles, and action profiles.

Activities of Daily Living↗
PubMed1988

Helicopter transport of patients during acute myocardial infarction.

Initial experience with a regional system of emergency helicopter transport of patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) referred for emergent cardiac catheterization and percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA) is described. Two hundred fifty patients with AMI were transported from within a 150-mile radius to Duke University Medical Center over a 15-month period. All patients were within 12 hours of onset of symptoms. Thrombolytic therapy was administered to 240 (96%) patients (72% before or in-flight). The time to administration of thrombolytic therapy ranged from 30 to 120 minutes (median 180), while the time to arrival in the interventional catheterization laboratory ranged from 105 to 815 minutes (median 300). The flight time was 12 to 77 minutes (median 31). Most patients had 1- or 2-vessel coronary artery disease; the baseline ejection fraction ranged from 27 to 70% (median 42). Transient hypotension was the most common complication both pre-flight and in-flight. Third-degree atrioventricular block and nonsustained ventricular tachycardia were the next most common complications. Ventricular fibrillation or sustained ventricular tachycardia occurred before takeoff in 38 patients (15%). No patients had ventricular fibrillation, asystole or respiratory arrest during transport. Fluid boluses for hypotension were the most common intervention. Five patients required cardiopulmonary resuscitation in-flight; 3 before lift-off and 2 required a brief period of cardiopulmonary resuscitation during sustained ventricular tachycardia. Fourteen patients had pressor therapy, military antishock trousers or both to maintain adequate blood pressure. Neither cardioversion, defibrillation nor intubation were performed in-flight. Thus, inflight complications are infrequent and can be managed en route to an intervention center.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Aircraft↗