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R Castro

Publications and source records attributed to R Castro.

At least 163 records · Page 9Linked to original sources
PubMed1975

[Comparison between gastric radiology and fiber endoscopy (author's transl)].

This paper summarizes the experience from 1969 to 1972 of a mixed team of radiologists and endoscopists at the Northern Marseilles University Hospital Centre. The patients were unselected and the team were not given all the information. After recalling the clinical and radiological conditions, together with the endoscopic conditions of the examination, the authors define the criteria which they chose to orient patients towards fiber endoscopy, i.e. either frankly abnormal radiology, or a radiological examination classed as normal in 563 cases, but which the team considered doubtful. They then report their results. Under these conditions, the results seem to be less unfavourable for radiology than would have been thought, for only 7% of the results were made by endoscopy alone (96 cases out of 1,500). In both benign and malignant ulcer, fiber endoscopy simply confirmed the radiological diagnosis and, in 54% of all the examinations, fiber endoscopy confirmed the normal character of radiology. However, in deciding whether carcinoma or benign ulcer, i.e. 11% of the cases of carcinoma and 14% of the cases of benign ulcer, radiology completely omitted the diagnosis of the lesion which might seem unacceptable. They conclude by asking radiologists to improve their technique of lesion detection and concentrate their examination on the smallest visible lesion in areas considered diffcult to explore radiologically. They are more and more circumspect about giving a full etiological diagnosis of lesions by radiology, especially in gastric ulceration where fiber endoscopy and direct biopsy seems more and more advisable.

Fiber Optic Technology↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Takayasu's arteritis and Crohn's disease: an unusual association. Report on two cases.

Two cases of Takayasu's arteritis associated with Crohn's disease of the colon are described, both of which occurring in young female patients. In the first case, the vasculitic process was widespread, involving the aortic arch, the abdominal aorta, the renal arteries and the left iliac artery, similar to the angiographic "Indian" pattern. The second case presented a typical "Japanese" aortic arch involvement. In the first patient, Crohn's disease appeared to have been present prior to Takayasu's arteritis, vice versa in the second case; steroid treatment, assigned for both diseases might, however, have modified their natural evolution. The association is rare. Moreover, the coexistence of two immune-mediated diseases in the same subject is unusual as they are generally considered to be independent. Hypotheses concerning their possible inter-relationship are advanced.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

A study on maternal mortality in Mexico through a qualitative approach.

This report presents the main qualitative results of a verbal autopsy study carried out in three states of Mexico, which aimed at identifying the factors associated with maternal mortality that could be subject to modifications through concrete interventions. By reviewing death certificates issued in 1995, it was possible to identify 164 households where a maternal death had occurred. One hundred forty-five of these households were visited, and a precoded questionnaire was completed to explore socioeconomic and living conditions, as well as causes of death. An open-ended question to prompt the relatives to narrate all the facts that led to the maternal deaths was included in the questionnaire. This study presents an analysis of that question, focusing on the delays in the care-seeking process and organized according to the model of the three delays: in deciding to seek care, in reaching a care facility, and in actually receiving care after arrival. Additionally, problems related to quality of care are examined. For analysis of the accounts, structural, interactional/community, and subjective variables were identified that allowed refining of our understanding of the problem of maternal deaths. Finally, based on the findings of the study, this article presents a series of recommendations, highlighting that interventions should address the early stages of a complication and focus on decreasing the various forms of inequality (gender and socioeconomic) associated with the occurrence of maternal deaths.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Self-care strategies for symptom management in patients with chronic heart failure.

BACKGROUND: The troublesome symptoms experienced by patients with chronic heart failure are associated with diminished quality of life, frequent hospitalizations, and mortality. OBJECTIVES: To describe the symptoms experienced by patients with heart failure, to detail the self-care strategies used by these patients in managing their symptoms, and to categorize the self-care strategies. METHODS: Six focus groups were used with 23 patients who had heart failure, along with six focus groups with 18 family members of the patients. Data analysis was performed by transcription of audiotape recordings of the group sessions and review of field notes. RESULTS: The patients reported a large number of troublesome symptoms, many consistent with past empirical findings, but some not reported in previous studies. Self-care strategies to manage the symptoms clustered into 11 categories. CONCLUSIONS: Results from this study provided direction for future studies to (a) identify the prevalence, severity, and etiologies of the commonly reported symptoms, particularly cognitive impairment, loss of balance, and depression; (b) evaluate the emotions reported by women with heart failure; and (c) test the strategies as part of an intervention program to improve symptom management in patients with heart failure.

Chronic Disease↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Longitudinal study of young children's responses to challenging achievement situations.

Three studies were conducted to replicate and extend Dweck's findings regarding young children's responses to challenging achievement situations. Dweck's dichotomous helplessness classification system (i.e., task choice, task choice reason) was replicated with kindergartners, n = 235 (50% male), and first graders, n = 70 (46% male). To test whether individual differences in young children's responses to challenging situations are stable over time, 1- and 5-year follow-ups of the kindergartners were conducted. On the basis of children's responses on age-appropriate behavioral tasks, a composite of cognitive, behavioral, and affective helplessness indices predicted helplessness at 1 and 5 years later, n = 114 (50% male), above and beyond kindergarten task ability and gender, p<.05. Kindergarten helplessness predicted teacher ratings of children's helplessness 5 years later as well, p<.05. The implications of these findings for early intervention are discussed.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Takayasu's arteritis].

A brief review of Takayasu's Arteritis (TA), a chronic granulomatous arteritis that mainly affects the aorta and its major branches, is made. The various ethiopathogenetic mechanisms which may give origin to the vascular damage and its pathologic pattern are described. TA is a more widespread disease than previously stated, it is not exclusive of young women of Japanese origin but it is actually present worldwide irrespective of age and with variegated patterns of clinical and angiographic presentation. However, two main forms may be identified: the Japanese form in which prevails the aortic arch involvement and the Indian form in which vasculitis is present in abdominal aorta and its branches (above all the renal arteries) with an upright extension to the thoracic aorta and a protean clinical picture with a more systemic spectrum. The new clinical and angiographic criteria for TA definition are reviewed and stressed.

Diagnosis, Differential↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Atrophic striae].

Explore the source record for details and available documents.

Administration, Topical↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Determination of chlormequat in fruit samples by liquid chromatography-electrospray-mass spectrometry/mass spectrometry.

An ion-pair liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry/mass spectrometry method was developed for the determination of chlormequat in fruit samples. A solid-phase extraction cleanup procedure with C18 cartridges was used. Sample preparation was simple and the achieved detection limit (0.03 mg/kg) and quantitation limit (0.08 mg/kg) were below the maximum residue levels legislated by the European Union. The chromatographic separation was performed by using a C8 column and heptafluorobutyric acid as ion pair reagent. The detection was conducted with an electrospray source and an ion trap as a mass analyzer. The reproducibility of the method gave good run-to-run (8-9%) and day-to-day (9-13%) precision values, and its applicability to the determination of chlormequat in pears and grapes, purées, and pear, apple, and grape juices was demonstrated.

Chlormequat↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Medical prescription and treatment compliance in acute infectious diarrhea: indirect impact of an educational intervention].

As part of the evaluation of an educational intervention carried out at primary health care units in Mexico City a home visit was included for patients treated for acute infectious diarrhea. In such visit, effected for 401 patients before the educational intervention and for 406 after the same, it was possible to evaluate compliance with the treatment measured through the amount of prescribed drugs distributed by the institution but not consumed by patients. A significant improvement was observed in compliance with the treatment even though this was not the explicit objective of the intervention. Compliance is related to variables of different dimensions--characteristics of the physician, characteristics of the patient, physician-patient rapport, health condition and health concept--and the educational intervention tends to homogenize the patient's behavior as a result of more emphatic improvement in those subgroups with worst compliance levels.

Acute Disease↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Conditioning the placebo response in the rotational model of Parkinson's disease.

Persistent behavioural effect of the direct dopamine receptors agonist apomorphine in the rotational model of Parkinson's disease was investigated. We show how this placebo response can be considered an extraordinary example of environment-drug associative learning and how it can be related to a critical point of the time-course response to the drug after repeated administration. Classical conditioning of "placebo response" in an animal model of a neurological or psychiatric disease had not been reported previously.

Animals↗