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Biomedical subjects

R Conroy

Publications and source records attributed to R Conroy.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1990

The health and risk factor status of industrial employees.

2,183 employees from 13 Irish industries volunteered to take part in a risk factor identification and health counselling programme. Data are presented about the risk factor profile of the group. Alcohol abuse, overweight and hyperlipidaemia were prevalent, particularly among men. Hypertension, although relatively infrequent, was commoner among men and, like hyperlipidaemia and obesity, increased significantly with age. The subjects who smoked cigarettes accounted for 33% of the population studied, while 21% were ex-smokers, with substantially more ex-smokers among men than women. Only 22% of subjects took adequate exercise. Work stress was unusual but personal stress common. Only 75% of subjects used their seat belts regularly and the majority received no regular dental care. The role of industrial health programmes in disease prevention and health education, and in providing benefit to industry, is examined. Recommendations are made about effective means of encouraging healthy living in an industrial environment.

Adult↗
PubMed1989

Psychological factors in cardiac rehabilitation.

Patients who are recovering from myocardial infarction or coronary surgery may have psychological symptoms but they are not psychiatric patients. Their emotional responses are normal. With appropriate psychological support, they will be able to adapt to and master the changes in their lives.

Activities of Daily Living↗
PubMed1989

The spectrum of farming accidents seen in Irish general practice: a one-year survey.

A one-year prospective survey of farming accidents in three Irish counties recruited 37 general practitioners in a wide geographical sample. The response rate to the survey was 84%. There were 319 accident cases seen by the general practitioners in the survey period, and 175 (55%) of these were farmers. Children accounted for 52 (16%) of all accident cases. The majority of cases (256, 80%) were treated by the general practitioner, and the spectrum of injuries treated was very broad. Many injuries required extensive suturing and follow-up of soft-tissue injuries. General practitioner coroners were involved with five fatal farm accident cases. It is concluded that the Irish rural general practitioner is providing a significant trauma service to farm accident victims, and is a valuable source of information on these incidents. The general practitioner would be a local source of expertise in a health education campaign directed at increasing the awareness among the farming community on the extent of farm accident morbidity and mortality. Continuing education for rural general practitioners should be directed towards regular updates on trauma management.

Accidents, Occupational↗
PubMed1989

Childhood farm accidents: a continuing cause for concern.

Farms in Ireland remain a dangerous environment for children despite increasing publicity about farming hazards based on international research. A one year prospective study on farm accidents was carried out in four Irish accident and emergency departments. During this time, four deaths and 62 cases of injury aged 15 years and under were seen. Half the cases required admission to hospital; tractor accidents were common and serious. Most injuries occurred to the extremities but 13 (21 per cent) had multiple injuries. Forty-three (69 per cent) of the children required outpatient follow-up and twenty-seven of these (63 per cent) had more than one outpatient re-visit. The Irish farming community is still unappreciative of the risks to their children on the farm, and urgent attention needs to be directed towards educational and legislative measures to improve the safety profile of Irish farms.

Accident Prevention↗
PubMed1989

Risk factors for non-melanoma skin cancer.

A case control study of risk factors for non-melanoma skin cancer (NMSC) was carried out on 396 patients and individually age and sex-matched controls. Cases were significantly more likely than controls to have had a rural domicile (P = 0.007), light eye colour (P = 0.004) a tendency to develop sunburn very easily (P less than 0.05) and a family history of NMSC (P less than 0.001). Other indices of exposure or sensitivity to ultraviolet (UV) radiation did not differ significantly between the two groups. It is suggested that while the role of UV radiation in the aetiology of NMSC is not in doubt, other factors not yet identified must also be important, at least among the Irish population.

Female↗
PubMed1989

Surgical treatment of skin cancer.

Eight hundred and twenty cases of skin cancer treated surgically at Saint Luke's Hospital over a ten-year period were reviewed retrospectively. Those undergoing excision, ie simple excision and primary closure, had significantly shorter hospitalization than those requiring grafts or amputation. The only prognostic factor in this particular series identified for local recurrence was a past history of skin carcinoma. Surgery was effective both as primary treatment and after failed irradiation. Local recurrence rates for skin carcinoma and melanoma were 8% and 10% respectively.

Basal Cell Carcinoma↗
PubMed1988

The long-term work record of post-infarction patients subjected to an informal rehabilitation and secondary prevention programme.

The St Vincent's Cardiac Rehabilitation Programme is based on an out-patient non-institutionalized service with long-term follow-up and home-based exercise programmes. Return to work rates of more than 90% in the 1960s and 1970s were reported but these rates have not been sustained in the past seven years. These secular changes in return to work rates are attributed to recent changes in the social and economic climate in Ireland. Medical, social, demographic, and psychological factors which may influence successful return to work were studied. The previously employed, young patients and those in the higher social groups, patients with less severe attacks and those free from post-infarction angina, reported the best return to work rates. Reasons for failure to return to work could be attributed equally to organic and functional causes. Factors affecting secondary preventive measures, including smoking cessation, desirable dietary and weight changes, and aerobic exercise programmes, were also studied. These changes were best achieved by young patients, white-collar workers, the better educated and urban dwellers. It is concluded that informal out-patient rehabilitation programmes aimed at early return to a normal life, active secondary prevention measures and home-based exercise programmes, are effective and safe in the great majority of patients recovering from myocardial infarction and coronary bypass surgery.

Coronary Artery Bypass↗
PubMed1988

Secular changes in mortality among survivors of unstable angina and myocardial infarction.

Seven hundred and ninety-four males under 60 years who survived a first episode of unstable angina or myocardial infarction by 28 days were admitted to St. Vincent's Hospital between 1965 and 1981 inclusive. They were followed for at least 4 years: 1-, 2- and 4-year mortality during the follow-up period did not alter significantly during the 17 years. Significant changes did take place over time in the severity of the coronary attacks and in the risk profile of the patients. A greater number of complicated infarcts occurred in the later years and there were fewer smokers and more hypertensives. There was a significant increase over time in the number of initial cigarette smokers who stopped after the coronary attack. Changing methodology made secular changes in cholesterol levels difficult to interpret.

Adult↗
PubMed1985

HTLV-III env gene products synthesized in E. coli are recognized by antibodies present in the sera of AIDS patients.

The envelope gene of HTLV-III, the retrovirus directly linked to AIDS, encodes a protein of 856 amino acids. Our sequence analysis of the cloned HTLV-III (HXB-3) env gene and its comparison with other isolates reveal significant divergence, especially in the external portion of this protein. A large segment of the env gene (1800 bp) was inserted into the expression vector pEV-vrf3, and a corresponding 68 kd protein, which encompasses both the extracellular and the membrane-associated regions of the native protein, was produced in E. coli. Several smaller polypeptides, which appear to be internal initiation products, were also produced. All 50 AIDS patient sera obtained from different locations in the United States specifically recognized the bacterially synthesized envelope proteins, as judged by Western blots. This suggests that these proteins will be useful for the diagnosis of HTLV-III infection and possibly as a vaccine against AIDS.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗
PubMed1985

Categories of depression: reported life events in a controlled design.

In a case control study, 32 onset cases of depression, separated into PSE-CATEGO Categories N and R, were compared with individually matched symptom free general practice attenders. Combining both categories of depressives together a significantly greater number reported an Undesirable Life Event and a Threatening Life Event in the six months prior to onset, compared with their matched controls. Significantly more CATEGO R (retarded or endogenous) depressives reported an Independent Threatening event than their matched controls. These findings do not support the view that depression secondary to a major life event is more likely to be mild in character.

Adolescent↗