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Biomedical subjects

R Ewing

Publications and source records attributed to R Ewing.

12 recordsLinked to original sources

New method of postprostatectomy bladder irrigation.

Bacterial filters have been used to sterilise the hospital water supply in order to provide irrigant for postprostatectomy irrigation. This method was compared retrospectively to bladder irrigation derived from a still on the ward. Postoperative bacteriuria was similar in both groups of 75 patients, occurring in 23.7% of patients irrigated from the still and in 20% of patients irrigated via the filters. The bacterial filter proved reliable and as safe as using water from the still.

Aged

Urinary fibrin/fibrinogen degradation products in transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder.

Urinary fibrin/fibrinogen degradation products (FDPs) were measured in 210 specimens from 174 patients with newly or previously diagnosed transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder. They were detected in 94% of patients with deeply invasive bladder tumours (pT2-4) compared with 17% of superficial tumours. Microalbuminuria (greater than 50 micrograms/g creatinine) was also found in 80% of patients with pT2-4 lesions. Both were compared with urine cytology. Urinary FDPs are markers of bladder tumour invasion. Our results suggest that urinary FDPs are not of value in screening for the presence of bladder neoplasia but their role may be in following patients with superficial bladder tumours to detect those tumours which become invasive. The mode of excretion of the FDPs in the urine is discussed.

Adult

Surgical salvage of advanced testicular tumours.

After combination chemotherapy, 19 patients underwent salvage surgery for testicular neoplasia. Active malignancy was found in nine patients, three of whom have died of the disease. Those with benign residual disease have had a good prognosis without further treatment. Biopsy alone of the residual masses proved reliable in determining which patients were to be simply followed or given further chemotherapy. If active malignancy was not resected fully, the prognosis was very poor. Our policy continues to be to attempt complete excision of residual masses after induction chemotherapy and to give salvage chemotherapy to patients with residual active malignancy.

Adolescent

Double-blind study comparing aztreonam with placebo for prophylaxis of infection following prostatic surgery.

In a prospective, randomised, double-blind study, 179 patients undergoing retropubic or transurethral prostatectomy were given pre-operatively either 1 g aztreonam or a placebo. In patients treated with aztreonam there was a significant reduction in the number with post-operative bacteriuria and in the number requiring treatment of post-operative bacteriuria. Other differences were not significant. The mean duration of post-operative hospital stay for patients receiving aztreonam was 7.1 days compared with 6.9 days for those receiving placebo. In patients treated with aztreonam there was no increase in the frequency of infections due to Gram-positive bacterial species.

Aztreonam

Extra-urethral ectopic prostate.

Extra-urethral ectopic prostatic tissue is a distinct entity which has been identified in the bladder of seven patients and may be more common than previously thought. Such tissue probably derives from the subtrigonal glands of Lowsley.

Adult

Prevalence of chlamydial infection in acute epididymo-orchitis.

The prevalence of sexually transmitted infection was studied in 40 men presenting with acute epididymo-orchitis in Leeds. Chlamydia trachomatis infection was identified in 13 of 29 men (45%) aged under 35 years. Neisseria gonorrhoeae was isolated from four of these 13 men with chlamydial urethritis. C trachomatis was isolated from the urethra of only one of 11 men (9%) aged over 35. Appreciable bacteriuria was found in six of these 11 men (55%). Noting details of sexual history and screening for sexually acquired pathogens is advocated in younger men with acute epidiymo-orchitis.

Acute Disease

Scrotal ultrasonography: a clinical evaluation.

Two hundred and thirty patients had scrotal ultrasonography over an 18-month period. We report the ultrasound findings, correlation with the clinical diagnosis and, where possible, with the pathological diagnosis. The results show the value of scrotal ultrasonography in clinical practice. Of particular interest is the ultrasonic examination of the clinically normal or impalpable testis and the correct ultrasound diagnosis of testicular tumour in five cases (2% of all cases, 28% of tumours detected) thought clinically to be benign. A brief review of abnormal appearances is included.

Epididymitis

Modified nephroureterectomy: a risk of tumour implantation.

The standard surgical management of patients presenting with transitional cell carcinoma of the upper urinary tract is nephroureterectomy with excision of a cuff of bladder around the ureteric orifice. Recently a modified technique of resecting the lower ureter endoscopically and completing the nephroureterectomy through a single loin incision has been advocated as a safe and simple procedure. We consider that this technique may have a risk of tumour implantation at the site of the resected lower ureter. We report our experience of this operation in five patients, two of whom developed invasive tumour at the site of the ureteric orifice after only a short follow-up.

Aged

Evaluation of a double-monoclonal radioimmunoassay for the measurement of carcinoembryonic antigen in the urine of patients with bladder cancer.

A double-monoclonal radioimmunoassay (RIA) has been used to detect urinary carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) in 204 patients attending for diagnostic cystoscopy. Elevated levels of urinary CEA were found in 50% of patients with bladder tumours, and these levels correlated with both the grade and stage of the tumour. The sensitivity proved to be 58% and the specificity 74%, which compares with previous studies using polyclonal RIA kits. As a monitoring test, urinary CEA proves to be as useful as urine cytology. The use of a more specific assay does not increase the clinical value of the test which still lacks the sensitivity and specificity needed to allow it to be used to monitor recurrence of low grade tumours (Ta, Tis and T1).

Aged

Regulation of purine metabolism: a comparative study of the kinetic properties of adenylosuccinate synthetases from various sources.

1. Adenylosuccinate synthetase has been partially purified from rat liver, fetal rat liver, Novikoff ascites cells, Walker carcinoma 256 solid tumors, chicken liver and muscle, rabbit muscle and pig brain. 2. Considerable differences exist in Michaelis constants among the various species and the changes possibly reflect differences in regulation. 3. The kinetic properties of the enzyme are generally consistent with proposed metabolic roles in various tissues.

Adenylosuccinate Synthase