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Biomedical subjects

R F Gledhill

Publications and source records attributed to R F Gledhill.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources
PubMed1988

Race-gender differences in serum creatine kinase activity: a study among South Africans.

Higher levels of total serum creatine kinase activity have been reported in black compared with white North Americans of the same sex. In a study among South Africans, we found such an interracial difference was notable only for males. The difference was heightened by physical activity. This study affirms the importance of sampling the indigenous population when developing a reference range for total creatine kinase activity.

Adult↗
PubMed1987

Undergraduate clinical neurosciences programme development: a consumer-based evaluation.

Intern responses to a questionnaire were used to evaluate an undergraduate clinical neurosciences programme. The data obtained were judged an authentic measure of instructional efficacy. Most interns rated themselves competent in performing the neurological examination but ill-equipped to interpret their findings and to manage effectively common problems, especially emergencies. Neurological diseases and the non-biomedical aspects of patient care were identified relatively infrequently as matters needing greater emphasis. Explanations for these findings may include a curriculum of traditional format, differences in teaching and assessing theoretical and practical competence, and the typical responsibilities of interns in an academic hospital. Intern evaluation of undergraduate clinical programmes can provide data useful to their development.

Clinical Competence↗
PubMed1987

Impaired water excretion and elevated plasma vasopressin in patients with alcohol-withdrawal symptoms.

Reports describing the fluid balance status of alcoholics in withdrawal are varied, and conflicting. We examined this question by recording values for a variety of parameters in response to a standard water load test. Compared with age and sex matched healthy volunteers (n = 14), alcoholics in withdrawal (n = 17) exhibited lower cumulative urine output (p = 0.0001), higher minimum urine osmolality (p = 0.0001), lower serum sodium (p = 0.0024 before loading) and elevated plasma arginine vasopressin levels (p = 0.0045 before loading). We believe that these findings are best explained by a resetting of osmoreceptors, a supposition in keeping with contemporary views on the pathogenesis of alcohol dependence and withdrawal. This additional evidence of an antidiuretic state in alcohol withdrawal leads us to question the practice of fluid supplementation in its management and we suggest that this policy be revised.

Adult↗
PubMed1986

Epstein-Barr virus infection in a patient with active pulmonary tuberculosis. A case report.

Active pulmonary tuberculosis is highly prevalent among the black population but factors predisposing to a defective cellular immune response to the tubercle bacillus are not readily apparent in many. Serological evidence of a recent reactivation of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection in such a patient could therefore be a relevant finding, since EBV has the potential to suppress cellular immune responses.

Adult↗
PubMed1986

Computed tomography in psychiatric patients.

In a retrospective study of 100 consecutive adult psychiatric patients referred for computed tomography (CT) for suspected intracranial lesions, abnormalities were found in 61%. Of these, 23% had focal lesions significantly associated with alcohol abuse, previous craniocerebral trauma and focal neurological signs. Detection of focal lesions influenced patient management in over half the cases. No single factor was able to predict all patients with focal lesions and the correlation between electroencephalogram and CT results was weak. If criteria for CT in psychiatric patients are too restrictive, some cases of occult brain disease may escape detection.

Adolescent↗