PubMed Health⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

R L Mason

Publications and source records attributed to R L Mason.

16 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1990

Cost analysis of kinetic therapy in the prevention of complications of stroke.

We prospectively evaluated the costs of medical care in a group of 43 patients with acute severe stroke. Patients were assigned to either a routine hospital bed or a rotational bed. The rotational study bed (kinetic therapy) is designed to prevent complications of prolonged bed confinement by keeping patients in continuous slow rotation. The average number of acute care days was 11.2 in the study group and 16.4 in the control group. Study patients had similar costs per day for laboratory testing, x-ray studies, respiratory therapy, total acute care expenses, and total hospital expenses. Among study patients, reduction in medication costs per day did approach statistical significance, by unpaired t test, at P = .014, with a corrected significance level of .008. Overall, the average acute care costs per day were $544 in the study group verus $410 in the control group. This difference was approximately the average per day charge for the rotational bed ($130). We conclude that therapy designed to prevent complications of prolonged bed confinement is cost effective.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed1979

Variability of air calorics vs water. Statistical implications.

The increasing use of air as a medium for inducing caloric nystagmus has produced a wide variety of comment, much of which may be ignored by opponents or proponents of air. What cannot be ignored by the latter is the report of increased response variability with air irrigation. The effect of increased single-measure variability on the variability of the resultant measures of unilateral weakness (UW) was explored by (1) development of a theoretical equation for the variance of UW and (2) examination of results from normal and clinical subjects. The theoretical equation indicates that variability is a function of both mean responses and the correlation between responses from opposite sides, as well as the variability of single measures. Increases in single-measure variability are attenuated by the formula to a degree such that clinically important increases in the variability of measures of UW are unlikely. This conclusion was supported by results from 22 normal and 12 clinical subjects and reexamination of previous reports.

Air↗
PubMed1977

Advantages of examining multicollinearities in regression analysis.

In this paper a regression analysis is performed with data on spinal cord injuries in order to demonstrate the benefits of determining which, if any, multicollinearities are present in prediction data. Existing multicollinearities are shown to be useful both in determining characteristics of the sampled population as well as explaining possible erratic behavior of variable selection procedures. Latent root regression is performed on the data to illustrate one method of using biased regression techniques to incorporate knowledge of multicollinearities in developing prediction equations.

Humans↗
PubMed1976

Influence of diet and feed restriction on kidney function of aging male rats.

The influence of diet and feed restriction on kidney function was studied in aging male albino rats. Rats were fed either a commercial feed (LB) or a modified human diet (MHD) from weaning until sacrifice at either 12 or 24 mo. of age. Restricted rats were fed for only 15 out of each 48 hours. Feed restriction during either the first, the second, or both years of life was beneficial in delaying age-associated changes in kidney function as indicated by decreased proteinuria, increased in vitro transport of paraaminohippuric acid, and reduced incidence and severity of renal lesions. Urinary creatinine and blood urea nitrogen levels were also favorably influenced by restriction. Most parameters were modified by diet as well as by restriction, with MHD being generally associated with improved kidney function. Improvement in kidney function may have been more related to a reduction in protein intake than to a reduction in caloric intake as a whole.

Aging↗
PubMed1976

A diagnostic formula for alcoholism.

Clinical pathologies with unusually high morbidities in alcoholic populations were analyzed to determine their capacity to diagnose alcoholism. On the basis of five systemic variables it was possible to diagnose correctly nearly 75% of alcoholic and matched control subjects.

Age Factors↗
PubMed1976

Prediction of mobility gains in patients with cervical spinal cord injuries.

A measure of mobility for patients with spinal cord injuries is introduced that is very useful in determining patient recovery. The index is used to obtain a prediction equation for motor skills 1 year after injury. Important predictor variables identified include the patient's sex, rectal status, total reflexes, two treatment combinations, motor and sensory neurological history since injury, neurological status, and initial mobility score. Interpretations are made to explain the meaning of the contributions of these variables and show the usefulness of the prediction equation.

Adult↗
PubMed1975

Physicians and alcoholics. The effect of medical training on attitudes toward alcoholics.

The over-all ratings assigned by first- and second-year medical students and housestaff (residents and interns) to alcoholics on a 16-adjectivee bipolar semantic differential measure differed significantly. Mean ratings by the housestaff were lowest and the ratings by the second-year students were lower than those of the first-year students on 5 of the 6 adjective pairs on which the groups differed significantly.

Alcoholism↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Nuclear changes in cytologic specimens obtained by CT-guided fine needle aspiration biopsies.

A light and electron microscopic study was conducted to investigate nuclear changes observed in specimens obtained from various sites by computed tomographic (CT)-guided fine needle aspiration (FNA) biopsy. These changes, which consisted of a disappearance of the nuclear chromatin and a disruption of the nuclear membrane, were found in 70% of 10 FNA specimens obtained with CT guidance, in 26% of 15 specimens obtained with fluoroscopic guidance and in 0% of 10 specimens obtained without x-ray imaging techniques. Although the number of cases studied was small and the mechanisms responsible for these changes are not clear, cytopathologists should be aware of alterations in evaluating FNA specimens obtained with the guidance of x-ray imaging techniques.

Biopsy, Needle↗