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Biomedical subjects

R M Fincher

Publications and source records attributed to R M Fincher.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources
PubMed1990

Possible triggering of paroxysmal atrial fibrillation in normal hearts by psychological stressors: a report of two cases.

Paroxysmal atrial fibrillation was triggered by psychological stress in two patients, both of whom had normal echocardiograms and coronary angiography. Neither patient was alcoholic or had ingested ethanol in relation to the onset of atrial fibrillation and both were free of metabolic derangements. Possible mechanisms involved in the triggering of atrial fibrillation are discussed.

Adult↗
PubMed1990

Primary prevention of coronary artery disease through a family-oriented cardiac risk factor clinic.

Primary prevention of coronary artery disease in children and young adults is important and can be instituted through a family-oriented cardiac risk factor clinic. Such a clinic was initiated at the Medical College of Georgia in March 1988. Children whose total cholesterol level (TC) exceeded 200 mg/dL when screened by their primary care physician were referred with their siblings and parents for fasting lipid profile and further evaluation. Data are available for the initial 21 families, including 30 children and 36 adults. The mean TC level was 258 mg/dL for index cases, 195 mg/dL for siblings, and 233 mg/dL for parents. Follow-up data obtained after therapy at a mean of 6 months are available for 12 families, including 14 children and 14 adults. The mean change in TC was from 265 to 246 mg/dL; 82% of the patients had a decrease in TC. Only one index case was documented as having neither a sibling nor a parent with an elevated cholesterol level. Family-oriented cardiac risk factor clinics are important for the identification and treatment of hypercholesterolemia in asymptomatic young people when primary prevention is possible.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1989

Takayasu arteritis in a middle-aged Caucasian woman: clinical course correlated with duplex ultrasound and angiography.

Takayasu arteritis, an occlusive arteritis usually involving the aorta and its major branches, occurs most commonly in young oriental women. The authors report the case of a 54-year-old caucasian woman with Takayasu arteritis who initially presented with the inflammatory manifestations of fever and markedly accelerated erythrocyte sedimentation rate. Over 2 months she developed evidence of vascular insufficiency with arm claudication, diminished radial pulses, and decreased blood pressure in the arms, suggestive of an occlusive arteritis. Arteriography revealed the typical findings of Takayasu arteritis, which involved the brachial and axillary arteries but spared the aorta and its major branches. Changes in the patient's clinical course were correlated with sedimentation rate, angiography, and Duplex sonography.

Angiography↗
PubMed1989

Lack of recognition of internal medicine as a specialty: a factor in medical student career choice?

Interest among medical students in a career in internal medicine has recently declined. We propose that lack of recognition of general internal medicine as a specialty may be one factor in students' decisions to enter other fields. A survey of 300 first-year and second-year medical students at the Medical College of Georgia showed that 84% of the respondents plan to specialize, yet only 49% recognized general internal medicine as a specialty. Significantly higher percentages of students correctly classified six other specialties. Only family practice was less likely than internal medicine to be recognized as a specialty. Earlier recognition of general internal medicine as a specialty among students who want to specialize might result in an increased number of students entering internal medicine residency programs.

Awareness↗
PubMed1987

Superior vena cava syndrome: experience in a teaching hospital.

Between 1972 and 1985, 39 patients with superior vena cava syndrome were admitted to the Medical College of Georgia Hospitals. I have reviewed the hospital courses of these patients and compared clinical and laboratory findings with those reported in previous series. The syndrome was malignant in 34 patients (mean age of 50 years) and benign in five (mean age of 30 years). Duration of symptoms before diagnosis was 17 months in patients with benign disease and 18 days in those with malignant disease. Presence of symptoms for less than four weeks was associated with a high likelihood of malignancy. Invasive diagnostic procedures established a diagnosis in 33 patients, and no procedural complications occurred. Computerized tomography (CT) of the chest confirmed superior vena cava obstruction and localized the level of obstruction in all six patients in whom it was done. Information gained from venacavograms did not alter therapeutic decisions. In eight patients, establishment of a definitive histologic diagnosis altered the treatment. Treatment relieved the symptoms in 69% of the patients with malignant superior vena cava syndrome, and no patient had recurrent symptoms after therapy.

Adolescent↗