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Biomedical subjects

R Meredith

Publications and source records attributed to R Meredith.

35 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1990

Hearing disability in people aged 50-65: effectiveness and acceptability of rehabilitative intervention.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the best means of detecting hearing disability in subjects aged 50-65 and whether rehabilitative intervention is acceptable in this age group. DESIGN: Questionnaire survey of patients on general practice age-sex registers. Two types of questionnaire were used, one being based on the closed set approach of the Institute of Hearing Research questionnaire, which had been used in a pilot study, and the other being a simplified version of this questionnaire developed by the Welsh Hearing Institute and based on open set questions. Questionnaires were sent up to three times, and any patients who had not responded two months after the last posting were personally contacted. SETTING: Two general practices in Glyncorrwg and Blaengwynfi in the Afan valley, West Glamorgan. PATIENTS: 271 Patients in Glyncorrwg (136 men, 135 women) and 333 patients in Blaengwynfi (173 men, 160 women) aged 50-65. INTERVENTIONS: All patients indicating hearing disability in answering the questionnaires were invited to attend for a evaluative session in their village. After audiometric testing advice and arrangements for fitting a hearing aid were offered as appropriate. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Response rates and prevalence of hearing disability before intervention and of possession of hearing aids before and after intervention. RESULTS: After three postings and personal contact the response rate was 98% (266/271) in Glyncorrwg, where the complex questionnaire was used, and 97% (322/333) in Blaengwynfi. The prevalence of hearing disability was respectively 53% (141/266) and 46% (148/322) and the prevalence of owning a hearing aid 7% (19/266) and 8% (24/322). After intervention the possession of hearing aids rose to 24% (64/266) in Glyncorrwg and 22% (71/322) in Blaengwynfi; six months later the aids were being used regularly. A direct comparison of the two questionnaires in 69 subjects from Blaengwynfi showed no significant differences in the amount of disability detected by each one. The first posting of questionnaires detected 65% (189/289) of the hearing disability in the two villages or 78% (72/92) of those prepared to accept hearing aids for the first time; 96% (88/92) of those who accepted hearing aids were detected by two postings. CONCLUSIONS: Simple questionnaires are effective in detecting hearing disabilities in people aged 50-65, and intervention was acceptable in many of those who reported having difficulties in hearing. The response rates from successive postings suggest that two postings are sufficient in terms of the return in detecting those who will accept intervention.

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PubMed1990

Implications of hearing impairment for elderly people in London and in Wales.

This paper explores some of the social implications of hearing impairment in two different populations of elderly people as they affect help-seeking activity. In both populations we found reduced out-of-door activities due to hearing loss, poor insight into the existence of hearing loss, substantial denial of such loss, insufficient support from the general practitioner and poor uptake of rehabilitation services (the hearing aid). The need for services was found to be greater in the area of greater socio-economic deprivation. These findings must be viewed together with earlier work which found a significant association between hearing loss and depression in old age.

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PubMed1990

Early intervention and rehabilitation: factors influencing outcome.

Detection of hearing disability in a pre-retirement working class population of people aged 50-65 years has been achieved using simple questionnaires. Patients who reported disability were offered rehabilitation, including hearing aids, and the hearing aids use increased from 7% to 23% of the population. Those who accepted or refused hearing aids differed only minimally in mean worse or better ear hearing levels, but markedly in terms of hearing handicap. Similarly, those who indicated that they would like help with their hearing had increased disability and handicap levels but hearing levels no different from those who did not want help. Tinnitus in addition to hearing disability increased the individual's acceptance of a hearing aid. Sex, social class and exposure to occupational noise had no significant effect.

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PubMed1990

Physical handling of hearing aids by the elderly.

In an attempt to overcome handling problems with hearing aids in elderly patients, we have examined the prevalence of anticipated handling problems in this group and their ability to cope with different types of ear moulds and hearing aids. Increased total prevalence of anticipated problems was found only in the 85+ age group, although anticipated handling problems increased markedly in the 75+ age group. Patients over 75 years found it significantly easier to handle postaural aids with modified skeleton moulds than temporary tips or standard skeletons. They also coped less well with in-the-ear aids and failed to show the increased reduction in disability found with those aids in the younger groups.

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PubMed1989

A comparison of three types of earmoulds in elderly users of post-aural hearing aids.

The objective of this study was to assess the ease of handling, comfort, and general effectiveness of three types of earmould in patients who, due to their age, could be expected to experience handling difficulties. The three mould types were, meatal tip, skeleton and skeleton with the 'top prong' removed. The results indicated that the skeleton with the top prong removed was the best in all contexts but one. It was easiest and quickest to fit and least likely to be badly fitted. Only in feedback control did it perform less well. It was concluded that it should be routinely used for elderly patients fitted with low gain hearing aids.

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PubMed1980

Iatrogenic phobic disorders in methadone maintenance treated patients.

A detoxification phobia idiosyncratic to methadone maintenance programs is described and several representative cases are presented. Reliability of diagnostic criteria for the phobia are described and their overall reliability was found to be 93% while occurrence reliability was 67%, which investigators conclude is a moderate but clinically useful level. Prevalence data show the phobia occurring in 27% of a random sample of patients treated with methadone maintenance, an estimate the investigators feel is too high to be representative of typical methadone programs. Implications for treatment are discussed.

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PubMed1977

A sperm bank.

Explore the source record for details and available documents.

Humans↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Application of the Audioscan in the detection of carriers of genetic hearing loss.

The authors describe the establishment of normative stimulus parameters for the Audioscan, an automated sweep frequency audiometer, for its application in the detection of audiometric notches in carriers of recessive genetic hearing loss. A sweep rate of 30 s/octave over the frequency range 300 to 4000 Hz pulsing at 2.5 pulses/s at -5 dB with a step size of 5 dB were ultimately adopted. The criterion for notches was 15 dB or greater within the frequency range 500-3000 Hz. Adopting this criterion, 14.2% of control subjects had notches. Among parents of children with non-syndromal recessive hearing loss 55% were found to have notches. Notches were found more frequently among mothers and sisters than among fathers and brothers of the patients.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Tendon sheath injuries of the foot and ankle.

Tendon sheath injuries of the foot and ankle are a common clinical entity secondary to trauma and abnormal biomechanics. These injuries are often misdiagnosed and/or inappropriately treated. This article presents an historic review, etiology, classification, diagnosis, and treatment protocol for these injuries.

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