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Biomedical subjects

R Mollan

Publications and source records attributed to R Mollan.

7 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1996

Quantitative analysis of hyaluronan in human synovial fluid using capillary electrophoresis.

The glycosaminoglycan, hyaluronan, can be detected in human synovial fluid by capillary electrophoresis (CE). Variations in peak shape make this technique unsuitable for quantitative analysis of hyaluronan in raw synovial fluid. Quantitative analysis was achieved by hydrolysis of the polymeric hyaluronan to the tetrasaccharide by the action of testicular hyaluronidase and separation of the product using CE. A UV detector operating at 200 nm was used. The X-ray contrast material, omnipaque, a propriety aqueous solution of iohexol was used as internal standard. A second peak in the electropherogram of synovial fluid was quantified. The variation in concentrations of these two components correlate with the arthritic disease state of a joint.

Arthritis, Rheumatoid↗
PubMed1994

Hip screening: are health visitors adequately prepared?

Developmental dysplasia of the hip is a crippling disorder, causing early arthritis if left undetected. In Northern Ireland health visitors routinely screen infants' hips at specific intervals up to pre-school age. The screening tests used appear simple but involve a high degree of skill in order to identify abnormality. A video study of three health visitors found that their performance was poor, but a marked improvement was noted after a period of specialised training. Bernadette Trainor et al suggest that more initial training and post-qualification update sessions are necessary to support health visitors in this role.

Child, Preschool↗
PubMed1993

Strain gauge plethysmography for the detection of deep venous thrombosis.

Deep venous thrombosis is a widely recognized medical problem which results in significant morbidity and mortality. Venography is the current 'gold standard' diagnostic test for deep venous thrombosis; however it is costly, invasive and is unnecessarily performed in 50% of cases. This paper describes a self-contained, non-invasive system for automatic venous occlusion plethysmographic measurement and analysis. An examination of 274 symptomatic limbs was conducted using strain gauge plethysmography and a subsequent venographic examination was then performed. The plethysmographic results were then compared with venography so as to develop a means of discrimination for thrombotic and non-thrombotic limbs. Strain gauge plethysmography using the Belfast DVT Screener yielded a sensitivity of 100% and a sensitivity of 66.3% for proximal segment DVT. The efficacy of the discriminatory algorithm was then tested for the diagnosis of DVT in a further 101 symptomatic patients. A sensitivity of 94.7% and a specificity of 81.7% were observed for strain gauge plethysmography for proximal segment thrombosis in this patient group. The Belfast DVT Screener is highly sensitive for deep venous thrombosis and may be used to reduce the need for venography, which is of benefit to both the patient and clinician.

Adult↗
PubMed1993

Low-frequency vibration emitted from unstable hip in human neonate.

Developmental dysplasia of the hip (DDH) continues to be an orthopedic enigma. Some authors still believe it is a purely birth phenomenon. Even with widespread birth screening, however, DDH continues to become evident later than three months of age, long after a satisfactory outcome can be guaranteed. In an effort to reduce the number of late manifestations, the authors have developed a noninvasive form of screening for DDH called vibration arthrometry. Five hundred neonates were examined in local maternity hospitals, according to the guidelines of Ortolani and Barlow. The new method involves the attachment of miniature accelerometers around the infant's pelvis. Using this method, it was possible to elicit vibration events from approximately one fourth (255 hips) of the hips tested; vibrations were recorded from normal hips (125), from "clicky" hips (128), and from unstable hips (two). Differences between "nil-felt" (clinically silent) and "click-felt" (palpable clicking on testing) were significant. Vibration testing can be seen as an aid in the manual palpation necessary to detect this crippling condition.

Female↗
PubMed1990

Vibration arthrometry. A preview.

Throughout the ages, physicians have listened to sounds and felt vibrations from human joints in their attempts to diagnose pathology. They have used a wide vocabulary to describe these phenomena, but technology has been slow to provide recording and analytic equipment. Lately, accelerometers have been used with considerable success in a new noninvasive method now known as vibration arthrometry (formerly "arthrography"). The technique has been used in early detection of congenital dislocation of the hip and also in diagnosis of meniscal pathology. More recently, patellar vibration has been used to assess the mechanical properties of articular cartilage. Vibration arthrometry has also yielded new information on a possible damage mechanism associated with shock vibration that arises during cavitation of synovial fluid. Joint vibrations are therefore useful aids to diagnosis and may even be etiologic in orthopedic disease.

Hip Dislocation, Congenital↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Cost of treatment of congenital dislocation of the hip.

Early treatment for congenital dislocation of the hip is usually simple and inexpensive. However, if the disease is not detected by 6 months of age, treatment is often complicated and expensive. We evaluated the potential cost-saving of screening, by examining the costs in 36 late cases born in 1980 and found an average cost of pounds 6,674 per case for treatment to this date. This amount could justifiably be spent on each case detected in an effective screening programme.

Cost-Benefit Analysis↗