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Biomedical subjects

R O Gilcher

Publications and source records attributed to R O Gilcher.

11 recordsLinked to original sources

Surveillance for HIV antibody and antigen in trauma patients.

Studies in a Baltimore emergency room identified the patient with penetrating trauma as having the highest incidence of Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type I (HIV-1) infection. Anonymous testing over a 15-month period of 165 victims of penetrating trauma presenting to the Medical Center Hospital Emergency Center (San Antonio, Texas) revealed a 0% incidence of HIV-1. This data suggests that HIV-1 trauma patient incidence can be expected to vary between specific geographic areas and patient populations served, independent of community-wide AIDS incidence.

Adult

Afibrinogenemia and hypobetalipoproteinemia in a kindred.

A 3-year-old boy with minor bleeding problems had no plasma fibrinogen measured by both clottable assay and immuno-precipitation. Low normal fibrinogen levels were present in the mother and father. Markedly decreased plasma cholesterol and apolipoprotein B levels were found in the father, proband's brother, and the paternal side of the kindred. The proband and his mother had normal plasma total cholesterol and apolipoprotein B levels. These findings are compatible with autosomal dominant transmission of hypobetalipoproteinemia and autosomal recessive transmission of afibrinogenemia. Two members of the father's family had plasma cholesterol levels below the fifth percentile but elevated levels of fibrinogen (6.0 and 4.4 g/L). Both have symptomatic coronary heart disease. Finding coronary heart disease with very low cholesterol but elevated fibrinogen levels is consistent with fibrinogen levels being an independent risk factor for coronary heart disease.

Adult

Haemonetics V50 and Plasma Collection System: common concerns and troubleshooting.

The Haemonetics V50 and PCS are automated centrifugal systems designed for the collection of a variety of apheresis products. The microprocessor-controlled systems increase collection efficiency through many safety features and high donor and operator appeal. Troubleshooting the systems has been simplified through a systematic approach and easily understood display messages.

Blood Component Removal

Plasmapheresis technology.

Manual plasmapheresis is done worldwide on both paid donors, and to a much smaller extent on volunteer donors in order to generate source plasma to be fractionated into albumin, clotting factor concentrates, and gamma globulin. Automated technology has now been developed utilizing both centrifugal, and membrane separation devices (Haemonetics PCS centrifugal, Organon Teknika PLASMAPUR-membrane, HemaScience Autopheresis-C-spinning membrane) and is much faster and safer than the manual techniques with regard to the donor. The single biggest difficulty with automated technology is the high cost of the software, making the cost of producing source plasma by this type of technology, in general, not cost efficient at this time. However, fresh frozen plasma can be generated by this technology, which is cost efficient and provides a single donor source of 500 ml plasma, making the product safer for those patients that do require fresh frozen plasma by reducing the number of donor exposures to the patient.

Automation