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Biomedical subjects

R Peeters

Publications and source records attributed to R Peeters.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1994

Promoting interdisciplinary collaboration in health research in developing countries: lessons from the Triangle Programme in Sri Lanka.

The Triangle Programme (1989-1992) aimed at strengthening the institutional capacity for health social science research and intervention in Sri Lanka through the promotion of appropriate international and national partnerships. First, it involved an international partnership (Triangle 1) among two universities in the developed world, i.c. University of Antwerp in Belgium and the University of Connecticut in the USA, and one university in the developing world, i.c. the University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka. This partnership facilitated the transfer of knowledge, experience, skills across national boundaries and the North/South divide. Second, it developed a national/local partnership (Triangle 2) among the Faculties of Arts, Agriculture and Medicine at the University of Peradeniya by involving them in a joint programme of health social science research and training covering the entire range of activities from proposal development to dissemination of research results. Focusing on the latter aspect (Triangle 2) this paper reviews the results of the programme from the angle of cross-fertilization of disciplines through their collaboration in applied health research in a developing country setting.

Belgium↗
PubMed1992

[No difference in effectiveness measured between treatment in a thermal bath and in an exercise bath in patients with rheumatoid arthritis].

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether hydrotherapy in a thermomineral institution is superior to the same hydrotherapy in an ordinary hospital exercise-bath. DESIGN: Controlled therapeutic trial. SETTING: The thermomineral institution at Arcen and the exercise bath at the Maasland Hospital in Sittard, the Netherlands. PATIENTS AND METHODS: 46 patients with rheumatoid arthritis were treated in a by a skilled physiotherapist, according to a standardized exercise-scheme: 27 were treated in the thermomineral institution and 19 (control-group) in the hospital exercise-bath. Each patient received 12 treatments in 12 weeks. ENDPOINTS PARAMETERS: Morning stiffness, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, Ritchie index, amount of pain, answers to 11 questions concerning the activities of daily life, and psychosocial aspects of the disease. The various subjective and objective parameters were scored by the same physician. RESULTS: Statistically significant improvement was observed in both groups concerning morning stiffness. Other subjective parameters improved, but did not reach significance. Objective parameters did not change significantly. Between-group differences were not found. CONCLUSION: Hydrotherapy has a positive effect on some subjective but not on objective parameters in patients with rheumatoid arthritis, whether it is applied in a thermomineral institution or an ordinary hospital exercise bath.

Arthritis, Rheumatoid↗
PubMed1992

Evaluating patients with chest pain using classification and regression trees.

We collected data on 320 patients complaining to their general practitioner of a new episode of chest pain, discomfort or oppression. Relationships were examined between initial signs and symptoms and a follow-up diagnosis after a period of 2 weeks to 2 months. The data were analysed with CART, a statistical decision theory software package. In our first run, the number of misclassifications by CART was 56%. After regrouping of the data and diagnostic categories, there were 37% misclassifications. The most discriminating variable turned out to be pain on palpation. When comparing each of five diagnostic groups to all others, we found a positive predictive value of 27% for gastrointestinal diseases, 72% for cardiovascular disorders, 69% for respiratory diseases, 58% for psychopathology and 73% for chest wall pathology. The CART methodology needs further investigation and testing before any clinical application will be possible in general practice.

Chest Pain↗
PubMed1992

Preferential release of tri-iodothyronine following stimulation by thyrotrophin or thyrotrophin-releasing hormone in sheep of different ages.

The influence of TRH and TSH injections on plasma concentrations of tri-iodothyronine (T3) and thyroxine (T4) was investigated in neonatal (injection within 0.5 h after delivery) and growing lambs and in normal, pregnant and lactating adult ewes (all 2 years old and originating from Suffolk, Milksheep and Texal crossbreeds). Neonatal lambs had higher levels of T3, T4 and GH compared with all other groups, whereas prolactin and TSH were higher in lactating ewes. In all animals, injections of TRH increased plasma concentrations of prolactin and TSH after 15 min but not of GH at any time. Small increases in T3 and T4 were observed in neonatal lambs, without any effect on the T3 and T4 ratio, after prolactin administration, whereas prolactin did not influence plasma concentrations of T3 or T4 in all other experimental groups. Similar results for thyroid hormones were obtained after TRH or TSH injections. It was therefore concluded that the effects observed after TRH challenge were mediated by the release of TSH. With the possible exception of neonatal lambs, plasma concentrations of T3 after administration of TRH or TSH were always increased before those of T4; the increase in T3 occurred within 0.5-1 h compared with 2-4 h for T4 in all experimental groups. This resulted in an increased ratio of plasma T3 to T4 up to 4 h after injection. It is concluded that, in sheep, TRH and TSH preferentially release T3 from the thyroid gland probably by a stimulatory effect of TSH on the intrathyroidal conversion of T3 to T4.

Animals↗
PubMed1992

[Dental hygiene in 10-to-18-year-old youths in Flanders. Results of a school survey].

This study is part of the cross-national Survey on Health and Lifestyles in School-aged children--a WHO collaborative study (HELENA). The aim of this report was to describe the oral health habits (oral hygiene, use of dental floss and fluoride, consumption of sugar snacks) in schoolchildren aged 10 to 18 in the Flemish-speaking community of Belgium. Toothbrushing was consistently less frequent among boys than among girls. There is a negative correlation between the frequency of toothbrushing and the consumption of soft drinks in both sexes, and between toothbrushing and sweets consumption in girls. The use of dental floss is still very rare. Efforts must be continued to reduce the consumption of sweets and soft drinks. No differences in oral health habits were noted among children from different school types. Parental profession did not influence oral health habits in this study.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1991

Chest pain: an evaluation of the initial diagnosis made by 25 Flemish general practitioners.

Twenty-five general practitioners collected information on 318 contacts of patients with a new episode of chest pain, discomfort or tightness. A list of complaints, signs and symptoms were checked, together with the initial diagnosis, made by the GP immediately after the physical examination. The initial diagnosis was compared to a follow-up diagnosis. The gain in certainty was also compared. The GP made a correct initial diagnosis in 82% of patients. In 8% there was a clinically important difference, and seven of 17 episodes of oesophageal disease were missed. For their initial diagnosis, the GP scored 74% certain, 20% uncertain and no diagnosis in 6%. For the final diagnosis, these figures were 88%, 8% and 4%.

Belgium↗
PubMed1990

The health situation of Turkish inhabitants of Rotterdam and Antwerp.

Both in Antwerp (Belgium) and in Rotterdam (The Netherlands) a health interview survey was held among Turkish and autochthonous (adult) citizens. In this article the data on the Turkish respondents in Antwerp and Rotterdam are compared. Turkish respondents in Antwerp, in general, give more positive answers to most questions that concern their own health, especially to those questions that concern the more 'subjective' indicators of health (a general rating of the own health and a questionnaire that consists of 'vague' physical complaints). Chronic diseases are reported slightly more often by Turkish women in Antwerp. Turkish people in Rotterdam visit a doctor far more frequently than the Turkish people in Antwerp. Some possible explanations for these differences are given. Because of the absence of 'hard' data these explanations are of a speculative nature, and can be seen as suggestions for further research.

Adult↗
PubMed1990

Seasonal variations in prolactin, growth hormone and thyroid hormones and the prolactin surge at ovulation do not affect litter size of ewes during pregnancy in the oestrous or the anoestrous season.

Injection of bromocriptine from 5 days before until 5 days after mating clearly suppressed the periovulatory prolactin surge in ewes in the anoestrous and oestrous season but did not change the litter size significantly. Progesterone, GH, TSH or thyroid hormone concentrations were not influenced by the bromocriptine treatment. The progesterone concentrations were lower during the first weeks after mating in the anoestrous season compared to the oestrous season, while there was no difference between pregnant and non-pregnant ewes. During later gestation this seasonal difference was only observed in the non-pregnant ewes. At the same time there was a clear difference between pregnancy and non-pregnancy in both seasons. The prolactin, GH and thyroid hormone values also varied significantly during gestation. Since these patterns are identical in pregnant and non-pregnant ewes, the fluctuations are due to environmental factors and not to pregnancy or altered progesterone concentrations. In the anoestrous season prolactin, GH, T4 and T3 levels were higher than in the breeding season, while rT3 showed the opposite pattern. The TSH concentration did not differ between the two seasons. These results suggest that seasonal variations in prolactin, GH and thyroid hormones or the periovulatory prolactin surge do not affect litter size of ewes during pregnancy in the oestrous or the anoestrous season.

Animals↗
PubMed1989

Relationship between the thyroidal and gonadal axes during the estrous cycle of ewes of different breeds and ages.

In order to define the patterns of TSH, T4, T3, rT3, GH and cortisol during the estrous cycle of sheep, pluriparous and primiparous ewes were synchronized with progestagen-impregnated pessaries (Veramix) at the start of the normal breeding season. After the pessaries were removed (day 0), daily blood sampling was carried out in cannulated ewes during the ovulatory cycle. Hormonal analyses of TSH, T4, T3, rT3, GH, cortisol, LH and progesterone (P) were performed by RIA. P and LH levels during the cycle were conform to the literature and were not different between the primiparous and pluriparous ewes of different breeds used in this study. Neither age nor breed influenced the hormone patterns. A significant negative correlation was found between TSH and P during the cycle, although the correlation between P and T4 was not significant; during the estrous period, low P levels were paralleled by high T4 levels, whereas the reverse was observed during the luteal phase. Higher T3 levels and T3/T4 ratios were observed during the luteal phase. No obvious pattern of rT3 and cortisol during the cycle was found. The GH concentration increased during the 17 days of the cycle. A positive correlation with P was calculated. During the estrous cycle obvious changes in thyroid hormones, GH and TSH occurred. However, this study shows no causal relationship between the thyroid and the gonadal axes.

Animals↗
PubMed1989

Reconstruction of the digestive tract after total gastrectomy.

Reconstruction of the digestive tract after total gastrectomy should be safe and give the patient maximal comfort. Dehiscence of the esophago-enteral anastomosis is the main cause of operative mortality. Stapling and jejunoplication procedures offer the best chances of success. A Roux-en-Y esophagojejunostomy is readily carried out in patients with malignant disease, and avoids distressing reflux esophagitis, which constitutes a major cause of morbidity. The construction of a gastric reservoir has been advocated to prevent malnutrition, weight loss and other functional complaints. This matter is still the subject of much debate and requires further prospective studies. A personal retrospective evaluation of 23 patients provided with a Lygidakis pouch after total gastrectomy shows that this procedure can be performed with an acceptable mortality rate (8.7%). The clinical results look promising as most of the patients studied one year after the operation had no functional complaints and their weight had stabilized.

Anastomosis, Roux-en-Y↗
PubMed1988

The mesh skin graft--true expansion rate.

Using the mesh graft II dermatome (Zimmer) for split skin graft expansion, the 3 to 1 and 1.5 to 1 expansion rates were evaluated for true clinical expansion. In one hundred and one 1.5 to 1 expanded grafts the actual expansion was 1.2 and in sixty 3 to 1 expanded grafts, it was 1.5.

Burns↗
PubMed1988

Prognostic value of gastric intramural pH in surgical intensive care patients.

Gastric intramural pH (pHi), which has been shown to reflect the adequacy of oxygenation in peripheral tissue beds, was measured in acutely ill surgical patients in order to evaluate its value as a prognostic factor and its relation to the sepsis score. Fifty-nine surgical patients were studied on ICU admission. The stomach wall pH was calculated from the PCO2 in gastric juice and arterial bicarbonate concentration using the Henderson-Hasselbalch equation. A fall in tissue pH less than 7.32 was taken as an indication of inadequate tissue oxygenation. Patients with sepsis scores greater than 10 were considered septic. Hospital and short-term (within 72 h of admission) mortality rates were determined. A significantly higher short-term mortality rate was observed in patients having a pHi less than 7.32 (37% vs. 0%, p less than .005). Most (90%) of the septic patients had a pHi less than 7.32. The short-term mortality rate was the highest (50%) in the septic group. In this group also, a linear correlation was found between pHi and the sepsis score (r = -.43, p less than .01). Gastric pHi, however, offered no prediction for the long-term outcome.

Adult↗