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Biomedical subjects

R W Logan

Publications and source records attributed to R W Logan.

14 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1992

Infant cerebral cortex phospholipid fatty-acid composition and diet.

It has not been established whether nutrition in early infancy affects subsequent neurodevelopment and function. If there is an effect, it seems probable that the essential fatty acids and their metabolites, the major constituents of brain structure, will be the most susceptible to dietary influence. We determined the phospholipid fatty-acid composition of cerebral cortex grey matter obtained from 20 term and 2 preterm infants who had died of "cot deaths" and related results to the milk diet the infants had received. Tissues were analysed by gas chromatography. The mean weight percentage of docosahexaenoic acid was significantly greater (p less than 0.02) in 5 breast-milk-fed infants (9.7%) than in 5 age-comparable formula-milk-fed infants (7.6%). In these formula-fed babies, the overall percentage of long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids was maintained by increased incorporation of the major n-6 series fatty acids. In 1 formula-fed preterm infant, in whom the lowest concentration of cortical docosahexaenoic acid was found, the compensatory effect was only partial with both n-9 series eicosatrienoic acid or Mead acid and docosatrienoic acid also detected in the phospholipid. Supplementation of formula milks for term infants with docosahexaenoic acid and those for preterm infants with both docosahexaenoic and arachidonic acid could prove beneficial to subsequent neurodevelopment.

Age Factors↗
PubMed1992

EEG burst suppression with propofol during cardiopulmonary bypass in children: a study of the haemodynamic, metabolic and endocrine effects.

We have studied the effects of propofol, given to maintain EEG suppression throughout cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB), in 20 children aged 1-15 yr, in a parallel group comparison. Anaesthesia was produced by fentanyl 50 micrograms kg-1, enflurane or halothane and midazolam 0.1 mg kg-1 at the start of CPB. After randomization, 50% of the children also received propofol during CPB. All children were cooled during CPB (25-28 degrees C) and pump flows (non-pulsatile) were 2.4 litre min-1 m-2, reducing to 1.2-1.6 litre min-1 m-2 during hypothermia. Large rates of infusion of propofol were required to maintain EEG suppression, particularly during rewarming. Compared with control, the propofol group showed significant increases in mixed venous oxygen saturation and significant reductions in systemic oxygen uptake and glucose and cortisol concentrations. There were no differences in triiodothyronine and lactate concentrations, mean arterial pressure during CPB and inotrope requirement after CPB, or in recovery times.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1979

Iron deficiency in children undergoing adenoid-tonsillectomy.

Following a preliminary study of peripheral blood values in 30 children undergoing tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy, a biochemical survey of the iron status of another 108 children also undergoing this operation was made utilizing an automated micro-method. It was shown that 8.4% of these children were frankly iron-deficient but there was no statistical relationship between the levels of serum iron and iron-binding capacity, the incidence of throat infections and the levels of the plasma immunoglobulins. Assessment of all children undergoing this operation for the presence of iron deficiency is advocated as a possible routine screening procedure.

Adenoidectomy↗
PubMed1977

Fucosidosis in a native-born Briton.

This investigation reports the biochemical findings in a native-born Briton suffering from the adult form of fucosidosis. Alpha-L-fucosidase, alpha-L-iduronidase, and beta-D-galactosidase were studied in cultured fibroblast and leucocytes from the patient with fucosidosis, her maternal grandfather, and several normal controls. A complete lack of alpha-L-fucosidase activity was found in the patient's fibroblasts and leucocytes while the grandfather exhibited a heterozygous level of alpha-L-fucosidase activity in his leucocytes. Excessive excretion of what is very likely to be a fucose-containing sphingolipid was demonstrated in the patient's urine by thin-layer chromatography. Compared with five isoenzyme forms of alpha-L-fucosidase activity in normal leucocytes, cellulose acetate electrophoresis of the patient's leucocytes produced evidence of a single band of slight activity associated with one of the isoenzymes. This residual activity probably accounts for the survival of such patients into adolescence and beyond.

Adult↗
PubMed1976

Florid and subclinical rickets among immigrant children in Glasgow.

200 Asian 300 African, Chinese, or Scottish children were examined for clinical, biochemical, and radiological evidence of vitamin-D deficiency. Among the Asians there were 10 with florid rickets and 15 with subclinical rickets. Among the African, Chinese, and Scottish children there were no cases of florid rickets and only 7 cases of subclinical rickets (3 African, 3 Chinese, and 1 Scottish). Loss of metaphyseal definition is considered to be the radiological pattern of minimal active rickets and metaphyseal bands to represent the healing stage. Serum 25-hydroxycholecalciferol concentrations were low in clinical and subclinical minimal active rickets although there was some overlap with the wide range found in the "normal" group. Elevated serum-alkaline-phosphatase levels alone should not be regarded as indicating vitamin-D deficiency. The continuing prevalence of rickets in Asian children and in particular among schoolchildren warrants immediate action, which is long overdue.

Africa↗
PubMed1976

Failure of phenobarbitone to prevent febrile convulsions.

One-hundred-sixty-five children without known neurological disorder who presented with their first febrile convulsion between the ages of six months and three years were assigned to daily phenobarbitone treatment or to a control group and followed up at a special clinic for six months. One-hundred-and-sixty-one-one children completed the trial, and of the 88 children assigned to phenobarbitone treatment 10 had further convulsions during this period compared with 14 of the 73 control children. Only 49 of those assigned to phenobarbitone took the drug regularly throughout the trial, and four of these had further febrile convulsions, a proportion not significantly different from that in the controls. All four had mean plasma phenobarbitone concentrations over 69 mumol/l (16 mug/ml) during the trial and in three the plasma concentration was at or over this figure within eight hours over 69 mumol/l (16 mug/ml) during the trial and in three the plasma concentration was at or over this figure within eight hours of the repeat convulsion. Regular phenobarbitone does not seem to prevent febrile convulsions. Attention should instead be directed to organising emergency services to allow early termination of fevrile convulsions, whether first or subsequent, to prevent irreversible brain damage.

Child, Preschool↗
PubMed1976

Calcium, phosphorus, and magnesium concentrations in plasma during first week of life and their relation to type of milk feed.

Serial changes in plasma levels of calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, alkaline phosphatase, and total proteins have been investigated in 138 healthy, term Caucasian infants. Blood samples were obtained for each infant from cord blood and on day 1 and day 6. The infants were studied in three groups according to whether they were breast fed, received 'Ostermilk No. 1' or 'Cow and Gate V' formulas. Levels of calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, alkaline phosphatase, and total proteins did not differ between the groups at birth or on day 1. By day 6 calcium levels were higher and phosphorus levels lower in the breast-fed infants compared with either of the artificially-fed groups. Phosphorus levels were lower in the V Formula group compared with the Ostermilk group but the mean calcium levels of these two groups did not differ significantly. However, only 2-8% of the V Formula group developed hypocalcaemia compared with 18-2% of the Ostermilk group. The only infant developing clinical tetany belonged to the group fed Ostermilk. Evidence is also given which suggests that those infants with low calcium levels on day 1 who were fed the high-solute milk tended to show a fall in calcium by day 6. This did not apply to the two other groups. It is concluded that the use of adapted cows' milk preparations for infant feeding should lead to a reduction in the incidence of neonatal tetany.

Alkaline Phosphatase↗