Biomedical subjects

Rob Johnson

Publications and source records attributed to Rob Johnson.

4 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2003

Osteitis pubis.

Osteitis pubis is a painful condition, usually caused by abnormal muscle forces acting on the symphysis pubis. The symptoms of osteitis pubis mimic many other injuries that affect the athlete's groin. To correctly diagnose this condition, the clinician must maintain a high index of suspicion. Reports suggest this condition is more common in men than women. Confirmatory radiographs, bone scans, and magnetic resonance imaging aid the diagnosis. Once diagnosed, the prognosis for full recovery is good, although lengthy. Typical treatments include physical therapy, involving strengthening the abdominal and hip muscles, and improving range of motion of the hip, particularly the muscles of internal rotation. Corticosteroid injections, wedge resection of the symphysis, curettage, and arthrodesis have all been used with variable success.

Athletic Injuries↗

PubMed2002

Phase I clinical and pharmacokinetic study of pemetrexed and carboplatin in patients with malignant pleural mesothelioma.

PURPOSE: To determine the maximum tolerated dose (MTD) of pemetrexed and carboplatin given in combination, to derive a recommended dose for phase II studies, and to explore its efficacy. We assessed toxicities and explored the activity of the drug combination exclusively in patients with malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM). The pharmacokinetics of both agents was investigated. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Twenty-seven patients (23 male, four female) with MPM were treated on five escalating dose levels. Doses ranged from pemetrexed 400 mg/m(2) (as a 10-minute intravenous infusion), followed by carboplatin area under the plasma concentration-time curve (AUC) 4 mg/mL.min (as a 30-minute intravenous infusion) to pemetrexed 500 mg/m(2), carboplatin AUC 6 mg/mL.min. All patients had a World Health Organization performance status of 1. A total of 163 courses of treatment were administered (median, six; range, one to 10). RESULTS: The main toxicity was hematologic, particularly neutropenia, although this was characteristically short-lived and caused few clinical problems. The MTD was pemetrexed 500 mg/m(2), carboplatin AUC 6, because three of the five patients treated at this dose level experienced a dose-limiting toxicity. Eight partial responses (in 25 assessable patients) were observed for a response rate of 32%. Seventy percent of patients noticed an improvement in symptoms, usually (84%) after only two courses. Median time to progression was 305 days, and median survival time was 451 days. CONCLUSION: The MTD was pemetrexed 500 mg/m(2) and carboplatin AUC 6 mg/mL.min. The recommended phase II dose of the combination is pemetrexed 500 mg/m(2) and carboplatin AUC 5 mg/mL.min. The combination is both active and well tolerated in MPM and deserves further exploration.

Adult↗

PubMed2002

European adolescent substance use: the roles of family structure, function and gender.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was, first, to explore family structure and measures of family functioning in relation to adolescent substance use and secondly, to establish if these relationships differed according to gender or according to the city of origin of the sample. DESIGN, SETTING, PARTICIPANTS: The study surveyed pupils aged 14-15 years in representative samples drawn from five European cities: Newcastle upon Tyne, Dublin, Rome, Bremen and Groningen. Data were obtained on 3984 participants in relation to their substance use, living with both biological parents, confiding in parents and grandparents. and supervision, as well as other variables representing delinquency, social class and drug availability. RESULTS: Living with both parents was associated with reduced levels of drug use in four cities but not in Dublin, due perhaps to the high availability from peers in that city. It was not associated with reduced levels of regular drinking. The effect of confiding in mother was evident in all cities and in relation to substance use in general. However, when a delinquency variable was added to the logistic regressions, its significance in relation to polydrug use disappeared. Supervision was somewhat more important in relation to male than female drug use. CONCLUSION: Living with both parents is a less robust barrier to substance use than qualitative aspects of family life, particularly attachment to mothers. The latter is a robust inhibitor of substance use irrespective of regional differences in drug availability, weakening only in the face of more generally problematic behaviour. Perhaps because of their greater tendency to risk-taking or rule breaking, supervision appears more important for male than female drug use. These findings underscore the role of families, but especially that of mothers, in regulating the substance-related behaviour of young people.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2002

School-based indicated prevention: a randomised trial of group therapy.

BACKGROUND: One hundred and twenty-two children identified by teachers as at risk for behavioural or emotional problems were randomly allocated to drama-group therapy or to a curriculum-studies control, based in school. METHODS: One hundred and seventeen completed the intervention phase of the trial, which comprised 12 hour-long sessions. Post-intervention self-reports showed significant effects associated with both interventions. RESULTS: However, there was a clear advantage of group therapy over both a waiting list control and curriculum studies, according to teacher reports. This was true also of categorical analyses focusing on those with the most severe symptoms. CONCLUSIONS: These analyses confirmed sustained teacher-reported improvement over a year-long follow-up period.

Adolescent↗