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Biomedical subjects

S Burns

Publications and source records attributed to S Burns.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources
PubMed1995

Relationships of personality traits and stress to gingival status or soft-tissue oral pathology: an exploratory study.

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to examine the relationships of personality traits and stress with gingival inflammation and with soft-tissue oral pathology. METHODS: Personality traits of psychoticism (P), extroversion and introversion (E), and neuroticism (N) were measured with Eysenck's personality questionnaire (EPQ). Stress was measured with a modified organizational and individual assessment survey (OIAS) developed by Hendrix. Military recruits from Ft. Leonard Wood, Missouri, were examined for soft-tissue oral pathology and gingival status at weeks one (n = 241) and six (n = 61) of basic combat training (BCT). The EPQ and OIAS were administered to 217 recruits during week six of BCT. A discriminant analysis was used to determine correlations among study variables. RESULTS: Significant correlations (P < .05) were found between personality traits and various measures of tolerance of stress. Little variance was found between groups originally presenting with or without disease. Only physical stress (P < .005) was shown to affect soft-tissue pathology, while gingival inflammation correlated significantly to E scores (P < .02), tolerance to change (P < .02), and anxiety (P < .05). CONCLUSIONS: Data support a possible relationship among certain personality traits, stress variables, and gingival inflammation or soft-tissue pathology in recruits with extreme personality characteristics or perception of high physical stress levels in basic combat training.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1994

Evaluation of maternal serum immunoreactive inhibin as a first trimester marker of Down's syndrome.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Maternal serum immunoreactive inhibin has been shown to be significantly elevated in Down's affected pregnancies in the second trimester, suggesting that it may be useful in prenatal diagnosis. We have investigated whether it is similarly elevated in the first trimester. DESIGN: Stored maternal sera from women with Down's affected pregnancies and chromosomally normal control pregnancies were retrieved for analysis. These sera had been collected prospectively at either 11 or 12 weeks gestation as a routine antenatal booking procedure. SUBJECTS: From records, 11 women were identified as having had a Down's pregnancy. For each of these, 4 controls matched for gestation and duration-of-storage were also identified. MEASUREMENTS: Two different inhibin immunoassays were evaluated, one using an antibody raised against 31 kDa bovine inhibin and the other, a commercial two-site assay, using two antibodies directed against two distinct alpha-subunit epitopes. RESULTS: Neither assay detected a significant effect of gestation on serum inhibin levels. After combining the data from both gestations, no significant difference between the Down's samples and controls for either assay was detected. However, analysis of the data for each gestation separately revealed that one assay detected a significant difference in inhibin levels between Down's affected and unaffected pregnancies at 11 weeks gestation (mean +/- SEM 3186 +/- 195 vs 2020 +/- 172 ng/l, P < 0.01) but not at 12 weeks. The other, commercial, assay did not detect a significant difference at either gestation. In addition, there was poor association between the results of the two assays. CONCLUSIONS: These data suggest that immunoreactive inhibin, as detected by these assays, will not be useful as a late first trimester marker for Down's syndrome and also that these two assays detect different inhibin species in pregnancy serum.

Adult↗
PubMed1994

Acyclovir resistant varicella zoster and HIV infection.

A child infected with HIV who developed chronic varicella zoster virus infection resistant to acyclovir is presented. The clinical course of the infection, treatment, virological investigations, and relationship of the infection to the child's immunodeficient state are discussed.

AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections↗
PubMed1994

Brain injury: personality, psychopathology and neuropsychology.

This study investigated the relationship between brain injury and personality, using the Luria-Nebraska Neuropsychological Battery and the Clinical Analysis Questionnaire as measurement tools. Psychopathological factors, as opposed to normal personality traits, were highly correlated with measures of brain injury. Depression, in particular, was found to be substantially involved in the sequelae of brain injury for this sample. A trend in the data revealed that suicidal depression and anxious depression were differentially related to deficits on two scales of the LNNB. Patients with evidence of suicidal depression were also more sensitive to emotional dysfunction in other areas. Few differences were found between patients with traumatic brain injury and those with other types of brain injuries. Results suggest that measures of psychopathology can provide important supplementary information to neuropsychological assessment, above that obtained from measures of brain functioning alone. Controlled studies should investigate the relationship between psychopathology and neuropsychology more thoroughly to provide clearer determinations of its involvement in the rehabilitation of the brain-injured person.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1994

Weaning from mechanical ventilation: concept development.

This article, the first in a series, is written to clarify the process of weaning from mechanical ventilation and to promote the development of a common language for understanding the complex weaning process. The Third National Study Group on Weaning From Mechanical Ventilation proposes a conceptual model and definitions that will provide a framework for future research on this important topic. This conceptual framework describes the preweaning phase, the weaning process, and the outcome phase of mechanical ventilation. Potential outcomes are completion of weaning, lack of completion, and terminal weaning. The weaning decision continuum incorporates: (1) when and how to begin the weaning process, (2) how to select therapies to assist with difficult weaning and chart progress during weaning, and (3) when to stop weaning if progress is no longer being made. An inherent assumption of this model is that each patient will display unique responses to the weaning process. The proposed conceptual framework and definitions provide a foundation for developing clinical practice guidelines and for guiding future ventilator weaning research.

Decision Making↗
PubMed1993

Diagnosis of Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia in a population of HIV-positive drug users, with particular reference to sputum induction and fluorescent antibody techniques.

Between June 1990 and May 1991, 200 sputum inductions were examined by a fluorescent antibody test (FAT) for Pneumocystis carinii (PC). A total of 164 specimens were negative, 36 were positive and a further 20 inductions were unsuccessful. All patients with a positive result, seven of whom had normal chest X-rays and blood gas analyses, were treated for Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia (PCP) with symptomatic response. Two additional patients were diagnosed as PCP during the study period. No patient with a negative or unsuccessful result developed clinical PCP during that admission, although six did develop 10 episodes of PCP (FAT positive for PC on induced sputum samples) within 3 months of a negative result. Sputum induction was well tolerated by patients and not associated with adverse events. Sensitivity of FAT for PC was 95% and specificity was 100%. These results may in part be because most of the patients were injection drug users (IDUs) who often suffer from chronic productive cough, and also because sputum induction in all cases was supervised by an experienced physiotherapist.

Female↗
PubMed1992

The spectrum of chest infections in HIV positive patients in Edinburgh.

In a retrospective analysis of all known HIV-positive patients admitted to the City Hospital before November 1989, 208 patients accounted for 612 admissions, 72% being injection drug users (IDUs). One hundred and eighty admissions (29%) were for chest-related disorders, and this was the commonest reason for admission. Unlike other U.K. centres where more than 50% chest problems are due to Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia (PCP), only 27% of our chest admissions were for PCP. Fifty-four percent of chest admissions were for bacterial chest infections (BCIs), the commonest organism isolated being Haemophilus influenzae. Despite the fact that most (50/97) of these admissions were in patients with 'asymptomatic' HIV disease (CDC classification 2 and 3), 50% had radiological pneumonia, 43% were hypoxic, 28% were hypercapnic and the average duration of hospitalisation was 10 days. BCIs were more common in HIV-positive IDUs when compared with HIV-negative IDUs, other HIV-positive patients and the general age-matched population. Medical provision for IDU-related HIV disease should take into account the high rate of BCIs and of hospital admissions in patients who do not yet have CDC stage 4 disease.

Female↗
PubMed1992

Cloning and sequence of a beta-tubulin cDNA from Pneumocystis carinii: possible implications for drug therapy.

This work describes the isolation and characterization of a full-length cDNA clone encoding beta-tubulin from the pathogen Pneumocystis carinii. P. carinii contains a single gene encoding beta-tubulin. The complete sequence of this cDNA has been determined and its inferred amino acid sequence compared with the beta-tubulins from other organisms. This analysis augments the data indicating that P. carinii should be classified as a fungal organism. Further comparisons between the P. carinii beta-tubulin and those of fungal beta-tubulins resistant to benomyl, a beta-tubulin-binding drug, indicate a difference which may be exploited in the development of a new drug therapy for P. carinii pneumonitis. These results suggest that, theoretically, a drug presently administered for treatment of nematode worm infections may be an effective agent against P. carinii, without being toxic to the mammalian host. This possibility is currently being investigated.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1991

HIV-1 associated cognitive/motor complex in an injecting drug user.

The clinical and social consequences of AIDS dementia complex/HIV-1 associated cognitive/motor complex (ADC/HACC) in drug users have not been well documented. The value of prospective serial neuropsychological, neuroradiological and neurophysiological measurements to assist diagnosis of ADC/HACC in patients with premorbid personality disorder and intercurrent drug use is demonstrated. The psychosocial problems resulting from ADC/HACC with respect to community care and the location of hospitalization is considered. The relevance of the 1984 Mental Health Act (Scotland) with regard to drug users with ADC/HACC is discussed.

AIDS Dementia Complex↗
PubMed1991

The spirituality of dying. Pastoral care's holistic approach is crucial in hospice.

Attention to the spiritual dimension of a person is essential in a holistic approach to hospice care. Although other hospice team members may be involved in matters of faith with patients, chaplains are the primary professionals concerned with the transcendent nature of life and the integrative role that spirituality plays in care for the dying. Understanding spirituality in a person's living and dying requires an understanding of religion and theology. Religion is meant to connect us to a caring community and to give us a place on which to stand--a tradition. Theology is a search for meaning. Spirituality is "the life principle that pervades a person's entire being ... and generates a capacity for transcendent values." The body cannot be touched without the spirit's being affected, and vice versa. Efforts to help patients toward wholeness necessitate helping them accept freely their whole lives. The chaplain is not limited to nor bound by religious language. The needs of the patient should determine the use of prayer or God-talk. Listening is one of the greatest spiritual gifts a chaplain can give a suffering patient. Being a companion is often all the chaplain can do. Pastoral care personnel are also sensitive to the needs of the hospice staff. The chaplain does not so much fulfill a role as represent a perspective based on concern and solicitude for the whole person, the whole family unit, the whole staff.

Attitude to Death↗
PubMed1990

Medical manpower planning.

Since 1980, numerous articles have discussed impact analysis; in addition, the Ontario Hospital Association and the Ontario Medical Association are about to publish guidelines to assess the impact of additional physician manpower and instructions on various techniques to conduct such an analysis. However, little has been published on medical manpower planning at the hospital level, in spite of the fact that a medical manpower plan is at the core of a successful hospital strategic plan. This article presents a population-service-based model of a medical manpower plan and reviews its use at Peel Memorial Hospital.

Health Workforce↗
PubMed1990

Podiatric manifestations of AIDS.

Dermatologic, vascular, neurologic, and musculoskeletal complications are common among persons with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). These manifestations frequently involve the lower extremities and may be the initial presenting symptoms of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. It is important that practitioners of podiatric medicine be aware of these syndromes to facilitate early diagnosis of AIDS and to provide the best possible care for immunodeficient patients. The author provides a review of the manifestations of AIDS frequently encountered in podiatric practice, along with guidelines for treatment.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗
PubMed1990

Comparison between the counter-rotational toothbrush and multi-action toothbrush.

Previous studies have demonstrated that two types of powered toothbrushes (Interplak and Braun) are more effective than a manual toothbrush in the removal of bacterial plaque from tooth surfaces. The purpose of this study was to compare the effectiveness of the Interplak Home Plaque Removal Instrument (A) and the Braun Electric Toothbrush (B) on supragingival plaque removal and gingival bleeding following (1) one time instruction; (2) reinstruction and one week of home use; (3) a third instruction and three weeks of home use. The sample population for this study consisted of twelve subjects: six (6) were randomly assigned to use the Interplak, and the remaining six (6) were assigned to use the Braun. Subjects met specific qualification criteria to participate in this examiner-blind study. The Turesky Modification of the Quigley-Hein Plaque Index and an Objective-Subjective Gingival Abrasion Index were scored before and after brushing at the initial appointment, one week later, and at the final appointment in three weeks. A timed bleeding index (Barnett-Muhleman) and probing depths were recorded at the beginning of all three appointments. Subjects received instructions on the use of the assigned toothbrush in a clinical demonstration and in a printed format to take home. Subjects were then supervised in their brushing technique. Data was analyzed using a Wilcoxon Signed Rank Test and Analysis of Variance with Repeated Measures where appropriate. Although the number of patients was small, a statistically significant difference (p less than .05) in plaque scores between the groups was obtained in favor of the Interplak.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adult↗
PubMed1990

Pressure pain threshold evaluation of the effect of spinal manipulation in the treatment of chronic neck pain: a pilot study.

Nine subjects with chronic mechanical neck pain syndromes were evaluated for pressure pain threshold (PPT) over standardized tender points in the paraspinal area surrounding a manipulable spinal lesion. The subjects were then allocated randomly to an intervention consisting of either an oscillatory mobilization of the cervical spine (n = 4), which was designated as the control procedure, or a rotational manipulation of the cervical spine (n = 5). An assessor-blinded re-evaluation of the pressure pain threshold levels was conducted after 5 min. In the group receiving a manipulation the mean increases in pressure pain threshold ranged from 40-56% with an average of 45%. In the control group no change in any of the pressure pain thresholds was found. These results were analyzed using ANOVA and were found to be statistically significant (p less than 0.0001). This study confirms that manipulation can increase local paraspinal pain threshold levels. The use of the pressure pain threshold meter allows for the determination of such a beneficial effect in the deeper tissues.

Adult↗