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Biomedical subjects

S Bush

Publications and source records attributed to S Bush.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Intermanual differences in performing a visuoconstructional task.

OBJECTIVE: To examine intermanual differences in performing a clinical, visuoconstructional task. While many examiners have their hemiparetic patients complete visuospatial tasks with their nondominant hand, normative data have only been available based on dominant hand performance. This study sought to determine normal differences in intermanual visuoconstructional performance. DESIGN: A group of individuals with no history of neurologic disorder completed a visuoconstruction task with their dominant and nondominant hands. Intermanual differences were compared. SETTING: General metropolitan community. PARTICIPANTS: Forty-four individuals with no history of psychiatric, neurologic, visual, or motor impairment. Mean age was 29 years. Mean education level was 16 years. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: Free-drawn clock drawings. RESULTS: The intermanual difference was not significant (t(43) = 1.95, p = .06). Ninety-three percent scored within normal limits with their nondominant hand. CONCLUSIONS: Use of the nondominant hand for clock drawing appears to be a reasonable alternative for those who are unable to use their dominant hand.

Adolescent↗

Anterior jugular venous aneurysm.

An anterior jugular venous aneurysm in a 4-year-old boy is described. Noninvasive radiology confirmed the diagnosis and excluded any deeper cervical venous malformation. Surgical excision was uncomplicated. Whilst the internal jugular vein is the commonest site of a venous aneurysm, recognition that the anterior jugular vein can be affected in isolation may help to avoid diagnostic confusion. A unifying concept of pathogenesis is suggested.

Aneurysm↗

Future orientation and life expectations of adolescents and young adults with thalassemia major.

Until recently, Thalassemia Major was considered a fatal disease and patients did not usually live into adulthood. Advances in the medical management of the disease have greatly increased the life expectancy of these patients. The present study aims to evaluate the future orientation and other aspects of psychosocial functioning of thalassemics compared to healthy controls. Thirty patients and 33 healthy subjects of similar age, ethnicity, education, and geographic area were compared on measures of future expectations, perceived social support, life orientation, health locus of control and hopelessness. Results show no significant differences between thalassemics and controls on all measures except for higher levels of internal health locus of control among the patient group. Results and implications of perceptions of thalassemics' future orientation relevant to patient care are discussed.

Adolescent↗

Mojave rattlesnake envenomation in southern California: a review of suspected cases.

To clarify whether Mojave rattlesnake (Crotalus scutulatus scutulatus) envenomations occurring in California cause typical crotalid tissue effects, pain, edema, and ecchymosis, we reviewed charts of snakebite victims at a tertiary care teaching hospital and a moderate-size community hospital. Forty-two patients were bitten within the range of Mojave rattlesnakes. Eight snakes were identified as Mojave rattlesnakes (group 1); of these, four were confirmed by experts in snake identification (group 1a). Fifteen patients were reported bitten by other rattlesnake species (group 2), and in 19 envenomations the species was unknown (group 3). Seventy-five percent of patients in group 1 were reported to have local edema at the envenomation site compared with all of the patients in group 2. Ecchymosis was found in 25% of group 1 patients and 73% of group 2 patients. Pain was documented in only 12% of group 1 and 67% of group 2 victims. Neurotropic events, many severe, were found in 75% of group 1 patients compared with 7% of those in group 2. Although this study does not have the power to justify statistical evaluation, C. scutulatus envenomations do appear inclined to less tissue reaction. A disturbing trend toward severe neurotropic manifestations was also suggested in presumed Mojave rattlesnake envenomations.

Adolescent↗

Diaspirin crosslinked hemoglobin (DCLHb): bioanalytical studies in swine.

These studies were a part of preclinical safety and efficacy studies of DCLHb. Their purpose was to analyze the characteristics of DCLHb during circulation, and the distribution of iron following the administration of DLCHb to swine. Swine were dosed (2 g/kg) with 10 g/dL DCLHb, infused intravenously at a rate of 1 mL/kg/min. Blood samples were collected up to 48 hours post-infusion for analysis. Tissue samples were obtained for iron determination. The data collected showed that the concentration of DCLHb in the plasma gradually decreased, while the concentration of methemoglobin remained low and essentially constant. The oxygen binding characteristics and stability of the crosslink were preserved following infusion, indicating that the DCLHb continued to function as an effective oxygen carrier. Iron concentrations in the liver and kidneys increased as expected, but plasma levels of iron did not saturate the iron binding capacity of transferrin, inferring a controlled process for the release of iron.

Animals↗

Physicians speak out on reform concerns.

Physicians have taken an aggressive role testifying at hearings on a health care reform plan proposed late last year by the governor's Economic Development Partnership (EDP). The State Society has offered substantial support to those physicians and closely monitored each event. This article briefly overviews the proposed plan and includes excerpted testimonies submitted to the EDP by four concerned physicians.

Attitude of Health Personnel↗

Transperineal percutaneous iridium-192 interstitial template implant of the prostate: results and complications in 321 patients.

A total of 321 patients with localized adenocarcinoma of the prostate treated by modified pelvic lymphadenectomy, Iridium-192 implant, and external beam iridium radiation were retrospectively reviewed. Analysis covered 8 years between 1981 and 1989 with a median population age of 72 (range 42 through 82 years). Disease-free survival for the entire group is 69% at 5 years with a median follow-up of 34 months (range 1.5 months to 98.5 months). As expected, both bulkier disease and positive nodal status adversely affected 5-year disease-free survival (p = 0.0001 for both). For tumors stage T1b (A2), T2a (B1), T2b (B2), T3 (C) the disease-free survival is 89.5%, 89.9%, 64.7%, and 48.8%, respectively; for NO disease 5-year disease-free survival is 76.5% versus N1/N2 disease with 5-year disease-free survival of 33.2%. Local control was excellent except for bulkier disease (p = 0.009). Tumors T1b, T2a, T2b, and T3 have 60-month local control rates of 95%, 93%, 83.6%, and 73.1%, respectively. Histologic grade also affected disease-free survival and local control with grade 1, grade 2, grade 3 showing 81.2%, 65.7%, and 45.1% disease-free survival at 5 years; and 93.6%, 82.2%, and 72.4% local control at 5 years. Estimates obtained using Kaplan-Meier method. Radiation induced morbidity was analyzed separately for all patients, there were 41 patients (13% of total) with 54 documented complications. There were no Grade 4 or 5 complications as per RTOG categories. Only 3 cases showed grade 3 complications (1%) and 51 cases showed grade 2 complications (15.9%). Grade 1 complications were not recorded. Of the grade 2 and grade 3 complications 30 were GU and 22 were rectal. The morbidity associated with combined interstitial implantation by transperineal percutaneous template and external beam iridium radiation for the localized prostate cancer is minimal with excellent local control and disease-free survival.

Adenocarcinoma↗

Preparation and characterization of diaspirin cross-linked hemoglobin solutions for preclinical studies.

During 1990 and 1991 the capability for repetitive, consecutive production of DCLHb solution to meet a rigorous and complete set of product criteria was demonstrated. In addition, through periodic monitoring of product stored under controlled conditions, the stability of all lots of DCLHb solution during frozen storage was demonstrated for more than a year. In this way, assurance was provided that the DCLHb solution used in preclinical testing met all product criteria throughout the biological testing period.

Aspirin↗

Iatrogenesis in the elderly. Drug-related problems.

Drug reactions are generally related to the influence of age, toxicity, side effects, immunologic reactions, idiosyncratic reactions, drug-drug interactions, and drug-disease interactions. In addition to age-related changes, the elderly are susceptible to the incidence of adverse drug reactions because of polypharmacy, incorrect self-administration of drugs, omission of drugs, taking another's prescriptions, use of over-the-counter drugs, and medication errors by health-care personnel. To prevent or predict adverse drug reactions, the gerontologic nurse can obtain thorough drug histories, educate clients and health-care providers, use nursing measures to alleviate symptoms, and be astute for the potential for problems through drug review.

Aged↗

Music during learning of a tactual-spatial task affects later response generalization.

Equal numbers of men and women learned a finger maze, with half of the subjects initially using their right hands and the other half using their left hands. To reach criterion, subjects receiving music in the ear ipsilateral to the hand used required more trials than did those receiving no music. Furthermore, when the right hand ran the maze, music played to the ipsilateral ear also delayed learning, compared with music played contralaterally. Binaural music delayed learning when the left hand was used but not when the right hand was used. Possible causes of these effects are suggested. When subjects switched hands and relearned the maze, the number of trials to criterion depended on the group subjects were in during initial learning and not on the group they were in during the hand reversal (response generalization) trials. Although the music condition used determined the effect of music on initial learning and on response generalization, some evidence is presented that indicates that the two effects are not entirely interdependent and that they may even involve different mechanisms.

Adult↗

Functional hyposplenia after splenic irradiation for Hodgkin's disease.

We previously reported a patients who developed fulminant pneumococcal sepsis 12 years after successful treatment for Hodgkin's disease, which included splenic irradiation. We have since evaluated splenic size and function in 25 patients who had received splenic irradiation 5 to 16 years previously either for Hodgkin's disease (n = 19) or non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (n = 6). Mean maximum splenic diameter as measured on a 99mTc-sulfur colloid liver-spleen scan was 6.2 cm in the irradiated group and 9.7 cm in a control group (p less than 0.001). The mean percentage of erythrocytes containing pits when observed with interference phase microscopy was 13.0% in the irradiated group, which was significantly different (p less than 0.001) from the levels found in each of the control groups: normal subjects, 0.9%; unstaged and untreated lymphoma patients, 0.6%; and patients after splenectomy, 33.7%. Patients who have had splenic irradiation should be considered at risk of developing overwhelming pneumococcal sepsis.

Adolescent↗

Ambulatory evaluation of nephrolithiasis. Classification, clinical presentation and diagnostic criteria.

Using the ambulatory protocol previously described, 241 patients with nephrolithiasis were evaluated. They could be categorized into 10 groups from the results obtained. Absorptive hypercalciuria type I (87 per cent male) comprised 24.5 per cent and was characterized by normocalcemia, normal fasting urinary calcium (less than 0.11 mg/100 ml glomerular filtration), an exaggerated urinary calcium following an oral calcium load (greater than 0.20 mg/mg creatinine), normal urinary cyclic adenosine monophosphate (AMP) (less than 5.4 nmol/100 ml glomerular filtration) and serum parathyroid hormone (PTH), and hypercalciuria (greater than 200 mg/day during a calcium- and sodium-restricted diet). Absorptive hypercalciuria type II (50 per cent male) accounted for 29.8 per cent; its biochemical features were the same as those for absorptive hypercalciuria type I, except for normocalciuria during a restricted diet and low urine volume (1.42 +/- 0.55 SD liter/day). Renal hypercalciuria (56 per cent male), disclosed in 8.3 per cent, was represented by normocalcemia and high values for fasting urinary calcium (0.160 +/- 0.054 mg/100 ml glomerular filtration), urinary cyclic AMP (6.80 +/- 2.10 nmol/100 ml glomerular filtration) and serum PTH. Primary hyperparathyroidism (57 per cent female), accounted for 5.8 per cent, typically included hypercalcemia, hypophosphatemia, hypercalciuria and high urinary cyclic AMP. Hyperuricosuric calcium urolithiasis (100 per cent male) comprised 8.7 per cent, and was characterized by hyperuricosuria (776 +/- 164 mg/day) and urinary pH exceeding pK for uric acid (5.91 +/- 0.33). In enteric hyperoxaluria (60 per cent female), encountered in 2.1 per cent of cases, urinary oxalate was increased (6.29 +/- 13.2 mg/day). Noncalcium-containing stones were found in 2.1 per cent of the patients with uric acid lithiasis (100 per cent male) and in another 2.1 per cent of the patients with infection lithiasis (60 per cent female). These conditions were typified by low urinary pH (5.29 +/- 0.12) and high urinary pH (6.69 +/- 1.16), respectively. Renal tubular acidosis was found in one patient (male, 0.4 per cent). In 10.8 per cent of the patients (81 per cent male), no metabolic abnormality could be found, although urine volume was low (1.41 +/- 0.51 liter/day). Hypercalciuria could not be differentiated between absorptive hypercalciuria and renal hypercalciuria in 5.4 per cent of the patients. Thus, this ambulatory protocol disclosed a physiologic disturbance in nearly 90 per cent of the cases and provided a definitive diagnosis in 95 per cent of the patients.

Adult↗

Pi meson radiotherapy for advanced head and neck neoplasms: preliminary results.

Under the auspices of the University of New Mexico Cancer Research and Treatment Center, trials are under way at the Los Alamos Meson Physics Facility to evaluate the effects of pi meson irradiation on locally advanced human tumors. This paper summarizes the preliminary results in patients with locally advanced head and neck tumors treated under Phase 1 and Phase II studies. A total of 26 patients were treated between June 1977 and May 1979 with a minimum follow-up of 9 months and a maximum follow-up of 33 months. Sites of disease included the oropharynx in 10 cases (base of tongue in 7, tonsil in 2, and pharyngoepiglottic fold in 1), the supraglottic larynx in 4, the nasopharynx in 5, the oral cavity in 4, the hypopharynx in 2, and the sublingual salivary gland in 1. Twelve of the 26 patients are alive, and 10 survive with no evidence of disease. Doses employed ranged from a minimum of 1,000 peak pion rad in 7 fractions over 9 days to a maximum of 5,4000 peak pion rad in 51 fractions of 89 days. The minimum dose employed for any patients treated with peak pions alone was 3,000 rad. These data are analyzed according to dose, sit, histology, tumor response, local control, and survival. Results from these cases form the basis of the Phase III randomized trials for advanced squamous-cell carcinomas of the head and neck, which are currently in progress.

Carcinoma↗