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Biomedical subjects

S C Russell

Publications and source records attributed to S C Russell.

5 recordsLinked to original sources

The photosensitivity dermatitis and actinic reticuloid syndrome (chronic actinic dermatitis) occurring in seven young atopic dermatitis patients.

Seven young patients with atopic dermatitis (AD) who presented with a marked photoexposed site dermatitis have been investigated in detail. The results of phototesting, patch testing and other investigations were compatible with the diagnosis of photosensitivity dermatitis/actinic reticuloid syndrome (PD/AR) (chronic actinic dermatitis). It is known that AD patients may have photoaggravation of their dermatitis or exacerbation secondary to a photodermatosis, such as polymorphic light eruption, actinic prurigo or drug-induced phototoxicity. The patients we describe, however, appear to be an uncommon AD subgroup affected by PD/AR. We recommend that all AD patients who have a history of sunlight-induced exacerbation or marked intolerance of PUVA or ultraviolet B phototherapy should have phototesting and patch testing conducted.

Adult↗

A risk-benefit assessment of topical percutaneous local anaesthetics in children.

Since its introduction, eutectic lidocaine-prilocaine cream ('EMLA')1 has been found to be an effective topical anaesthetic agent, with a high degree of efficacy, particularly for venepuncture and venous cannulation, and an impressive tolerability profile. Reports of adverse effects are remarkable for their rarity. The only problems that are likely to be encountered are oral ingestion of the cream (which may lead to anaesthesia of the oropharynx and possible toxicity secondary to rapid absorption of local anaesthetic from oral mucous membranes) and methaemoglobinaemia following repeated applications in neonates and infants. Analysis of the risks and benefits associated with its use comes down heavily in favour of the preparation. More recently, a preparation of tetracaine (amethocaine) has been marketed as a gel. Its advantages are a faster onset, and longer duration, of action than 'EMLA'. Although less widely used, it too has an impressive tolerability record. Concerns over the potential for anaphylactic type reactions due to its ester structure have not been realised in clinical practice. Of the other available preparations, lidocaine (lignocaine), applied iontophoretically, is unlikely to become popular because of the complexity of administration. A paste made of tetracaine, epinephrine (adrenaline) and cocaine (TAC) appears to be a far more toxic preparation on theoretical grounds, and this has been borne out in clinical practice; it is not as well tolerated as 'EMLA' or tetracaine gel. Ethyl chloride, although not a local anaesthetic, can safely provide cutaneous analgesia in children in circumstances when it is impractical to wait for a local anaesthetic preparation to take effect.

Administration, Cutaneous↗

Syntactic decoding times of learning disabled children.

Syntactic decoding reaction times of 20 learning disabled children comprising two groups of subjects (mean age of 8 and 13 yr., respectively) were compared to the responses of normal controls matched for age and sex. An analysis of variance procedure showed that the learning disabled children and their normal peers did not differ significantly in responses to the experimental stimuli. This held true regardless of linguistic complexity, suggesting that delays in processing elementary syntactic constructions are not a concomitant of learning disabilities.

Adolescent↗