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Biomedical subjects

S Field

Publications and source records attributed to S Field.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources

Evaluation of an integrated community antenatal clinic.

The obstetric outcome and experience of care of 96 pregnant women attending an integrated community antenatal clinic staffed by general practitioners, a community midwife and an obstetric accredited senior registrar were compared with those of 100 women receiving traditional shared antenatal care. The views of the women and their practitioners were sought; obstetric data were obtained from obstetric notes, hospital records and cooperation cards.Fewer women attending the community clinic suffered from hypertension than women receiving shared care. The women attending the clinic reported that it had a friendly, relaxed and personal atmosphere. They also reported less inconvenience and a shorter waiting time for the obstetrician than women receiving shared care. They received greater continuity of care from the obstetrician but less from the general practitioners and community midwives than the control women. There was greater satisfaction with communication with staff among women attending the clinic, with the exception of the midwife whose role was not sufficiently well delineated. Practitioners in the integrated scheme appreciated the close working arrangements but experienced an increase in administrative tasks.

Community Health Services↗

Should women carry their antenatal records?

A study of women's views on carrying their medical records during their pregnancy was conducted in Cambridge in 1982. Eighty eight women who were given their full records were compared with a control group of 83 women who carried the traditional cooperation card, both groups answering postal questionnaires about the advantages and disadvantages of carrying their respective records. Most women found advantages in carrying the complete record, although it was too large to carry for practical purposes. Both groups experienced difficulty in understanding what was written on their cards.

Attitude to Health↗

Fracture of the sella turcica: a report of three cases.

Fractures of the sella turcica are rare. Recognition of fractures in this area is very important as serious immediate and delayed neurological, endocrine and vascular complications may occur. Most of these patients will develop at least one cranial nerve palsy; a significant number will develop hypopituitarism and a few will develop local vascular abnormalities.

Adult↗

Womens' views on keeping fetal movement charts.

This study reports the views of 132 women on filling in fetal movement charts during pregnancy. All appeared to have received an adequate explanation of how to fill in the chart. Although just over half the sample of women were reassured by filling in the chart, 23% were worried by it and 16% made other unfavourable comments on its use. Analysis of the comments made suggests that women are probably not given an adequate explanation for the reasons for keeping a kick chart regularly, or of the possible importance of a reduction in fetal activity.

Attitude to Health↗

The erect abdominal radiograph in the acute abdomen: should its routine use be abandoned?

The value of erect and supine abdominal radiographs and erect chest radiographs was analysed prospectively in 102 consecutive patients admitted to hospital with acute abdominal symptoms. The radiographs were reported on initially by junior surgeons of the admitting team, special note being made of the value of the erect abdominal radiograph over the combination of the supine abdominal radiograph and erect chest radiograph. On the basis of information obtained from the erect abdominal radiograph alone no changes in patient management were recorded. A consultant radiologist reported on the same radiographs at a later date. In five cases the erect abdominal radiograph was thought to have contributed useful or additional information, although in four of these cases abnormal features were visible in the supine film. In three of the five cases important but subtle information was missed by junior surgeons. In five of the 102 patients information obtained from the erect abdominal radiograph was potentially misleading. The small yield of positive information, potentially misleading features, and lack of effect on surgical management suggest that the routine use of the erect abdominal radiograph in the acute abdomen should be abandoned.

Abdomen, Acute↗

Phosphorylation of a tropomyosin-like (30 KD) protein during platelet activation.

In this study, we have used the tumor promoter 12-o-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA), as well as its biologically inactive analogue 4 alpha-phorbol 12,13-didecanoate (4 alpha-PDD), to investigate platelet protein phosphorylation and its possible correlation with platelet activation. Our data show that TPA, but not 4 alpha-PDD, induces a preferential phosphorylation of a 30,000 dalton (30 KD) protein. This phosphoprotein is found to be physically associated with an actomyosin-containing platelet cytoskeleton complex. Further analysis using both standard two-dimensional gel electrophoresis and one-dimensional urea-SDS gel electrophoresis reveals that this 30 KD protein has several tropomyosin-like properties. Most importantly, the degree of TPA-induced phosphorylation of the 30 KD protein is directly proportional to the extent of platelet granule release and the shape change of the platelet, as well as to the degree of aggregation. We speculate that this phosphorylated tropomyosinlike protein may play a pivotal role in the regulation of actomyosin-mediated platelet contractility, which has been previously implicated in a variety of platelet functions.

Blood Platelets↗

Retrospective investigation of transfusion-related non-A, non-B viral hepatitis associated with M2 antigen.

A retrospective study of transfusion-related non-A, non-B viral hepatitis was conducted in seven patients. Findings showed that six recipients had been exposed to at least one unit of blood possessing a putative serological marker for non-A, non-B hepatitis, the M2 antigen or anti-M2IgM. The M2 markers were associated with non-A, non-B hepatitis that developed 3-7 weeks after transfusion. It sees increasingly probable that M2 markers may be useful for diagnosis and/or prevention of post-transfusion hepatitis.

Antigens, Viral↗

Respiratory muscle oxygen consumption estimated by the diaphragm pressure-time index.

The O2 consumption of the respiratory muscles (VO2resp), work of breathing, and the time integral of the transdiaphragmatic pressure (TTdi) were measured in four normal subjects breathing against inspiratory resistance. A total of 39 runs were performed at mean tidal transdiaphragmatic pressures (Pdi) ranging from 15 to 53 cmH2O, respiratory frequencies from 3.5 to 22 breaths/min, and inspiratory time durations (TI) from 32 to 76% of the total breath duration. Each run was maintained from 8 to 17 min and the above parameters were kept constant by the subject via visual feedback of Pdi and TI with an oscilloscope. Most of the runs (36 of 39) were performed at TTdi values below those known to produce respiratory muscle fatigue. We found a strong linear correlation between the VO2resp and the TTdi (r = 0.74, P less than 0.001) and a weaker correlation between VO2resp and W (r = 0.31, P less than 0.05). These data suggest that TTdi is a good estimator of VO2resp over a wide range of respiratory patterns during inspiratory resistance breathing. The high variability seen in respiratory muscle efficiency during resistive breathing may be due to W not being a good indicator of the energy consumed by the respiratory muscles.

Adult↗

Inspiratory muscle strength and body composition in patients receiving total parenteral nutrition therapy.

We examined the relationship between inspiratory muscle strength and body composition in 59 patients receiving total parenteral nutrition (TPN). Inspiratory muscle strength was assessed by measuring maximal inspiratory pressure (Pm) after a tidal expiration, with the patient supine and the nose occluded. Body composition was determined by multiple isotope dilution. Body cell mass (BCM) and extracellular mass were estimated by measuring total exchangeable potassium (Ke) and total exchangeable sodium (Nae), respectively; Nae/Ke, an index of the nutritional state, was calculated from these values. The effect of changes in muscle mass was evaluated in 29 of the patients by simultaneous determination of Pm and body composition, prior to and at 2-wk intervals during TPN therapy. The Pm was lower (mean +/- 1 SE:33.5 +/- 2.8 cm H2O) in malnourished patients than in those who were in the normal Nae/Ke range (45.3 +/- 4.8 cm H2O, p less than 0.05). Loss of strength was related to reduction in muscle mass because BCM was also reduced in malnourished patients (15.6 +/- 0.8 kg) when compared to those with normal Nae/Ke (19.3 +/- 0.9 kg), (p less than 0.05), and Pm was positively correlated with BCM (r = 0.27, p less than 0.01). Changes in BCM were accompanied by appropriate changes in Pm during the study period (r = 0.44, p less than 0.01); the majority (21 patients) showed improvement in both BCM and Pm.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Body Composition↗

Community antenatal care--a local study.

Views of 16 general practitioners and 14 midwives on "shared antenatal care" revealed local differences in organization, in policy, in the roles of the professionals involved, and in the level of communication and co-operation between them.

Community Health Services↗