Biomedical subjects

S Møller

Publications and source records attributed to S Møller.

129 records · Page 8Linked to original sources

PubMed1975

Bacterial flora of the normal conjunctiva. II. Methods of obtaining cultures.

The methods used for obtaining bacterial cultures from the normal conjunctiva were reviewed. A comparison was made between four methods; a) platinum loop, b)calcium alginate swab c) dry, and d) wet cotton wool swab, using agar (all methods) and serum-bouillon (methods b, c, d) as culture media. The comparisons were based on the isolation rate of Staphylococcus albus and corynebacteria. At the same time, four topical anaesthetics (benoxinate, tetracaine, proparacaine, cocaine) and one vital stain (tetrazolium - alcian blue mixture) instilled into the conjunctiva immediately before taking samples, were studied for their effects on the isolation rate of Staphylococcus albus and corynebacteria. For isolating Staphylococcus albus, method d was found to be superior to the others when the methods were used in the above mentioned order, and when agar was the only culture medium used. On the other hand, after instillation of the above mentioned eyedrops, causing the so-called "washing-out" effect (Fahmy et al. 1974), method a was found better than the others, providing the methods were used in the a-b-c-d order and when agar only was used. When considering the growth of Staphylococcus albus in serum boullion as well, methods b, c, and d were found equal in effect, but somewhat superior to a. Corynebacteria showed nearly the same isolation rate with all the methods before as well as after the instillation of eye drops.

Adolescent↗

PubMedDate not supplied

An extension of the continual reassessment methods using a preliminary up-and-down design in a dose finding study in cancer patients, in order to investigate a greater range of doses.

In a phase I clinical trial in cancer patients, the drug involved had one known main adverse effect, which also occurs spontaneously in cancer patients with a fairly high frequency. Experiments in rats have shown marked effects of the drug on tumour growth in high doses, but also dose-dependent toxicity. Consequently, the aim of the study was to determine a dose with a prespecified, acceptable rate of toxicity. As a traditional design could result in inaccurate conclusions, use of the continual reassessment method (CRM) was considered. Twelve dose levels were chosen, allocating to the first patient the lowest, but safe, dose. It is likely that the target dose is far above that, and that CRM then would escalate too fast, skipping certain levels. To ensure that all dose levels inferior to the target dose were tried, some combined methods were proposed: (1) an extension of the design, combining the CRM with a preliminary up-and-down design in order to reach the neighbourhood of the target dose during a successive escalation, and (2) a restriction on the CRM of never escalate more than a single dose level. Simulations showed the extended CRM to be superior by making it possible to investigate a greater range of doses using fewer patients, and to provide more accurate estimates.

Antineoplastic Agents↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Increased prognostic value of combined myocardial perfusion imaging and exercise electrocardiography in patients with coronary artery disease.

BACKGROUND: Myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI) with technetium-99m-labeled sestamibi and exercise electrocardiography (EECG) are widely used for risk stratification of patients with known or suspected coronary artery disease (CAD). However, no large-scale studies have addressed the prognostic power of the combined information from these diagnostic tools. METHODS AND RESULTS: We studied 697 consecutive patients who underwent a 2-day Tc-99m sestamibi cardiac perfusion imaging protocol. The EECG was performed on a bicycle ergometer by symptom-limited exercise. Causes of death were obtained from death certificates. Univariate survival analyses were performed with a Kaplan-Meier estimate and a corresponding log-rank test. A multivariate Cox proportional hazards model was applied to test for potential predictor covariates obtained from hospital records. The predominant risk factors of cardiac death were fixed perfusion defects (relative risk, 2.55; range, 1.43 to 4.55) and an impaired circulatory exercise response (relative risk, 3.26; range, 1.74 to 6.08). The major prognostic information of MPI was the ability to detect patients with a definitively low risk. Patients with impaired circulatory response to exercise test and fixed perfusion defects were at a very high risk. CONCLUSION: The combined results of MPI and EECG provide substantial information on the long-term risk of cardiac death in patients with suspected CAD.

Coronary Circulation↗