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Biomedical subjects

S Macleod

Publications and source records attributed to S Macleod.

9 recordsLinked to original sources

Serious neurological disorders in children with chronic headache.

AIMS: To determine the prevalence of serious neurological disorders among children with chronic headache. METHODS: All children presenting to a specialist headache clinic over seven years with headache as their main complaint were assessed by clinical history, physical and neurological examination, neuroimaging where indicated, and by follow up using prospective headache diaries. RESULTS: A total of 815 children and adolescents (1.25-18.75 years of age, mean 10.8 years (SD 2.9); 432 male) were assessed. Mean duration of headache was 21.2 months (SD 21.2). Neuroimaging (brain CT or MRI) was carried out on 142 (17.5%) children. The vast majority of patients had idiopathic headache (migraine, tension, or unclassified headaches). Fifty one children (6.3%) had other chronic neurological disorders that were unrelated to the headache. The headache in three children (0.37%, 95% CI 0.08% to 1.1%) was related to active intracranial pathology which was predictable on clinical findings in two children but was unexpected until a later stage in one child (0.12%, 95% CI 0.006% to 0.68%). CONCLUSIONS: Chronic headache in childhood is rarely due to serious intracranial pathology. Careful history and thorough clinical examination will identify most patients with serious underlying brain abnormalities. Change in headache symptomatology or personality change should lower the threshold for imaging.

Adolescent↗

Nasal/buccal midazolam use in the community.

A telephone survey was carried out to evaluate the effectiveness and convenience of nasal/buccal midazolam in terminating prolonged seizures in the community. A total of 33/40 (83%) families who had used it found it effective and easy to use; 20/24 (83%) preferred using midazolam to rectal diazepam.

Administration, Buccal↗

Fish hook injury to the eyelid - an unusual case.

Fishing is recreational activity enjoyed by millions of people worldwide. Although uncommon in developing countries it is a popular pastime in the Western world. and, given this popularity, a number of associated personal injuries are probably inevitable. We report a case of fish hook injury to the eyelid and discuss the various techniques available for removal of fish hooks. The terminologies associated with various parts of the fish hook are also illustrated.

Eye Foreign Bodies↗

History of sexual abuse in incarcerated adolescents with gonorrhea or syphilis.

From July 1983 to June 1984, 2521 adolescents were medically screened at entry into a detention facility in New York City. A medical history, physical examination, serology for syphilis, and culture for gonorrhea were obtained from each entrant. A retrospective chart review was conducted for 136 persons with gonorrhea and/or syphilis (79 boys and 57 girls) and 136 sex-matched infection-negative controls. Several characteristics were compared including age, age at first sexual intercourse, sexual abuse history, contraceptive use, and pregnancy status. Among infected cases, 8% of males and 32% of females reported a history of sexual abuse, whereas among controls, no males and 14% of females reported abuse. A history of sexual abuse was strongly associated with gonorrhea or syphilis (odds ratio = 3.4; 95% confidence intervals, 1.5-8.0). These data suggest an association between sexual abuse and subsequent high-risk sexual behavior manifested by a gonorrhea or syphilis infection.

Adolescent↗

Fentanyl-oxygen versus fentanyl-N2O/oxygen anaesthesia in children undergoing cardiac surgery.

Fentanyl-oxygen (fentanyl-O2) anaesthesia was compared to fentanyl-nitrous oxide/oxygen (fentanyl-N2O/O2) anaesthesia in 14 children undergoing cardiac surgery. Children were randomly assigned to one of the two techniques studied, with seven patients in each group. The mean age (mean +/- SE) was 3.9 +/- 0.75 years (0.5-8.25 years) and mean weight 14.7 +/- 2 kg (3.5-29.5 kg). Patients were premedicated with IM atropine 0.02 mg . kg-1 and morphine 0.2 mg . kg-1 1 hour preoperatively. They received a fentanyl bolus of 30 micrograms . kg-1 with a concomitant continuous infusion of 0.3 micrograms . kg-1 . min-1. Pancuronium 0.1 mg . kg-1 was administered immediately following the fentanyl bolus. Fifty per cent nitrous oxide was given with oxygen in one group and 100 per cent oxygen was administered to the other group. Fentanyl plasma concentrations were similar in the two groups at the various stages of surgery. There were no significant differences between the two treatment groups in systolic and diastolic blood pressure or in heart rate in response to induction, intubation, and incision. There was a significantly greater increase in systolic blood pressure after sternotomy in the fentanyl-O2 group. In addition, in six of seven patients receiving fentanyl-O2 there were events of sudden increase in blood pressure during various stages of surgery before the bypass, necessitating an additional fentanyl bolus or the addition of droperidol in four cases. Similar phenomena were not documented in the fentanyl-N2O/O2 group. Our studies suggest that fentanyl-O2 anaesthesia in the schedule described, in children undergoing elective cardiac surgery for Tetralogy of Fallot, A-V canal, and transposition of the great arteries, is not sufficient to prevent elevation in systolic blood pressure despite fentanyl plasma concentrations in excess of 20 ng X ml-1. The addition of nitrous oxide prevents this phenomenon.

Anesthesia, General↗

Thyroid function screening in psychiatric in-patients.

During a two-year biochemical screening for thyroid disease amongst 191 psychiatric admissions, 38 (20 per cent) had an abnormal result, 5 were hyperthyroid and 7 hypothyroid. Thyroid dysfunction was associated with female sex and affective psychosis, but not with age. During the three weeks before admission the patients with an abnormal result had been prescribed significantly more phenothiazines, antiparkinsonian drugs and lithium than the patients with normal thyroid function. Almost half of those with abnormal function were physically ill on admission. Despite these findings we concluded that in most patients thyroid dysfunction was not a major determinant of the psychiatric disturbance.

Adult↗

Gas chromatographic/mass spectrometric analysis of methylphenidate (ritalin) in serum.

A gas chromatographic/mass spectrometric (GG/MS) procedure for the determination of methylphenidate in 1 mL of serum or plasma is reported employing ethylphenidate as internal standard. A 50/50 (V/V) mixture of benzene and hexane is used to extract the methylphenidate and ethylphenidate from plasma. After evaporation of solvent the residue is redissolved in 50 microL hexane. Methyl- and ethylphenidate are then derivatized by the addition of 50 ML of trifluoroacetic anhydride and the TFA derivatives are injected into a quadrupole GC/MS for analysis. This method has a lower limit of sensitivity for methylphenidate of 2.0 micrograms/L. The between-day precision study yielded coefficients of variation of 10.4% and 14.8% at methylphenidate concentrations of 25.6 and 5.2 micrograms/L respectively. The assay has been used to investigate the pharmacokinetics of methylphenidate administered to 6 children for treatment of hyperkinesis. The study yielded ranges for volume of distribution, elimination half-life, and total body clearance of 5.0-6.8 L/kg, 1.6-2.7 hours, and 1.4-2.9 L/kg-hr respectively.

Adolescent↗