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Biomedical subjects

S P Deacon

Publications and source records attributed to S P Deacon.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1998

Respiratory symptoms and ventilatory performance in workers exposed to grain and grain based food dusts.

A health surveillance study of male grain food manufacturing workers used a respiratory health questionnaire and spirometry to assess the prevalence of work-related respiratory symptoms and impaired ventilatory performance. The prevalence of cough, breathlessness, wheeze and chest tightness was between 8-13% but was 20% for rhinitis. Rhinitis was the most common symptom with 37% of those reporting rhinitis describing this as work-related. A case-control analysis of workers reporting rhinitis did not identify any specific occupational activities associated with increased risk of rhinitis. Smoking habit and all respiratory symptoms apart from rhinitis had a significant effect upon ventilatory performance. Occupational exposure to raw grains, flour, ingredients and finished food was categorized as high, medium or low in either continuous or intermediate patterns. Multiple regression analysis confirmed the effects of height, age and smoking upon ventilatory performance. However, occupational exposure to grain, flour, food ingredients and cooked food dusts had no effect upon ventilatory performance. It is concluded that smoking habit is the major determinant of respiratory symptoms and impaired ventilatory function. The excess complaints of rhinitis warrant further study but it would appear that the current occupational exposure limits for grain, flour, food ingredients and cooked food dusts are adequate to protect workers against impairment of ventilatory performance.

Adult↗
PubMed1991

Screening for coronary risk factors in occupational health practice.

Screening for coronary risk factors (blood cholesterol greater than 5.2 mmol/l; body mass index greater than 25; blood pressure greater than 140/90 and positive smoking history) using nurse administered voluntary health assessments was studied in occupational health practice. A high employee participation rate (80.9 per cent) was achieved with few employees declining to attend, confirming the advantages of workplace based screening. Hypercholesterolaemia, overweight and smoking were the most prevalent risk factors. Men had higher rates than women as judged by independent or concomitant risk factor rates; 56.5 per cent of men were over ideal body weight, 40 per cent of men smoked, 35.7 per cent of men had two risk factors and 2 per cent of men had four risk factors. Blood cholesterol and blood pressure were shown to increase with increasing body weight. It is suggested that body weight reduction and smoking cessation are the preferred intervention strategies in occupational health practice.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1990

Medical kits for business travellers.

A survey of occupational physicians of the Food Industry Medical Officers Group was undertaken to establish details of medical kits supplied by their organizations to business travellers. The most common approach was an in-house medical kit with instructions emphasizing self treatment of the common ailments of travellers such as motion sickness, sleeplessness, diarrhoea, indigestion and headaches. The majority of kits included a small supply of needles, syringes, IV cannulae etc either in a commercial 'Aids Kit' or as inhouse supplies. Antimalarials were provided either as a standard kit item or as required. About half provided antibiotics for the self treatment of infections. Very few provided a telephone number for use in the event of medical emergencies. A standard medical kit specification is proposed.

Commerce↗
PubMed1982

A comparative clinical study of Adsorbed Tetanus Vaccine and Adult-type Tetanus-Diphtheria Vaccine.

A limited assessment of immunity to diphtheria revealed that only 44.8% of adults had protective levels (greater than 0.01 U/ml) of diphtheria antitoxin in their sera. In the light of this information, it was decided to assess the suitability of Adult-type Tetanus-Diphtheria Vaccine as a replacement for Adsorbed Tetanus Vaccine in occupational health schemes. A comparative study of these vaccines showed that a single dose of each produced an equivalent rate and level of tetanus antitoxin responses. Adult-type Td Vaccine elicited more than fourfold increases of diphtheria antitoxin in 76% of vaccinees. No statistically significant differences were observed in the clinical reactivity of the vaccines under test. However, the combined vaccine caused a slightly higher incidence of local reactions (pain, redness and swelling) while recipients of Adsorbed Tetanus Vaccine more frequently experienced pain.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1979

An audit of ENT referrals assessing training needs for general practice trainees.

Over 500 ENT diagnoses made by general practitioners when referring patients to one ENT department were examined and compared with the diagnoses by the specialist department. A broad grouping of the categories of referral was made and topics highlighted which seemed particularly appropriate for further postgraduate training for general practitioners.We believe the amount of postgraduate training in ENT currently available to trainees in the UK may be too low and ought to be increased and that this approach offers a logical starting point for constructing educational objectives for such training.

Diagnosis, Differential↗
PubMed1978

Money for old rope.

Explore the source record for details and available documents.

Education, Medical, Graduate↗
PubMed1978

The effects of atenolol and propranolol upon lipolysis.

1 The effects of selective and non-selective beta-adrenoceptor blockade upon plasma non-esterified fatty acid concentrations in the fasting state and following insulin stress have been studied in normal subjects. 2 Atenolol, propranolol and placebo were compared in a double-blind cross-over trial in eight normal subjects. 3 Atenolol and propranolol significantly lowered plasma non-esterified fatty acid concentrations by a similar degree in the fasting, non-stressed state. This finding suggests that beta1-adrenoceptors are involved in the control of basal lipolysis. 4 Following insulin-induced stress, lower plasma non-esterified fatty acid concentrations were observed with propranolol than with atenolol. This difference may be due to beta2-adrenoceptor involvement in the stress mechanisms controlling lipolysis, or to the differences in the water-lipid solubility properties of these drugs.

Adult↗
PubMed1977

Acebutolol, atenolol, and propranolol and metabolic responses to acute hypoglycaemia in diabetics.

In a double-blind crossover study the symptomatic and metabolic effects of propranolol, acebutolol, and atenolol were studied during insulin-induced hypoglycaemia in diabetics treated with diet or hypoglycaemic tablets. All the drugs prevented tachycardia, but did not affect the other symptoms of hypoglycaemia. Propranolol delayed the recovery of the blood glucose concentration and impaired the secondary rise in the concentrations of blood lactate and non-esterified fatty acids in diet-treated diabetics. Acebutolol potentiated the hypoglycaemic effect of insulin in tablet-treated diabetics (mean difference of blood glucose concentration 0.7 mmol/l (12.6 mg/100 ml)) and this difference was maintained during the recovery phase4 the blood lactate response was also impaired. Atenolol did not differ perceptibly from placebo in its effect on the metabolic responses to acute hypoglycaemia. The results may be explained by differences in the known pharmacological actions of these drugs. They support the hypothesis that beta-adrenoreceptor blocking drugs that are highly beta1 specific and without membrane-stabilising activity should be safer than the non-selective drugs when used in diabetic patients at risk from hypoglycaemia.

Acebutolol↗