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Biomedical subjects

S Rawlins

Publications and source records attributed to S Rawlins.

8 recordsLinked to original sources

Chloroquine for the treatment of uncomplicated malaria in Guyana.

At a public hospital in Georgetown, Guyana, 44 patients seeking treatment for symptomatic, slide-confirmed malaria were given standard chloroquine (CQ) therapy and followed for 28 days. The patients apparently had pure infections with Plasmodium falciparum (14), P. vivax (13) or P. malariae (one), or mixed infections either of P. falciparum and P. vivax (17) or of P. falciparum, P. malariae and P. vivax (two). Each received supervised treatment with 10 mg CQ base/kg on each of days 0 and 1, and 5 mg/kg on day 2. On the day of enrollment (day 0), the patients complained of fever (100%), headache (100%), malaise (94%), myalgia (79%), nausea (67%), vertigo (49%) and vomiting (33%). Many (39%) were ill enough to confine themselves to bed. On day 4, fewer of the subjects complained of fever (15%), headache (15%), malaise (6%), myalgia (21%), nausea (6%), vertigo (24%) or vomiting (0%) despite the relatively high (>48%) risk of therapeutic failure. The cumulative incidence of parasitological failure against P. falciparum was 15% at day 4, 33% at day 7 and 48% at day 14. All of the P. vivax and P. malariae infections cleared before day 4 and none recurred by day 7. Two infections with P. vivax recurred later (on day 14 or 28) but in the presence of less than adequate, whole-blood concentrations of CQ plus desethyl-chloroquine (i.e. <100 ng/ml). Taken together, the results indicate a high risk of therapeutic failure of CQ against P. falciparum but also indicate that resistance to CQ in P. vivax occurs infrequently in Guyana.

Adolescent↗

Guide to safe prescribing.

In this article, we examine the common errors in prescribing medications and analyze the steps clinicians can take to develop and maintain good prescribing habits. Advanced practice nurses are encouraged to develop a personal formulary by using reliable resources and to use this formulary to write error-free prescriptions.

Drug Prescriptions↗

A randomized, controlled trial of indinavir, zidovudine, and lamivudine in adults with advanced human immunodeficiency virus type 1 infection and prior antiretroviral therapy.

A randomized, double-blind, multicenter study of indinavir, zidovudine, and lamivudine was conducted in 320 adults with human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) infection, </=50 CD4 cells/mm3, and extensive prior zidovudine therapy. Patients received indinavir, 800 mg every 8 h; zidovudine, 200 mg every 8 h, and lamivudine, 150 mg twice daily; or all 3 drugs for 24 weeks. In an intention-to-treat analysis, proportions of patients with HIV-1 RNA <500 and <50 copies/mL, respectively, at week 24 were 56% and 45% in the indinavir-zidovudine-lamivudine group, 3% and 2% in the indinavir group, and 0% in the zidovudine-lamivudine group. Observed mean CD4 cell increases were 95, 78, and 6 cells/mm3 in the three-, one-, and two-drug arms, respectively. Regimens were generally well tolerated. Patients with advanced HIV-1 infection benefit from triple therapy with indinavir, zidovudine, and lamivudine, although the proportion with optimal response appeared to be lower in patients with low CD4 cell counts.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗

Absence of impact of aerial malathion treatment on Aedes aegypti during a dengue outbreak in Kingston, Jamaica.

During an outbreak of dengue fever in Jamaica from October to December 1995, a study was carried out to determine the impact of aerial ultra-low volume malathion treatment on adult Aedes aegypti. This was done by monitoring oviposition rates of the vector in three urban communities in Kingston and by exposing caged mosquitoes both directly and indirectly to the aerial malathion treatment. The insecticide was delivered at a rate of 219 mL/ha between 7:10 a.m. and 8:45 a.m. The results of the study clearly showed that the insecticide application was ineffective in interfering with Aedes aegypti oviposition, and adult mosquitoes held in cages inside dwellings were largely unaffected. Consequently, this type of intervention seemed to have little significant impact in arresting or abating dengue transmission.

Aedes↗

Community participation in dengue prevention and control: a survey of knowledge, attitudes, and practice in Trinidad and Tobago.

The priorities of public health planners are often at variance with the community's own environmental sanitation priorities and perspectives. Public opinion about individual, collective, and governmental responsibilities in addressing these issues and priorities is of particular importance when designing community-based programs. In a study conducted in Trinidad and Tobago on knowledge, attitudes, and practice regarding dengue, its prevention and control, a high level of awareness about dengue and its etiology was evident, but there was poor understanding of the symptoms and hence little concern about the health risks associated with it. The most important household pest problem identified by the respondents was related to mosquito nuisance, particularly from night-biting mosquitoes. Rodents were also a major concern perceived as being responsible for economic losses, ruined food, and a health hazard. Unreliable water supply, a factor associated with Aedes aegypti abundance, was an environmental sanitation issue of major importance to householders in rural areas. No correlation was found between knowledge of dengue and levels of Ae. aegypti abundance as measured by larval surveys of the respondents' premises. The study gave a clear indication of the need for broad-based environmental sanitation strategies when planning community-based vector control initiatives for the prevention and control of dengue in Trinidad and Tobago.

Aedes↗

Catechol-O-methyltransferase activity in erythrocytes of pregnant women with sickle cell disease before, during, and after transfusion and partial exchange transfusion.

In the present investigation we found that the catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) activity in erythrocytes of pregnant women with sickle cell disease was strikingly elevated compared with that in erythrocytes of men and pregnant and nonpregnant women. Moreover, the enzyme activity in erythrocytes remained high during and after transfusion or partial exchange transfusion even though the enzyme activity in donor cells was low. This finding is suggestive of the possibility that a factor(s) in plasma of persons with sickle cell disease activates erythrocyte COMT activity.

Anemia, Sickle Cell↗

Nonviral sexually transmitted infections.

In spite of having standard diagnostic methods and effective treatment regimens, nonviral sexually transmitted infections continue to cause significant morbidity and mortality. Nonviral infections are of special concern in young populations and have more serious consequences in women than in men. With perinatal exposure, newborns are at risk for both minor and major complications, including congenital anomalies, mental impairment, and death. To make an impact on the serious sequelae associated with these infections, nurses must recognize common signs and symptoms, select appropriate diagnostic tests, and rapidly initiate effective treatment. Appropriate emotional support and effective counseling are important components of infection management.

Aftercare↗