Biomedical subjects

S T Hill

Publications and source records attributed to S T Hill.

6 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed1997

A survey of pain during rehabilitation after acute spinal cord injury.

There has been little research on pain in the acute phase of spinal cord injury (SCI) rehabilitation. This study surveyed the pain experience and management strategies in such patients. The subjects consisted of inpatients who were undergoing rehabilitation following their acute injury, and were assessed regarding the presence and type of any pain upon admission to the rehabilitation ward, and reviewed weekly during their stay. They were reassessed on reporting any new pain. Pain intensity was recorded on a Visual Analogue Scale. The maximum intensity of pain during admission was compared to that at discharge. All interventions directed at pain management were documented. Patients were reviewed one year after discharge regarding current pain experience. Almost all of the patients (n = 23; 96%) experienced pain at some stage during their inpatient rehabilitation. Overall pain intensity for those patients with pain during inpatient admission decreased by the time of discharge. At the one year review however, pain intensity tended towards that seen on admission. The reasons for pain tending to increase after discharge were not apparent. Neuropathic and Myofascial Pain Syndrome (MPS) were the most common types of pain experienced. A combination of pharmacological, interventional, physical and psychological approaches were used in pain management. At one year review, neuropathic pain remained common while MPS and orthopaedic pain had decreased. Pain is a common and significant problem for many SCI patients and is a challenge for the treating team to manage.

Acute Disease↗

PubMed1994

Collection of semen from men in acute phase of spinal cord injury.

In chronic spinal cord injury, semen obtained by assisted ejaculation is usually abnormal. We have assessed electroejaculation early after injury in seven patients. There were no adverse effects. Initial samples contained few or no spermatozoa but as patients emerged from spinal shock, semen improved and five had specimens cryopreserved. Thereafter sperm motility and viability decreased towards the pattern of chronic spinal cord injury by day 16. Cryopreservation was not possible in one patient with many medical complications and another who started electroejaculation 15 days after injury. Semen storage within the first 2 weeks after spinal cord injury is recommended for future fertility treatment.

Acute Disease↗

PubMed1994

Assessments of laparoscopic-assisted vaginal hysterectomy.

STUDY OBJECTIVE: To assess laparoscopic-assisted vaginal hysterectomy (LAVH) by operative intervention, recovery time, morbidity, and patient satisfaction. DESIGN: A retrospective, cohort study conducted from 1990 to 1992. SETTING: Two community hospitals. PATIENTS: One hundred seventy-eight women thought to require abdominal hysterectomy. INTERVENTIONS: Three gynecologic surgeons performed the LAVHs. For each case, several features were tabulated and final pathologic diagnoses were recorded. Patient satisfaction was measured by survey. Data were divided into three time epochs, early, middle, and late, and the outcomes were compared. We also measured the impact of LAVH on th number of abdominal hysterectomies. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: The mean operative time was 119.4 minutes (SD 34.1 min). The mean uterine weight was 153.4 g (SD 100.3 g), and only 29 patients (16.3%) had no pathologic condition. The mean length of hospital stay was 1.3 days (SD 0.92 days) and diminished over the 2 years of the study. Mean hemoglobin decrement was 2.6 g (SD 1.2 g). Thirteen patients had complications other than febrile morbidity and seven had febrile morbidity, for an overall complication rate of 11.2% There were no significant differences in blood loss, complication rate, uterine weight, or operative time among the three epochs. One hundred thirty-two patients (73.0%) responded to the survey and expressed high satisfaction. The proportion of hysterectomies performed abdominally diminished over the course of the study. CONCLUSIONS: Morbidity associatd with LAVH was similar to that reported for vaginal hysterectomy. The lack of controls precludes knowing whether patient satisfaction was related to type of procedure. Randomized, controlled trials of women not considered candidates for vaginal hysterectomy are necessary to assess this procedure.

Adnexal Diseases↗

PubMed1994

A simple technique to prevent retrograde ejaculation during assisted ejaculation.

The aim of this study was to develop a technique which would prevent retrograde ejaculation in chronic spinal cord injured (SCI) patients undergoing vibration and electroejaculation procedures. A balloon catheter was used to tamponade the bladder neck in 12 patients who underwent 100 assisted ejaculation procedures. Antegrade ejaculations were collected on all occasions with no incidences of urine contamination and no sperm were seen in post ejaculatory urine. Silicone catheters had minimal effects on sperm motility and viability. All lubricant gels were found to adversely affect sperm quality and were not used.

Adult↗

PubMed1983

Blood ordering in obstetrics and gynecology: recommendations for the type and screen.

The number of units of blood preoperatively crossmatched to the number of units transfused was studied retrospectively in patients undergoing four common obstetric and gynecologic procedures. Associated medical problems and the timing of and reasons for transfusions were evaluated. Patients with risk factors associated with an increased incidence of required transfusion were identified. Based on these results, a type and screen method for preoperative blood ordering is recommended for most patients undergoing cesarean section, abdominal hysterectomy, and vaginal hysterectomy. Using this method, sera are preoperatively tested for unexpected antibodies and ABO/Rh typing is done. If the antibody screen is negative, crossmatching is not done. Should a transfusion be ordered, crossmatching can be done in 20 minutes, or type-specific blood can be available after a 15-second saline spin. Through application of the type and screen method, a substantial savings in money and laboratory personnel time can be expected without compromising patient care.

ABO Blood-Group System↗

PubMedDate not supplied

The ffect of early parent-infant contact on newborn body temperature.

To determine whether infants who are properly dried and wrapped can be held and warmed by parents in the delivery room without suffering a significant heat loss, temperatures of 100 infants were monitored with electronic thermometers after delivery; 50 were held by one or both parents and 50 were not held but immediately placed in a heated transporter. A two-tailed t test showed no significant differences between temperatures of the two groups.

Body Temperature↗