PubMed Health⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

Susan George

Publications and source records attributed to Susan George.

11 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2006

The effect of early, intensive statin therapy on acute coronary syndrome: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

BACKGROUND: In addition to well-established secondary prevention benefits for atherosclerotic coronary artery disease, 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A (HMG-CoA) reductase inhibitors (statins) are hypothesized to have short-term benefit in acute coronary syndrome (ACS), yet the data are inconsistent, with some trials underpowered to demonstrate therapeutic benefit. Our objective was to determine the effects of early, intensive statin therapy for ACS. DATA SOURCES: Studies found in the PubMed, MEDLINE, EMBASE, BIOSIS, SciSearch, PASCAL, and International Pharmaceutical Abstracts (IPA) databases and the Cochrane Controlled Trials Register published between January 1974 and May 2006. STUDY SELECTION: Randomized controlled trials of statins begun within 14 days of hospitalization for ACS were included. DATA EXTRACTION: Two investigators independently abstracted study quality, characteristics, and outcomes. DATA SYNTHESIS: Thirteen randomized controlled trials published before May 2006 were available, involving 17 963 adults (median number of patients, 135; median follow-up, 6 months). Early, intensive statin therapy for ACS decreased the rate of death and cardiovascular events over 2 years of follow-up (hazard ratio, 0.81 [95% confidence interval, 0.77-0.87]) (Q(3) = 58.54; P<.001; I(2) = 95%). Survival curves revealed that this benefit begins to occur between 4 and 12 months, achieving statistical significance by 12 months. There was no evidence of publication bias, and sensitivity analyses did not identify a dominating study or study characteristic. CONCLUSIONS: Early, intensive statin therapy reduces death and cardiovascular events after 4 months of treatment. The validity of this finding would be strengthened by an analysis of individual patient data.

Humans↗
PubMed2004

Analysis and validation of a predictive model for growth and death of Aeromonas hydrophila under modified atmospheres at refrigeration temperatures.

Specific growth and death rates of Aeromonas hydrophila were measured in laboratory media under various combinations of temperature, pH, and percent CO(2) and O(2) in the atmosphere. Predictive models were developed from the data and validated by means of observations obtained from (i) seafood experiments set up for this purpose and (ii) the ComBase database (http://www.combase.cc; http://wyndmoor.arserrc.gov/combase/). Two main reasons were identified for the differences between the predicted and observed growth in food: they were the variability of the growth rates in food and the bias of the model predictions when applied to food environments. A statistical method is presented to quantitatively analyze these differences. The method was also used to extend the interpolation region of the model. In this extension, the concept of generalized Z values (C. Pin, G. García de Fernando, J. A. Ordóñez, and J. Baranyi, Food Microbiol. 18:539-545, 2001) played an important role. The extension depended partly on the density of the model-generating observations and partly on the accuracy of extrapolated predictions close to the boundary of the interpolation region. The boundary of the growth region of the organism was also estimated by means of experimental results for growth and death rates.

Aeromonas hydrophila↗
PubMed2002

Dmc1 fluorescent foci in prophase I nuclei of diploid, triploid and hybrid lilies.

We examined the distribution of meiotic epitopes for the Dmc1 protein of lilies in a normal diploid, a triploid, and in a diploid species-hybrid. The triploid has an extra chromosome set; all three sets align, but only two of the three axes intimately pair at a given location. Our findings with the triploid support the idea that retention of the foci until the pachytene stage requires a successful homology check and synaptonemal complex (SC) initiation; the number of foci in the triploid diminishes by approximately 30% from early zygotene to pachytene, and the triploid pachytene values are similar to the pachytene values of the diploid. The species-hybrid lacks chromosome homology, has reduced SC formation and few reciprocal genetic exchanges. In this species-hybrid the number of foci at early zygotene is similar to that in the normal diploid but is dramatically reduced by mid-zygotene. The extent to which the number of Dmc1 foci is reduced is similar to the extent that SC formation is reduced. In contrast the extent of the reduction in reciprocal genetic exchange in the species-hybrid is much greater than the reduction in the number of foci. We conclude that Dmc1 protein is involved in homology checking, but the impact of failure to find homology affects SC formation and reciprocal genetic exchange differentially.

Blotting, Western↗
PubMed2002

The effects of stimulant therapy, EEG biofeedback, and parenting style on the primary symptoms of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder.

One hundred children, ages 6-19, who were diagnosed with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), either inattentive or combined types, participated in a study examining the effects of Ritalin, EEG biofeedback, and parenting style on the primary symptoms of ADHD. All of the patients participated in a 1-year, multimodal, outpatient program that included Ritalin, parent counseling, and academic support at school (either a 504 Plan or an IEP). Fifty-one of the participants also received EEG biofeedback therapy. Posttreatment assessments were conducted both with and without stimulant therapy. Significant improvement was noted on the Test of Variables of Attention (TOVA; L. M. Greenberg, 1996) and the Attention Deficit Disorders Evaluation Scale (ADDES; S. B. McCarney, 1995) when participants were tested while using Ritalin. However, only those who had received EEG biofeedback sustained these gains when tested without Ritalin. The results of a Quantitative Electroencephalographic Scanning Process (QEEG-Scan; V. J. Monastra et al., 1999) revealed significant reduction in cortical slowing only in patients who had received EEG biofeedback. Behavioral measures indicated that parenting style exerted a significant moderating effect on the expression of behavioral symptoms at home but not at school.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1999

A Case of Ball Valve Thrombus.

Ball valve thrombus is a very rare cardiac pathological entity; most case reports are postmortem. It is always associated with a very tight rheumatic mitral stenosis. The antemortem diagnosis of ball valve thrombus has become easy with the advent of echocardiography and even easier with biplane or multiplane transesophageal echocardiography, including the three-dimensional acquisition of images. We present the case of a patient with a ball valve thrombus diagnosed during routine echocardiographic examination as a prelude to surgery.

Journal Article↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Sacroiliac joint dysfunction: evaluation and management.

UNLABELLED: Sacroiliac joint dysfunction is believed to be a significant source of low back and posterior pelvic pain. METHODS: To assess the clinical presentation, diagnostic testing, and treatment options for sacroiliac joint dysfunction, a systematic literature review was performed using MEDLINE. RESULTS: Presently, there are no widely accepted guidelines in the literature for the diagnosis and treatment of sacroiliac instability. Establishing management guidelines for this disorder has been complicated by the large spectrum of different etiologic factors, the variability of patient history and clinical symptoms, limited availability of objective testing, and incomplete understanding of the biomechanics of the sacroiliac joint. CONCLUSIONS: A reliable examination technique to identify the sacroiliac joint as a source of low back pain seems to be pain relief following a radiologically guided injection of a local anaesthetic into the sacroiliac joint. Most patients respond to non-operative treatment. Patients who do not respond to non-operative treatment should be considered for operative sacroiliac joint stabilization.

Humans↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Streptococcus agalactiae (Group B Streptococci) carriage in late pregnancy in Kuwait.

OBJECTIVES: This study investigated the vaginal colonization rate of Streptococcus agalactiae (group B streptococci, GBS) in an antenatal population in a maternity hospital. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Anal, vaginal and combined anal and vaginal specimens were obtained from 110 pregnant women (mean age 30.7 +/- 5.5 years) at 35-37 weeks of gestation, using a commercially prepared culturette, and transported in 0.5 ml of Stuart's transport medium. The specimens were then cultured in standard selective Todd-Hewitt broth medium, supplemented with gentamicin and nalidixic acid. After 36 h of incubation, the broth culture was subcultured onto sheep blood agar and incubated in 5% carbon dioxide for 18-24 h. Representative colonies morphologically resembling GBS were tested with latex agglutination kit. Each culture-positive woman was given ampicillin or piperacillin prophylactically and followed up through labour and postpartum. Detailed records of biodata, antecedent antenatal events and pregnancy outcome were reviewed. RESULTS: The combined vaginal and anal specimens were positive for GBS in 18 (16.4%) women. Gestational age at delivery was 39.01 +/- 1.79 weeks. The deliveries were uneventful and no neonate developed sepsis. Diabetes mellitus and pregnancy-induced hypertension/hypertension were detected antenatally in 16.6 and 11.5%, respectively. GBS carriage was not associated with adverse outcome of pregnancy. CONCLUSION: The colonization rate of GBS in pregnant women in Kuwait is high, and on the basis of the documented benefits of antenatal screening in Western countries, we recommend routine screening especially for our at-risk patients.

Adult↗