PubMed Health⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

T S West

Publications and source records attributed to T S West.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1984

Malignant ureteric obstruction relieved by dexamethasone.

A case is described where dexamethasone relieved tumour-induced ureteric obstruction with improvement in the biochemical abnormalities and clinical features of post-renal failure. Such intervention is not always appropriate but may be of great value in symptom control. Because of this and similar applications, corticosteroids are finding increasing favour in the palliative care of patients with advanced cancer.

Aged↗
PubMed1981

Soil as the source of trace elements.

The nature of the parent rock determines the trace element content of soils. Ultrabasic and basic rocks, which solidified first from the molten magma, incorporated bioessential trace elements such as Co, Ni, Zn and Cr by isomorphous replacement of Fe and Mg in ferromagnesian minerals, while acidic rocks, the last to solidify, tended to be richer in other elements such as Ba and Pb. Cu, Mn and, to a lesser extent, B, Mo and Se are more evenly distributed. The weathering of rocks by pedological and biological processes such as glacial and hydrodynamic comminution, secretion of acids and liganding species by microbes and plants leads to the formation of sands, silts and clays, and finally the incorporation of organic matter causes humification and the formation of soils as we know them. Part of the soil's store of bioessential elements is held in forms that are available to plants. Availability is controlled by the forms of occurrence and the nature of binding of the trace elements in the soil, which in turn is affected by soil acidity, redox balance (drainage) and organic matter content. These and other factors are discussed along with measures for alleviation of deficiency problems. Future progress in this area will depend to a large extent on interdisciplinary research by biologists, chemists, physicists and statisticians.

Agriculture↗
PubMed1977

Drug control of common symptoms in the terminally ill patient.

St Christophers' Hospice near London is now internationally known as a special centre for the care of terminally ill patients. In these cases, the relief of symptoms is paramount, and prominent among those symptoms is pain. Such pain can almost always be relieved without euphoria or lessening of consciousness. More than 60% of patients admitted to St Christopher's complain of pain, and the scheme of management outlined below results in substantial or complete relief of pain in all of them. Addiction does not occur when control of the patient's pain is part of the pattern of total care. The author considers management of pain of varying severity, together with associated symptoms such as vomiting, anorexia, dry mouth and hiccup, dyspnoea, cough, anxiety and depression, insomnia, constipation and diarrhoea.

Analgesics↗