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Biomedical subjects

U Larsen

Publications and source records attributed to U Larsen.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1993

Postinfarction rupture of left ventricular free wall repaired with a glued-on pericardial patch. Case report.

In a 68-year-old man admitted in deep shock, prompt echocardiographic diagnosis of postinfarction left ventricular free wall rupture was followed by probably life-saving pericardiocentesis. At emergency surgery a 2 cm linear tear in the anterolateral wall of the left ventricle was successfully repaired with a glued-on pericardial patch, without infarctectomy or placement of sutures in the infarcted area.

Aged↗
PubMed1993

Hutterite fecundability by age and parity: strategies for frailty modeling of event histories.

Effective fecundability declines with age and parity. Furthermore, women differ in their effective fecundability: some women have persistently low or high monthly chances of live-birth conception. Estimates are presented concerning the magnitude of these effects in a natural-fertility population: 406 Hutterite women in North America who had 3,206 births, largely in the 1940s and 1950s. The estimates are based on models that incorporate the effects of persistent heterogeneity and that use the full information provided by multiple-spell duration data. In addition, hazards rather than probabilities are modeled, piecewise linear hazard functions are used, and age and parity effects are decomposed systematically. These methods permit the development of more elaborate models of changing fecundability and of heterogeneity in postpartum amenorrhea.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1992

Fertility differentials among the Ijo in southern Nigeria: does urban residence make a difference?

The paper tests some of the conflicting hypotheses regarding the effects of urban living and education on fertility by examining the fertility levels of women migrants--some educated, others not--to various urban centers in one Nigerian ethnic group. Of particular interest are the conditions under which the urban residents live and the concept of 'urban' is examined in this West African context. Research methodology consisted of a two-pronged approach and combined an intensive ethnographic study of the families in the rural home community and in one urban center with a demographic survey administered to a larger sample of the rural residents and urban migrants. Analysis indicates that the effect of education on fertility is more powerful than urban or rural residence. The importance of utilizing culturally appropriate categories in demographic research is discussed.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1991

Individual-level sterility: a new method of estimation with application to sub-Saharan Africa.

This paper extends work on measures of population proportions sterile to propose a new estimator of an individual woman's age at sterility and consequently her sterility status at given ages. Accuracy and reliability, examined in a simulation study, appear satisfactory. From World Fertility Survey data for five African countries, the proportions sterile by age estimated by the individual measure and by the population estimator are almost identical. Cameroon and Kenya show substantial variation in prevalence and incidence of sterility across ethnic groups and by number of marriages. Unexpectedly, the evidence suggests that sterility increased from 1960 on in Kenya and remained unchanged in Cameroon.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1990

The effects of monthly temperature fluctuations on mortality in the United States from 1921 to 1985.

The impact of short-term temperature fluctuations on mortality has been studied mainly on historical populations, thus providing a limited ability to generalize to contemporary conditions, which would be more useful in determining public health policies aimed at reducing mortality. Therefore, this study examined the effects of monthly temperature fluctuations on mortality in the United States from 1921 to 1985. Monthly data about mortality from the Vital Statistics and temperature from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the US Department of Agriculture Weather Bureau were used. Six states were selected to be studied (Massachusetts, Michigan, Washington, Utah, North Carolina, and Mississippi). The analysis was carried out using distributed lag models. The analysis showed that warmer than usual temperatures in July and August, and unusually cold temperatures from January to June are linked to higher mortality. From September to December unusually low temperatures are associated with higher mortality in most states, while temperature has no significant effect on mortality in June and September. In January and February mortality is especially affected by unusually cold weather in the southern states of Mississippi and North Carolina. For example, a one degree drop in the mean temperature in 1921 is associated with a more than 3.5% increase in the February crude death rate in Mississippi and North Carolina and a less than 1% increase in the four other states examined. Finally, in the months from January to March the relationship between monthly fluctuations in the crude death rate and temperature declined over time and became relatively weak by 1985.

Humans↗
PubMed1990

Codeine increases pain thresholds to copper vapor laser stimuli in extensive but not poor metabolizers of sparteine.

The analgesic efficacy and kinetics of a single oral dose of 75 mg codeine was investigated in 12 extensive metabolizers and 12 poor metabolizers of sparteine in a double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover study. The cosegregation of the O-demethylation of codeine to morphine with the sparteine oxidation polymorphism was confirmed. Hence morphine could not be detected in the plasma of any of the poor metabolizers, whereas detectable morphine plasma levels were found in 10 of 12 extensive metabolizers. Pain thresholds to laser stimuli were determined before drug intake and 90, 150, and 210 minutes after drug intake. Codeine significantly increased the pricking pain thresholds in the extensive metabolizers (p less than 0.05), whereas there were no significant changes in the poor metabolizers. No change in pain thresholds occurred with placebo in any of the two phenotypes. In the extensive metabolizers there was a significant positive correlation between the increase in pain threshold and plasma concentration of codeine. The study supports the hypothesis that morphine formation is essential for achievement of analgesia during codeine treatment.

Administration, Oral↗
PubMed1990

Codeine in analgesic doses does not depress respiration in patients with severe chronic obstructive lung disease.

Nineteen normocapnic patients with chronic obstructive lung disease participated in an open single dose safety study (part one) followed by a randomized double-blind cross-over study comparing two seven-days treatment periods of 1 g of paracetamol t.i.d. with 60 mg of codeine plus 1 g of paracetamol t.i.d., respectively (part two). In part one, continuous monitoring after a single dose of 2 g of paracetamol and 120 mg of codeine revealed no deterioration in the respiration and gas tensions. In part two, respiratory parameters and arterial gas tensions were recorded one hour after the last morning dose. PaCO2 increased insignificantly (0.05 less than P less than 0.10) by a median of 0.38 kPa during treatment with codeine and paracetamol compared to treatment with paracetamol alone. PaO2 decreased by 0.12 kPa (P greater than 0.10). There was no correlation between changes in PaCO2 and changes in PaO2. FVC, FEV1 and dyspnoea at rest were unchanged. Gastrointestinal side effects were reported significantly (P less than 0.02) more often during treatment with codeine plus paracetamol. There was no correlation between the plasma concentration of codeine or morphine and changes in respiratory parameters or adverse effects. The limitation for the short time clinical use of codeine as an analgesic to normocapnic patients with severe chronic obstructive lung disease in stable phase seem to be gastrointestinal side effects.

Acetaminophen↗
PubMed1989

Dietary outcome in obese patients treated with a gastroplasty program.

Dietary intake was recorded on 7-d food registers by 18 patients for 2 y after horizontal gastroplasty (GP) for morbid obesity. The aim was to evaluate diet compliance and nutritional safety. In accordance with prescriptions, frequency of meals increased and amounts of food decreased. Contrary to intentions, qualitative improvements were minor and transient resulting in a lasting fractional increase of patients with inadequate intakes of a wide range of nutrients. Protein malnutrition could not be detected from measurements of serum-albumin, plasma-prealbumin, or plasma retinol-binding globulin. Calcium was not included in the vitamin-mineral supplement and serum-Ca decreased. Despite thorough instruction, close follow-up, and gastrosurgery, there were no major qualitative dietary improvements. The study showed that bad compliance with an intended qualitative improvement of diet adds to the risks of being on a severely energy-restricted GP diet and increases the necessity for broad long-term supplements.

Adult↗
PubMed1989

Measuring sterility from incomplete birth histories.

In this article, methods are presented for measuring the level and age pattern of sterility from incomplete birth histories, such as those that can be collected in demographic surveys of women who may not yet have reached the end of their reproductive span. The characteristics of the methods are examined in a simulation study that demonstrates that estimates based on information about fertility subsequent to a given age are more robust to variations in reproductive determinants, sample size, and sampling variation than the other measures, which include the frequently employed length of the open birth interval. In an illustrative analysis of World Fertility Survey data from sub-Saharan Africa, sterility was found to be high in Cameroon, intermediate in Lesotho and Sudan, and low in Ghana and Kenya relative to an English historical population.

Adult↗
PubMed1988

Determinants of short-term fluctuations in nuptiality in Sweden, 1751-1913: application of multivariate ARIMA models.

"This study examines the determinants of short-term fluctuations in nuptiality in Sweden from 1751 to 1913, using ARIMA [Auto Regressive Integrated Moving-Average] models.... The following general patterns prevailed throughout the period 1751-1913: both better economic conditions (good harvests and lower rye prices) and higher mortality (leading to more remarriages, and enabling first marriages through inheritance) were followed by higher nuptiality. In addition, emigration of single persons after 1850 was inversely related to nuptiality." (SUMMARY IN FRE)

Agriculture↗
PubMed1986

Age and infertility.

Direct evidence on age patterns of infecundity and sterility cannot be obtained from contemporary populations because such large fractions of couples use contraception or have been sterilized. Instead, historical data are exploited to yield upper bounds applicable to contemporary populations on the proportions sterile at each age. Examination of recent changes in sexual behavior that may increase infecundity indicates that sexually transmitted infections, the prime candidate for hypothesized rises in infertility, are unlikely to have added to infecundity to any great extent. These results imply that a woman in a monogamous union faces only moderate increases in the probability of becoming sterile (or infecund) until her late thirties. Nevertheless, it appears that recent changes in reproductive behavior were guaranteed to result in the perception that infecundity is on the rise.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1984

Systematic within-person variation in the bioavailability of various drugs in healthy volunteers.

The relative bioavailability of 22 registered pharmaceutical specialities compared to one or more generic equivalents was investigated in 50 human volunteers using randomized cross-over trials. The data were reassessed with regard to individual behaviour in different experiments and with different drugs. The pharmacokinetic behaviour (Cmax, Tmax, and AUCo-t) of the volunteers exhibited consistent patterns, which were not attributable to chance. It is concluded that the cross-over design is necessary in conducting relative bioavailability studies.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Short-term fluctuations in death by cause, temperature, and income in the United States, 1930-1985.

Disclosures that this decade has had the five hottest years ever recorded globally raise concern that extreme temperatures might be associated with higher mortality. An analysis of fluctuations in annual case-specific deaths, seasonal temperatures, and annual income per capita in Massachusetts, Michigan, Washington, Utah, North Carolina, and Mississippi, 1930 to 1985, suggests that, on the contrary, a temperature increase throughout the year was associated with fewer deaths from all causes combined, including deaths from infectious diseases, heart diseases, cerebrovascular diseases, pneumonia, and influenza. An average temperature increase of one degree Fahrenheit was associated with a more than 2 per cent decline in deaths from pneumonia and influenza. The only category of deaths showing no significant association was death from malignant neoplasms. Compared to spring, summer, and fall temperature fluctuations, unusually cold winter temperatures had the strongest fatal effects, but only in North Carolina and Mississippi. The greatest cumulative temperature effects on mortality were found in the same two states. Controlling for annual fluctuations in income per capita did not influence the relationship between temperature and mortality. There was evidence suggesting that the level of wealth ameliorated the fatal effects of extreme temperatures. In conclusion, unusually warm weather was followed by fewer deaths; unusually cold weather, by more deaths.

Cause of Death↗
PubMedDate not supplied

The age pattern of fecundability: an analysis of French Canadian and Hutterite birth histories.

This paper analyzes the age pattern of effective fecundability from populations with no evidence of deliberate fertility control using a new convolution model of fecundability. The analysis is based on a sample of Hutterite birth histories from the mid-20th century, and birth histories of French Canadians from the 17th and 18th centuries. The main findings are as follows: 1) the level of effective fecundability is higher among the French Canadians compared to the Hutterites; 2) effective fecundability peaks at age 20 for the Hutterites, and in the early to mid-20s for the French Canadians; 3) Hutterite effective fecundability declines almost linearly from age 20 to 45, and French Canadian effective fecundability declines slowly from its peak to the early 30s, and more rapidly at older ages; and 4) the duration of postpartum amenorrhea is longer for the French Canadians than for the Hutterites. Because of the shorter periods of postpartum amenorrhea the Hutterites have about the same average number of children as the French Canadians, even though the French Canadians have higher effective fecundability.

Adolescent↗