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V Davies

Publications and source records attributed to V Davies.

8 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2005

Psychological outcome in women undergoing termination of pregnancy for ultrasound-detected fetal anomaly in the first and second trimesters: a pilot study.

OBJECTIVE: To ascertain and compare psychological morbidity following first- and second-trimester termination for fetal anomaly. METHODS: This was a cohort study of 30 women aged 20-40 years in a north London teaching hospital, 14 of whom had had a first-trimester termination and 16 a second-trimester termination for fetal anomaly. The main outcome measures were questionnaire data (General Health Questionnaire-28, Beck Depression Inventory, Perinatal Grief Scale, Impact of Event Scale (IES)) at 6 weeks, 6 months and 12 months after termination. RESULTS: There were high levels of psychological distress in both groups at each time point, and for the combined group the mean total scores on the IES remained above the cut-off for the entire study period. Those having second-trimester terminations had a significantly higher level of post-traumatic stress symptomatology 6 weeks after termination (14/16 vs. 6/14; odds ratio = 9.3; 95% CI, 1.5-57.7). CONCLUSIONS: Psychological morbidity following termination of pregnancy for fetal anomaly is prevalent and persistent. Our data suggest that in the short term (as assessed at a 6-week follow-up), second-trimester termination may be more stressful compared with first-trimester termination.

Abortion, Therapeutic↗
PubMed2005

An evaluation of the acute impact of pursed lips breathing on walking distance in nonspontaneous pursed lips breathing chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients.

This study was designed to test the effects of pursed lips breathing (PLB) during exercise in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) who did not spontaneously perform PLB. Sixty-nine COPD patients, mean FEV1 (SD) 1.09 (0.5), age 68 (51-83) were recruited to the study. They performed three incremental shuttle walk tests (ISWT). The first walk was designed to identify natural PLBs and the next two walks were performed in a random order; ISWT + PLB or ISWT whilst breathing normally. Measures of respiratory rate (RR), breathlessness and oxygen saturation were taken before and after walks. Data was analysed using the t-test. Fifteen patients demonstrated PLB on baseline ISWT and were therefore excluded from further walking tests although baseline data was included in the analysis. There was no significant difference between walks, mean (SD), 298.5 (173.7) PLB and non-PLB; 292.5 (161.9) nor any difference in dyspnoea. There was a significant reduction in end exercise RR and recovery time with PLB, mean difference (95% CI); 6.2 (4.5-7.9) and 24.9 (2.8-47.0) seconds, respectively. Patients who showed a good response with the PLB walk (41%) had significantly higher baseline breathlessness, Borg score, mean (SD), 1.5 (1.0) versus 0.74 (0.96) (P = 0.02). Natural PLB patients demonstrated lower exercise tolerance on the baseline walk (P = 0.01) and a trend towards greater resting breathlessness than those who did not. This study shows PLB during exercise and recovery results in lower post exercise RR and speeds return to pre exercise breathlessness, compared with exercise and non-PLB. Reductions in RR appear to be greatest in those patients with resting breathlessness.

Aged↗
PubMed1999

Klebsiella pneumoniae with extended spectrum beta-lactamase activity associated with a necrotizing enterocolitis outbreak.

BACKGROUND: Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) is the most common gastrointestinal emergency in newborn infants, affecting primarily premature neonates. Clustering of cases in epidemics is well-described; many are associated with an identifiable pathogen. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Case reports are presented of six neonates seen with NEC during a 2-month period in 1998. All bacterial isolates were subjected to antibiotic testing, determination of MIC and molecular fingerprinting. RESULTS: Klebsiella pneumoniae with extended spectrum beta-lactamase production was isolated from blood cultures of all six patients. In five patients the isolate appeared to be a single clone. The onset of NEC in the patients was earlier, more rapid and more severe than usual. Four of the six required surgery and five required mechanical ventilation. Two of the six patients died, but only one was directly related to a complication of NEC. All of the patients developed severe thrombocytopenia (platelet count <20 x 10(9)/l), and three developed hepatitis. The K. pneumoniae proved difficult to eradicate. Extended courses of multiple antibiotics were administered and measures were introduced to reduce overcrowding and improve infection control. CONCLUSION: The isolation of a single clone of K. pneumoniae with extended spectrum of beta-lactamase activity during an NEC outbreak highlights the need for strict infection control. This organism caused significant morbidity and was difficult to treat.

Anti-Bacterial Agents↗
PubMed1997

Maternal uniparental disomy 7 in Silver-Russell syndrome.

Silver-Russell syndrome (SRS) is characterised by intrauterine and postnatal growth failure accompanied by a variable number of dysmorphic features. It is usually sporadic although a few familial cases have been described. In a prospective study of 33 patients with sporadic SRS, we have studied the parent of origin of chromosome 7 using variable number tandem repeat (VNTR) or microsatellite repeat markers and have identified two patients with maternal uniparental disomy of chromosome 7 (mUPD7). In one family, inconsistent inheritance of paternal alleles of markers on chromosomes other than 7 led to their exclusion from further study. The probands were clinically mild and symmetrical, but showed no gross clinical differences from the 30 patients with chromosome 7 derived from both parents.

Abnormalities, Multiple↗