Biomedical subjects

V Elliott

Publications and source records attributed to V Elliott.

14 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2006

Mixed lymphovenous oedema with leg ulceration: a case study.

Necrotizing skin infections, although rare, have proven difficult to manage and treat in a wide range of patient groups. The risks of extensive tissue necrosis, systemic sepsis and potentially organ failure make this disease one which health-care professionals must be aware of. Treatment involves rapid debridement and intensive therapy including broad-spectrum antibiotics. Appropriate wound care is essential as is a great deal of psychological support for the patient and relatives. This article also highlights some of the risk factors which may pre-dispose a patient to infection.

Aged↗

PubMed2004

Disseminated histoplasmosis and AIDS at the University Hospital of the West Indies. A case report.

Disseminated histoplasmosis is rare in Jamaica. However, with the increase in the number of immunocompromised patients in the population, the prevalence of this infection is likely to increase. We present a case of disseminated histoplasmosis in a 16-year-old girl with the acquired immune deficiency syndrome who presented to the Paediatric Infectious Diseases Service of the University Hospital of the West Indies, with cervical lymphadenitis progressing to ulcers and abscesses showing granulomatous inflammation likely to be of fungal aetiology. She later presented to the Emergency Room, with respiratory and gastrointestinal symptoms and was admitted to hospital, disoriented and with a persistent fever. She developed nuchal rigidity while in hospital and was anaemic, leukopaenic and thrombocytopaenic. She died of gastrointestinal bleed ten days post admission. She was the oldest known survivor of mother-to-child-transmission of human immunodeficiency virus in Jamaica. The slow growing fungus, Histoplasma capsulatum, was isolated from the patient's blood three weeks after the specimen was sent to the laboratory.

AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections↗

PubMed2001

Parental health beliefs and compliance with prophylactic penicillin administration in children with sickle cell disease.

PURPOSE: Prophylactic penicillin is effective in preventing severe invasive pneumococcal infection in children with sickle cell disease. In some families, compliance has been problematic. The aims of this study were to monitor compliance and to assess the efficacy of the Health Belief Model (HBM) in predicting compliance. METHODS: Fifty mothers of children with sickle cell disease, ages 6 to 60 months, participated in the study. On enrollment, mothers completed surveys assessing their health beliefs regarding sickle cell disease and infections. Compliance was assessed through self-reporting by the mothers and through review of local pharmacy records of penicillin refills. RESULTS: Sixty percent of the mothers reported that they were highly compliant with obtaining the prescribed 14-day refills. Pharmacy records indicated that only 12% actually adhered to this schedule. The self-reports were significantly related to compliance ratings; mothers who admitted less than optimal compliance averaged 42 days between refills, compared with 19 days for mothers who reported good compliance. Varying perceptions identified through the HBM accounted for approximately 30% of the variance in compliance rates. The perceived burdens of picking up the refills and remembering to administer the medication were the most significant factors. CONCLUSIONS: Educational efforts alone are not sufficient to ensure compliance with penicillin prophylaxis. Routinely monitoring compliance through pharmacy records, reviewing parental beliefs about sickle cell disease and infections, and exploring barriers to treatment will promote dialogue about the importance of strict compliance with this relatively simple yet life-saving prophylaxis.

Adult↗

PubMed1997

An homogeneous fluorescence polymerase chain reaction assay to identify Salmonella.

We have developed a semiquantitative homogeneous fluorescence assay that combines polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification with direct fluorescence detection (HF-PCR). The assay eliminates the need to perform gel electrophoresis on test samples. Using a set of Salmonella-specific primers, this system was used to verify suspect colonies from culture plates as Salmonella. The fluorescence signal is generated by a nucleic acid dye, YO-PRO-1, that is included in the amplification reaction. This homogeneous PCR assay was used to test 84 Salmonella strains picked from selective culture plates. All data indicated positive results when compared with 17 non-Salmonella strains (in general, Citrobacter, Hafnia, Proteus, and Escherichia). The HF-PCR assay is a sensitive, simple, accurate, and reproducible method that correlates well with size-exclusion high-performance liquid chromatography and gel electrophoresis techniques as a means to monitor PCR-mediated DNA amplification. This assay can confirm suspect colonies within 2.5 h.

Bacterial Typing Techniques↗

PubMed1997

Tobacco use among pediatric cancer patients: recommendations for developing clinical smoking interventions.

PURPOSE AND METHODS: The current status of tobacco use among young cancer patients and the acute and chronic complications associated with tobacco use in these patients is reviewed. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: Studies report that adolescent cancer survivors use tobacco as much as their peers who have never been treated for cancer, despite the adverse consequences of engaging in this unhealthy habit. Health care professionals have the opportunity and responsibility to incorporate tobacco counseling as a routine component of medical care delivery. Nurse/physician-delivered smoking interventions have been found to promote smoking cessation in adults, although little effort has been devoted to the development of similarly effective smoking interventions for pediatric cancer patients who smoke. Components of existing smoking prevention/cessation curricula from successful school-based interventions and physician-delivered smoking interventions can be adapted and tailored to pediatric cancer patients in medical settings. Smoking interventions that educate patients about their increased vulnerability to tobacco-related consequences, relative to their healthy peers, may have an enhanced impact. Guidelines for conducting a comprehensive assessment of tobacco use and implementing smoking interventions with pediatric cancer patients is provided. Strategies for modifying the cancer patient's perceived vulnerability to tobacco-related consequences is also discussed.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1989