PubMed Health⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

W B Firor

Publications and source records attributed to W B Firor.

18 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1991

Physical inactivity among physicians.

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether physicians in Saskatoon encourage their patients to be physically active through their advice and lifestyle. DESIGN: Mail survey. SETTING: Saskatoon. PARTICIPANTS: All 451 physicians holding privileges in the three Saskatoon hospitals who were in regular contact with patients. OUTCOME MEASURES: Physical activity was quantified by means of the methods developed in the Canada Health Survey (CHS). Additional questions evaluated physicians' attitudes toward the importance of physical activity to themselves and their patients. RESULTS: A total of 210 physicians (47%) returned the questionnaire. Of the respondents 30% were in the active category as compared with the national average of 39% (p less than 0.05). This difference was accounted for mainly by the lower activity level of the male physicians aged 25 to 44 years. The difference is even more striking when the physicians were compared with people in managerial and professional occupations in the CHS, of whom 46% were active (p less than 0.001). Surprisingly, in light of these result whom 46% were active (p less than 0.001). Surprisingly, in light of these results, most of the respondents felt that physical activity was important to themselves and to their patients. CONCLUSION: Although the physicians were less active physically than the general population they believed that exercise was important to them personally and that patients should be counselled about physical activity. Further study is needed to determine how applicable these results are to Canadian physicians in general.

Adult↗
PubMed1988

Sudden death during exercise: how real a hazard?

The literature dealing with sudden cardiac death in relation to exercise, particularly sport, is reviewed. The exact incidence of unexpected sudden cardiac death during physical activity in persons previously presumed healthy is difficult to determine due to the wide variation in reporting methods; by all indications, it is extremely low. The most common cardiac condition underlying sudden cardiac death in persons over age 30 years is, overwhelmingly, coronary artery disease. In younger athletes it is much less common and is usually due to hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, congenital anomalies or inherent abnormalities of the conducting system. The PAR-Q (Preparation for Activity Readiness Questionnaire) appears to be an adequate pre-exercise screening tool for recreational and middle-aged athletes. A (cost) effective pre-exercise screening strategy for the younger and highly competitive athlete remains elusive. Extensive and costly screening methods (eg, ECG, echocardiography, treadmill studies) do not seem warranted for any asymptomatic, presumed healthy groups. Although the risk of sudden cardiac death is measurably higher during exercise than during sedentary activity, the overall risk is demonstrably lower in habitually active and physically fit persons. The resolution of this paradox is that even the most active persons rarely spend more than an hour or two a day at vigorous exercise, while the protective effects against sudden cardiac death operate for the remainder of the day.

Canada↗
PubMed1982

Timolol and propranolol: bioavailability, plasma concentrations, and beta blockade.

Timolol, like propranolol, is a nonselective beta-adrenergic blocker, but it is much less lipid soluble and is formulated as a single enantiomer rather than a racemic mixture. We examined the effects of such differences on bioavailability, systemic clearance, and pharmacologic response. Ten healthy subjects received placebo, 0.2 mg/kg IV propranolol, 3.2 mg/kg oral propranolol, 0.025 mg/kg IV timolol, and 0.4 mg/kg oral timolol in double-blind, randomized crossover fashion. Plasma concentrations of total drug were monitored up to 8 hr, while responses to submaximal exercise were measured at 0, 2, and 6 hr. Timolol had greater bioavailability (F = 0.61 +/- 0.06(SEM) and 0.32 +/- 0.04) and lower systemic clearance (463 +/- 74 ml kg-1 hr-1 and 1040 +/- 120 ml kg-1 hr-1) than propranolol. Half-lifes were of the same order (2.7 and 2.9 hr). There was a marginal correlation between areas under the intravenous and oral plasma concentration-time curves for timolol (r = 0.66, P = 0.054), but none for propranolol (r = 0.48, P NS). There were also correlations of the response (percent reduction in heart rate) to oral and intravenous timolol at 2 hr (r = 0.72, P less than 0.05) and 6 hr (r = 0.84, P less than 0.01) hr, but none between responses to oral and intravenous propranolol. Finally, the response to oral timolol was related to the area under its plasma concentration-time curve, whereas that to propranolol was not. We conclude that the physicochemical properties of timolol lead to greater bioavailability. Pharmacologic response to an oral dose of timolol, unlike that to propranolol, can be predicted from the response to an intravenous dose and reflects its plasma concentration.

Administration, Oral↗
PubMed1967

Initial experience with the permanent implantable transvenous pacemaker: a report of 33 patients.

Thirty-three patients with heart block were treated by implantation of a permanent transvenous pacemaker. There were no deaths and few complications even though 25 of these patients were over 70 years of age. Follow-up examinations, including electrocardiograms, were done in all patients.The technique of the operation is discussed and the importance of performing it under fluoroscopic guidance in a proper surgical operating suite is emphasized. This arrangement may require the use of a portable image intensifier.This simple, effective procedure can be performed under local anesthesia and with safety, even in the elderly, frail or debilitated patient. Currently it is the authors' method of choice in the treatment of heart block; thoracotomy is now obsolete unless a synchronous pacemaker is needed or a permanent transvenous pacer cannot be inserted.

Follow-Up Studies↗