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Biomedical subjects

W B Harer

Publications and source records attributed to W B Harer.

15 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1994

Peseshkef: the first special-purpose surgical instrument.

The Peseshkef, a prehistoric flint knife in the shape of a fish tail, was used in Egypt to cut the umbilical cord at birth, circa 5000 BC. This was the first special-purpose surgical instrument. Because of the importance of rebirth in the Egyptian religion, a stylized knife with magical properties became part of the equipment for the "opening of the mouth" ceremony to permit a mummy to partake of nourishment in the afterlife. It also became the emblem of the birth goddess, Meskhenet.

Delivery, Obstetric↗
PubMed1994

Round ligament synthetic graft colpopexy.

Massive vaginal prolapse in ten post-hysterectomy women was treated by expanded polytetrafluoroethylene graft along the course of the round ligaments to anchor the vaginal vault to the lateral abdominal wall. Concurrent enterocele repair was done as well as other indicated abdominal or vaginal operations. Satisfactory coitus was reported in all cases. The procedure is technically simple and provides an alternative to sacral suspension or sacrospinous ligament suspension of the prolapsed vaginal vault.

Aged↗
PubMed1989

Peseshet--the first female physician?

Excavation of the tomb of Akhet-Hetep at Giza revealed a monument dedicated to his mother Peseshet, who is identified by many important titles including "Overseer of Women Physicians." She is probably the world's earliest known woman physician. She practiced at the time of the building of the great pyramids in Egypt, about 2500 BC.

Archaeology↗
PubMed1986

Alternative birth practices and settings--indications of prevalence and use among California obstetricians.

Interest among women and families in "alternative" birth practices and settings has grown steadily in recent years, but little information has been available about the response of the medical profession to the desire for a more "natural," self-directed and family-centered childbirth experience. Data from a recent survey of California obstetricians, however, indicate that although home birth and delivery in freestanding alternative birth centers are discouraged or not permitted by most respondents, a large majority encourage and/or permit routinely or on request a wide variety of practices that represent departures from previous norms of clinical practice. Results of this study suggest that as long as the safety of the mother and infant are not jeopardized and unacceptable liability risks are not posed, physicians are increasingly willing to accommodate the preferences of patients and families for a more "high-touch" approach to counterbalance the increasing utilization of high technology in obstetrics.

Adult↗
PubMed1979

Tel-Med--a success story.

Providing health information by telephone with tape-recorded messages has spread from a local medical society project to a nationwide information resource. More than 800,000 calls per month are received in 180 cities, accessing a library of more than 300 subjects.

California↗
PubMed1966

Long acting single injection caudal anesthesia; 1,208 obstetrical deliveries with mepivacaine.

Long acting, single injection caudal anesthesia with mepivacaine was studied in 1,208 obstetrical cases.A 1 per cent solution was used in 671 patients and compared with a 1.5 per cent concentration in 537. No remarkable differences were found between the two groups. The 1 per cent solution provided relief of labor discomfort for from 60 to 180 minutes with an average of 110 minutes. In contrast, the 1.5 per cent solution provided an average of 115 minutes with a range of 80 to 210 minutes.A total volume of 30 ml of anesthetic agent yielded anesthesia to a level of the tenth thoracic vertebra or higher in 91 per cent of patients. Significant alterations in blood pressure were uncommon. About 1 per cent of patients required a vasopressor because of a drop in systolic blood pressure below 80 mm of mercury. Another 8 per cent had a drop of over 20 points in systolic pressure but from high enough levels that they did not require a vasopressor. Toxic effects similar to those of lidocaine were found in slightly more than 1 per cent of cases. This anesthesia requires a higher incidence of operative intervention for delivery.

Anesthesia, Obstetrical↗