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Biomedical subjects

W L Risser

Publications and source records attributed to W L Risser.

18 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1991

Weight-training injuries in children and adolescents.

Thousands of children and adolescents participate in weight lifting for recreation or as a means of training for sports. Weight lifting can cause serious musculoskeletal injuries, such as ruptured intervertebral discs, spondylolysis and spondylolisthesis, fractures and meniscal injuries of the knee. Deaths related to weight lifting have been reported. Although the incidence of weight-lifting injuries is not well documented in children and adolescents, several reports indicate that few injuries occur in carefully supervised programs. The most common cause of injury appears to be loss of form when heavy weights are lifted. Proper technique, good supervision and training programs appropriate to the athlete's level of physical and emotional maturity are important.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1990

Weight-training injuries in adolescents.

We studied the incidence of injury caused by weight training in junior and senior high school football players. Three hundred fifty-four subjects completed a retrospective injury questionnaire; histories were confirmed for high school athletes. Cumulative incidence and incidence rates were determined for injuries causing more than 7 days of missed participation. The cumulative incidences of injuries were as follows: all athletes, 7.6% (27/354); junior high school athletes, 7.1% (7/98); high school freshman/junior varsity athletes, 9.4% (15/159); and high school varsity athletes, 5.2% (5/97). The total incidence rate was 0.082 injuries per person-year, with 0.11 injuries per person-year in junior high school athletes, 0.091 injuries per person-year in high school freshman/junior varsity players, and 0.051 injuries per person-year in high school varsity players. Differences in the incidence measures among groups were not statistically significant. The most common injury type was a strain (74.1%), and the most common site was the back (59.3%). Certain exercise apparently caused more back injuries in older athletes.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1990

Injury and illness surveillance at local Special Olympic Games.

The purposes of this study were to: determine the incidence of injury and illness among Special Olympic athletes at local competitions; assess the relative risk of medical problems among Down's syndrome athletes; and compare the relative risk of sports injury incurred by athletes participating in various Special Olympic events. Health stations were set up at all sports venues and injury/illness surveillance records were kept for all injury/illness encounters during a 3-day competition for 777 Special Olympic athletes. A total of 3.5% of the athletes required injury/illness care during the games. Down's syndrome athletes were 3.2 times as likely to encounter a medical problem. Track and field events provided the least activity time and the most injuries. These data suggest that Special Olympic games at the local level are safe and that planners should prepare to treat more illnesses than injuries at such competitions.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1990

Musculoskeletal injuries caused by weight training. Guidelines for prevention.

Tens of thousands of U.S. children, adolescents, and young adults are using weights either recreationally, to train for sports, or to compete in weight lifting, power lifting, or body building contests. Weight use may cause significant musculoskeletal injury. This review summarizes for the clinician the best available information on injury risks and prevention.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1990

Bone density in eumenorrheic female college athletes.

Information is limited on the effect of exercise on bone density in young eumenorrheic athletes. We studied 12 Caucasian intercollegiate volleyball players (V), nine basketball players (B), ten swimmers (S), and 13 non-athletes (N) with bone density measurements by photon absorptiometry of their calcaneus and lumbar spine (L2-L4). The effect of athletic status on bone density was analyzed by multivariate analysis of covariance, with height and weight as covariates. The bone densities reported below are mean +/- SE, adjusted for the covariates; units = g.cm-2, P less than 0.005. The swimmers had a significantly lower mean density in the lumbar spine than all other groups; the non-athletes' mean density was also lower than that of volleyball players (V = 1.31 +/- 0.03, B = 1.26 +/- 0.04, N = 1.18 +/- 0.03, S = 1.05 +/- 0.03). The volleyball and basketball players' mean calcaneal densities were greater than those of the swimmers and non-athletes (V = 0.530 +/- 0.017, B = 0.564 +/- 0.023, N = 0.438 +/- 0.018, S = 0.375 +/- 0.019). The higher bone densities for athletes in vertical weight-bearing activities are consistent with some but not all published data. The swimmers' low bone density in the lumbar spine, less than published values for amenorrheic runners, was unexpected.

Absorptiometry, Photon↗
PubMed1988

Ultrasound examination of adolescent females with lower abdominal pain.

We evaluated pelvic ultrasound examination in adolescent females as an aid in the diagnosis of acute and chronic lower abdominal pain resulting from suspected gynecologic disease. Of 41 subjects, 35 (85.4%) had a final diagnosis of a gynecologic disorder. Pelvic ultrasound examination was positive in 19 of 35 (54.3%). Ten positive tests had relatively specific findings that supported (seven) or helped change (three) the initial clinical diagnosis. Nine positive tests had nonspecific findings that were consistent with (six) or helped change (three) the initial diagnosis. Twenty-one negative tests helped change the initial diagnosis (13); ruled out complications of acute salpingitis (five); or discriminated between alternative diagnoses (three). One test was falsely positive. Ultrasonography was most clearly cost-effective when surgery was being considered. We conclude that pelvic ultrasound examination may be a useful diagnostic adjunct in this type of adolescent patient.

Abdomen↗
PubMed1988

Iron deficiency in female athletes: its prevalence and impact on performance.

The prevalence of iron deficiency and its impact on performance have not been adequately investigated in non-endurance athletes. This study evaluated these factors in 100 female intercollegiate athletes in various sports, and in 66 non-athletes. All subjects had determinations of hemoglobin, ferritin, and transferrin saturation. Athletes reported on diet, menses, and symptoms. Athletes and coaches described mood and performance. Iron-deficient athletes were treated with iron; others received placebo. The same data were collected at season's end. Initially 31/100 (31%) athletes had iron deficiency (ferritin less than 12 ng.ml-1; transferrin saturation less than 16%, or both) compared to 30/66 (45.5%) controls (not statistically significant). Compared to normal athletes, iron-deficient athletes did not have more symptoms of iron deficiency or differences in mood state, but they considered their performance to be worse (P less than 0.05). Their total iron intakes were similar, as were menstrual blood losses. At re-evaluation, 7/45 (15.6%) initially normal athletes were iron-deficient; 14/22 (63.6%) initially iron-deficient athletes were normal. Athletes receiving an iron supplement and their coaches did not report a greater improvement in performance or mood than athletes receiving a placebo. Female college athletes frequently had iron deficiency that could be successfully treated during the season, while some untreated normal athletes became iron-deficient. Iron deficiency and its treatment had no significant impact on symptoms or mood, but affected subjective assessment of performance.

Administration, Oral↗
PubMed1987

Diagnosing psychiatric disorders in adolescent females with abdominal pain.

Psychiatric diseases, recently renamed psychiatric disorders by the American Psychiatric Association, are commonly associated with abdominal pain in adolescents but may be difficult to diagnose. In a prospective study, we evaluated four psychiatric scales, including the Childhood Depression Inventory (CDI) and the Speilberger State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) as aids in the diagnosis of psychiatric disorders in 40 adolescent females with abdominal pain. Final diagnosis of organic-dysfunctional disease was made in 32 patients, and a psychiatric disorder was found in eight. Only the CDI (p = 0.001) and the State (p = 0.006) and Trait (p = 0.022) scales of the STAI had significantly different mean values between subjects with organic-dysfunctional disease and a psychiatric disorder. Almost all subjects with a psychiatric disorder had abnormally high scores, whereas the subjects with organic-dysfunctional disease did not. We conclude that three brief, self-administered psychiatric scales may be useful in differentiating between organic-dysfunctional disease and a psychiatric disorder in adolescent patients with abdominal pain.

Abdomen↗
PubMed1987

Noncomparative, open label, multicenter trial of cefixime for treatment of bacterial pharyngitis, cystitis and pneumonia in pediatric patients.

Cefixime, a new third generation oral cephalosporin antibiotic, was evaluated for safety and efficacy in the treatment of 206 children with acute bacterial pharyngitis, cystitis or pneumonia. Each patient had a throat, urine or sputum culture before therapy and was treated with a 10- to 14-day course of cefixime, 8 mg/kg once daily. Bacterial pathogens were isolated in 167 of 206 (81.1%). Streptococcus pyogenes (73.7% of isolates) and Escherichia coli (9.6%) were the most common Gram-positive and Gram-negative organisms, respectively. All patients were evaluable for safety, and 109 (52.9%) with pharyngitis (96) or cystitis (13) were evaluable for efficacy. Clinical failure occurred in 2 of 109 (1.8%) patients, both with pharyngitis; bacteriologic failure occurred in 1 patient with pharyngitis and 1 with cystitis. Five patients with pneumonia caused by possible pathogens also improved while taking cefixime. Drug-related adverse side effects occurred in 50 of 206 patients (24.3%); these were generally mild and led to discontinuing the antibiotic in only 4 patients (1.9%). The most common were diarrhea or loose stools (33 of 206, or 16%). Results of this study suggest that cefixime given once daily to children is safe and effective in the treatment of streptococcal pharyngitis and bacterial cystitis.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1987

Nutritional intake from food sources of high school football athletes.

Male high school football athletes served as subjects (no. = 134; age = 15.0 +/- 1.2 years, range = 12 to 18 years; weight = 67.7 +/- 13.9 kg) (mean +/- standard deviation) in a dietary survey project to characterize nutritional intake from food sources. Dietary intake data were collected using the recall method for 1 weekday during the summer when athletes participated in unsupervised, informal conditioning. Subjects were grouped by age as junior high (JR-HI: 12 to 14 years) or senior high (SR-HI: 15 to 18 years) students. Absolute mean energy and nutrient intakes, except for vitamin A, were statistically greater for SR-HI relative to JR-HI (p less than .02). These findings are consistent with age-related growth on nutritional intake. Mean nutritional intakes from food sources for SR-HI met or exceeded the RDAs. For JR-HI, mean intakes met or exceeded the RDAs except for energy (94% RDA) and zinc (87% RDA). Mean intakes exceeded those of a representative sample of same-age boys in the larger American population.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1985

A cost-benefit analysis of preparticipation sports examinations of adolescent athletes.

A cost-benefit analysis of preparticipation sports exams of 763 adolescents was based on data from parallel programs conducted on affluent white and indigent black populations. After initial exams, 16 athletes (2.1%) were referred for further evaluation before participation was allowed; 15 of 16 reported their problems on the history form. Two were disqualified and one was treated. The cost of identifying the three athletes with significant problems was $4,537 per athlete. An additional 163 athletes (21.6%) had significant medical problems unrelated to safe sports participation and 89% of students sought routine health care only to obtain permission to play sports. Preparticipation sports exams have an unfavorable cost-benefit ratio even if costs are carefully controlled. The ratio might be improved if significant health problems not relevant to safe sports participation are sought or if exams are limited to athletes with positive responses on a preliminary history form.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1985

Syncope in adolescents.

Syncope is common in adolescents. It is usually attributable to simple faint, but the differential diagnosis includes other, less common disorders, such as migraine, epilepsy, hyperventilation, hysteria and cardiac dysrhythmia or outflow obstruction. The patient's feelings immediately before and after the syncopal episode will help the physician determine the cause. An observer's description of the event may also be helpful. Laboratory evaluation is seldom necessary.

Adolescent↗