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Biomedical subjects

W S Jeffries

Publications and source records attributed to W S Jeffries.

5 recordsLinked to original sources

Thromboembolism and its management in pregnancy.

OBJECTIVES: To formulate recommendations for the management of thromboembolism during pregnancy. DATA SOURCES: The English language published literature derived from Medline and covering the following aspects of thromboembolism in pregnancy was reviewed: epidemiology; pathogenesis; clinical features; investigations; the pharmacology of various anticoagulants; management and prophylaxis of deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism; medicolegal aspects. STUDY SELECTION: Publications published between 1960 and 1990 were cited. These studies were selected because data appeared reliable and with appropriate conclusions. DATA SYNTHESIS AND CONCLUSIONS: Many questions are still not completely resolved, but the information gathered should provide firm guidelines to practitioners in the areas of diagnosis, the choice of anticoagulant drugs, methods of administration of the drugs, and measurement of therapeutic endpoints.

Female↗

Interference from digoxin-like immunoreactive substance(s) in commercial digoxin kit assay methods.

We have examined the current state of interference by digoxin-like immunoreactive substance(s) (DLIS) in 10 commercially available digoxin assay methods, ie 5 radioimmunoassays (RIA) and 5 non-radioactive immunoassays. Fifty-five specimens of maternal venous blood (30 from third trimester pregnancy and 25 at delivery) and 32 cord samples from their offspring were tested (none of the subjects being medicated with digoxin). The results demonstrated a wide range of DLIS interference with values up to 1.1 micrograms.l-1 being obtained in the cord blood specimens. Of the methods tested the "Coat-a Count" RIA (Diagnostic Products Corporation) and the EMIT column method (Syva) run on the Cobas MIRA (Roche) consistently showed the least interference with respect to all 3 sources of specimens. The Delfia Method (LKB/Wallac) consistently showed the greatest crossreactivity with DLIS. The present study thus demonstrates that DLIS interference persists in several commercial digoxin methods and suggests that the use of data obtained from such methods may compromise patient management.

Blood Proteins↗

Utility of a weight-based heparin nomogram for patients with acute coronary syndromes.

BACKGROUND: Unfractionated heparin has been pivotal in the management of acute coronary syndromes (ACS), and continues to be used widely despite the emerging role of low molecular weight heparins (LMWH). The apparent superiority of LMWH over unfractionated heparin may, at least partially, reside in its more predictable achievement of therapeutic effect, with high rates of non-therapeutic activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT) results being observed in the intravenous heparin treatment groups. AIM: To evaluate the impact of introduction of a weight-based heparin nomogram developed for use in patients with ACS on frequency of 'therapeutic' APTT results. METHODS: The effectiveness of an existing non-weight-based heparin nomogram in achieving a therapeutic APTT was compared sequentially with that of a weight-based heparin nomogram in 89 and 84 consecutive patients admitted with a diagnosis of ACS. RESULTS: Patients in whom heparin dosage adjustment was weight based rapidly achieved therapeutic APTT. The median time to achieve an APTT within the target range was 8.75 h in the weight-based group versus >24 h in the non-weight-based group. Utilization of a weight-based nomogram was associated with markedly increased proportions of readings within the therapeutic APTT range at 6 h and at 24 h (51%vs. 26% and 72%vs. 36%, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: The current study confirms the marked superiority of the weight-based heparin regimen for treatment of patients with ACS. The nomogram dramatically facilitated the attainment of therapeutic APTT, and may represent the optimal method for titration of heparin dosage to individual heparin requirements in patients with ACS.

Aged↗