PubMed Health⌕ Search

SEARCH · PubMed Health

Results for “Medical research”

Explore indexed PubMed citations for clinical trials, systematic reviews and public health research. Read source abstracts and follow each citation to its original PubMed record.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1976

[The importance of clinical observations for medical research].

Medical progress owes a great deal to the fundamental medical sciences and to the application of chemistry, physics and mathematics to medical problems. However, clinical observations and investigations are still of decisive importance in any field of medicine. By a feed-back mechanism they may even stimulate and fertilize fundamental medical sciences. Thus, our knowledge of the blood coagulation mechanism has been considerably enlarged by clinical analysis of hereditary bleeding disorders. - Chemotherapy of neoplastic diseases started from clinical observations during World War I (production of leucopenia by sulfur mustard gas). - Surgical procedures and their consequences have contributed greatly to our knowledge of thyroid function, of the segmental anatomy of the lung, and of the conduction system of the heart. - Observations of side effects of drugs have often enlarged or completely changed their primary clinical indications: from antibacterial sulfonamides, anti-diabetic, antihypertensive and powerful diuretic drugs have been developed, and from histaminics the modern neuroleptics and antidepressants. - Fundamental immunology has been enormously activated by clinical transplantation of kidney and bone marrow. Selective immunological defects in men, real experiments of nature, contributed much to our knowledge of the various types of allergic response. The quality of clinical investigations, particularly of controlled clinical trials, has been considerably improved during the last two decades. Although it is an applied science the reliability of its results is to-day comparable with that of "pure" natural sciences. However, medicine is more than a natural science: examples of outstanding scientists who at the same time were great and human physicians are presented.

Adrenal Cortex Hormones↗
PubMed1979

[The role of public relations in medical practice. With special reference to medical research].

Because medical practice and especially medical research depend on the goodwill of others, increased emphasis should be placed on the role of public relations, especially in the complex area of communication between medical scientists and the man in the street. The nature of these communication problems is described, and suggestions are made as to how public relations, if properly managed, can give substance to an otherwise ill-defined concept. Opportunities and problems in the marketing of medical research are briefly described.

Communication↗
PubMed1976

French medical research: the risk of 'demedicalization'.

French medical research is at present financed almost entirely by INSERM (Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherceh Médicale). The INSERM budget (286 million francs in 1975) supports research in laboratoreis in university hospitals by doctors who have both clinical and teaching commitments and, especially, by more than a thousand 'statutory research workers' employed by INSERM. Research in INSERM laboratories now tends to be fundamental biological research rather than directed towards pathological problems. Among the reasons for this are (i) the mode of recruitment of staturtory research workers; (ii) the difficulties of clinical investigation, which are due mainly to the way the hospitals function and to lack of interest by the hospital administration in medical research; (iii) the small number of university doctors actively involved in research. Research on fundamental biological problems in INSERM laboratories is making excellent progress, due to the quality of the research workers, and it may pay in the long run. But medical research is now tending to become an 'ivory tower' for the victorious researchers, who sometimes scorn the clinicians. Medical research will, if no measures are taken, 'demedicalize.' Institutes of pure biological research could soon be isolated within the medical faculties and doctors may become even less scientific and investigative than they are today. This situation could be modified by: (i) re-evaluating the role of research in a university hospital career, making it impossible for a doctor to attain high levels of promotion unless he does some research (this could be done by asking doctors interested in such a career to work for several years in an INSERM laboratory after their training and before they take up clinical responsibilities); (ii) awarding clinicians, exceptionally, the status of research worker; (iii) increasing considerably the participation of the universities in financing medical research, a participation which at present is absurdly low and is every decreasing.

Academies and Institutes↗
PubMed1977

Medical research in the Republic of South Africa.

A brief overview of the policies and research priorities of the South African Medical Research Council is given. Some of the unique medical problems of South Africa on which research is being done are indicated.

Adult↗
PubMed1977

Specialist training and medical research in developing countries of tropical Africa: a case for the establishment of postgraduate medical schools.

Developing countries like developed ones need highly skilled medical personnel, referred to as 'specialists'. In the case of developing countries, the training of these specialists abroad is expensive to the sponsoring governments, imposes a lot of hardship on the doctors and, above all, the course-content of such training takes little or no cognizance of the environment in which these doctors would later practise. The developing countries also cannot afford the loss of years in valuable services which the training abroad entails. Attempts are now being made to train specialists wholly or partly at home, in some developing countries. The approach is still not much divorced from what obtains in Britain and North America, that is, one of being trained on the job, with the onus for self-education being placed on the prospective students. Such students in most developing countries of tropical Africa have little or no facilities for further education outside their places of work. It is proposed that purpose-designed postgraduate medical schools may provide a temporary solution to specialist training in developing countries of tropical Africa. Such schools would in addition provide highly skilled medical service as well as obviate the need and the expense for the setting up of government sponsored medical research and training institutes.

Africa, Western↗
PubMed1979

Recent application of quantification II in Japanese medical research.

Hayashi's Quantification II is a method of multivariate discrimination analysis to manipulate attribute data as predictor variables. It is very useful in the medical research field for estimation, diagnosis, prognosis, evaluation of epidemiological factors, and other problems based on multiplicity of attribute data. In Japan, this method is so well known that most of the computer program packages include the Hayashi Quantification, but it seems to be yet unfamiliar with the method for researchers outside Japan. In view of this situation, we introduced 19 selected articles of recent applications of the Quantification II in Japanese medical research. In reviewing these papers, special mention is made to clarify how the researchers were satisfied with findings provided by the method. At the same time, some recommendations are made about terminology and program packages. Also a brief discussion of the background of the quantification methods is given with special reference to the Behaviormetric Society of Japan.

Arteriosclerosis↗
PubMed1977

Histopathological study of the first Medical Research Council Nephroblastoma Trial.

A histological analysis of the tumors from the first Medical Research Council (M.R.C.) Nephroblastoma Trial was carried out. Material from 104 out of the 111 concluded cases was suitable for assessment. The degree of tubular differentiation and the presence or absence of glomeruli, cysts and papillary structures were correlated with clinical stage and survival. A significant association was found with regard to tubular differentiation. Papillary structures appeared to be important, but the number of cases was small. The presence of either glomeruli or cysts was not a statistically significant feature as regards prognosis.

Cell Differentiation↗
PubMed1978

Testicular disease in acute lymphoblastic leukaemia in childhood. Report on behalf of the Medical Research Council's Working Party on leukaemia in childhood.

In three trials conducted by the Medical Research Council on acute lymphoblastic leukaemia in childhood the incidence of testicular infiltration in relation to presenting features and treatment was analysed. Initial severe thrombocytopenia was associated with an increased incidence. Testicular infiltration was occasionally found during treatment in patients with high blood leucocyte counts at diagnosis but the main incidence in patients with all types of disease occurred within one year of stopping treatment. The incidence may be increased when "second-line" drugs, especially cyclophosphamide, have been used. A reappraisal of the value of additional drugs in maintenance treatment of patients with good prognosis is needed.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1975

Medical Research Council of Canada therapeutic trial of human growth hormone: first 5 years of therapy.

The Medical Research Council of Canada has initiated human growth hormone (hGH) therapy in 151 patients with documented complete hGH deficiency that was idiopathic in 76% of cases, secondary to craniopharyngioma (organic) in 17% and of varied cause in 7%. Approximately 50% of the patients with idiopathic disease had isolated hGH deficiency; during therapy thyroid deficiency developed in five patients and cortisol deficiency in three. A similar increase in mean height velocity occurred in the first treatment phase for patients less than 12 years old (0.93 plus or minus 0.30 cm/mo) and those 12 years and older (0.86 plus or minus 0.29 cm/mo). Although subsequent courses of hGH therapy yielded significantly diminished response in both age groups, this diminution was not progressive: the height velocity of the younger patients returned to 0.82 plus or minus 0.26 cm/ml in the fifth therapy phase. The mean height velocity attained at the optimal dosage (0.20 to 0.29 units/kg three times per week) for each age group did not differ significantly. Despite therapy being carried out for only 6 months of the year, normal increment ratios for height age and bone age against chronologic age were observed in the patients with idiopathic disease. In only four patients did treatment failure occur, and three of these were more than 20 years old. The addition of fluoxymesterone (10 mg/d) to the hGH therapeutic regimen (15 units/wk), when diminished response to hGH alone became evident, promoted an enhanced growth response in 9 of 11 older patients. These data indicate that age of the patient and dosage of hGH, but not diagnostic category, were important influences on the response to therapy. Younger patients responded best and maintained a higher mean growth velocity than older patients during intermittent hGH therapy

Adolescent↗