Behavioural and demographic characteristics of attenders at two genitourinary medicine clinics in England

The authors present a review of the current literature regarding electrical stimulation with special focus on the merits of its uses in wound healing. Literature from a basic science, animal studies and clinical investigations are reviewed. The literature seems to suggest that electrical stimulation can effect wound healing, but the method of delivery remains uncertain.     

Do we need vulvar clinics in genitourinary medicine departments?

The introduction of PCR technology to the molecular diagnosis of genetic diseases has increased the speed and range of DNA tests available. Previous analyses of dystrophin gene mutations were time consuming, taking weeks to complete, and used radioisotopic methods. Further developments in DNA amplification and post-amplification techniques have made conventional tube PCR redundant. The rapid methodologies described enable the efficient screening of large populations for genetic disorders, although precautions must be taken when analysing the PCR products.     

A multidistrict audit on the management of Chlamydia trachomatis in genitourinary medicine clinics in Yorkshire

Although there have been recent molecular biological studies for evidence of possible changes in trypanosome biochemistry, such studies are not yet complemented by parallel clinical studies to determine the possible implications to the sleeping sickness patient. The study of the duration of symptoms and the case fatality of T. b. rhodesiense showed that the disease progressed to the stage of central nervous system involvement between three weeks to two months of infection. Most (> 80%) deaths occurred within six months of illness. The case fatality rate of treated sleeping sickness patients was 6% of which the rate in the late-stage of sleeping sickness was more than two and a half times that in the early stage. The incidence of melarsoprol encephalopathy was 2.5% and case fatality due to this condition was 1.0% and similar to previous findings. Thus it appears the virulence of T. b. rhodesiense circulating in south east Uganda has not changed during the past decades.     

Liaison between gynaecologists, microbiologists and genitourinary medicine clinics in the management of patients with genital chlamydia and gonococcal infections

A stent entrapped in the coronary artery, which can not be removed by a trans-catheter approach, is extremely rare but is the biggest problem cardiologists face. Surgical retrieval appears to be the only possible treatment to avoid sudden death due to stent thrombosis. We experienced with a New Parmaz-Schatz stent entrapped in the left main coronary artery (LMT) of a 65-year-old man. He underwent surgical removal of the stent with ascending aorta incision and double coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) using saphenous veins. We believe that a stent entrapped in the LMT must be removed as rapidly as possible to avoid sudden death. Furthermore, in order to avoid the risk of peripheral thrombosis, retrieval is also the case in patients whose distal coronary flow can be maintained with CABG.     

Chronic solvent neurotoxicity in New Zealand: notified cases between 1993 and 1997

AIM: To report on cases of chronic solvent neurotoxicity notified to the Department of Labour between 1993 and 1997. METHODS: Previously published diagnostic criteria were used to classify notified cases as "verified", "not verified" or "not proven". Verified cases were further classified as Type 1 or 2(2) and analysed according to occupation, solvent type and length of exposure. RESULTS: Of 193 notified cases, 76 were classified as "verified". The majority were male (74/76) and European (69/76). Mean length of exposure to solvents for Type I cases was 10.6 years (SD 4.7) and for Type II cases 19.8 years (SD 8.4). Forty-three cases were classified as "mild" and 33 as "moderate". The most frequent occupation was spraypainting (39%), followed by printing (16%) and boatbuilding (9%). There was no correlation between severity of symptoms and type of solvent. There was a non-significant trend of increasing severity of symptoms with length of exposure. CONCLUSION: Exposure to solvents is an important health hazard in New Zealand workplaces.     

Beh?et''s syndrome: a review for the genitourinary medicine physician

The influence of an oligoantigenic diet on different dimensions of the behavior of 21 children diagnosed as having attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) was examined. Treatment effects were assessed with three subjective measures (two questionnaires and an interview) and three objective measures (two attention tests and actometer). The study was divided into three phases: baseline, diet and provocation, each lasting three weeks. A crossover design was used. A significant effect was found for the subjective measures, but not for the objective measures. The results are discussed in terms of possible types of effects, e. g. rater effects and environmental effects. It may be that the oligoantigenic diet influences only certain dimensions of hyperactivity.     

Influenza surveillance in England and Wales: October 1996 to June 1997

This report summarises information collected for the surveillance of influenza in England and Wales during the winter of 1996/97. Consultations for 'influenza and influenza-like illness' with sentinel general practitioners in England and Wales began to increase towards the end of November and peaked at the start of January. In England, consultations for 'aggregated respiratory disease' (ARD) began to increase a little earlier, perhaps as a result of increased respiratory syncytial virus activity, but also peaked in early January. Influenza A (H3N2) viruses were first detected in early October, but rarely until November, and activity peaked in early January, coinciding with the peak in consultations for flu-like illness. A few influenza B viruses were detected in late November and early December, and substantial activity was recorded in mid-January. Approximately equal numbers of influenza A(H3N2) and B viruses were identified over the winter as a whole, and circulating strains were antigenically similar to those included in the vaccine for 1996/97. Although influenza activity was 'moderate' in terms of consultations and laboratory confirmed infections, a large peak in death registrations occurred at the same time as influenza A(H3N2) virus activity peaked. The number of deaths during the winter was similar to that seen in 1989/90, when the last severe influenza epidemic occurred in England and Wales.     

HIV media campaigns and HIV-1 testing trends at London genitourinary medicine clinic, 1985-1993

OBJECTIVE: To describe HIV-related media events in the context of first-time HIV-1-antibody testing trends at a London genitourinary medicine clinic. DESIGN: Demographic and behavioural data were collected prospectively for individuals tested for HIV-1 antibodies between September 1985 and September 1993, at the genitourinary medicine clinic of St Mary's Hospital, London. RESULTS: A total of 19,242 individuals were tested of whom 37% were women. Of the men tested 60% were heterosexual. The women at first time of testing were significantly younger [29.3 years; 95% confidence interval (CI), 28.8-29.7] than the men (32.5 years; 95% CI, 29.2-35.8); mean ages for both sexes did not change significantly over time. Overall, 199 women and 1539 men tested HIV-antibody-positive. The proportions of women testing positive increased significantly over time (chi 2 = 21.7, degrees of freedom = 1; P < 0.001), whereas the proportion of HIV-positive men remained constant for all sexual orientation groups. The proportion of heterosexual women testing positive (2.8%) was similar to the proportion of HIV-positive heterosexual men (2.9%). HIV-positive individuals were significantly older for both sexes. Throughout the study period numerous education campaigns were run using a variety of media complemented by a number of other HIV-related media events. CONCLUSIONS: Peak periods of attendance for HIV testing generally corresponded with increased HIV-related media activity and the greatest testing rates were observed when various HIV media events occurred concurrently. The increase in the number of heterosexuals tested suggests that the risk of heterosexual transmission of HIV has been recognized, at least among older individuals. The exact role of HIV-related media events, including celebrities disclosing their HIV-positive status, remains to be elucidated. Whether the relative under-representation of younger people is due to a lack of awareness, increased use of safer sex practices or reluctance to use the service also remains to be addressed. Given the increasing number of HIV-positive women and the relatively constant rate of HIV-positive tests in the male attendees an urgent need exists to assess the impact and effectiveness of specific HIV media campaigns.     

Abdominal pain in women attending a genitourinary medicine clinic: who has PID?

Eighty-one women who presented to a genitourinary medicine clinic with mild to moderate acute or chronic abdominal pain were studied in order to compare the clinical features of those who had pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) and those who did not. The diagnosis was made by laparoscopy, and PID was detected in 14%, adhesions in 11% and endometriosis in 16%. Women with PID were clinically indistinguishable from women with other diagnoses or no obvious cause.     

Men at family planning clinics: the new patients?

Using a survey of family planning clinics in the continental United States that received Title X funding conducted by The Urban Institute in 1993, those clinics were identified that had made substantial efforts to serve male clients. The final sample size was 567 clinics. 10% of their clients were men and 31% reported that their male clientele had increased in the previous 5 years. During January through March 1995 follow-up telephone interviews were conducted with 25 selected clinics that reported a 10% male share of clients. The clinics were classified into 5 types: 1) 7 clinics with a family planning focus beginning to provide primary care to attract more men; 2) 7 clinics with a family planning focus using community outreach and the partners of female clients to recruit men for clinic services; 3) 6 primary health care clinics beginning to place more emphasis on male reproductive health; 4) 3 hospital-based clinics providing comprehensive and reproductive health care for young men; and 5) 2 school-based clinics providing sports physicals, primary health care, and reproductive health services. In Type 1 clinics males made up 10-40% of clients. They also screened for testicular cancer, and provided infertility, mental health, and nutrition counseling services. Type 2 clinics had an average of 10% male clients and offered male infertility services, nutrition counseling, and specific STD and HIV services for males in the Hispanic and immigrant communities. Type 3 clinics promoted the male role in family planning decision making and STD prevention. A substantial proportion of the clientele was low-income males, but men who came for vasectomies tended to have higher incomes. Type 4 clinics catered to 20-40% male clients with outreach programs for gay minority men, and sessions on stopping domestic violence, male role in family planning, and responsible parenthood. Type 5 clinics had 40-45% males and provided mental health counseling, HIV risk assessment, and screening for testicular cancer.     

New England Psychological Association: 1984 annual meeting.

Discusses the business and programmatic activities of the 1984 meeting of the New England Psychological Association. Presentations focused on the intersection of biology and psychology, female intimacy and autonomy, psychology education, the nuclear threat, gender research, and school programs for parents. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Epidemiologic studies of Reye's syndrome: cases seen in Pittsburgh, October 1973-April 1975

Twenty-seven cases of Reye's syndrome (RS) were admitted over a 19-month period to one urban hospital. All lived in a suburban or rural location and 23 cases occurred during two influenza outbreaks. Two to three months following the last cases of RS, 24 families of RS cases and 21 control families representing neighbors or friends were interviewed for factors which could predispose to RS. Children with RS had an illness immediately preceding the onset of RS more frequently than did controls (p less than .001). No other clinical, familial, or environmental factors distinguished RS children and families from controls. Water samples, collected during the interviews, from 34 homes showed no potential toxins. The geographic pattern of RS cases with localization exclusively to rural areas suggests that an as yet unidentified environmental factor may be related to the development of RS.     

Idiopathic eosinophilic meningoencephalitis in rottweiler dogs: three cases (1992-1997)

We report three cases of eosinophilic meningitis in young male Rottweiler type dogs in New Zealand. No cause for the disease was identified. There were variable clinical signs referable to central nervous system dysfunction, and a variable response to treatment.     

Congenital cardiopathies: anatomo-clinical, prognostic, and therapeutic features apropos of 103 cases seen at the Cardiology Clinic of the Dakar University Hospital Center

It has been demonstrated that short-term disinfection can affect the surface properties of impression materials. This study evaluated advancing contact angle, receding contact angle, inhibition and mass loss of a polyether impression materials, and two different viscosities of an addition silicone impression material after long-term immersion disinfection (18 hours). The brand names of the impression materials tested were Impregum F, Extrude Extra, and Extrude Wash, and all were tested by use of the Wilhelmy technique; first, for the nondisinfected state, which served as controls, and then after 1 and 18 hours of disinfection in a full-strength solution of acid glutaraldehyde. Weight changes before and after the disinfection process were also measured to detect weight loss and mass change over time. All materials exhibited some degree of inhibition. Polyether lost 0.4% mass in air, which indicated loss of a volatile component. Polyether and addition silicone were both relatively hydrophobic and could be disinfected with acid glutaraldehyde for up to 18 hours without affecting wettability.     

Quantification of Chlamydia trachomatis in cervical and urine specimens from women attending a genitourinary medicine clinic: implications for screening strategies

Population screening and intervention programmes can reduce the prevalence and incidence of infection with Chlamydia trachomatis, especially if sensitive molecular diagnostic tests are used. However, diagnostic tests that perform well on genitourinary medicine (GUM) clinic populations may be less useful for screening, particularly if the majority of infected subjects are asymptomatic and their samples contain fewer organisms. We have compared the extent of low organism load in cervical and urine samples from symptomatic and asymptomatic chlamydia-positive women, by using a direct fluorescent antibody staining method and counting the chlamydial elementary bodies (EBs). We have investigated the ability of an enzyme immunoassay (EIA; MicroTrak) and a DNA amplification (ligase chain reaction; LCR) assay to detect low numbers of organisms in cervical samples and the ability of the LCR assay to detect low numbers of organisms in urine. A low organism load (< 10 EBs) was seen by direct fluorescent antibody (DFA) staining in about 30% of cervical samples and in about 75% of urines from chlamydia-positive women; the proportions in symptomatic women were not significantly different from those in asymptomatic women. The EIA identified only 16% of cervical samples that contained < 10 EBs by DFA staining; the LCR identified 100% of cervical samples and 93% of urine samples that contained < 10 EBs by DFA staining. The findings suggest that the ability of chlamydial diagnostic tests to identify positive women should be similar among patients attending a GUM clinic and those taking part in a population screening programme, and that sensitive molecular assays such as the LCR should identify subjects with a low organism load in both groups.     

New England Psychological Association: Proceedings of the Thirteenth Annual Meeting.

Presents the proceedings for the thirteenth annual meeting of the New England Psychological Association. Program session topics for this meeting include peripheral vision, attribution theory, rights of hospitalized patients, maternal behavior, person-environment assessment, and cognitions, intervention, and public policy. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)