Physicians use the American Medical Association's Guides to the Evaluation of Permanent Impairment, 5th edition to evaluate millions of disability applicants each year. As major contributors to the chapter in the Guides devoted to assessing impairment associated with pain, we confronted the difficulties of incorporating pain into the Guides' overall ...

The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of peripheral rim instability in discoid lateral meniscus. A consecutive series of 112 patients (128 knees) (mean age 10.0 years [range 1 month to 22 years]) who underwent arthroscopic evaluation and treatment of a discoid lateral meniscus between 1993 and ...

Although recent studies have demonstrated the importance of cognitive assessment in medical settings in general, there have been no specific studies addressing the utility of the neuropsychological evaluation in the acute inpatient hospital setting. The current study examined the use of inpatient neuropsychological evaluation by treating physicians in an acute ...

Revision rhinoplasty can be one of the most complicated procedures performed by the facial plastic surgeon. As septal cartilage is often not available in revision procedures, grafting material is often needed. This material can come in the form of autogenous bone and cartilage. Allografts also can be used, including mersilene, ...

BACKGROUND: A syphilis reactor grid (SRG) is an administrative tool based on the sex, age, and serologic titer of persons with reactive serologic tests for syphilis (reactors) that is used by Sexually Transmitted Disease program staff to prioritize follow-up investigations of persons who may have syphilis. The National Plan to ...

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: This is an update of recent developments in the investigation of erectile dysfunction in the period since March 2002. RECENT FINDINGS: Three developments in the field of medical sexology redirected the approach towards the investigation of erectile dysfunction. First, the emergence of oral pharmacological therapy; second, the ...

We are revising the criteria in the Listing of Impairments (the listings) that we use to evaluate Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS). We apply these criteria when you claim benefits based on disability under title II or title XVI of the Social Security Act (the Act). The revision provides that we ...

A 25-year-old male was discovered to have an asymptomatic pericardial effusion during routine pre-employment medical evaluation. During pericardiocentesis 1200 ml of milky-white fluid was obtained; subsequent biochemical evaluation confirmed the chylous nature of this fluid. Following thorough evaluation a diagnosis of isolated chylopericardium was made. Following several recurrences he underwent ...

This paper evaluates the progress of anatomy and dissection during the Middle Ages both in Europe and in the Muslim World. For that purpose, the functional anatomy of the ureterovesical junction and the mechanism of micturition were studied both in the works of Galen (130-200 AD) and in the works ...

Virulence factors responsible for acute diarrhea in greyhounds have not been well established. The objective of this study was to determine if a correlation exists between disease and the presence of the Escherichia coli toxin genes in non-diarrheic and diarrheic greyhound feces. DNA extracted from broth cultures was evaluated for ...

Following an analysis of available SAR data on green/galbanum-smelling molecules, a series of new 2-substituted hepta-1,6-dien-3-ones and their analogues were prepared and their olfactory properties evaluated. The study allowed to select efficient new odourants-potential substitutes for natural galbanum oil-and to generate an olfactophore model for the green/galbanum note.

PURPOSE: This study evaluated the ability of five elastomeric impression materials to penetrate the gingival sulcus beyond the preparation margin. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A model of brass and agar gel was made to simulate human sulci and clinical gingival conditions. Two addition-curing silicones, one condensation-curing silicone, one polyether, and one ...

Evaluation of the obese patient, like the evaluation of any medical patient, involves a medical history, physical examination, and laboratory evaluation. As with any chronic illness, there are certain aspects of the history, physical, and laboratory evaluation that deserve special emphasis. This article describes those aspects that deserve special emphasis ...

PURPOSE: 17-(Allylamino)-17-demethoxygeldanamycin (17AAG), an analogue of the benzoquinone ansamycin geldanamycin, has been extensively studied preclinically and is being evaluated clinically. Studies were performed to define the biliary excretion of 17AAG after i.v. delivery to rats, and to characterize the metabolites of 17AAG observed in rat bile. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In ...

The temporary delicensing of the centrally acting appetite suppressants (first in April 2000, then in May 2001) by the European Commission's Committee on Proprietary Medical Products was premature and possibly unjustified. While their ultimate fate is awaited, the European Drugs Evaluation Agency declined to release the information on which its ...

Defibrillator/monitors allow operators to assess and monitor a patient's ECG and, when necessary, deliver a defibrillating shock to the heart. When integral noninvasive pacing is added, the device is called a defibrillator/monitor/pacemaker. In this Evaluation, we present our findings for two newly evaluated models, the Welch Allyn PIC 50 and ...

Disaster simulations (drills) are widely used throughout the world and are considered a fundamental tool for evaluation and improvement of local disaster response capacity. Despite this, no generally accepted methodology exists for quantitative evaluation of the medical response to a disaster drill. We therefore set out to develop and prospectively ...

Hair and plasma from patients on long-term selegiline medication were analyzed to evaluate the relationships between plasma and hair melanin concentrations and the incorporation of the selegiline metabolites methamphetamine and amphetamine in hair, and to evaluate hair analyses for determining compliance in medication. Analyses were performed on both the whole ...

Several aminocarboxylate complexes of the "no carrier added" (NCA) radiolanthanides (149)Pm, (166)Ho and (177)Lu were evaluated using our in vitro hydroxyapatite and serum stability model and in vivo in normal CF-1 mice [10]. The aminocarboxylate chelates evaluated with the NCA radiolanthanides for in vitro stability were EDTA, CDTA, DTPA, MA-DTPA ...

The XT-2000i is a new hematology analyzer combining aperture impedance and optical technologies. It is capable of generating a 30-parameter hematologic assay on peripheral blood at a throughput of 80 samples per hour. We have evaluated the performance characteristics of the XT-2000i analyzer and compared them with those of the ...

A 41-year-old active duty male was transferred to Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, DC, for further evaluation of fever, rash, myalgias, arthralgias, and respiratory failure. An extensive evaluation with input from numerous subspecialties of medicine was performed. The patient was eventually diagnosed with adult Still's disease, which is ...

Shao-Fu-Zhu-Yu-Tang (SFZYT) is reportedly beneficial to sperm. In this study, we examined sperm acrosomal activity and serum free radical changes to evaluate the possible mechanism of SFZYT. A clinical study evaluated the sperm count and motility in 36 patients with chronic prostatitis before and after treatment for 60 days. The ...

This article is a review of problem-solving models that have been studied in the medical domain. These models seek to describe and evaluate the cognitive processes activated in problem solving in the medical domain and to use this knowledge to further evaluate expert-novice differences. The principle models discussed are the ...

Waste stabilisation ponds (WSP) are widely used in Tanzania. Their traditional design focuses on BOD and pathogen removal, but nutrient removal is equally important. WSP performance was evaluated to come up with information that would be used to evaluate pond performance. Samples were analysed twice a month for six months. ...

The aim of this study was to create a standard for occlusal support in the diagnosis and evaluation of prosthetic treatment. In experimental occlusion, the maximal bite force of eight normal dentates was measured by pressure-sensitive film over the whole dentition using splints divided into nine pieces. The occlusal contact ...

Diluted solutions of various household sanitizers (apple cider vinegar, white vinegar, bleach, and a reconstituted lemon juice product) were tested for their effectiveness in reducing counts of inoculated Escherichia coli and naturally present aerobic, mesophilic bacteria on lettuce. Sanitization treatments were carried out at 4 degrees C and at room ...

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the reliability of the Ashworth Scale and the Disability Assessment Scale (DAS) in poststroke patients with upper-limb spasticity and functional disability. DESIGN: Single-center trial. SETTING: University medical center. PARTICIPANTS: Nine patients > or = 6 months poststroke with upper-limb spasticity and impairment in the areas of hygiene, ...

PURPOSE: The mini-clinical evaluation exercise, or mini-CEX, assesses residents' history and physical examination skills. To date, no study has assessed the validity of the mini-CEX (mCEX) evaluation format. The authors' objective was to determine the reliability and validity of the mCEX evaluation format. METHOD: Twenty-three first-year residents at Wright-Patterson Medical ...

OBJECTIVE: To determine hospital proportional morbidity rates (HPMR) for urethral obstructions, urethral plugs or urethroliths, and urethrostomies in cats in veterinary teaching hospitals (VTH) in Canada and the United States between 1980 and 1999. DESIGN: Epidemiologic study. ANIMALS: 305,672 cats evaluated at VTH. PROCEDURES: Yearly HPMR were determined for cats ...

Health care laser systems offer general laser hazards and additional specific concerns unique to the clinical environment. A formal laser hazard evaluation procedure provides an efficient mechanism for identifying potential laser safety hazards. This paper outlines such a medical laser hazard evaluation program and highlights the unique characteristics of medical ...

Mockwitness identifications are used to provide a quantitative measure of lineup fairness. Some theoretical and practical assumptions of this paradigm have not been studied in terms of mockwitnesses' decision processes and procedural variation (e.g., instructions, lineup presentation method), and the current experiment was conducted to empirically evaluate these assumptions. Four ...

OBJECTIVE: The primary aim of this study was to determine how pediatric health care providers identify overweight in children and adolescents and how they evaluate obesity-related medical complications. This information can guide development of programs to help providers improve their evaluation practices. A secondary objective was to examine the association ...

This was a retrospective evaluation of the first 30 months of a new telemedicine network in TRICARE Region Nine. In 1997, the region initiated a telemedicine network with a hub facility at Naval Medical Center, San Diego, providing specialty consultations for remote military treatment facilities in southern California. The region's ...

BACKGROUND: Medical student performance evaluations have historically contained a significant subjective component. Multiple tools are used to assess fund of knowledge including subjective evaluation by faculty and residents as well as objective evaluations through standardized written and oral exams. We hypothesized that subjective evaluation of medical student knowledge would correlate ...

This study evaluated whether trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (TMP-SMX) is effective for treatment of uncomplicated urinary tract infections (UTIs) due to TMP-SMX-resistant (TMP-SMX-R) pathogens. Healthy nonpregnant premenopausal women with symptomatic lower UTI were assessed for the presence of pyuria and bacteriuria; if either was present, a urine sample was cultured and TMP-SMX was ...

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate CC2 (N, N'-dichloro-bis [2, 4, 6-trichlorophenyl] urea) in various hydrophilic and lipophilic formulations as a personnel decontaminant for sulphur mustard (SM). METHODS: Twenty percent of CC2 was prepared as a suspension or ointment with various chemical agents and its stability was evaluated by active chlorine assay. The ...

The New York State Society of Anesthesiologists' Committee on Continuing Medical Education and Remediation has been charged by the Office of Professional Medical Conduct of the New York State Department of Health to develop a remediation program for individuals ordered into retraining. We describe the development of an anesthesiology-specific evaluation ...

A three-pronged model for a comprehensive psychiatric fitness-for-duty evaluation is presented as a resource tool for occupational physicians in the evaluation of substance abuse. Specialized psychiatric evaluators can play a role in (1) rendering diagnosis and fitness-for-duty determinations, (2) recommending treatment and monitoring plans, and (3) offering remedies for improving ...

The study developed processes for quick-cooking rice meal products (QCRMP) paella and bringhe originally based on homestyle recipes. These QCRMPs consisted of basal quick-cooking waxy Malagkit Sungsong and non-waxy irrigated rice (IR) 42 Philippine rice cultivars, dehydrated vegetables, textured vegetable proteins (TVPs) as meat analogs, and seasonings. The rehydrated QCRMP ...

As the medical understanding of erectile dysfunction has evolved, the approach to its evaluation must also change. A good doctor/patient rapport is crucial to making patients more comfortable talking about their sexual function. Questionnaires help elicit specific information on which to base the diagnosis and find the etiology, along with ...

We present here the usability assessment study of a medical web site dedicated to the Cataloguing and Indexing of French speaking Medical web Sites (CISMeF). We performed a usability inspection using heuristic evaluation and an empirical usability test using a portable lab. The results of the heuristic evaluation show usability ...

We are revising the criteria in the Listing of Impairments (the listings) that we use to evaluate musculoskeletal impairments in adults and children who claim Social Security or Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits based on disability under titles II and XVI of the Social Security Act (the Act). There visions ...

An inability to read and understand written medication instructions may be a major contributory factor to non-compliance in certain patient populations, particularly in countries with a high illiteracy rate such as South Africa. Twenty three pictograms from the USP-DI and a corresponding set of 23 locally developed, culturally sensitive pictograms ...

This article reviews our studies on evaluating the suitability of high-performance immunoaffinity chromatography (HPIAC), an immunoaffinity membrane (IAM) for removing unwanted plasma component, and the safety of the IAM. In an attempt to resolve the problem of amyloid deposition in dialysis patients, we used an HPIAC column, bearing anti-beta 2-microglobulin ...

Of 836 medical admissions evaluated over a 1-month period, 89 (10.7%) had a urinary catheter placed within 24 hours; 34 placements (38%) had no justifiable indication. Risk for inappropriate catheterization was independent of age, gender, functional status, and mental status at admission. Preventive measures should focus on increasing awareness among ...

We conducted a qualitative systematic review to evaluate the efficacy and safety of propofol for direct current cardioversion (DCC), rapid sequence intubation (RSI) and procedural sedation in adult emergency department (ED) patients. MEDLINE (1966 to September 2000), PubMed (to September 2000), EMBASE (1988 to September 2000), Database of Systematic Reviews ...

Three masked neuromuscular experts analyzed the contribution of the data from sequential evaluations in predicting specific varieties of peripheral neuropathy in 72 patients. The largest improvement (16%) in diagnostic accuracy resulted from presentation of neurologic history. By contrast, diagnostic confidence increased gradually with presentation of additional medical information. Therefore, the ...

We are clarifying section 201.00(h) of the medical-vocational guidelines in appendix 2 of sub part P of regulations part 404. This section provides guidance for evaluating disability in individuals under age 50 who have a severe impairment(s) that does not meet or equal in severity the criteria of any listed ...

If John Martyn Harlow is known at all in the neurosciences, it is because he was the physician who attended Phineas Gage and followed up his case. Although Harlow's brief but insightful accounts of the changes in Gage's personality are fairly well recognized, and his skill in treating Gage often ...

PURPOSE: Because a pregnancy can be achieved without a male infertility evaluation, some have questioned its usefulness. However, by bypassing a urological evaluation the man might not learn the cause of infertility and not be offered specific corrective therapy. In addition, men with subfertility may have a serious underlying medical ...