THE ROLE OF RAPID SLIDE CULTURE IN THE DIAGNOSIS AND MANAGEMENT OF PULMONARY TUBERCULOSIS

Rapid slide culture method using human blood medium was utilized for the primary culture of Mycobacterium tuberculosis and the results obtained were compared with results of smear examination of sputum specimens from fresh cases of pulmonary tuberculosis. Smear and rapid slide culture results of a total of 320 patients were analyzed. Slide culture was positive in 104 cases whereas smears were positive in 90 cases. Early culture confirmation in 7 days coupled with positivity better than smear examination, makes rapid slide culture a better method for diagnosis.KEY WORDS: Mycobacterium tuberculosis, Rapid slide culture, Bacteriological techniques, Colony count microbial     

Dimensions of nurse and patient roles in labor

Nurses, as the principal caregivers during labor, play a major role in structuring the social context of childbirth. The influence of nurse‐patient verbal interaction on the social construction of the childbirth experience was investigated. Verbatim records of nurse‐patient interaction during labor were analyzed using Stiles's (1978a) Taxonomy of Verbal Response Modes. Nurse and patient scores on three dimensions of interpersonal roles, attentiveness, acquiescence, and presumptuousness, were determined. The results indicated that nurses established and maintained control over the definition of the childbirth experience. The viewpoint of the laboring woman was seldom acknowledged as relevant. Presumption of knowledge of the laboring woman's experience and failure to determine her perception of the situation can have a negative impact on individualization of care and the creation of a patient‐centered birthing environment.     

Insulin receptors on leukemia and lymphoma cells

Tumor cells obtained from leukemia and lymphoma patients were investigated for specific insulin receptors. Using radioactive 125I- labeled insulin, specific insulin binding sites were demonstrated on most acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL) and acute myelocytic leukemia (AML) cells, including acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL), chronic myelocytic leukemia (CML), and acute monocytic leukemia (AMoL) cells. Insulin receptors were not found on chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) and malignant lymphoma (ML) cells. Specific insulin binding sites were also found on monocytes and thymocytes after treatment with phytohemagglutinin (PHA-P), but not on inactivated tonsil cells, peripheral blood lymphocytes, or thymocytes. There was no inverse correlation between the content of insulin receptors and the basal level of circulating insulin. These data suggest that the insulin receptor may be a new marker of acute leukemia and chronic myelocytic leukemia.