The history of ideas of Nordic midwives’ excursions from the early 19th century to the millennium

The midwifery art has emphasised the uniqueness of human beings throughout its Nordic history. The educated Nordic midwife has in the last decade celebrated several hundred years of memories. This article studies how the key ideas of the midwifery art and patterns of ideas become evident in the zeitgeist from the beginning of the 19th century to the millennium in the Nordic countries. The legacy and pattern of ideas of the art of midwifery are interpreted in relation to the texts of the selected historical sources and based on Ricoeur's phenomenological-hermeneutic approach to the text and further to the dedication of understanding and interpretation. The historical sources refer to unprinted primary sources from historical archives and printed secondary and tertiary sources. The patterns of ideas include a tripartite whole: the true cultivation of the head, the philosophy and aesthetics of the hand, the strength of the heart and the drive of calling. These ideas open for unique visions and attest to the evident in modern midwives. Today's midwives have academic training with examinations, and the education is based on scientific evidence. The midwife profession is authorised by the state and supervised by the authorities.     

Increased production of peroxidation products associated with cardiac operations. Evidence for free radical generation

We investigated the degree and time course of neutrophil sequestration into human lungs during cardiac operations. At the same time, measurement of the concentration of peroxidation products in the plasma was used as an index of oxidant free radical activity. The study was performed in two groups of patients. Group A (n = 11) had studies extending over the entire operative period and showed a highly significant sequestration of neutrophils into the lung, together with a highly significant (p less than 0.001) rise in peroxidation products from 2.8 +/- 0.12 nmol/ml(mean +/- standard error of the mean)before bypass to a peak of 5.05 +/- 0.13 nmol/ml at the end of bypass. As these changes occurred only during the time after release of the aortic cross-clamp, we investigated this period in more detail in a second group of patients (Group B, n = 7). Results from this group showed that significant release of peroxidation products occurred at the same time as pulmonary neutrophil sequestration. This study has produced evidence of increased oxidant activity in the lung associated with cardiac operations. Nevertheless, it is not known whether the neutrophils sequestered into the lung alone induced the increased activity. Similarly, whether neutrophil-derived oxidant species are the sole cause of lung tissue injury remains unproved.     

Retrospective review of pemetrexed with or without platinum in malignant mesothelioma: The Australian 'Special Access Scheme' experience

Background: Pemetrexed and cisplatin have recently been shown to significantly improve survival compared with cisplatin alone. However, there are only limited data reflecting teaching hospital experience outside a clinical trial. Pemetrexed has only been available in Australia on a restricted basis since 2002. We reviewed our experience of patients treated on the Australian ‘Special Access Scheme’ at three major thoracic oncology units. Methods: Charts were reviewed for all patients enrolled on the scheme. Data was extracted on age, World Health Organization (WHO) performance status, histology, prior therapy, time from diagnosis to starting pemetrexed, chemotherapy (pemetrexed alone or with a platinum), cycle number, response rate, actuarial progression‐free and overall survival. Doses were cisplatin 75 mg/m² or carboplatin AUC = 5 and pemetrexed 500 mg/m² every 21 days. Results: 52 patients (32 male and 20 female) were reviewed. Median age was 58 years and 88% were WHO 0–1. Histology included 54% epithelial, 17% biphasic (epithelial and sarcomatoid) and 21% undefined. The median time from diagnosis to administration of pemetrexed was 145 days. Sixty‐five percent had minimal surgical intervention with video assisted thoracoscopy, pleurodesis and biopsy, while 19% had received prior palliative radiation. Seventy‐one percent were chemotherapy naïve, the remaining 29% having received previous platinum and/or gemcitabine regimens. Twenty‐three percent had pemetrexed alone, 35% in combination with carboplatin and 42% with cisplatin. The median number of cycles was 4 (range 1–13). The response rate was 33%. No toxicity was observed in 20% grade 3–4 toxicity in 10% (majority nausea/vomiting). The median progression‐free and overall survival times from starting pemetrexed were 184 days and 298 days, respectively. Conclusions: Pemetrexed‐based regimens are safe and effective in a community setting in malignant mesothelioma.     

FEASIBILITY OF CONDUCTING CARDIOVASCULAR OUTCOME RESEARCH IN AUSTRALIAN GENERAL PRACTICE: RESULTS FROM THE ANBP2 PILOT STUDY

1. The present study aimed to determine the feasibility of conducting a 5 year cardiovascular outcome trial of the treatment of 6000 elderly hypertensive patients in Australian general practices. 2. General practitioners (GPs) were invited to participate by mail and personal follow-up. Patient records were reviewed to identify subjects for a blood pressure (BP) screening programme. Blood pressure was measured on three occasions and eligible subjects were included if the average BP was 160 mmHg systolic or 90 mmHg diastolic if systolic BP was 140 mmHg. 3. Seven hundred and forty-one GPs were approached and 89 were enrolled in the study (12% of mail invites and 75% of those receiving a personal contact). In 16 practices where screening was completed, 82 000 records were reviewed to identify 4% patients eligible for screening. Twenty-two per cent of eligible subjects attended screening. Of 1938 subjects screened, 180 (9%) had BP 5=160/90 mmHg. Forty-seven percent of subjects (n = 916) were receiving antihypertensive therapy and 184 (20%) were withdrawn from therapy. One hundred and sixteen (63%) of these subjects had BP return to study entry levels within 6 weeks. Fifty-seven newly diagnosed and 81 previously treated subjects were randomized (7% of the screened population). 4. Based on the high participation rate of GPs, the response rate of patients to attend a BP screening programme and the 7% randomization to screening ratio for entry into the study, the ANBP2 pilot study has demonstrated that it is feasible to recruit subjects from Australian general practices to a cardiovascular outcome trial.     

A pocket-calculator algorithm for the shapiro-francia test for non-normality: An application to medicine

An easy-to-calculate approximation to the Shapiro—Francia W' test and its P-value is proposed. Its accuracy is sufficient for practical application in samples of size 5 or larger.     

Admission rates for peptic ulcer in the Trent Region, UK, 1972–2000: Changing pattern, a changing disease?

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Peptic ulcer disease is believed to be less common and less severe as a result of modern medical treatment. We therefore examined changes in the admission rates for patients with duodenal ulcer and gastric ulcer, both emergency (for haemorrhage, perforation or severe pain) and for elective surgery, before and since the introduction of the new advances in therapy. These admission indices reflect disease prevalence and severity. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We identified admission rates during 1972--2000 within the Trent Regional Health Authority, UK (population 4.7 million), from computerised patient information using diagnostic search codes ICD8-10 and expressed as rates per million resident population. Drug expenditure details were obtained from the Department of Health. RESULTS: Emergency admission rates as a whole changed little, a decline in the young being offset by an increase in the elderly. Haemorrhage was the most common reason (approximately 115 per million for duodenal ulcer and 87 for gastric ulcer) throughout [compared with perforation (80 and 21) and pain (90 and 68)]. In contrast, elective surgery has almost disappeared; this reduction began before the introduction of modern treatment. CONCLUSION: Emergency admission rates for duodenal and gastric ulcer for complications or severe pain have fluctuated over the last three decades but with little overall change. In contrast, elective surgery has declined dramatically, as a result of advances in treatment but also from changes in the natural history.     

Iotrol versus metrizamide in lumbar myelography: a double-blind study

In a prospective, randomized, double-blind study, 49 patients underwent lumbar myelography using iotrol (24 patients) or metrizamide (25 patients). The diagnostic imaging adequacy of iotrol was comparable with that of metrizamide. After iotrol myelography, adverse reactions were fewer, less severe, and of shorter duration than were those following metrizamide myelography. Thirteen of 24 patients (54%) receiving iotrol reported some adverse reactions compared with 24 of 25 patients (96%) receiving metrizamide. Five moderate and one severe adverse reaction occurred in the group receiving iotrol. Fourteen moderate and eight severe adverse reactions occurred in the group receiving metrizamide. Thirty-eight patients underwent electroencephalography both before and after myelography (19 iotrol and 19 metrizamide). None of the EEGs obtained after iotrol myelography changed from baseline, while seven of the EEGs obtained after metrizamide myelography showed changes from baseline. Iotrol was judged superior to metrizamide as a contrast medium in this patient population.     

Evaluation of the behaviour of a thermal diffusion sensor in a high field strength magnetic resonance system: an experimental study.

Patients with acute brain pathology requiring ferromagnetic bio-medical implants for on-going invasive monitoring are largely excluded from the benefits of MRI scanning. We evaluated the behaviour of a thermal diffusion cortical blood flow (TD-CBF) sensor both in vitro (phantom gelatin model) and in vivo environments in a high field strength MRI system.Two baboons underwent cranial subdural implantation of 2 TD-CBF sensors/hemisphere and a single left parietal sensor was implanted subcortically to determine any deleterious effects. Using standard MRI sequences, artefact size, thermal effects, current generation, movement and reliability of recordings were assessed during scanning.The deflection forces were negligible, no observable thermal effects were demonstrated, while wide fluctuations in cerebral blood flow recordings were recorded. Mean image artefact size for implanted sensors was 6 times larger than in vitro. Patients with an implanted TD-CBF sensor may be safely imaged provided the device is disconnected. The MRI images obtained are of an acceptable quality.     

SUICIDE ATTEMPT DUE TO METOCLOPRAMIDE-INDUCED AKATHISIA

Akathisia as a side-effect of metoclopramide has received increasing attention in consultation-liaison psychiatry in recent years. A case of metoclopramide-induced akathisia resulting in a suicide attempt is reported in order to highlight the suffering of such patients and the factors that lead to misdiagnosis.