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Diagnostic Characteristics (diagnostic + characteristic)

Distribution by Scientific Domains

Medical Sciences	60%
Psychology	40%

Selected Abstracts

Paroxysmal Supraventricular Tachycardia with Persistent Ventriculoatrial Block

JOURNAL OF CARDIOVASCULAR ELECTROPHYSIOLOGY, Issue 1 2003
BERNHARD STROHMER M.D.
Supraventricular Tachycardia with VA Conduction Block. We report the case of a 64-year-old patient with paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia and persistent VA block. Induction and maintenance of tachycardia occurred without apparent activation of the atria. Diagnostic characteristics were most compatible with AV nodal reentrant tachycardia (AVNRT). Automatic junctional tachycardia and orthodromic nodoventricular or nodofascicular reentry tachycardia were considered in the differential diagnosis. Upper common pathway block during AVNRT may be explained by either intra-atrial conduction block or purely intranodal confined AVNRT. The arrhythmia was cured by a typical posteroseptal ablation approach guided by slow pathway potentials. [source]

Cuterebra cutaneous myiasis: case report and world literature review

INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF DERMATOLOGY, Issue 4 2008
Elizabeth Delshad MD
Background, Most cases of myiasis in North America are caused by fly larvae from South America or Africa, as these cases represent travelers returning from endemic regions. The etiology of creeping eruptions and furuncular lesions in North American patients who have no history of recent travel can therefore be a diagnostic problem. Among cases acquired in North America, Cuterebra species are the usual cause. Dermatologists and dermatopathologists should be aware that this unusual infestation may occur without a travel history. Method, Here we report a case of Cuterebra cutaneous myiasis acquired in New Jersey. A world literature review of articles on Cuterebra myiasis in humans, without age or year restriction, was performed. The pertinent references of those articles were also searched. Results, Most cases occur in the skin, as a furuncle. Sometimes a cutaneous creeping eruption is present. Children account for at least half of the reported cases. The infestations tend to occur in the late summer, and most frequently in the north-eastern and southern states of the United States. An overview of the clinical and histopathologic diagnostic features are presented. Conclusions, Though rare, myiasis can occur in North America without a travel history. Awareness of this entity, its epidemiologic patterns and diagnostic characteristics, can prevent lengthy delays in diagnosis and unnecessary treatments. [source]

Characteristics of anorexia nervosa-related deaths in Norway (1992,2000): Data from the National Patient Register and the Causes of Death Register

INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF EATING DISORDERS, Issue 3 2005
Deborah L. Reas PhD
Abstract Objective This study investigated demographic and diagnostic characteristics of individuals whose medical record or death certificate indicated the presence of anorexia nervosa at the time of death. Method Two national registers, the National Patient Register (NPR) and the Causes of Death Register (CODR), were examined in Norway for anorexia nervosa-related deaths occurring across a 9-year period (1992,2000). Results The medical record or death certificate listed anorexia nervosa as a diagnosis or cause of death for 66 individuals. Rates of death were 6.46 and 9.93 per 100,000 deaths for the NPR and the CODR, respectively. A substantial percentage of deaths (43.9%) in both registers occurred at or above the age of 65 years. For the NPR, the mean age at the time of death was 61 years and 31% of deaths occurred among men. For the CODR, the mean age at the time of death was 49 years and 18% of deaths occurred among men. Discussion Potential merits and shortcomings of assessing mortality rates using register-based data without linkage to a previously identified clinical sample are discussed. © 2005 by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. [source]

Fatigued Elderly Patients With Chronic Heart Failure

INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF NURSING TERMINOLOGIES AND CLASSIFICATION, Issue 2003
Anna Ehrenberg
PURPOSE To compare descriptions of fatigue based on the NANDA characteristics from interviews with elderly people with congestive heart failure (CHF) and data recorded by nurses at a Swedish outpatient heart failure clinic. METHODS Patients were screened for moderate to severe CHF. A total of 158 patients were interviewed using a revised form of the Fatigue Interview Schedule (FIS) based on the NANDA characteristics. Of these patients, half (n= 79) were offered visits at a nurse-monitored heart failure clinic. Nursing documentation of fatigue at the heart failure clinic was reviewed based on the NANDA characteristics and compared with the content in the patient interviews. FINDINGS Tiredness was documented in 43 (75%) records and indicated in 36 patients based on patient scores on the FIS (X,= 5.5; range 1,9). The most frequently recorded observation related to fatigue was the symptom emotionally labile or irritable, followed by notes on lack of energy and decreased performance. Patients' descriptions of their fatigue were expressed as a decreased ability to perform and a perceived need for additional energy. Results indicated poor concordance in patients' descriptions and record content concerning fatigue. Whereas patients emphasized the physical characteristics of fatigue, nurses emphasised the emotional features. Decreased libido was linked to fatigue according to the patients but not according to the nurses' records. Whereas cognitive characteristics of fatigue occurred rarely in the records, they were more frequent in the patient interviews. DISCUSSION Symptoms such as irritability and accident-proneness may be seen as manifestations of the patients' experiencing the need for more energy or a feeling of decreased performance. These consequences of being fatigued, rather than the different dimensions of fatigue, seemed to have been easy for the nurses to observe and document. Earlier studies indicate that poor observation, medication, and diet in patients with heart failure might partly be explained by cognitive impairment. CONCLUSIONS Findings of this study highlight the need for nurses to pay attention to the experience of fatigue in patients who suffer from CHF, and to validate their observations with the patients own expressions. Using the patients' words and expressions and the diagnostic characteristics of fatigue in recording can support the nurses in developing both understanding of patients living with CHF and strategies to help patients cope with their restricted ability in daily life. [source]

Adolescent attitudes toward psychiatric medication: the utility of the Drug Attitude Inventory

THE JOURNAL OF CHILD PSYCHOLOGY AND PSYCHIATRY AND ALLIED DISCIPLINES, Issue 12 2009
Lisa Townsend
Background:, Despite the effectiveness of psychotropic treatment for alleviating symptoms of psychiatric disorders, youth adherence to psychotropic medication regimens is low. Adolescent adherence rates range from 10,80% (Swanson, 2003; Cromer & Tarnowski, 1989; Lloyd et al., 1998; Brown, Borden, and Clingerman, 1985; Sleator, 1985) depending on the population and medication studied. Youth with serious mental illness face increased potential for substance abuse, legal problems, suicide attempts, and completed suicide (Birmaher & Axelson, 2006). Nonadherence may increase the potential for negative outcomes. The Drug Attitude Inventory (DAI) was created to measure attitudes toward neuroleptics and to predict adherence in adults (Hogan, Awad, & Eastwood, 1983). No studies have been identified that have used this instrument in adolescent psychiatric populations. The present study was undertaken to evaluate the utility of the DAI for measuring medication attitudes and predicting adherence in adolescents diagnosed with mental health disorders. Method:, Structural equation modeling was used to compare the factor structure of the DAI in adults with its factor structure in adolescents. The relationship between adolescent DAI scores and adherence was examined also. Results:, The adult factor structure demonstrated only "fair" fit to the adolescent data (RMSEA = .061). Results indicated a low, but significant positive correlation (r = .205, p < .05) between DAI scores and adherence. Conclusions:, Lack of optimal model fit suggests that DAI items may require alteration to reflect adolescent experiences with psychiatric medication more accurately. Differences between adolescents and adults in developmental stage, symptom chronicity, diagnosis, and medication class may explain why the adult model demonstrated only "fair fit" to the adolescent data and why the correlation between DAI scores and adherence was low. The DAI may be improved for use with adolescents by creating items reflecting autonomy concerns, diagnostic characteristics, treatment length, and side effect profiles relevant to adolescent experiences. [source]