Decreased dose of radiation to dogs during acquisition of elbow radiographs using draped shielding.

Protective lead equivalent shielding of patients is not routinely used in veterinary radiology. The goal of this study was to determine whether the use of lead equivalent shielding results in a significant reduction in dose of radiation to dogs during acquisition of elbow radiographs. The authors measured radiation doses in the primary beam and over and under protective lead equivalent shielding that was placed at the level of the eyes, body and gonads during acquisition of elbow radiographs using 0.01 mSv sensitivity dosimetry badges. Shielding consisted of 0.5 mm lead equivalent aprons and thyroid shields placed over bodies and eyes, respectively. All badges in the primary beam-detected radiation. Shielding significantly decreased the dose of radiation with significantly less scatter and tube leakage radiation detected under compared with over shielding (P=0.0001). The dose of radiation detected over shielding was significantly greater than zero (P=0.0001), while that under shielding did not differ significantly from zero (P=0.09). Based on these results, the authors recommend protective shielding be used on veterinary patients during radiography.

Calcium attenuates cardiovascular reactivity to sodium and stress in blacks.

The roles of dietary and behavioral factors in the etiology of hypertension are not well understood. Vulnerability to hypertension is thought to be affected by a complex interaction of nutritional, genetic, neurophysiological, and psychosocial influences. We studied cardiovascular reactivity to sodium and stress in a group of 29 normotensive young men who were vulnerable to hypertension by virtue of familial and/or racial factors. Subjects with positive and negative parental histories of hypertension were provided all meals for five days during which blood pressure was monitored before each meal. Two groups were given 300 mEq/day dietary sodium with either 1100 mg/day or 410 mg/day dietary calcium. A third group consumed a 10mEq sodium diet with low dietary calcium. On the fifth day of the diet all subjects were tested for cardiovascular reactivity using a modified Stroop test as a mentally challenging task. Adaptation of systolic blood pressure (SBP) from the first to the fifth breakfast was most pronounced in subjects consuming high calcium with high sodium. Perseveration of SBP reactivity to repeated mental challenge was found in subjects who consumed high sodium with low calcium and in subjects with positive parental histories of hypertension. The perseverative phenomenon was particularly well-defined in subjects who had the highest urinary excretion of calcium. Our findings suggest a prophylactic influence of dietary calcium and its retention on cardiovascular reactivity to sodium and stress. We also elucidate a theoretical proposition concerning the role of neurophysiological inhibitory capacity in the transition from normotension to the chronic dysregulatory state of essential hypertension.

Moral beliefs of physicians, medical students, clergy, and lay public concerning AIDS.

A questionnaire was developed to assess religiously based moral beliefs about acquired immunodeficiency syndrome. The questionnaire was administered to a group of primarily black physicians, a selection of freshman medical students, two groups of clergy representing contrasting philosophical orientations, a group of young urban black and white attendees of a black cultural event, and two groups of older whites from rural Tennessee who were attending health fairs. Other attitudes about acquired immunodeficiency syndrome and related issues were also assessed. Results showed that 40% to 70% of rural whites strongly endorsed the idea that acquired immunodeficiency syndrome is a product of "divine intervention" or "divine retribution." More than half attributed the epidemic to a fulfillment of biblical prophecy. Two of five conservative clergy strongly agreed with the idea of divine intervention, whereas only one in 20 liberal clergy concurred. Approximately one in 10 physicians endorsed these propositions. The responses of freshman medical students were strikingly similar to those of physicians, except that less than half as many believed acquired immunodeficiency syndrome represents the fulfillment of a biblical prophecy. Physicians were remarkably similar to rural whites and conservative clergy in their distrust of the experts concerning the potential contagion of human immunodeficiency virus. When responses to several key items on the questionnaire were combined to create a measure of "conservatism," mean total scores differentiated all groups in the manner predicted. We conclude that religiously based moral beliefs about acquired immunodeficiency syndrome can have dangerous implications for the treatment of its victims by society and its caregivers.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

The relationship of blood pressure to a brief measure of anger during routine health screening.

A brief questionnaire (12 items) was developed to assess aspects of anger that could be expeditiously obtained during health screenings where medical students and residents can acquire valuable research and clinical experience simultaneously. Blood pressures were measured immediately upon sitting and after 3 minutes in 179 subjects who attended a health fair in Nashville. The questionnaire was administered after both blood pressure measurements were acquired. Scores on the measure of anger correlated significantly (P = .0009) with resting systolic blood pressure (SBP) in both blacks and whites while a measure of "John Henryism" showed no correlation with blood pressure in either group (P = .81). The findings are consistent with the literature in supporting a connection between anger and blood pressure but do not support the relationship between John Henryism and blood pressure.

Manifest hostility may affect habituation of cardiovascular reactivity in blacks.

In a study of cardiovascular reactivity to dietary manipulation of sodium and calcium, we pretested 30 young black normotensive males who were equally divided by positive and negative parental histories of hypertension with a 12-item anger questionnaire we devised and the Cook-Medley Hostility, Manifest Hostility, Overcontrolled Hostility, and Inhibited Hostility scales of the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory. Contrary to expectations, we found no correlation of resting blood pressure or cardiovascular reactivity to repeated mental demands with the two measures of inhibited hostility. We did, however, find resistance to habituation of cardiovascular reactivity in subjects with high Manifest Hostility and positive family histories of essential hypertension. Our findings suggest that vulnerability to hypertension may be revealed by the perseveration of blood pressure reactivity to repeated mental challenge. We propose that the perseveration of blood pressure reactivity is a disinhibitory phenomenon caused by a difficulty in the management of multiple inhibitory demands that disrupts the natural course of habituation and could be an important etiologic factor in essential hypertension.

Personal watercraft injuries: experience at a community hospital.

A 16-month retrospective review was performed of patients brought to Lake of the Ozarks General Hospital Emergency Department for treatment of injuries suffered in personal watercraft accidents. Fourteen of 37 patients showed clinical and radiographic evidence of fractures or internal injuries. Personal watercraft accidents are a significant cause of morbidity in a lake resort community population.