Browsing by Author "Brink S."

Now showing 1 - 8 of 8
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    Age and race distribution of patients who undergo haematological investigations at Tygerberg Hospital (Afrikaans)
    (HMPG, 1977-11) Brink S.; Van Schalkwyk D.J.; Steytler J.G.
    The race, age and sex of patients referred for peripheral blood investigations at the Tygerberg Hospital were analysed statistically. An IBM 370/158 computer was used. Two groups were compared. The first was a 'low Hb group' of 2065 patients who had at least once during the first 6 months of 1976 had a haemoglobin (Hb) value of 10 g/dl or lower. The second, a 'hospital group' of 600 patients, was selected with the aid of tables for generating random numbers and was representative of the general hospital population. Rank order correlation methods using the ratios between the observed and the population percentages (based on the census figures for the Cape Peninsula) for the different age groups, between the race-age combinations, were used, and significant differences were found. In the hospital group the higher percentage of women between 20 and 39 years and the higher percentage of men older than 60 years was striking. In the low Hb group 38.8% of the patients were below 4 years of age, and 61% in the microcytic group (mean corpuscular volume (MCV) below 75 fl) were under the age of 6 years. The largest number of cases of iron-deficient anaemias in the hospital was therefore found in children. The MCV and Hb values had a fairly normal distribution, but in the macrocytic subdivision (MCV higher than 95 fl) of the low Hb group, White men were significantly over-represented. In the hospital group Hb and MCV values were slightly lower than the values accepted in a normal population, the mean MCV of women being lower than that of men (P < 0.01), and the values of non-Whites being lower than those of Whites.
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    Clinical and haematological problems associated with severe abruptio placentae
    (Health & Medical Publishing Group, 1978) Odendaal H.J.; Brink S.; Steytler J.G.
    A clinical study was done of 80 patients in whom abruptio placentae was severe enough to cause intra-uterine death of the fetus. Central venous pressure was measured whenever possible to ensure adequate fluid replacement. Although the minority of the patients were shocked when admitted, blood replacement averaged 5 units per patient. The caesarean section incidence was 21%. Only 1 patient developed renal failure for which peritoneal dialysis was done. No maternal deaths occurred. Serial coagulation studies were done in 58 patients. Diffuse intravascular coagulation was present in the majority. After delivery of the fetus, however, tests became normal.
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    'n Epidemiologiese studie van perifere bloedondersoeke
    (HMPG, 1979-08) Brink S.; Van Schalkwyk, D. J.
    A statistical random sample of 600 patients from the population referred to Tygerberg Hospital for peripheral blood investigations was analysed statistically with an IBM 370/158 computer. Suitable transformations were used for normalization of the data. The results of Coulter Model S investigations, platelet counts (Coulter F), erythrocyte sedimentation rates, differential counts (with regard to neutrophil, Iymphocyte, monocyte and eosinophil counts), age, race and sex of the patients, as well as possible associations between the day of the week and the haematological tests were investigated independently for each of the four race and sex groups, i.e. White men, White women, non-White men and non-White wo- Ontvangsdatum: Februarie 1979. men. Machine sorting was used to obtain graphs representing the mean values of 12 haematological variables versus age in the four race and sex groups. Regression analysis between the different variables was done, and mean values are reported. Normal haematological limits (-+- 2 standard deviations) for the different age groups were used, and with machine processing the results were evaluated as low, normal or high in order to obtain a table for the visualization of a normal or abnormal distribution, skewness to the right or left, and percentages of abnormal values for each variable for each of the different age groups in the four race and sex groups. In this study we investigated a selected group of patients. No conclusions with regard to 'normal' values can be made, but, with the use of statistical computing of routine numerical data, an approach to epidemiology is demonstrated
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    Laboratoriumstandaardisasie en kwaliteitskontrole in antistolterapie
    (HMPG, 1976-02) Brink S.; Cloete H.; Roberts R.; Holm W.
    [No abstract available]
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    Oorerflike faktor V gebrek (Parahemofilie) : 'n gevalbespreking
    (HMPG, 1974) Brink S.
    A white boy and his family were investigated for a haemorrhagic diathesis. Both he and his sister, a primipara between 26 and 28 wk pregnant, in May 1973 had a total lack of factor V, demonstrated an abnormal partial thromboplastin time and a prolonged prothrombin index with normal prothrombin activity. Factor V assays were 10%. Clotting screening tests on the father and another son, who are both heterozygote carriers, were within normal limits, but the specific factor V assays were 48 and 39% respectively, which demonstrates the limitations of routine screening tests as opposed to specific factor V assays. The hereditary patterns in the two documented families in South Africa, and this family, are consistent with a partial dominancy.
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    Relationship between substance abuse and first-episode psychosis - A South African perspective
    (2003) Brink S.; Oosthuizen P.; Emsley R.; Mbanga I.; Keyter N.
    Background. Co-morbidity between susbstance abuse and psychotic disorders is high. Few studies have examined the relationship between first-episode psychosis and substance abuse. Several questions emerge from this common relationship and many of them remain unanswered. Objectives. To determine the effect of substance abuse on psychosis in terms of onset, duration, severity of symptoms, use of medication and outcome. Method. Thirty-three subjects with first episode psychosis, as well as primary caregivers, were interviewed regarding substance abuse and its relation to illness. Thirty-six control subjects were also interviewed. Result. Twenty-seven per cent of subjects abused substances in the 3 months before onset of illness, and 77.8% of the abusers were male. Subjects in the first episode psychosis group were more likely to choose cannabis as their susbtance of abuse than controls. Subjects with first-episode psychosis who abused substances presented at an earlier age than non abusers. Substances affected symptoms at baseline presentation. Conclusions. Substance abuse has a significant impact on first onset psychosis as far as age of onset and symtom severity are concerned. Subjects with an underlying vulnerability to psychosis seem to start abusing susbtances at an earlier age than the general population. Males are more likely to abuse substances than females.
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    Serum ferritin and mean corpuscular volume as predictors of bone marrow iron stores
    (HMPG, 1982) Brink S.; Van Schalkwyk D.J.
    The prognostic value of serum ferritin (SF) as a predictor of bone marrow iron stores (BMS) was evaluated in an attempt to use SF and other readily available clinical and laboratory parameters in the more accurate prediction of BMS without bone marrow aspiration. The results of routine hematological studies of 1000 patients referred for a bone marrow examination as part of their diagnostic evaluation at Tygerberg Hospital were statistically analysed. Significant associations were found. The CHAID programme of automatic interaction detection as developed by Kass was used to determine the optimum classification. A statistical model in the form of a dendrogram has been computed for this hospital population and this laboratory for future predictions of BMS using only the values for SF and mean corpuscular volume. The predictions were statistically very highly significant, especially in patients with iron deficiencies.
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    The relationship of anticardiolipin antibodies to disease activity in systemic lupus erythematosus
    (1989) Cooper R.C.; Klemp P.; Stipp C.J.; Brink S.
    Sera from 124 blood donors, 60 rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and 57 SLE patients were measured for anticardiolipin antibodies by ELISA. Significantly raised IgG (aCLG) and IgM (aCLM) anticardiolipin antibody levels were found in RA and SLE (p < 0.0005). However, in SLE, both aCLG and aCLM levels were significantly higher than in RA (p < 0.0025). We then conducted a transectional study to evaluate aCL levels and disease activity in SLE. There was a good positive predictive value (70%) between aCL and overall disease activity, but not for individual systems. A strong association between aCL and renal involvement irrespective of activity was also found (80%). Nine SLE patients fulfilled both the clinical and serological criteria for the antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) and a further 18 patients fulfilled the serological criteria for APS. Results indicate that aCL levels are of value in predicting overall disease activity in SLE and in monitoring those patients who fulfil or partially fulfil the criteria for APS.