The Utility of Digital Rectal Examination in Estimating Prostate Volume in a Rural Hospital Setting.

OBJECTIVES: To determine the correlation between prostate volume estimated by digital rectal examination (DRE) and that estimated by abdominal ultrasound in the same patients. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Men who presented to our urology outpatient clinic with lower urinary tract symptoms were recruited in this study. We estimated the prostate size by digital rectal examination using the sliding scale as a guide and subsequently measured the prostate volume by transabdominal ultrasound. RESULTS: A total of 100 patients completed this study. The mean age was 65.6 ± 9.84 years. The Kappa's reliability test comparing the prostate size estimated by DRE and the prostate size measured by transabdominal ultrasound was 0.579832, the Kappa's standard error was 0.097768 and Kappa's t value was 5.93. The Kappa's reliability test fell into good agreement range (0.4-0.75). This is further validated by the Pearson's correlation test ascertaining correlation between Ultrasound and DRE and generated a correlation coefficient(®) of 0.59 (P = 0.00). This implies a high positive correlation between ultrasound estimated prostate volume and that estimated by DRE that is statistically significant (P < 0.01). CONCLUSION: Estimation of prostate volume by digital rectal examination is reliable. This is very important in an environment where esoteric laboratory facilities are not readily available, and the clinician has to depend mainly on his clinical acumen.

Screening for HIV, HBV and HCV markers among drug users in treatment in rural south-east England.

BACKGROUND: This study was designed as an opportunistic screening to estimate the prevalence of blood-borne viral infection among drug users in treatment in the rural population and to investigate related risk factors and use of general health services. METHODS: A total of 102 patients aged 18 years and over (78 male, 24 female) with problematic self-reported drug use, recruited between 1 February 1996 and 31 January 1997, in a mixed urban-rural population in south-east England, were interviewed for information on socio-demographic status, drug use history, HIV-related risk behaviours, hepatitis B vaccination, general practice consultations, and use of A&E departments and medical out-patient clinics. Diagnostic testing was offered to all patients for anti-HIV-1, anti-HBc, HBsAg and anti-HCV. RESULTS: The mean age at onset of illicit drug use for the entire sample was 15.33 (SD 3.36) years; 3.7 per cent (1/27), 20.4 per cent (18/88), and 55.8 per cent (48/86) had antibodies to HIV-1, HBc and HCV, respectively; 1.1 per cent (1/88) tested positive for HBsAg indicative of a carrier state. All 18 patients anti-HBc seropositive were male (p = 0.009). There was no gender difference for anti-HCV serological status. The proportion of town residents and village dwellers seropositive for anti-HBc and anti-HCV did not differ significantly. Patient's age at interview, age at onset of opioid use and duration of opioid use showed a significant association with anti-HBc and anti-HCV serological status. The proportion directly sharing injecting equipment was too small for rigorous statistical analysis; however, indirect sharing involving cooking equipment and frontloading rituals achieved statistical significance. Anti-HBc serological status showed a significant association with vaginal intercourse without a condom (p = 0.03); none of the sexual risk behaviour variables revealed any significant association with HCV infection. Although only one-third of the sample consented to HIV antibody test, consenting and non-consenting groups did not differ significantly except on one variable: having a drug-using sexual partner (chi2 = 5.6167; p = 0.017). Serum aspartate amino transferase and gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase concentrations were raised above the upper limit in 23 (25.7 per cent) of the 89 patients who gave blood specimens; 41.2 per cent (42/102) were referred to treatment by their general practitioners. There was no significant relationship between HBV and HCV serological status and general practice consultations. Only eight (7.8 per cent) had received hepatitis B vaccination, and although 48 (47.1 per cent) had in the preceding 12 months used A&E departments, only seven (6.2 per cent) had been seen in medical out-patient clinics. CONCLUSION: In this study the prevalence of HIV, HBV and HCV in the rural population is as high as has been reported for inner cities. The poor uptake of hepatitis B vaccination among drug users, their poor response to HIV antibody test and poor health service utilization suggest the need for an urgent appraisal of service provision and a review of prevention and treatment strategies.

Hyposexuality and epilepsy: a community survey of hormonal and behavioural changes in male epileptics.

A survey of five group practices in South London identified 60 male patients currently undergoing treatment for epilepsy. Fifty-four agreed to participate in a detailed enquiry into aspects of their sexual activity and behaviour. Anterior pituitary and sex-hormone levels were measured. The epileptic patients were characterized by low levels of sexual activity and interest. Temporal-lobe and non-temporal-lobe epileptics were indistinguishable in these respects, but when the latter group was further subdivided into primary generalized epilepsy and focal non-temporal lobe epilepsy, the focal groups (both temporal lobe and non-temporal lobe) were more impaired. Hormonal analysis confirmed earlier hospital-clinic-based reports. In the epilepsy group, plasma free testosterone and percentage free testosterone values were decreased, sex hormone binding globulin, luteinizing hormone (LH) and follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) were increased compared to values in a normal healthy population. As association between the behavioural and hormonal indices of hyposexuality was shown, particularly for LH, but this was less apparent than in previous work.

Volatile substance abuse in relation to alcohol and illicit drugs: psychosocial perspectives.

1. Volatile substance abusers are a heterogeneous population despite some demographic and social characteristics which appear similar. 2. Though predominantly an adolescent group activity, adult cases have been reported. Family disruption, alcohol misuse and antisocial behaviour feature prominently. 3. Evidence currently available suggests that only a minority of cases progress to illicit drug use; however a review of literature reveals serious discrepancies. 4. Further research of a longitudinal nature using standardized criteria of psychiatric morbidity and social adjustment and long-term follow-up is indicated to examine the extent of progression to heavy alcohol or illicit drug use.

Relationship between interictal psychopathology and the type of epilepsy. Results of a survey in general practice.

Psychiatric morbidity was assessed in a sample of 88 adult epileptic patients drawn from general practices in South London. Using the Clinical Interview Schedule, 48% emerged as psychiatric cases. When either total CIS score or caseness status was used for comparison, group differences were evident; patients with temporal lobe epilepsy and focal non-TLE did not differ, but each was significantly more impaired than those with primary generalised epilepsy. The groups also differed in their psychiatric symptom profiles. The results suggest that the increased prevalence of interictal psychopathology commonly associated with TLE may also be a feature of other forms of focal epilepsy.

Monitoring changing patterns of drug dependence in accident and emergency departments.

A survey was made of drug dependent individuals attending the Accident and Emergency Departments in Greater London in July 1982 and the results were compared with those of an identical survey in July 1975. There was a significant reduction in the number of incidents involving drug dependent patients, the majority of whom attended hospital after a drug overdose; the proportion of suicidal attempts increased significantly in 1982. Barbiturates were taken less frequently in 1982, but heroin and anxiolytics were taken more often. Possible reactions to these findings are discussed and the continuing role of the Accident and Emergency Departments in monitoring changing patterns of drug abuse in emphasised.

The influence of S-adenosylmethionine (SAM) on prolactin in depressed patients.

Twenty subjects entered a double-blind placebo-controlled trial of SAM in depression. Prolactin concentrations were measured before and after 14 days' treatment. There was a highly significant fall in prolactin concentrations in the SAM-treated group.

Affective illness and S-adenosyl methionine: a preliminary report.

S-Adenosyl methionine may well have an antidepressant action beyond a placebo effect but this is virtually confined to endogenous depression. This should be subjected to further study. Our own double-blind placebo-controlled study is still incomplete. The indications are that SAM specifically affects folate, dopamine, and serotonin metabolism as well as activating and switching brain mechanisms. This suggests exciting prospects for further investigations. SAM is a nontoxic physiological metabolite virtually free of side effects.

Antiepileptic therapy, folate deficiency, and psychiatric morbidity: a general practice survey.

The effect of anticonvulsant drugs on folate metabolism and mental symptoms has been investigated extensively in hospital-based studies, but never before in the community or general practice setting. Blood count, serum vitamin B12, red blood cell (RBC), and serum folate were measured in a sample of 82 adult epileptic patients drawn from 5 group practices (14 general practitioners) in southeast London. All patients were receiving antiepileptic medication at the time of examination and were interviewed with a standardized measure of psychopathology. Serum folate values below the lower limit of the normal range (3-15 micrograms/L) were obtained in 9 (10.9%) subjects, and in 50 (60.9%) patients, serum folate concentrations were less than the mean (6.02 micrograms/L) for the whole sample. Macrocytosis was detected in 20 (24.3%) patients. RBC and serum folate levels were significantly correlated with one another, but not with vitamin B12 concentrations. Levels of RBC and serum folate were significantly lower in patients on polytherapy (n = 40) than in those on monotherapy (n = 42); the folate concentrations were also significantly lower in the group with psychiatric morbidity. The association between folate deficiency and affective morbidity was demonstrated for depression but not for anxiety. There was no relationship between serum vitamin B12 and psychiatric disturbance. These findings are discussed in the light of relevant literature regarding the mechanism of action of anticonvulsant drugs in folate depletion and the neuropsychiatric sequelae.

Management of epilepsy in schools.

Ninety two school children in south east London aged 5-15 years and with a diagnosis of epilepsy were identified from the Handicap register kept by the community child health services. Medical information was obtained from hospital discharge summaries. Information about support services for these children and their families by psychiatrists, physiotherapists, educational psychologists, educational welfare officers, and social workers was obtained from questionnaires completed by school doctors and from school medical records. There was a significant increase in the use made of these support services by epileptic children placed in special schools compared with those attending ordinary schools. This is probably due to the additional disabilities of the former (mental subnormality, cerebral palsy etc) rather than epilepsy per se, as there was no significant difference in seizure frequency between the two groups of children.