Meningitis and midline facial deformity

A baby with unilateral cleft lip, midline cleft palate and hypertelorism developed meningitis in the first 48 h of life. Examination of the nasopharynx showed a soft tissue mass, which was confirmed as a basal encephalocele by computed tomography. There was also congenital hydrocephalus and the corpus callosum was absent. Surgical treatment included repair of the anterior basal skull defect, repair of the lip and palate, and ventriculo-peritoneal shunt. There is currently evidence of developmental delay and right-sided visual impairment due to Morning Glory syndrome. This case demonstrates that basal encephalocele should be considered in any baby with midline facial deformity who develops meningitis.     

Hyperbilirubinemia, hypocarbia and periventricular leukomalacia in preterm infants: relationship to cerebral palsy

This study comprised 103 preterm infants with a gestational age less than 33 weeks who were born in Tampere University Hospital and who were followed up to two years of age. Sixty-four perinatal variables were compared to ultrasound findings in the neonatal period and neurologic handicap at the age of two years. Duration of hypocarbia (PCO2 < or = 30 mmHg) during the first 72 h and hyperbilirubinemia (the mean level of serum total bilirubin) at three days of age were independently and significantly related to periventricular leukomalacia, but not directly to cerebral palsy. The only perinatal variables related independently and significantly to cerebral palsy at two years of age were periventricular leukomalacia and ventriculomegaly. According to these results, periventricular leukomalacia was the main predictor of cerebral palsy in preterm infants. In addition to hypocarbia, hyperbilirubinemia may also be involved in the pathogenesis of extensive (severe cystic) periventricular leukomalacia.     

Otoacoustic emissions as a screening test for hearing impairment in children

Transient evoked otoacoustic emissions (TEOAEs) are low amplitude sound waves produced by the healthy cochlea. They can be recorded with a microphone in the external ear. TEOAEs are abolished by hearing losses of 30 dB or more. The feasibility of using TEOAEs as a screening test for hearing loss in children was studied. TEOAE recordings were attempted in 56 children attending an audiology clinic. Recordings were possible from both ears in 52 children; of these 104 ears, 32 had hearing deficits of 30 dB or more. Hearing status was compared with the results of six TEOAE screening criteria. All criteria had a sensitivity of 1.00. Four standard TEOAE criteria yielded specificities of 0.46-0.58. Two new criteria derived from analysis of limited frequencies from the TEOAE waveform gave specificities of 0.76 and 0.82. It can be concluded that, when appropriate pass/fail criteria are employed, TEOAEs are a feasible screening test in children.     

The Fremantle Lead Study

Objective: To ascertain blood lead levels in a sample of preschool children from Fremantle, Western Australia, and to correlate these with possible risk factors.
Methodology The study was a cross-sectional prevalence survey of 120 children from day-care centres and 44 hospital inpatients. Blood lead and ferritin levels were determined and a risk factor questionnaire was completed by parents.
Results Of the 164 children 25.6% had lead levels above the NH&MRC goal (<10μg/dL). Nine of 133 (6.7%) had ferritin levels below 10 μg/L suggesting iron deficiency. Excessive blood lead concentrations as defined by the NH&MRC (>9μg/dL) related to: child's presence during house renovation (OR 3.35, P = 0.007, 95% Cl 1.39-8.81); Aboriginality (OR 6.4, P = 0.008, 95% Cl 1.6-24.9), and, in the 9-24 month age group, inversely to distance between home and a road carrying >7000 vehicles/day (r-0.56, P = 0.009, n = 24).
Conclusions A group of Fremantle children with unacceptably high blood lead levels has been identified. Renovation of older housing and Aboriginality are important risk factors.     

Traumatic flap displacement after LASIK

CASE REPORT: We present a case of traumatic displacement of corneal flap in the superior temporal quadrant 13 days after LASIK. The flap was repositioned after gentle irrigation of BSS, cleaned the interface and then drying the flap to verify its stability. In the next day the flap was adhered, clear cornea,smooth and visual acuity without correction was 1.00. DISCUSSION: We should try immediately to reposition the flap after traumatic displacement, as in this case.     

指/趾止血止痛器治疗指/趾出血55例

临床资料 2003-08／2004-02用一次性指／趾止血止痛器(国家发明专利申请号：200410028152、9)模型制止指／趾出血(含利器伤、挫裂伤、锯伤、挤压伤)55(男39，女16)例，年龄14～52(平均24)岁，操作便利止血快捷，患均能单手定时横向牵拉弹力指／趾束压环上的自助式减压拉环开放动脉防止缺血坏死，勿须医护人员为其交替捆扎与松绑及频繁清理涌渗血，手术野显露好，     

Use of topical misoprostol to reduce radiation‐induced mucositis: Results of a randomized,double‐blind,placebo‐controlled trial

Radiation‐induced mucositis is an acute reaction of the mucosa of patients undergoing head and neck radiotherapy. It can have debilitating and dose‐limiting consequences. There is no consensus on an accepted intervention that significantly reduces its severity. Misoprostol is a synthetic prostaglandin E₁ analogue, with properties of a mucosal cytoprotectant. We designed a randomized, double‐blind, placebo‐controlled trial of misoprostol in patients with head and neck cancer. The aim of this study was to determine if topical misoprostol was effective in reducing the severity of radiation‐induced mucositis in patients receiving radical dose radiotherapy. The effect of this intervention on a patient’s general well‐being was also investigated. The primary end‐point of the study was the incidence of Radiation Therapy Oncology Group grade 3 mucositis. Between 1999 and 2002, 83 patients were recruited into the study at Westmead and Nepean Hospitals, Sydney. Forty‐two patients were randomized to receive misoprostol and 41 to receive a placebo. Most patients received radiotherapy in the adjuvant setting (52 of the 83) and had either an oral cavity (42 of the 83) or an oropharyngeal (16 of the 83) cancer. We could not identify any significant difference in the incidence of severe mucositis based on whether patients were allocated to receive misoprostol or placebo. There was no significant difference in the mean area under the mucositis curve (13.2 vs 16.6; P = 0.1). Patients allocated to misoprostol did report slightly increased soreness (7.6 vs 6.9; P = 0.04) and a greater use of analgesics. However, this difference did not translate into a worse feeling of general well‐being as measured by a simple visual analogue scale (5.8 vs 5.2; P = 0.3). In conclusion, we were unable to identify a reduction in radiation‐induced mucositis in patients receiving misoprostol. There is a paucity of high‐level evidence on potentially useful interventions and a continued need for new and innovative research, incorporating quality‐of‐life measurements, in patients experiencing radiation‐induced mucositis.     

Sarcomatoid renal cell carcinoma: Rapid dissemination detected on FDG PET‐CT

We present the FDG PET‐CT findings in a patient with persistent pain 7 weeks after a nephrectomy and lymph node dissection for a sarcomatoid renal cell carcinoma. Although conventional imaging was unable to detect evidence of metastatic spread outside the para‐aortic nodes, a PET‐CT scan showed unexpected extensive dissemination. Currently, there are no reports in the literature of the PET‐CT findings in sarcomatoid renal cell carcinomas.     

抗生素在流感大流行中的应用

随着禽流感病毒H5N1的不断蔓延,越来越有可能发生人类流感的大流行。如果现在发生流感的大流行,不仅还没有有效的疫苗,而且还可能造成抗病毒药物的缺乏。目前尚没有证据表明抗流感药物神经氨酸酶抑制剂(neuraminidaseinhibitor对)禽流感和流感大流行的病毒有效,给予神经氨酸酶抑制剂后,感染H5N1禽流感病毒的患者的死亡率仍然很高。而且流感病毒的耐药会进一步限制抗病毒药物的疗效。假如继发性细菌感染是流感常见且重要的致命性并发症,那么抗生素在人类流感大流行中将占有重要的一席地位。