The Outcomes and Quality of Life of Patients with Achalasia after Peroral Endoscopic Myotomy in the Short-Term

Purpose: To assess the short-term efficacy and quality of life (QOL) of patients with achalasia after peroral endoscopic myotomy (POEM).Methods: Thirty-five achalasia patients underwent POEM from May 2013 to December 2013. The data on clinical evaluation and QOL before therapy, at 1 month and 6 months postoperation were collected and analyzed.Results: All the thirty-five patients underwent POEM successfully. By comparing the data of the preoperative with that of 1 month and 6 months after POEM respectively, we found that: mean Eckardt score decreased (6.83 vs 0.51, 6.83 vs 0.46, all P <0.05), esophagus diameter reduced (47.97 mm vs 32.00 mm, 47.97 mm vs 28.50 mm, all P <0.05), and esophageal manometry declined (29.5 mmHg vs 11.5 mmHg, 29.5 mmHg vs 10.3 mmHg, all P <0.05). Complications occurred in 14.3% (5/35) of the cases, and no recurrence was observed. At each time point, postoperative QOL scores were higher than those of preoperative (P <0.05).Conclusions: POEM is safe and effective for treating achalasia in the short-term, it can relieve clinic symptoms as well as improve patients’ QOL.     

应用hMeDIP-chip技术分析尿毒症患者基因组5-羟甲基胞嘧啶状态

目的 通过hMeDIP-chip技术,在全基因组范围内分析尿毒症患者的5-羟甲基胞嘧啶(5-hmC)状态.方法 采用hMeDIP-chip技术筛选出5-hmC水平差异显著的目的基因,并用QRT-PCR验证hMeDIP-chip结果可靠性.结果 实验筛选得到3个目的基因:HMGCR、THBD、STAT3,其结果与hMeDIP-chip结果相符,证明hMeDIP-chip结果可靠.结论 尿毒症患者DNA 5-hmC状态有很大变化,这些变化或许可以进一步揭示尿毒症的发病机制,5-hmC或可作为尿毒症的潜在生物标志物和治疗靶点.     

不同前列腺增生手术对男性性功能的影响

目的 研究前列腺增生症(BPH)不同手术方式对男性性功能的影响.方法 收集2007年2月～ 2014年3月本院收治的BPH接受手术治疗且有配偶的患者253例,其中单纯经尿道前列腺电切手术(TURP) 98例、经尿道前列腺气化电切(TUVP)76例、耻骨上经膀胱前列腺摘除术(SPPC) 79例,追踪患者手术前、后性功能情况,以了解不同手术方式对性功能的影响.结果 三种手术方式对患者性功能皆有不同程度的影响,其中经尿道前列腺电切手术对性功能的影响最小.结论 TURP为对性功能影响最小的前列腺增生症最佳手术方式.     

分化抑制蛋白-1在套细胞淋巴瘤中的表达及预后关系

目的 探讨分化抑制蛋白-1(Inhibitor of differentiation-1,Id1)在套细胞淋巴瘤患者中的表达情况及其临床意义.方法 采用SP免疫组化法检测并分析45例套细胞淋巴瘤和20例淋巴结反应性增生淋巴结组织中Id1表达水平,以及Id1的表达与其临床预后指标的关系.结果 Id1在套细胞淋巴瘤和淋巴结反应性增生淋巴结组织中阴性、弱阳性和强阳性的表达率分别是15.56％,31.11％,53.33％和65.00％,25.00％,10.00％(P＜0.05).套细胞淋巴瘤组织中Id1阳性表达与患者LDH、临床分期、结外累及部位和近期疗效有关(P均＜0.05);年龄、性别、WBC计数、PLT计数、HB含量无相关(P均＞0.05).经过Log-rank检验显示,Id1低表达组和Id1高表达组的1年生存率分别是90.48％和79.17％ (P ＞0.05);3年生存率分别是66.67％和33.33％(P＜0.05);5年生存率分别是47.62％和16.67％ (P ＜0.05),Kaplan-Meier生存分析显示Id1高表达组3年、5年生存率低于Id1低表达组(P＜0.05).结论 Id1在套细胞淋巴瘤淋巴结中呈高表达,并与部分预后相关指标有关,Id1高表达组表现出低生存率,Id1可能成为套细胞淋巴瘤预后不良的评价指标.     

A review of oral food challenges in children presenting to a single tertiary centre with perceived or true food allergies

INTRODUCTION

The prevalence of perceived food allergies exceeds that of true food allergies. Unnecessary food avoidance may increase parental and patient anxiety, reduce quality of life and increase the risk of nutritional deficiency. An oral food challenge (OFC) can provide an objective measure regarding the presence or absence of food allergies in a child. This study reviews the indications for and outcomes of OFCs performed on children.

METHODS

A retrospective review was performed on all children who underwent OFCs at the Allergy Unit of the National University Hospital, Singapore, over a three-year period.

RESULTS

A total of 197 OFCs were performed among 58 patients (34 male, 24 female). Most of the tests were for allergies to tree nuts (n = 107). Among the OFCs, 43.1% were for foods that were avoided and never eaten due to perceived food allergies, 25.9% were for foods that had previously resulted in positive skin prick tests (SPTs) and/or immunoassay results, 16.2% were for foods thought to worsen eczema and 14.7% were for foods thought to have caused a previous reaction. Of all the OFCs, 5% were positive, although adverse reactions were mostly cutaneous. Challenge-positive patients had either positive SPTs (wheal > 3 mm) or raised serum immunoglobulin E levels to specific foods that they reacted to during the challenges. No episodes of anaphylaxis were reported after the challenge. Most of the patients were able to safely introduce the avoided foods into their diets.

CONCLUSION

OFCs provide an objective assessment for suspected food allergies.     

Ministry of Health Clinical Practice Guidelines: Anxiety Disorders

The Ministry of Health (MOH) has developed the clinical practice guidelines on Anxiety Disorders to provide doctors and patients in Singapore with evidence-based treatment for anxiety disorders. This article reproduces the introduction and executive summary (with recommendations from the guidelines) from the MOH clinical practice guidelines on anxiety disorders, for the information of SMJ readers. Chapters and page numbers mentioned in the reproduced extract refer to the full text of the guidelines, which are available from the Ministry of Health website: http://www.moh.gov.sg/content/moh_web/healthprofessionalsportal/doctors/guidelines/cpg_medical.html. The recommendations should be used with reference to the full text of the guidelines. Following this article are multiple choice questions based on the full text of the guidelines.

1.1 Background information

Anxiety disorders are known to be one of the most prevalent of psychiatric conditions, yet they often remain under-diagnosed and under-treated. Their chronic, disabling symptoms cause considerable burden not only to sufferers but also to their families, and contribute to poorer quality of life and considerable economic burden on society.In many instances, there is a delay in seeking treatment and in some cases such delay may stretch up to nearly ten years. This may result from ignorance of the condition, fear of taking medications, and the stigma of receiving a psychiatric diagnosis, and or having to accept psychiatric treatment.The anxiety disorders include panic disorder with or without agoraphobia, social anxiety disorder, specific phobia, obsessive-compulsive disorder, generalised anxiety disorder, acute stress disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder. In the clinical evaluation of anxiety disorders, it is important to ascertain the type of anxiety disorder present. This would allow treatment to be targeted at the specific type of disorder.These guidelines are developed to provide practical, evidence-based recommendations to primary care physicians and specialists in psychiatry for the diagnosis and management of the anxiety disorders.The first edition of the guidelines was published in 2003. In this edition, we present data from newer research as well as older data not previously reported in the earlier guidelines.For example, we examine the efficacy of combining medications with psychological therapy over medications alone, or psychological therapy alone. In view of the majority of anxiety sufferers being female we have made recommendations for pharmacotherapy during pregnancy and breastfeeding. As these guidelines are intended for use in the Singapore context, we have omitted treatments that are currently not available in Singapore.

1.2 Aim

These guidelines are developed to facilitate the diagnosis and assessment of the anxiety disorders, and to ensure that their management is appropriate and effective.

1.3 Scope

These guidelines will cover the management of anxiety disorders in adults and address the issues of medication use during pregnancy and breastfeeding.

1.4 Target group

The content of the guidelines will be useful for all doctors treating patients with anxiety disorders. Efforts have been made to ensure that the guidelines are particularly useful for primary care physicians and specialists in psychiatry, including all those involved in the assessment and management of patients with anxiety disorders in the community. The doctor treating the patient is ultimately responsible for clinical decisions made after reviewing the individual patient’s history, clinical presentation and treatment options available.

1.5 Development of guidelines

These guidelines have been produced by a committee of psychiatrists, a clinical psychologist, pharmacist, patient representative, and family practitioners appointed by the Ministry of Health. They were developed by revising the existing guidelines, reviewing relevant literature, including overseas clinical practice guidelines, and by expert clinical consensus of professionals with experience in treating patients in the local setting.The following principles underlie the development of these guidelines:

• Treatment recommendations are supported by scientific evidence whenever possible (randomised controlled clinical trials represent the highest level of evidence) and expert clinical consensus is used when such data are lacking.
• Treatment should maximise therapeutic benefits and minimise side effects.

1.6 What’s new in the revised guidelines

This edition of the guidelines contains updated recommendations based on latest evidence, as well as detailed discussions and recommendations on the management of anxiety disorders in adult populations.The following represent changes to the revised guidelines

• An extensive review of the literature, including new evidence. This involved the re-writing and extensive revision of the chapters.
• Length of treatment, which provides answers to a pertinent question.
• Use of medications during pregnancy and breastfeeding. Given that females are more likely to be at risk of being diagnosed with anxiety disorders, this is an important subject.

We are aware that the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-5 (DSM-5) was released in 2013. In DSM-5, post-traumatic stress disorder and obsessive-compulsive disorder have been removed and classified separately from the rest of the anxiety disorders. If we were to adhere strictly to DSM-5, this would entail omitting discussion on post-traumatic stress disorder and obsessive-compulsive disorder. As it is our aim to provide an update on the 2003 guidelines, post-traumatic stress disorder and obsessive-compulsive disorder have been included in this edition of the guidelines.In addition, anxiety conditions in children are included in DSM-5. Since the present guidelines are meant to address only adult anxiety disorders, guidelines on children’s anxiety conditions are not included here.Hence, for purposes of these guidelines, we will continue to use classifications based on the International Classification of Diseases-10 (ICD-10) and DSM-IV-TR criteria.

1.7 Review of guidelines

Evidence-based clinical practice guidelines are only as current as the evidence that supports them. Users must keep in mind that new evidence could supersede recommendations in these guidelines. The workgroup advises that these guidelines be scheduled for review five years after publication, or when new evidence appears that requires substantive changes to the present recommendations.