A study on various symptoms of chronic hepatitis treated with radix astragali and its regulative effect to levels of serum hormone

Sixty-seven cases of chronic hepatitis were treated with Radix Astragali. After treatment (2-month course), the clinical improvement rate in 38 cases of the Stagnation of the Liver-Qi and Deficiency of the Spleen type was 92.1%, and in 26 cases of the Deficiency of Liver Yin and Kidney Yin type was 88.5%, more effective than in the control group (P<0.05). The regulative effect to the levels of serum hormone was observed in the patients of the Stagnation of the Liver-Qi and Deficiency of the Spleen type treated with this medicine. The results showed that the levels of serum triiodothyronine, estradiol (female) and testosterone (male) were increased after treatment (1.40±1.38 ng/dl, 129.30±1.23 pg/ml and 496.24±1.47 ng/dl). Pre-treatment levels were 1.22±1.49 ng/dl, 104.60±1.45 pg/ml and 398. 17±1.55 ng/dl respectively (P<0.05); however, the level of serum prolactin (2.75±4.46 ng/ml) was lower after treatment than before treatment (3.20±3.82 ng/ml,P<0.05). No obvious changes were observed in the levels of serum follicle stimulating hormone, luteinizing hormone, thyroid stimulating hormone, thyroxine, triiodothyronine uptake ratio and cortisol after treatment.     

Surgical delays and outcomes in patients treated with pneumatic antishock garments: A population-based study

Until mid-1991, our emergency medical services (EMS) system required the routine application of pneumatic antishock garments (PASGs) in all trauma cases, and inflation of the garment if the patient was hypotensive (systolic blood pressure < 90 mm Hg). The findings in 398 trauma patients who underwent emergency surgery when PASG was still being routinely applied were compared with the findings in 590 trauma patients who underwent emergency surgery after routine PASG application had been discontinued. Since the discontinuation of routine PASG application, scene time intervals for “intermediate” blunt and penetrating trauma activations have not changed, but scene times for “full-activation” blunt trauma have actually increased (6.4 minutes with PASG and 9.5 minutes without PASG, P = .0004). Transport times were found to be a function of the type of trauma; patients with penetrating injuries were transported more rapidly (< .0001) than patients with blunt trauma, even after controlling for injury severity and point of origin. Total time elapsed from EMS activation to the start of surgery for “full” activations, both blunt and penetrating, was unchanged (52.8 minutes with PASG and 53.8 minutes without PASG for penetrating trauma, 117.9 minutes with PASG and 105.1 minutes without PASG for blunt trauma). Times for “intermediate” activations did not change significantly. Length of intensive care unit (ICU) stay did not change. Within the subgroup of patients with femoral but not pelvic fractures, time spent at the scene of injury was shorter for patients treated with PASG than for those treated without (9.5 minutes v 14.5 minutes, P = .0066). Predicted and actual mortality rates were unchanged. These results suggest that application of PASG does not prolong scene time intervals for the most severely injured patients (“full” activations), does not delay the start of surgery, does not prolong ICU stay, and may even reduce scene time in cases where splints are applied (femoral fractures). We unexpectedly found that the type of trauma (blunt v penetrating) has more of an influence on time to surgery than severity of injury, an observation that has not been made previously.     

Thrombolytic therapy for acute deep venous thrombosis: how much is enough?

Twenty-eight patients treated with thrombolytic therapy for acute deep venous thrombosis were monitored prospectively with non-invasive testing every 12–24 h during treatment to evaluate thrombus response and whether duration of therapy was appropriate. Some 75% (21 of 28) of patients demonstrated improvement with lytic therapy with 36% (10 of 28) demonstrating complete lysis; 95% of responders (20 of 21) initiated lysis within 24 h. Some 33% (7 of 21) of all responders and 64% (7 of 11) of those having partial lysis had treatment terminated during thombus resolution but before maximal lysis. Non-invasive testing indicated that thrombolytic therapy for acute deep venous thrombosis is frequently terminated before maximal lysis of the thrombus. Monitoring thrombus response with venous duplex imaging should be part of the treatment strategy of deep venous thrombosis if thrombolytic therapy is used. This approach should increase efficacy and potentially reduce complications of thrombolytic therapy for acute deep venous thrombosis.