A case of purulent pneumococcal pericarditis

Background

Purulent bacterial pericarditis is a rare and potentially fatal disease. The course may be fulminant, and the presentation may pose a diagnostic challenge.

Two cases of Klebsiella pneumoniae liver abscess necessitating liver resection for effective treatment

We report two British cases of liver abscess, due to Klebsiella pneumoniae and associated with synchronous infection elsewhere, which required liver resection for definitive treatment. They illustrate the geographic spread of aggressive K pneumoniae liver infection and demonstrate the importance of early aggressive treatment.     

神经内镜辅助下经鼻蝶入路治疗鞍区肿瘤

目的探讨神经内镜辅助下经鼻蝶入路切除鞍区肿瘤的方法和优势。方法回顾性分析30例鞍区肿瘤病人的临床资料,垂体腺瘤26例(其中无功能垂体腺瘤6例、泌乳素瘤16例、垂体生长激素腺瘤4例),拉克囊肿1例,胆脂瘤1例,脑膜瘤1例,颅咽管瘤1例。采用神经内镜辅助下经鼻蝶入路手术切除肿瘤。结果肿瘤全切27例,部分切除3例。术后3例发生脑脊液鼻漏,经腰大池持续引流后痊愈。无死亡病例。随访3~6个月,病人恢复良好。结论在神经内镜辅助下经鼻蝶入路治疗鞍区肿瘤,较单纯的显微镜手术治疗创伤更小,肿瘤全切率更高。     

清肝解郁和健脾补肾法在治疗肝火上亢型慢性肾衰合并高血压中的应用

目的:观察清肝解郁和健脾补肾法治疗肝火上亢型慢性肾衰(CRF)合并高血压患者的临床效果。方法:选取2016年6月至2018年6月京东誉美医院收治的肝火上亢型CRF合并高血压患者90例作为研究对象,按照随机数字表法随机分为对照组和观察组,每组45例。对照组给予口服硝苯地平控释片治疗,观察组在对照组治疗基础上给予清肝解郁、健脾补肾汤治疗,每4周为1个疗程,均治疗3个疗程。比较治疗前后中医症状评分、收缩压(SBP)、舒张压(DBP)变化;比较2组临床疗效;比较治疗前后肾功能指标:尿素氮(BUN)、血肌酐(Scr)、24 h尿蛋白定量(24 hPRO);统计治疗期间2组不良反应发生情况。结果:治疗前观察组与对照组中医症状评分、SBP、DBP、BUN、Scr、24 hPRO比较,差异均无统计学意义(P>0.05),治疗后2组患者中医症状评分、SBP、DBP、BUN、Scr、24 hPRO均显著降低(P<0.05),观察组均低于对照组,差异有统计学意义(P<0.05);2组临床疗效比较,差异有统计学意义(P<0.05),且观察组总有效率显著高于对照组,差异有统计学意义(P<0.05);观察组和对照组不良反应发生率分别为2.22%和6.67%,2组比较差异无统计学意义(P>0.05)。结论:清肝解郁、健脾补肾法辅助治疗肝火上亢型CRF合并高血压疗效确切,可较好控制血压,并且可显著改善肾功能,减少不良反应发生情况。     

Distribution of temperature changes and neurovascular coupling in rat brain following 3,4‐methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA, “ecstasy”) exposure

(+/?)3,4‐methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA, “ecstasy”) is an abused psychostimulant that produces strong monoaminergic stimulation and whole‐body hyperthermia. MDMA‐induced thermogenesis involves activation of uncoupling proteins (UCPs), primarily a type specific to skeletal muscle (UCP‐3) and absent from the brain, although other UCP types are expressed in the brain (e.g. thalamus) and might contribute to thermogenesis. Since neuroimaging of brain temperature could provide insights into MDMA action, we measured spatial distributions of systemically administered MDMA‐induced temperature changes and dynamics in rat cortex and subcortex using a novel magnetic resonance method, Biosensor Imaging of Redundant Deviation in Shifts (BIRDS), with an exogenous temperature‐sensitive probe (thulium ion and macrocyclic chelate 1,4,7,10‐tetraazacyclododecane‐1,4,7,10‐tetramethyl‐1,4,7,10‐tetraacetate (DOTMA^4?)). The MDMA‐induced temperature rise was greater in the cortex than in the subcortex (1.6 ± 0.4 °C versus 1.3 ± 0.4 °C) and occurred more rapidly (2.0 ± 0.2 °C/h versus 1.5 ± 0.2 °C/h). MDMA‐induced temperature changes and dynamics in the cortex and body were correlated, although the body temperature exceeded the cortex temperature before and after MDMA. Temperature, neuronal activity, and blood flow (CBF) were measured simultaneously in the cortex and subcortex (i.e. thalamus) to investigate possible differences of MDMA‐induced warming across brain regions. MDMA‐induced warming correlated with increases in neuronal activity and blood flow in the cortex, suggesting that the normal neurovascular response to increased neural activity was maintained. In contrast to the cortex, a biphasic relationship was seen in the subcortex (i.e. thalamus), with a decline in CBF as temperature and neural activity rose, transitioning to a rise in CBF for temperature above 37 °C, suggesting that MDMA affected CBF and neurovascular coupling differently in subcortical regions. Considering that MDMA effects on CBF and heat dissipation (as well as potential heat generation) may vary regionally, neuroprotection may require different cooling strategies. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Packed red blood cell transfusion (PRBC) attenuates intestinal blood flow responses to feedings in pre-term neonates with normalization at 24 hours

Objective: To determine whether packed red blood cell (PRBC) transfusion affects post-prandial superior mesenteric artery blood flow velocities (SMA BFVs) in very-low birth weight (VLBW) neonates and if so, at what time point after transfusion restoration of previous SMA BFV patterns occurs.

Design/Methods: VLBW pre-term neonates, older than 14 days and tolerating bolus enteral feedings administered every 3?h were enrolled in this prospective observational study. Pulsed Doppler ultrasound was used to measure pre- and post-prandial (at 45?min) time-averaged mean, peak and end diastolic velocities (TAMV, PSV, EDV) immediately before and after 15?ml/kg of PRBC transfusion was given over 3?h; patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) status was also evaluated. Subsequent pre- and post-prandial SMA BFVs were recorded 24 and 48?h after the transfusion.

Results: Pre- and post-prandial measurements were obtained for 21 out of 25 enrolled infants. Post-prandial SMA BFVs were attenuated during the feedings immediately after transfusion; at 24 and 48?h after transfusion, changes in post-prandial SMA BFVs were similar to those measured prior to transfusion; the presence of the PDA did not affect results.

Conclusions: PRBC transfusion blunted SMA BFV responses to feedings immediately after the transfusion with normalization observed 24?h post-transfusion.