Pilot Study to Determine the Feasibility of Training Army National Guard Medics to Perform Focused Cardiac Ultrasonography

Abstract

Objective. To assess the ability of Army National Guard combat medics to perform a limited bedside echocardiography (BE) to determine cardiac activity after a brief training module. Methods. Twelve Army National Guard health care specialists trained to the level of emergency medical technician–basic (EMT-B) underwent an educational session consisting of a 5-minute lecture on BE followed by hands-on practical training. After the training session, each medic performed BEs, in either the subxiphoid (SX) or parasternal (PS) location at his or her discretion, on four healthy volunteers. The time required to complete the BE and the anatomic location of the examination (SX vs. PS) was documented. A 3-second video clip representing the best image was recorded for each BE. These clips were subsequently reviewed independently by two of the investigators with experience performing and interpreting BE; each BE was graded on a six-point scale designed for the study, the Cardiac Ultrasound Structural Assessment Scale (CUSAS). A score of 3 or greater was considered to be adequate to assess for the presence of cardiac activity. Where there was disagreement on the CUSAS score, the reviewers viewed the clip together and agreed on a consensus CUSAS score. We calculated the median time to completion and interquartile range (IQR) for each BE, the median CUSAS scores and IQR for examinations performed in the SX and PS locations, and kappa for agreement between the two reviewers on the CUSAS. Results. A total of 48 BEs were recorded and reviewed. Thirty-seven of 48 (77%) were obtained in the SX location, and 11 of 48 (23%) were obtained in the PS location. Forty-four of 48 (92%) were scored as a 3 or higher on the CUSAS. Median time to completion of a BE was 5.5 seconds (IQR: 3.7–10.9 seconds). The median CUSAS score in the SX location was 4 (IQR: 4–5), and the median CUSAS score in the PS location was 4 (IQR: 4–4). Weighted kappa for the CUSAS was 0.6. Conclusion. With minimal training, the vast majority of the medics in our study were able to rapidly perform a focused BE on live models that was adequate to assess for the presence of cardiac activity.     

胺碘酮治疗心力衰竭合并快速型室上性心动过速的疗效分析

目的探讨胺碘酮治疗心力衰竭合并快速型室上性心动过速的临床疗效。方法选取2010年1月～2012年12月广东省东莞市莞城医院收治的心力衰竭合并快速型室上性心动过速的患者66例,随机分为胺碘酮组(观察组)和西地兰组(对照组),各33例,对比两组患者的治疗效果及副作用。结果观察组有效28例,有效率84.85%,对照组有效16例,有效率51.52%,差异有统计学意义(P<0.05);观察组平均起效时间(33.8±8.1)min,对照组平均起效时间(43.6±9.2)min,差异有统计学意义(P<0.05);两组药物副作用比较,差异无统计学意义(P>0.05)。结论胺碘酮治疗心力衰竭合并快速型室上性心动过速安全有效。     

Multifaceted targeting in cancer: the recent cell death players meet the usual oncogene suspects

Recent complicated advances towards the blueprinting of the altered molecular networks that lie behind cancer development have paved the way for targeted therapy in cancer. This directed a significant part of the research community to the development of specialized targeted agents, many of which are already available or in clinical trials. The prospect of patient-tailored therapeutic strategies, although very close to becoming a reality also raises the level of complexity of the therapeutic approach. This review summarizes the functions, in vivo expression patterns and aberrations of factors presently targeted or representing potential targets by therapeutic agents, focusing on those implicated in death receptor-induced apoptosis. The authors overview the regulation of these factors and death receptor-induced apoptosis by classical oncogenes (e.g., RAS, MYC, HER2) and their effectors/regulators, most of which are also being targeted. In addition, the importance of orthologic systemic approaches in future patient-tailored therapies are discussed.     

Chagas心脏病研究现状

<正>Chagas病即查加斯病,是一个古老的热带寄生虫病。该病由克氏锥虫感染引起,可累及皮肤、心脏和消化道等全身多个系统,因其广泛流行于墨西哥及拉丁美洲国家的贫穷地区也被称为美洲锥虫病(American trypanosomiasis)。但1909     

EMTs' Attitudes' toward Death before andafter a Death Education Program

Objective. To test the hypothesis that emergency medical technicians' (EMTs') attitudes toward death will change after exposure to a death education program. Methods. A convenience sample of 83 rural EMTs participated in this pretest–posttest study after exposure to an educational program related to death. Intact groups of EMTs were randomly assigned to one of three conditions. The short-intervention group received a two-hour class solely on making death notifications. The long-intervention group received a 16-hour, two-day workshop based on the Emergency Death Education andCrisis Training (EDECT^SM) program. The control group received a program about toxicology. Each participant completed a questionnaire with items structured in a Likert five-point format with “strongly agree” and“strongly disagree” as the anchors. Results. Before the training programs, most (77%) participants reported that an EMT's actions impact the family's grief. Less than half (43%) reported that an EMT's role should include making a death notification. The majority (84%) reported that their training was inadequate to make a death notification or to help the family with their grief. Most (84%) felt uncomfortable making a death notification. Those EMTs in the long-intervention group were significantly more likely (92%) to feel that their training was adequate after the intervention when compared with those EMTs in the short-intervention group (43%) or those in the control group (21%). Conclusion. The data showed that EMTs' attitudes toward death changed after exposure to a training program about death.     

Rheumatic heart disease and risk of incident heart failure among community-dwelling older adults: A prospective cohort study

Abstract

Background. Little is known about the association of rheumatic heart disease (RHD) with incident heart failure (HF) among older adults.

Design. Cardiovascular Health Study, a prospective cohort study.

Methods. Of the 4,751 community-dwelling adults ≥ 65 years, free of prevalent HF at baseline, 140 had RHD, defined as self-reported physician-diagnosed RHD along with echocardiographic evidence of left-sided valvular disease. Propensity scores for RHD, estimated for each of the 4,751 participants, were used to assemble a cohort of 720, in which 124 and 596 participants with and without RHD, respectively, were balanced on 62 baseline characteristics.

Results. Incident HF developed in 33% and 22% of matched participants with and without RHD, respectively, during 13 years of follow-up (hazard ratio when RHD was compared to no-RHD 1.60; 95% confidence interval 1.13–2.28; P = 0.008). Pre-match unadjusted, multivariable-adjusted, and propensity-adjusted hazard ratios (95% confidence intervals) for RHD-associated incident heart failure were 2.04 (1.54–2.71; P < 0.001), 1.32 (1.02–1.70; P = 0.034), and 1.55 (1.14–2.11; P = 0.005), respectively. RHD was not associated with all-cause mortality (HR 1.09; 95% CI 0.82–1.45; P = 0.568).

Conclusion. RHD is an independent risk factor for incident HF among community-dwelling older adults free of HF, but has no association with mortality.     

Cardiac troponin I (CTnI) level among children with epileptic seizures

Epilepsy is a common chronic neurological disorder in pediatric age characterized by recurrent, unprovoked seizures; these seizures are transient signs of abnormal excessive or hyper synchronous neuronal activity in the brain. Complicated epilepsy is associated with high seizure frequency, prolonged seizures and may lead to some sort of cardiac ischemia, myocardial injury and elevated serum CTnI.AimA possible importance of Cardiac troponin I (CTnI) level in epileptic children.Patients and methodsThe study was carried out upon 90 children, classified into three groups: Group I: 30 with uncomplicated epilepsy. Group II: 30 with complicated epilepsy. Group III (control): 30 apparently clinically healthy children with similar age and sex. All groups were subjected to the following: full history taking – thorough clinical examination – EEG – assessment of serum cardiac troponin I- and CT only for groups I and II.ResultsOur research revealed a significant statistical increase in the cardiac troponin level (CTnI) maximum in group II followed by group I then lastly group III and revealed a direct correlation between cardiac troponin I and presence of prenatal problem, mental retardation, EEG abnormality and abnormal C T or MRI. There was an indirect correlation between cardiac troponin I and age of seizure onset. Also there was one between cardiac troponin I and etiology of epilepsy.ConclusionCardiac troponin I is a perfect tool for early detection of cases with myocardial dysfunction in epileptic patients – cardiac troponin I is significantly increased in children with epilepsy especially the complicated epilepsy. Cardiac injury in epileptic children is more common in patients with early onset epilepsy, positive prenatal problem, idiopathic epilepsy, abnormal imaging and EEG – elevated TnI levels may be of value in assessing the severity and eventual outcome and mortality risk of the disease in children with epilepsy.     

基于网络药理学的大果木姜子油治疗心力衰竭作用机制研究

目的:揭示大果木姜子油治疗心力衰竭的作用机制。方法:首先从动物药理学实验验证疗效,采用异丙肾上腺素(ISO)诱导复制心力衰竭大鼠模型,造模成功后应用大果木姜子油治疗4周,监测血流动力学指标,分析血清BNP水平和心肌组织形态学变化;然后基于文献检索和TCMSP数据库获取大果木姜子油活性成分及作用靶点,从CTD和Drugbank数据库筛选心力衰竭的已知治疗靶点,将疾病治疗靶点与大果木姜子油活性成分作用靶点进行Venn分析,运用SYBYL软件进行分子对接验证,运用STRING数据库分析蛋白互作关系,再利用DAVID数据库进行GO分子功能和KEGG通路富集分析。结果:大果木姜子油可显著升高ISO诱导的心衰大鼠LVSP、±dp/dtmax,降低LVEDP和BNP水平,改善心肌组织形态学变化;获得大果木姜子油20个活性成分,其中7个活性成分(沉香螺旋醇、芳樟醇、萜品烯-4-醇等)可能通过调控一个蛋白互作网络治疗心力衰竭,该网络中的靶点有PTGS1、PTGS2、NOS2、NOS3、GSK3B;由蛋白富集分析发现,这些靶点与前列腺素内过氧化物合酶活性和一氧化氮合酶活性有关。结论:大果木姜子油可改善心衰大鼠的血流动力学紊乱及心肌组织形态学变化;其治疗心力衰竭的机制可能与调控前列腺素内过氧化物合酶活性和一氧化氮合酶活性有关。