Pycnogenol® as an Adjunct in the Management of Childhood Asthma

A randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind study involving 60 subjects, aged 6-18 years old, was conducted over a period of 3 months to determine the effect of Pycnogenol® (a proprietary mixture of water-soluble bioflavonoids extracted from French maritime pine) on mild-to-moderate asthma. After baseline evaluation, subjects were randomized into two groups to receive either Pycnogenol® or placebo. Subjects were instructed to record their peak expiratory flow with an Assess® Peak Flow Meter each evening. At the same time, symptoms, daily use of rescue inhalers (albuterol), and any changes in oral medications were also recorded. Urine samples were obtained from the subjects at the end of the run-in period, and at 1-, 2-, and 3-month visits. Urinary leukotriene C₄/D₄/E₄ was measured by an enzyme immunoassay. Compared with subjects taking placebo, the group who took Pycnogenol® had significantly more improvement in pulmonary functions and asthma symptoms. The Pycnogenol® group was able to reduce or discontinue their use of rescue inhalers more often than the placebo group. There was also a significant reduction of urinary leukotrienes in the Pycnogenol® group. The results of this study demonstrate the efficacy of Pycnogenol® as an adjunct in the management of mild-to-moderate childhood asthma.     

海水浸泡对失血性休克并腹部开放伤实验大鼠肿瘤坏死因子α及肠道热休克蛋白HSP-70的影响

目的探讨海水浸泡失血性休克并腹部开放伤对实验大鼠血浆肿瘤坏死因子α(TNFα-)和肠道热休克蛋白HSP-70水平变化的影响。方法建立失血并腹腔海水浸泡伤动物模型。实验大鼠随机分为对照组(n=6)、失血创伤组(n=14)、失血创伤海水浸泡组(n=14),失血创伤组为单纯失血性休克并腹部开放伤,失血创伤海水浸泡组将动物致伤后置入人工配置的海水中,于伤前和浸泡后30m in及1,1.5,3 h取血测定TNFα的变化,取肠道组织测定HSP-70的表达。结果失血创伤海水浸泡组血中TNFα较失血创伤组伤后明显升高并且高峰出现时间明显提前,肠道损伤病理变化明显重于失血创伤组,肠道组织中HSP-70含量在创伤早期显著升高,后又明显降低。结论TNFα-的过度表达在失血性休克并腹部开放伤后海水浸泡的病理生理变化中起重要作用,肠道组织细胞中HSP-70的异常表达在肠道组织细胞的应激反应机制中,可能有重要的意义。     

应用胰岛素对颅脑外伤后高血糖预后探讨

目的:探讨及早应用胰岛素对颅脑外伤后高血糖患者治疗转归的影响。方法:对83例颅脑外伤后血糖升高者于入院时及伤后第1、2、3、5、7、10、14(如血糖仍未恢复正常者酌情延长时间)日晨空腹抽血检测血糖。且在使用胰岛素期间对末梢血糖进行动态的监测直至清晨空腹静脉血糖连续2次正常,同时制定饮食护理措施及对患者或家属进行相应的健康教育。结果:血糖升高者中72.12％(59例)的患者血糖在1-3d内恢复正常,且预后与血糖正常者无差别。组中仅7例患者血糖持续升高,均因伤情重而死亡,占本组重症(GCS≤8分)患者(25例)的29.41％,明显低于文献报道组。结论:对颅脑外伤后高糖血患者尽早应用胰岛素,能改善患者预后,降低死亡率。     

Validation of Probabilistic Linkage to Match De-identified Ambulance Records to a State Trauma Registry

Objectives: To validate the accuracy of using probabilistic linkage for matching de‐identified ambulance records to a state trauma registry. Methods: This was a retrospective cohort analysis. Three thousand nine hundred nineteen true matches between ambulance and state trauma registry data from 1998 to 2003 were identified by deterministic matching on trauma identification number and verified by human review. Two thousand thirty‐eight ambulance records from trauma patients not meeting criteria for a true match, and an identical number of trauma registry records randomly selected from the one local county served by a different EMS provider, were included as nonmatches. There were 17 variables considered for linkage, which included the following: age, gender, race, county, hospital, date, rural setting, call and arrival times, mechanism, penetrating injury, vital signs, intubation, and intoxication. Probabilistic linkage was used to link the two data sets, using seven different combinations of common variables (maximum, 17; minimum, 4). The sensitivity and specificity of identifying true matches and nonmatches (95% confidence intervals [95% CI]) were calculated for each combination of variables. Results: Using all 17 available variables, 3,766 of 3,919 true matches were appropriately linked (sensitivity, 96.1%; 95% CI = 95.4% to 96.7%), with eight mismatches (specificity, 99.6%; 95% CI = 99.2% to 99.8%). Sensitivity fell below 95% with < 15 variables; however, sensitivity was very dependent on the inclusion of variables with high discriminatory power. Specificity remained >98% regardless of the number of variables included. Conclusions: Probabilistic linkage is a valid method for matching ambulance records to a trauma registry without the use of patient identifiers; however, the sensitivity of identifying true matches is critically dependent on the number and type of common variables included in the analysis.     

Post–traumatic Alzheimer''s disease: preponderance of a single plaque type

The cause of Alzheimer's disease is unknown. Several factors have been proposed including head trauma. At present, the link between head injury and a subsequent neurodegenerative process is largely circumstantial, except in the case of dementia pugilistica (punch drunk syndrome) found in boxers. Recent studies have shown that the brains of boxers with this syndrome contain large numbers of 'diffuse' beta-protein immunoreactive plaques. We supposed that this plaque type might be associated with trauma induced Alzheimer-like degeneration. In order to test this hypothesis we have re-investigated a previously reported case of post-traumatic premature Alzheimer's disease. Immunocytochemistry using antibodies to amyloid beta-protein revealed large numbers of 'diffuse' non-Congophilic plaques with little or no neuritic component. A similar preponderance of this plaque type is present in the brains of boxers with dementia pugilistica. Our observations support the idea of a trauma induced Alzheimer-like degenerative process and indicate that such a condition is associated with a marked preponderance of 'diffuse' plaques.     

Prevalence of traumatic injuries to the permanent incisors in candidates for orthodontic treatment

Abstract  – The dental records made on presentation of 1367 consecutive patients (731 females and 636 males) for orthodontic treatment at a private orthodontic practice between 1998 and 2002 were examined for data relating to trauma to the permanent incisors. The results showed that 10.3% of these patients had suffered from dental trauma before the onset of orthodontic treatment. The highest prevalence of dental trauma was determined in the 11–15 years age group, corresponding to the dental developmental stage of the late mixed dentition. The most frequently affected teeth were the maxillary central incisors (79.6%), and the most common types of trauma were fracture of enamel–dentin without pulpal involvement (42.7%) and fracture of enamel (33.8%). Compared to patients with normal overjet and adequate lip coverage, the frequency of dental trauma was significantly higher in patients with increased overjet and adequate lip coverage ( P  = 0.028) or with increased overjet and inadequate lip coverage ( P  = 0.003). The results of the present study indicate that a significant percentage of candidates for orthodontic treatment, and especially those with increased overjet and inadequate lip coverage, suffer trauma to their permanent incisors before the onset of orthodontic treatment. It might also be concluded that preventive orthodontic treatment of such patients should be initiated and completed before the age of 11, i.e. in the early to middle mixed dentition.     

带桡神经浅支营养血管蒂的桡骨茎突骨(膜)复合瓣转位术

目的介绍一种修复掌、指骨缺损合并皮肤软组织缺损的新型手术方法。方法自2002年以来应用桡神经浅内侧支营养血管的骨(膜)皮瓣修复手部皮肤软组织缺损合并掌指骨缺损12例,该复合瓣以桡骨茎突和第2掌骨头的连线为轴心线,以桡神经浅内侧支营养血管构成筋膜蒂。皮瓣最大6cm×3cm,最小3cm×2cm;骨(膜)瓣最大3cm×1.5cm,最小2cm×1.5cm。结果术后12例复合瓣全部成活,创面一期修复,X线显示骨缺损和骨不连在术后2～3个月达到骨愈合,但6例有不同程度的掌指关节活动受限,经康复治疗后好转;术后随访8～12个月,手部外形及功能均较满意。结论桡神经浅内侧支营养血管骨(膜)皮瓣的设计合理,血供可靠,操作简便,适用于修复手背部皮肤软组织缺损合并第1、2、3掌骨和拇、食指指骨近节部分缺损。     

马来酸桂哌齐特在颅脑损伤患者的治疗效果观察

目的通过随机分组对照观察探讨马来酸桂哌齐特对颅脑损伤患者的治疗效果。方法100例急性闭合性颅脑损伤患者，分为对照组和用药组，各50例病人。分析对比治疗后对照组和用药组的实验室各项检查指标：血液流变学，TCD检查结果等变化情况。并且对出院后3—6个月随访调查结果进行比较分析。结果治疗后血液流变学检查中，用药组（马来酸桂哌齐特组）各项指标均低于对照组（P〈0．05）。经颅多普勒检测结果显示：用药组的脑血流速度与对照组相比明显减慢（P〈0．05），血管痉挛得到缓解。对比两组出院后随访结果可以看出，用药组的GOS评分、KPS评分及Barthel指数预后明显好于对照组（P〈0.05）。结论初步证明急性颅脑损伤早期应用马来酸桂哌齐特可增加病变区的脑血流，改善微循环，改善颅脑损伤患者的预后。值得推广和进一步研究。