EBOLA Ag K-SeT rapid test: field evaluation in Sierra Leone

ObjectivesEfficient interruption of Ebola virus disease (EVD) transmission chains critically depends on reliable and fast laboratory diagnosis. We evaluated the performance of the EBOLA Virus Antigen Detection K-SeT (EBOLA Ag K-SeT), a new rapid diagnostic antigen test in field settings.MethodsThe study was conducted in a field laboratory located in Freetown (Sierra Leone) by the Italian National Institute for Infectious Diseases ‘L. Spallanzani’ and the EMERGENCY Onlus NGO. The EBOLA Ag K-SeT was tested on 210 residual plasma samples (EVD prevalence 50%) from patients hospitalized at the EMERGENCY Ebola treatment center in Goderich (Freetown), comparing the results with quantitative real-time PCR.ResultsOverall, the sensitivity of EBOLA Ag K-SeT was 88.6% (95% confidence interval (CI), 82.5–94.7), and the corresponding specificity was 98.1% (95% CI, 95.5–100.7). The positive and negative predictive values were 97.9% (95% CI, 95.0–100.8) and 89.6% (95% CI, 84–95.2), respectively. The sensitivity strongly increased up to 98.7% (95% CI, 96.1–101.2) for those samples with high virus load (≥6.2 log RNA copies/mL).ConclusionsOur results suggest that EBOLA Ag K-SeT could represent a new effective diagnostic tool for EVD, meeting a need for resource-poor settings and rapid diagnosis for individuals with suspected EVD.     

耳穴贴压用于预防乳腺纤维瘤摘除术后呕吐疗效观察

目的评价耳穴贴压预防喉罩辅助通气全凭静脉麻醉下乳腺纤维瘤摘除术患者术后呕吐的效果。方法选择年龄40岁以下、ASA评分Ⅰ级、乳腺纤维瘤摘除术患者80例,随机分为A组和B组,每组40例。A组在麻醉复苏阶段患者唤醒后于耳廓相应穴位寻找敏感点,采用耳穴贴压治疗。B组不予任何处理。术后不同时间随访观察两组患者恶心、呕吐次数及BP、HR、SpO2等生命体征变化。结果两组患者术后4 h和24 h BP、HR、SpO2比较,差异均无统计学意义(P0.05);A组患者术后恶心、呕吐发生率低于B组,两组比较差异具有统计学意义(P0.01)。结论耳穴贴压具有良好的预防全凭静脉麻醉下乳腺纤维瘤摘除术患者术后恶心、呕吐的作用,且无明显不良反应。     

High rate of A2142G point mutation associated with clarithromycin resistance among Iranian Helicobacter pylori clinical isolates

This study aimed to investigate the clarithromycin resistance and its associated molecular mechanisms among Helicobacter pylori isolates from dyspeptic patients in Shiraz, Iran. From January to May 2014, 100 H. pylori strains were isolated from patients with gastroduodenal disorders. The resistance to clarithromycin was quantitatively evaluated, using Epsilometer (E‐test) method. Polymerase chain reaction‐restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR‐RFLP) was performed on all the isolates to detect A2143G and A2142G mutations in 23S rRNA gene. The H. pylori isolation rate was found to be 31.4%. E‐test showed that 20% of isolates were resistant to clarithromycin (MIC ≥ 1 mg/L). MIC of clarithromycin ranged between 0.016 and 24 mg/L. Findings of PCR‐RFLP showed that the A2142G was the most (90%) frequently point mutation, followed by the A2143G (10%). No statistically significant difference was found between H. pylori clarithromycin resistance point mutations and patients’ gender or age. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of high frequency of A2142G point mutation in Iran and probably in other regions of the world. Considering the increasing trend of H. pylori resistance to clarithromycin due to these mutations, it is crucial to investigate the new therapeutic approaches against H. pylori infection.     

Comparison between the ICRU rectal point and modern volumetric parameters in brachytherapy for locally advanced cervical cancer

PurposeThe implementation of image-guided brachytherapy in cervical cancer raises the problem of adapting the experience acquired with 2D brachytherapy to this technique. The GEC-ESTRO (Groupe européen de curiethérapie – European Society for Radiotherapy and Oncology) has recommended reporting the dose delivered to the rectum in the maximally exposed 2 cm³ volume, but so far, the recommended dose constraints still rely on 2D data. The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship between the doses evaluated at the ICRU rectal point and modern dosimetric parameters.Material and methodsFor each patient, dosimetric parameters were generated prospectively at the time of dosimetry and were reported. For analysis, they were converted in 2 Gy equivalent doses using an α/β ratio of 3 with a half-time of repair of 1.5 hours.ResultsThe dosimetric data from 229 consecutive patients treated for locally advanced cervical cancer was analyzed. The mean dose calculated at ICRU point (DICRU) was 55.75 Gy ± 4.15, while it was 59.27 Gy ± 6.16 in the maximally exposed 2 cm³ of the rectum (P = 0.0003). The D2 cm³ was higher than the DICRU in 78% of the cases. The mean difference between D2 cm³ and DICRU was 3.53 Gy ± 4.91. This difference represented 5.41% ± 7.40 of the total dose delivered to the rectum (EBRT and BT), and 15.49% ± 24.30 of the dose delivered when considering brachytherapy alone. The two parameters were significantly correlated (P = 0.000001), and related by the equation: D2 cm³ = 0.902 × DICRU + 0.984. The r² coefficient was 0.369.ConclusionIn this large cohort of patients, the DICRU significantly underestimates the D2 cm³. This difference probably results from the optimization process itself, which consists in increasing dwell times above the ICRU point in the cervix. Considering these findings, caution must be taken while implementing image-guided brachytherapy and dose escalation.     

中药联合穴位按摩在产后缺乳治疗中的应用体会

母乳喂养的优越性众所周知,但各种因素可引起产后缺乳。笔者导师在治疗产后缺乳上采用中药联合穴位按摩进行治疗,疗效显著,值得临床推广应用。     

中风后顽固性呃逆的治疗体会

目的:探讨中风后发生顽固性呃逆的特点及治疗。方法:通过对32例患者的临床症状及治疗情况进行总结。结果:32例患者中第1天治愈未复发者11例,好转者15例,占81.25%。治疗一周后评价治愈者26例,好转4例,无效2例,总有效率93.75%。结论:中风后发生顽固性呃逆患者,及时采用穴位贴敷、"止呃降逆汤"等联合治疗,能够得到很好地控制,并防止对中风病情的加重。     

穴位按摩对长期卧床患者发热恢复的效果观察

目的：探讨穴位按摩方法对长期卧床患者发热恢复的作用。方法：将84例长期卧床发热患者随机分为常规组和穴位按摩组，每组各42例。常规组给予发热后常规护理，穴位按摩组在常规护理基础上，实施双侧风池、太阳、合谷和大椎穴交替按摩。结果：两组患者体温恢复正常时间和三天内体温反弹例数比较，差异均存在统计学意义（P〈0．05）。其中按摩组体温恢复时间和三天内体温反弹例数均小于常规组。结论：穴位按摩可有效促进长期卧床发热患者体温的恢复。