Risk groups for clinical complications of norovirus infections: an outbreak investigation

Norovirus infections have been described as self-limiting diseases of short duration. An investigation of a norovirus outbreak in a university hospital provided evidence for severe clinical features in patients with several underlying diseases. Clinical outcomes of norovirus infection were defined. Risk-factor analysis targeting underlying diseases and medication was performed using multivariate analyses. In five outbreak wards, 84 patients and 60 nurses were infected (an overall attack rate of 32% in patients, and 76% in nurses). The causative agent was the new variant Grimsby virus. Severe clinical features, including acute renal failure, arrhythmia and signs of acute graft organ rejection in renal transplant patients, were observed in seven (8.3%) patients. In multivariate analyses, cardiovascular disease (OR 17.1, 95% CI 2.17-403) and renal transplant (OR 13.0, 95% CI 1.63-281) were risk-factors for a potassium decrease of >20%. Age >65 years (OR 11.6, 95% CI 1.89-224) was a risk-factor for diarrhoea lasting >2 days. Immunosuppression (OR 5.7, 95% CI 1.78-20.1) was a risk-factor for a creatinine increase of >10%. Norovirus infections in patients with underlying conditions such as cardiovascular disease, renal transplant and immunosuppressive therapy may lead to severe consequences typified by decreased potassium levels, increased levels of C-reactive protein and creatine phosphokinase. In the elderly, norovirus infection may lead to an increased duration of diarrhoea. Therefore patients at risk should be hospitalised early and monitored frequently. Strict preventional measures should be implemented as early as possible to minimise the risk of nosocomial outbreaks.     

Detecting possible vaccine adverse events in clinical notes of the electronic medical record

The Vaccine Safety Datalink (VSD) is a collaboration between the CDC and eight large HMOs to investigate adverse events following immunization through analyses of clinical data. We modified an existing system, called MediClass, that uses natural language processing to identify clinical events recorded in electronic medical records (EMRs). We customized MediClass so it could detect possible vaccine adverse events (VAEs) generally, and gastrointestinal-related VAEs in particular, in the text clinical notes of encounters recorded in the EMR of a large HMO. Compared to methods that use diagnosis and utilization codes assigned to encounters by clinicians and administrators, the MediClass system can both find more adverse events and improve the positive predictive value for detecting possible VAEs.     

大学生抑郁障碍与父母教养方式的关系

目的探讨父母教养方式和生活事件与大学生抑郁障碍的关系,为家庭教育提供指导。方法应用父母教养方式评价量表(EMBU)与青少年生活事件量表(ASLEC)对30名患抑郁障碍的大学生和30名正常对照进行调查。结果两组学生在生活事件量表总分;父母情感温暖、理解;惩罚、严厉;拒绝、否认;过度保护等方面有显著性差异,患者组母亲还表现出较强的过分干涉(P<0.05)。结论父母教养方式影响着大学生的情绪和对生活事件的态度,不良的教养方式会增加大学生发生抑郁障碍的可能。     

Cardiovascular risk factor profile on a population basis: Results from the Lipid Study Leipzig (LSL)

Population-based lipid screening studies were initiated in the city of Leipzig, Germany, and included more than 30,000 subjects. The objectives of the Lipid Study Leipzig (LSL) were to evaluate the cardiovascular risk factor profile and its dependence on age, nutrition and social factors. In addition, the study results were compared with those of other population-based studies, and the development of cardiovascular risk factors over a 10-year period was evaluated. LSL data were obtained from subjects recruited at community centres, work sites, schools and the University of Leipzig, Germany. Capillary blood cholesterol and high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol levels were measured using the Reflotron dry-chemistry system (Roche Diagnostics, Germany). Study data also included blood pressure, body mass index, waist-to-hip ratio, and the evaluation of dietary and lifestyle factors. The results of LSL show an age-dependent increase in cardiovascular risk, which may have been partly preventable. Furthermore, LSL showed an improvement in cardiovascular risk, with respect to plasma cholesterol, over the past 10 years in men and women older than 30 and 50 years, respectively. The known age dependence of total cholesterol and non-high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol is less pronounced for those following a healthy lifestyle and for vegetarians. This suggests that the age-dependent rise of these parameters is partly preventable.     

冠状动脉变异的64层螺旋CT成像与诊断

目的:总结大样本病例64排螺旋CT冠状动脉成像中发现的冠状动脉变异类型及数量,为临床诊治提供依据,积累冠状动脉活体形态学资料,提高对冠状动脉变异的认识。方法:对694例受检者进行心脏冠脉成像检查,并对其图像进行回顾性分析。结果:694例受检者中,44例发现4种不同类型冠状动脉变异,占总数6.34%。其中副冠状动脉33例,RCA起源于左窦2例,LCX起源于右窦7例,左冠状动脉开口异常2例。结论:64排螺旋CT冠状动脉成像可以无创观察冠状动脉解剖及变异,为临床治疗提供依据。对冠状动脉细小分支的显示及对冠状动脉变异的认识有待提高。     

Perioperative respiratory events in smokers and nonsmokers undergoing general anaesthesia

Background: The prevalence of respiratory diseases in smokers and nonsmokers and the incidence of perioperative respiratory events (PREs) were investigated for patients undergoing general anaesthesia. The aim was to quantify well-known problems and to identify possible new associations between smoking and PREs.
Methods: From July 1992 to December 1994, risk factors, demographic data, and PREs were documented by an automatically readable anaesthetic record (ARAR). PREs were used as defined by the German Society of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care.
Results: Of 26 961 subsequent anaesthesias in adults, 7122 (26.4%) were performed in smokers with a prevalence of chronic bronchitis of 23.3% (4.8% in nonsmokers). 1573 PREs occurred in 1397 (5.2%) of all anaesthetics. 459 events concerned intubation problems and problems in technical airway management. 1114 specific respiratory events (SPREs) like re-intubation, laryngospasm, bronchospasm, aspiration, hy-poventilation/hypoxaemia and others had a total incidence of 5.5% in smokers and 3.1% in nonsmokers. The relative risk (RR) of SPREs was 1.8 in all smokers, 2.3 in young (16–39 years) smokers, and 6.3 in obese young smokers. The RR of perioperative bronchospasm was 25.7 in young smokers with chronic bronchitis.
Conclusion: The impact of smoking on perioperative respiratory problems should make anaesthetists take this widespread preoperative condition seriously, particularly in young adults. The presented method of incident reporting (based on a national classification) could contribute to future research in anaesthetic epidemiology.     

Confidants' feedback and traumatic life events

One hundred six undergraduate (83 women and 23 men) completed surveys concerning their most traumatic life event, the feedback they received following their disclosure of the event to others, and how they felt after the disclosure. Results indicated that the better they felt after disclosure, the less disturbed they were by thoughts of the event at the time of the study. In addition, the more personal the trauma was, the worse they felt after their disclosure, and the more disturbed they were about the trauma. However, no significant relation existed between the positivity (e.g., supportiveness) of their confidant's feedback and their present degree of disturbance. Implications for understanding the complex relation between confiding traumatic events and resolving feelings surrounding those events were discussed.     

老年糖尿病合并陈旧性心肌梗死患者新近发生冠状动脉事件的相关因素分析

目的 探讨老年糖尿病合并陈旧性心脲梗死(MI)患者新近发生冠状动脉事件的相关因素。方法 按照治疗方法，将346例老年糖尿病合并陈旧性心脲梗死患者分为磺脲类组，胰岛素组，二甲双胍类组，单纯饮食疗法组，分析各组治疗后新近冠状动脉事件的发生率及其影响因素。结果 新近冠状动脉事件的重要独立危险因素为：年龄(增加1岁危险率1．02)、吸烟(危险率1.36)、高血压病(危险率1．05)、LDL增高(危险率1.53)、HDL降低(危险率1.72)、使用磺脲类药物(危险率1．35)。结论 老年糖尿病合并陈旧性MI患者在饮食控制的基础上应选择胰岛素或二甲双胍类药物治疗，严格控制血压，积极降低LDL，提高HDL，避免单纯使用磺脲类药物。