End-of-life Models and Emergency Department Care

Many people die in emergency departments (EDs) across the United States from sudden illnesses or injuries, an exacerbation of a chronic disease, or a terminal illness. Frequently, patients and families come to the ED seeking lifesaving or life-prolonging treatment. In addition, the ED is a place of transition-patients usually are transferred to an inpatient unit, transferred to another hospital, or discharged home. Rarely are patients supposed to remain in the ED. Currently, there is an increasing amount of literature related to end-of-life care. However, these end-of-life care models are based on chronic disease trajectories and have difficulty accommodating sudden-death trajectories common in the ED. There is very little information about end-of-life care in the ED. This article explores ED culture and characteristics, and examines the applicability of current end-of-life care models.     

检测MEGX判定肝储备功能评估手术风险

目的 通过检测肝癌病人利多卡因代谢产物(MEGX)的量,判定肝储备功能,评估手术风险.方法 对准备手术治疗的肝癌病人术前静注利多卡因1 mg/kg体重,15 min后抽血,用HPLC法检测MEGX,与常用肝生化检查、Child-Pugh分级方法比较.结果 根据MEGX检测结果将55例准备手术的肝癌病人分成手术耐受组和手术非耐受组.耐受组均经受了手术打击,无术后严重肝衰发生,而非耐受组有两例手术治疗,术后均出现了严重的肝衰,其中一例死亡.结论 MEGX试验较Child-Pubh分级方法更能准确判定肝储备功能,对评估手术风险有较高的特异性.     

MMP-9及TIMP-1在大鼠感染性脑水肿的表达及意义

目的探讨MMP-9及TIMP-1在大鼠感染性脑水肿的表达及意义。方法应用免疫组织化学方法（SP法）检测大鼠急性感染性脑水肿模型中MMP-9及TIMP-1的表达情况及其比值变化。结果MMP-9及TIMP-1在LPS组各时间点表达均高于对照纽且各时间点MMP-9／TIMP-1比值均明显升高（P〈0．05）。结论MMP-9及TIMP-1可能参与了感染性脑水肿的发生和发展。     

Assessment of quality of life in children with peanut allergy

Children with a peanut allergy (PA) are faced with food and social restrictions due to the potentially life-threatening nature of their disease, for which there is no cure or treatment. This inevitably impacts upon their quality of life (QoL). QoL of 20 children with PA and 20 children with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM) was measured using two disease-specific QoL questionnaires (higher scores correspond to a poorer QoL). One questionnaire was designed by us and the other was adapted from the Vespid Allergy QoL questionnaire. We gave subjects cameras to record how their QoL is affected over a 24-h period. Response rates for both questionnaires were 100%. Mean ages were 9.0 and 10.4 years for PA and IDDM subjects, respectively. Children with a PA reported a poorer quality of life than children with IDDM: mean scores were 54.85 for PA subjects and 46.40 for diabetics (p = 0.004) in questionnaire 1 and 54.30 and 34.50 (p≤0.001) in questionnaire 2. PA children reported more fear of an adverse event and more anxiety about eating, especially when eating away from home. Photographs fell into seven common categories: food, management, environment, away from home, physical activities, restaurant and people. Most photographs related to food and management issues and revealed difficulties for both groups regarding food restrictions. PA subjects felt more threatened by potential hazards within their environment, felt more restricted by their PA regarding physical activities, and worried more about being away from home. However, they felt safe when carrying epinephrine kits and were positive about eating at familiar restaurants. The QoL in children with PA is more impaired than in children with IDDM. Their anxiety may be considered useful in some situations, promoting better adherence to allergen avoidance advice and rescue plans.     

长托宁用于全麻术前用药的效果观察

目的:观察长托宁作为全麻病人麻醉前用药对心血管系统和呼吸道分泌物的影响.方法:随机选择20例需全麻手术病人,在麻醉诱导前静注长托宁0.015 mg/kg,观察注药前、后5、10、20分钟各时点的血压、心率、脉搏氧饱和度及口干程度以及术中术毕口腔和呼吸道分泌物情况.结果:病人使用长托宁后5、10、20分钟的血压、心率与使用前相比有下降趋势,但无统计学意义(P＞0.05),脉搏氧饱和度未见明显改变,用药10分钟病人有轻度口干,术毕拔除气管导管时口腔及呼吸道分泌物较少.结论:长托宁用于全麻病人麻醉前给药效果满意.     

Cementless total hip arthroplasty in the treatment of severe hip dysplasia or dislocated hips

We present our experience over 6 years with the use of uncemented total hip arthroplasty (THA) for developmental dysplasia of the hip (DDH) with a mean follow-up of 3 years. In a 6-year period, 26 THAs were performed in 19 patients with Hartofilakidis grades 2 and 3 dislocation of the hips. Out of 19 patients, seven had bilateral dislocations. Uncemented acetabular and femoral components were used in all patients. Patients with a minimum follow-up of 1 year were included in the study. The average age at the time of surgery was 38 (range 20–69) years. Approaches used include trochanteric osteotomy in 14 (54%) patients and a lateral approach in 12 (46%) patients. In addition, subtrochanteric osteotomy was performed in four (15%) patients. A Mallory-head femoral stem was used in 15 (58%) patients; a DDH femoral stem was in nine (35%), and the S-ROM femoral prosthesis in two (8%). A Mallory head acetabular shell was used in all cases, a 22.2-mm chrome cobalt head was used in 18 (69%), and a 28-mm chrome cobalt head was used in eight (31%). The average follow-up was 3 (range 1–6) years. The Harris hip score (HHS) improved in the cohort from a mean preoperative score of 51 to a mean postoperative score of 86 (p<0.05). The mean preoperative SF36v2 score was 42 compared to postoperatively of 67(p<0.05). The complication rate was 11% with nonunion of a subtrochanteric osteotomy in one patient, dislocation in one, and trochanteric bursitis due to fracture of Dall-Miles cables in one. THA for DDH is a technically demanding procedure. This short-term follow-up of THA for DDH using uncemented implants is encouraging for arthrosis secondary to DDH. It provides better function compared to arthrodesis or excision arthroplasty, especially in young individuals. A long-term follow-up is required in order to establish the role of this management strategy.     

Influences of angiogenesis and lymphangiogenesis on cancerous invasion in experimentally induced tongue carcinoma

BACKGROUND: Although it is clear that dissemination via the blood system involves angiogenesis, it is uncertain whether tumors also induce lymphangiogenesis or simply invade existing peritumoral vessels. The purpose of this study was to elucidate changes in tumor blood and lymph vessels in cases involving the invasion of squamous cell carcinoma in the oral cavity, and its significance. Blood and lymph vessels densities in tongue carcinomas induced in hamsters were investigated. METHODS: Tongue cancer was induced by abrading the right margin of the tongue of each hamster with an endodontic barbed broach and subsequently applying 1.0% 9,10-dimenthl-1,2-benzanthracene (DMBA) dissolved in acetone, three times a week, at the same site. Fresh frozen sections were prepared and blood vessels stained blue by perfusion with Coomassie Brilliant Blue and lymph vessels stained brown for 5'-nucleotidase. The effects on the blood vessels and lymph vessels were observed. RESULTS: The results showed that blood and lymph vessel densities were greater in the advanced carcinoma tissues than in normal tissue. These were compared in terms of the mode of cancer invasion. As tumor invasion progressed, the blood vessel density decreased but lymph vessel density tended to be higher in high-degree tumor invasion than in low-degree tumor invasion. The expression of vascular endothelial growth factor-C was seen more frequently as tumor invasion progressed. CONCLUSIONS: The present findings indicated that angiogenesis and lymphangiogenesis are affected by cancerous invasion.     

炎性肠病药物治疗的循证医学研究进展

目的:从循证医学的角度解析炎性肠病药物治疗的相关进展。旨在提高对临床证据的认知,帮助临床医生评估新的治疗,从批判的视角重新看待以往的治疗。方法:收集国外近期相关文献进行评价。结果及结论:炎性肠病(IBD)的发病机制尚不清楚,众多的治疗方案可供选择。因此,循证医学研究结果有非常重要的临床指导意义。IBD的研究方面取得了可喜的进步。但是,有关CD活动指数(CDAI)和临床分型系统仍有待于改进。通过循证医学的研究证据有望确定安全和易于耐受的药物,并能发现目前诊治方面存在的缺陷和问题,更好地解决患者的病痛。     

Triterpenoid saponins, new metalloprotease snake venom inhibitors isolated from Pentaclethra macroloba.

We report here the antiproteolytic and antihemorrhagic properties of triterpenoid saponin inhibitors, named macrolobin-A and B, from Pentaclethra macroloba, against Bothrops snake venoms. The inhibitors were able to neutralize the hemorrhagic, fibrin(ogen)olytic, and proteolytic activities of class P-I and P-III metalloproteases isolated from B. neuwiedi and B. jararacussu venoms. Clotting and fibrinogenolytic activities induced by snake venoms and isolated thrombin-like enzymes were partially inhibited. Furthermore, the potential use of these inhibitors to complement antivenom therapy as an alternative treatment and/or used as molecular models for development of new therapeutical agents in the treatment of snake bite envenomations needs to be evaluated in future studies.     

医院检验科设备的维修分析

医院检验科设备是为临床提供诊断依据最基础也是最常用的检验手段之一，本文简要介绍了检验科设备在日常工作中容易发生的故障判别及修复时的要点。