非营养性吸吮联合音乐治疗对新生儿疼痛的缓解作用

目的观察非营养性吸吮（NNS）、音乐治疗（MT）及非营养性吸吮联合音乐治疗（NNS＋MT）在缓解新生儿疼痛中的作用。方法收集2008年1～6月在南京医科大学附属南京儿童医院新生儿医学中心普通新生儿病房收治的新生儿作为研究对象,对符合纳入和排除标准的新生儿按照住院号从小到大顺序分为干预组（NNS亚组、MT亚组、NNS＋MT亚组）和空白对照组,干预措施在新生儿足后跟采血前2min开始持续至研究结束,共15min,空白对照组不予干预措施。通过观察新生儿的心率、经皮氧饱和度（SpO2）及新生儿疼痛行为（NIPS）评分,采集采血针刺前1min、针刺时和针刺后13min过程中的每一分种数据,比较各种干预措施缓解新生儿疼痛的临床效果。采用SPSS11.0软件进行多变量方差分析,ANOVA方差检验,同时应用PostHoc进行组间比较。结果纳入住院新生儿80例,男54例,女26例;各亚组和空白对照组各20例。疼痛刺激后各组的心率均显著加快,于刺激后0～2min达峰值,之后逐渐减慢;NNS亚组与空白对照组心率差异无统计学意义,MT、NNS＋MT亚组与空白对照组心率差异均有统计学意义,MT亚组和NNS＋MT亚组心率差异无统计学意义。疼痛刺激后各亚组SpO2均显著降低,于刺激后2～4min降至最低值,之后逐渐升高;NNS亚组与对照组SpO2差异无统计学意义,MT、NNS＋MT亚组与空白对照组SpO2差异均有统计学意义,MT亚组和NNS＋MT亚组SpO2差异无统计学意义。疼痛刺激后各组NIPS评分均显著提高,于0～1min达峰值,之后逐渐降低,各亚组NIPS评分差异均无统计学意义。与空白对照组比较,MT、NNS＋MT干预措施均可缓解疼痛刺激引起的心率、SpO2和NIPS评分变化。结论新生儿临床医护人员可通过使用MT和NNS＋MT可缓解新生儿疼痛。     

Genetic variability of hepatitis C virus in chronically infected patients with viral breakthrough during interferon-ribavirin therapy

Little is known about hepatitis C virus (HCV) breakthrough during antiviral therapy, although it would help in understanding HCV resistance to current antiviral treatments. To analyse the implication of virological factors and the vigour of humoral immune responses in this phenomenon, we studied nine chronic hepatitis C patients with a viral breakthrough during IFN/ribavirin combination therapy, as well as five responders and five non-responders. The IRES and regions coding for the capsid protein, the PePHD domain of envelope glycoprotein E2 and the NS5A and 5B proteins were amplified by RT-PCR before treatment, before and during breakthrough, and after treatment. The major variant sequence was obtained by direct sequencing. The heterogeneity of quasispecies was studied by SSCP in all patients and sequencing after cloning in seven genotype 1b-infected patients. Humoral responses against HCV epitopes were also analysed. The major sequences of IRES, PePHD, and NS5B remained stable during treatment, regardless of the treatment response. However, the capsid protein and the regions flanking PePHD showed sequence variations in breakthrough patients, although no specific mutation was identified. The variable V3 region of NS5A, but not the PKR-binding domain and the ISDR, seemed to be associated with differences in response to treatment. The analysis of HCV quasispecies revealed no characteristic pattern during treatment in breakthrough patients, whose HCV genome profiles looked most similar to that of non-responders. The humoral response was similar between groups. In conclusion, viral breakthrough does not seem to be due to selection of resistant strains with signature mutations.     

Radiation therapy for pancreatic cancer: eleven year experience at the JCRT

Radiation therapy (XRT) for 41 patients with unresectable pancreatic cancer resulted in a median survival of 7.0 months. There was no difference in median survival for patients receiving external beam alone (3500 to 5600 cGy) (n = 28), intraoperative (IORT) boost plus external beam (5040 to 6750 cGy) (n = 9), or a gold-198 implant +/- external beam radiation (n = 4). A pilot study using orthovoltage IORT boost indicates no acute toxicity with doses of 1250 to 1750 cGy. Serious late damage has not been observed in any patients followed to 2 years. Local recurrence in patients treated post-operatively after "radical" surgery occurred in one of 10 (10%). This adjuvant treatment is safe and appears to improve local control rates compared to historical data, but survival is still poor. The median survival for the post-operative group is 10 months; three patients are alive without disease 8 months to 8.3 years after treatment.     

Overall results in 304 consecutive patients with acute spontaneous subarachnoid hemorrhage

The results obtained in 304 consecutive patients with spontaneous subarachnoid hemorrhage are described, the majority of whom (86%) were admitted while in acute condition. Only 46% of the patients in this series were in good condition at admission. The initial management was standardized for all patients, but the protocol of "delayed surgery" was applied to patients with subarachnoid hemorrhage from aneurysmal rupture. Two hundred and twenty-two patients (73%) had intracranial aneurysms. Of these, 20 (9%) were moribund and died shortly after admission; nine (4%) underwent emergency surgery due to the coexistence of a life-threatening cerebral hematoma; seven (3%) were operated upon within 3 days of admission; 78 (35%) died after rebleeding or after steady deterioration of the patient's condition due to vasospasm while awaiting surgery. Of the remaining 108 patients ready for delayed surgery, 12 (11%) (operation refused, elderly patients in poor general condition, spontaneous thrombosis of the aneurysm) were treated conservatively, and 96 (89%), who were in various clinical conditions, were actually operated on. Of these 96 patients, 79 (82%) exhibited excellent or good results, 5 (5%) were disabled, and 12 (12%) died. In the authors' experience, the overall management of intracranial aneurysms in unselected patients according to the protocol of delayed surgery results in significant loss of patients awaiting surgery, and good surgical results in the survivors.     

Intravenous and intracoronary fibrinolytic therapy in acute myocardial infarction: Overview of results on mortality, reinfarction and side-effects from 33 randomized controlled trials

During the past 25 years, 24 randomized trials of intravenous(IV) fibrinolytic treatment have been reported, involving atotal of some 6000 patients in the acute phase of myocardialinfarction. Most tested IV streptokinase (SK), but a few testedIV urokinase (UK). In the past 2 or 3 years numerous small randomizedtrials of intracoronary (IC) SK have been started, 9 of which,involving a total of about 1000 such patients have been reported.Because all of these IV and IC trials were small (the largestincluding only 747 patients), their separate results appearcontradictory and unreliable. But, an overview of the data fromthese trials indicates that IV treatment produces a highly significant(22%±5%, (P<0.001) reduction in the odds of death,an even larger reduction in the odds of reinfarction, and anabsolute frequency of serious adverse effects to set againstthis that is much smaller than the absolute mortality reduction.The apparent size of the mortality reduction in the IV trialswas similar whether anticoagulants were compulsory or optional,whether treatment was in a coronary cure unit or an ordinaryward and, surprisingly, whether treatment began early ( <6h from onset of symptoms) or late (generally 12–24 h).In addition, there was no evidence that UK was more effectivethan the less expensive SK, or that, despite their technicalcomplexity, the new IC regimes were more effective than theold IV regimes. Even the IV schedules that have been studied in randomized trialswere, however, quite complex, and the IC schedules were farmore so. Perhaps partly because of this, none of them is widelyused. If so, then some much simpler, and hence more widely practicable,IV SK regimes should be developed and tested. For example, asimple one hour high-dose IV SK infusion, without anticoagulation,will successfully convert virtually all of the available plasminogeninto plasmin. But, it may be several years before the net effectson mortality of any more widely practicable IV SK regimes canbe agreed unless many of the hospitals that do not wish routinelyto use IC regimes or the complex previous IV regimes will collaboratein multicentre randomized trials that can, if necessary, continuerapid intake until some tens of thousands of patients have beenrandomized, and some thousands of deaths have been observedamong the control and treated patients. The same, of course,may be true for any other fibrinolytic regimes (e.g. infusionof tissue plasminogen activator) if their net effects on mortalityare comparable to those of IV SK.     

Computed tomographic scans in ECT-patients

Although the safety and efficacy of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is acknowledged by most, concern has repeatedly been expressed that the treatment may have some lasting effects on the brain. To study potential morphological changes, 22 patients with a history of ECT were submitted to a detailed clinical evaluation and a brain CT scan examination. Age- and sex-matched control subjects comprised a group of comparable patients, none of whom had received ECT, and a second control group of healthy volunteers. Patients had larger ventricle/brain ratios and cortical "atrophy" scores than normal controls, but no association was found between these radiological measures and a previous history of ECT. Hence, the present data are consistent with recent reports that affective disorders may be associated with enlarged brain ventricles, although the clinical significance of such findings remains unclear. In line with previous investigations age correlated significantly with cortical "atrophy" scores and ventricle/brain ratios for all subjects. Statistical tests of correlations between duration of illness, previous psychotropic drug exposure and CT scan appearances were mainly inconclusive.     

Tumor nuclear grade,estrogen receptor,and progesterone receptor: Their value alone or in combination as indicators of outcome following adjuvant therapy for breast cancer

Summary Previous reports by us have shown that the outcome of breast cancer patients who have received systemic adjuvant therapy is influenced by tumor estrogen or progesterone receptor (ER or PR) content or by nuclear grade. This publication provides information regarding the relative merit of those three markers. Findings from patients receiving L-PAM plus 5-FU (PF) or PF plus tamoxifen (PFT) indicate that the disease-free survival and survival within each regimen was almost identical when related to either ER, PR, or nuclear grade. Those having tumors with either of the receptors 10 fmol or a good nuclear grade had a better outcome through five postoperative years than did those with ER or PR 0–9 fmol or poor nuclear grade. The magnitude of the difference was similar for each of the three discriminants. Since they were found to be of equal predictive value, one marker might well serve as a substitute for another. Cox regression analyses, however, clearly indicate that ER, PR, and nuclear grade have an independent influence on outcome and that a more accurate assessment of outcome is obtained when more than one marker is employed. Thus, information should be obtained on as many markers as possible. This conclusion is supported by observations presented which indicate that nuclear grade in combination with either or both of the receptors is a better predictor than either marker alone and that, as indicated by life table probability values and relative odds ratios, an increasing number of favorable tumor prognostic indicators results in a better patient outcome particularly in PFT-treated patients. A possible explanation is considered for why the separation of receptor/nuclear grade categories is more orderly and pronounced in PF-treated patients receiving tamoxifen than in those given PF alone. See Appendix I     

Tamoxifen (Nolvadex) for premenopausal patients with advanced breast cancer

Summary Clinical results of tamoxifen (Nolvadex-ICI) monotherapy in 44 premenopausal women with advanced breast cancer have been reviewed. Objective tumor regression was achieved in 12 (27%) patients and a further 10 (22%) were classified as stabilized. Median duration of response was 12.7 months at the time of analysis. Greatest benefits occurred in soft tissue dominant and receptor-positive tumors, but there was no correlation between tumor response and other clinical manifestations of estrogen deprivation (e.g. menstrual disturbance, hot flushes).The benefits of conventional doses of tamoxifen do not therefore appear to be influenced by menopausal status and compare favorably to achievements reported after surgical oophorectomy.     

The influence of radiation therapy on T-lymphocyte subpopulations defined by monoclonal antibodies

We studied the influence of radiation therapy on lymphocyte subpopulations in 17 patients undergoing adjuvant radiation therapy for primary breast cancer, and eight patients receiving brachytherapy and external beam irradiation for primary cancer of the uterus. Radiation therapy reduced B- and T-lymphocytes in proportion to the total lymphocyte population so that their percentages remained unchanged. Determination of helper and suppressor T-lymphocytes before, during and 6 months after completion of radiotherapy revealed that in both groups of patients suppressor T-lymphocytes were more resistant to and recovered faster after radiotherapy. This resulted in a decline of the "immunoregulatory balance" (helper/suppressor ratio). Although this ratio had been higher in both groups of patients than in healthy age- and sex-matched controls before therapy, it became normal and subnormal during and after radiotherapy. The clinical significance of the differential influence of radiotherapy on T-lymphocyte subpopulations remains to be determined.