Antisynthetase syndrome with refractory lung involvement and myositis successfully treated with double filtration plasmapheresis

Antisynthetase syndrome (ASS) is characterized by inflammatory muscle disease, pulmonary and joint involvement, and antisynthetase autoantibodies, with anti‐Jo‐1 antibody being the most common. Despite the use of immunosuppressive drugs, the prognosis of lung involvement seems poor. Herein, we report a case of refractory ASS, which maintained long‐term remission by double filtration plasmapheresis (DFPP) combined with immunosuppressive therapy. For a 65‐year‐old woman, who was diagnosed with ASS, immunosuppressive therapy was initiated and plasmapheresis (PP) was performed five times due to acute interstitial pulmonary disease and inflammatory myopathy. She remained in remission for eight months following PP. Increase in interstitial involvement was identified by lung tomography when the patient presented again with complaint of progressive increase in dyspnea and muscle pain. Although the immunosuppressive therapy was increased for the patient with elevated creatine phosphokinase (CPK) (2776 IU/mL), a rapid decrease in diffusion capacity of the lung for carbon monoxide (DLCO) was observed and the patient underwent PP. After four sessions of therapy, insufficient clinical and laboratory response was obtained (control CPK 1797 IU/mL) and because of that issue DFPP using a 2A filter was performed to the patient. There was a marked improvement in complaints of the patient, DLCO, and laboratory findings (control CPK 508 IU/mL) after three sessions of DFPP. The patient, who continued the immunosuppressive therapy after DFPP procedure, is being followed for 12 months in remission. Although our experience is limited with only one patient, DFPP seems promising as a treatment option for ASS with severe lung involvement. J. Clin. Apheresis, 28:422–425, 2013. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

阶段性健康教育在S3～5双开门手术入路行骶前病变手术患者的应用

目的:探讨阶段性健康教育在S3～5双开门手术入路行骶前病变手术患者护理中的应用效果.方法:将28例骶前病变患者随机分为2组,其中:观察组18例,对照组10例.对照组采用常规健康教育方法,针对患者现有和潜在的健康问题给予健康指导；观察组实施阶段性健康教育处方,在入院时、术前、术后及出院前,针对患者不同时期的不同需要,采取阶段性、目的明确且持续的健康教育方法.结果:观察组患者对健康教育知晓率明显高于对照组(P＜0.01),满意度高于对照组(P＜0.05).结论:阶段性健康教育可强化在S3～5双开门手术入路行骶前病变手术患者的遵医行为,建立良好的护患关系,提高患者对健康教育知晓率和满意度,从而促进患者心理和机体功能的早日康复,减少并发症的发生.     

Comparison between Antegrade versus Retrograde Ureteral Stent Placement for Malignant Ureteral Obstruction

PurposeTo compare the technical success of antegrade uteral stent (AUS) and retrograde ureteral stent (RUS) placements in patients with malignant ureteral obstruction (MUO) and to determine the predictors of technical failure of RUS.Materials and MethodsThis study retrospectively included 61 AUS placements (44 patients) performed under fluoroscopic guidance and 76 RUS placements (55 patients) performed under cystoscopic guidance in patients with MUO from January 2019 to December 2020. Technical success rates of the 2 techniques were compared using inverse probability of treatment weighting (IPTW) analysis. Logistic regression was used to identify predictive factors for technical failures.ResultsTechnical success was achieved in 98.4% of the AUS group and 47.4% of the RUS group. After stabilized IPTW, the technical success rate was higher in the AUS group than in the RUS group (adjusted risk difference, 49.4%; 95% confidence interval [CI], 35.4%–63.1%). The independent predictors for technical failure of the RUS procedure were age of ≥65 years (odds ratio [OR], 5.56; 95% CI, 1.73–21.27), ureteral orifice invasion (OR, 4.21; 95% CI, 1.46–13.46), and extrinsic cancer (OR, 15.58; 95% CI, 2.92–111.81).ConclusionsThe technical success rate of AUS placement was higher than that of RUS placement in patients with MUO. RUS failure was associated with age of ≥65 years, cancer with ureteral orifice invasion, and extrinsic ureteral obstruction.     

Sexual debut and college entrance among South Korean adolescents

IntroductionFor the past few decades, numerous theoretical perspectives have predicted a negative association between adolescent sexual debut and the probability of college entrance. The present article extends the literature by using nationally representative longitudinal data from South Korea to assess these perspectives.MethodsDrawing on longitudinal data from South Korea, this article examined the impact of becoming sexually active between 8th and 12th grades on the probability of college entrance. We controlled for a wide array of confounding variables by using logit models that account for longitudinal attrition and school-based sampling design.ResultsAnalytical results showed that the initiation of sexual intercourse during adolescence predicted a statistically significant decrease in the probability of college entrance for both boys and girls. Gender-specific analyses suggested that, on average, sexual debut in adolescence was associated with a decrease of 10.3 percentage points in the probability of college entrance for boys and a decrease of 14.7 percentage points for girls.ConclusionsThese findings strongly support the theoretical perspectives of age norm theory and sexual double standards in South Korea, where strictly conservative attitudes toward sexuality and sexual behaviors are dominant.     

An unusual interatrial septum

The images focus on a very rare atrial septal anatomy known as "double atrial septum with persistent interatrial space.” Only scarce reports of this anomaly are found in literature. Due to increasing use of catheter-based interventions requiring a transseptal puncture, the recognition of this anomaly is essential for performing safe and effective procedures.     

Double‐pulsed diffusional kurtosis imaging

Diffusional kurtosis imaging (DKI) is extended to double‐pulsed‐field‐gradient (d‐PFG) diffusion MRI sequences. This gives a practical approach for acquiring and analyzing d‐PFG data. In particular, the leading d‐PFG effects, beyond what conventional single‐pulsed field gradient (s‐PFG) provides, are interpreted in terms of the kurtosis for a diffusion displacement probability density function (dPDF) in a six‐dimensional (6D) space. The 6D diffusional kurtosis encodes the unique information provided by d‐PFG sequences up to second order in the b‐value. This observation leads to a compact expression for the signal magnitude, and it suggests novel data acquisition and analysis methods. Double‐pulsed DKI (DP‐DKI) is demonstrated for in vivo mouse brain with d‐PFG data obtained at 7 T. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

术前不同CT测量方式对指导双腔支气管插管效果的影响

目的探讨CT平扫及重建分别应用于指导患者双腔支气管插管的效果,并分析气管内径与患者一般资料的相关性。方法选择2015年6月至2018年6月于我院行择期肺叶切除的患者53例,按照随机数字表法分为平扫组(n=27)和重建组(n=26),两组患者均于麻醉前行CT检查支气管情况,平扫组采用CT平扫法进行测量,而重建组则采用CT重建法进行测量,而后根据测量结果行双腔支气管插管。比较两组患者导管合适程度评价指标情况,插管并发症之间的差异。对患者通过重建测量出的气管内径与其身高、体重、年龄和BMI等一般资料进行相关性分析。结果重建组LT1、PT1及APP显著低于平扫组,插管1次成功率显著高于平扫组(P<0.05),重建组患者插管并发症总发生率显著低于平扫组(P<0.05);重建组胸廓入口处、主动脉弓处以及气管最狭窄处气管内径值显著高于平扫组(P<0.05);Pearson相关分析显示,身高与气管四个位置的内径呈正相关(P<0.05)。结论CT重建应用于指导双腔支气管导管型号的选择,能有效提升术前气管导管选择型号合适程度,并有效减少插管并发症;患者身高与气管内径呈显著正相关。