The scope of the cataract problem in the Middle East and the Mediterranean

The region is characterized by diversity in cultural, political, economic and health conditions. Blindness in the region varies from 6.4% to 0.2% with cataract ranking highly as an underlying cause. There is a need to develop national policies to deliver affordable, technically suitable, and cost effective management plans to reduce cataract. Economic, demographic, health, and manpower statistics are essential information to be considered in formulating such policies.     

Gestion des risques et choix de maintenance à l'hôpitalRisks management and maintenance choices at the hospital

Regulations evolve and risks management becomes one of the biomedical engineers' preoccupations. Thus, risks are various, and consequently it is difficult to identify, to manage and to bring them under control. Furthermore, regulations exist for sectors like healthcare technology monitoring, but it is not the same thing for instance for the risks linked to the maintenance. Thus regulation in the sector of maintenance evolves and the decree of the 1^st July law of health safety is going to modify the biomedical environment. The goal of this work is to study the tools and the methods of risks management that have been used for several years in the industrial field and to use them for some biomedical equipment like monitors or IV pumps. These methods adapted to these equipment will allow us to determine some appropriate rules of maintenance.     

小儿心包积液28例临床分析

目的：探讨小儿心包积液的病因、分类及诊断。方法：病例回顾性分析。结果：28例中，化脓性心包积液4例，结缔组织疾病所致心包积液16例，肾病综合征所致心包答液4例，病毒性、肺吸虫性、幼年型粘液性水肿及肿瘤性心包积液各1例。治愈、好转25例，另3例，分别死于急性心包填塞，风湿性全心炎、心功能不全、呼衰、纵隔肿瘤广泛转移。结论：小儿心包积液，可由多种致病因素引起。其临床特点，对该病的诊治有重要意义。     

婴儿母乳喂养与学龄前肥胖症关系的病例对照研究

①目的　探讨婴儿期母乳喂养行为与学龄前期单纯性肥胖症发生之间的关系。②方法　对 180 0名4～ 5岁儿童的婴儿期母乳喂养情况及其体质指数 (BMI)、发育情况等进行调查 ,分析母乳喂养类型和持续时间与学龄前肥胖症发生之间的关系。③结果　单因素分析发现 ,4个月内只喂母乳、主要喂母乳、母乳与配方奶量基本相同、主要喂配方奶、只喂配方奶者 4～ 5岁时肥胖发生率分别为 12 .6 3% ,13.0 4 % ,16 .98% ,18.18% ,30 .0 0 % ;儿童母乳喂养持续时间 0 ,<1,1～ 3,4～ 6 ,7～ 9,>9个月者 4～ 5岁时肥胖发生率分别为 2 9.4 1% ,30 .0 0 % ,33.33% ,17.2 4 % ,13.92 % ,12 .2 2 % .母乳喂养类型和持续时间不同的儿童学龄前期单纯性肥胖症发生率不同 ,差异有显著性 (χ2 =10 .4 0 7,P <0 .0 5 ;χ2 =2 0 .90 3,P <0 .0 0 1)。多因素Logistic回归分析发现 ,4个月内喂配方奶量越多 ,肥胖发生率越高 (OR =1.12 0 ) ;母乳喂养持续时间越长 ,肥胖发生率越低 (OR =0 .782 )。④结论　婴儿母乳喂养对学龄前期肥胖症的发生有预防作用 ;婴儿期应提倡母乳喂养 ,并尽可能延长母乳喂养时间至 9个月以上。     

二巯基丙磺酸钠解救毒鼠强中毒的疗效分析

目的：探求急性毒鼠强中毒（ＡＴＩ）的临床解毒方法。方法：应用二巯基丙磺酸钠解救ＡＴＩ３４例，进行疗效观察，并与既往常规治疗的２３例进行对照比较。结果：治疗组获得满意疗效，３例死亡，有效率９１．２％；对照组预后欠佳，死亡１３例，有效率４３．５％。结论：二巯基丙磺酸钠（Ｎａ—ＤＭＰＳ）对ＡＴＩ具有良好的止痉作用，可明显提高治疗效果。     

Comparison of yogurt, soybean, casein, and amino acid–based diets in children with persistent diarrhea

Although previous studies have shown successful treatment of persistent diarrhea (PD) with the use of yogurt-based diets, some recent ones speculate the need of special formulas for the nutritional management of PD complicated cases. In the present study, we tested the hypothesis that the consumption of 3 lactose-free diets, with different degrees of complexity, is associated with lower stool output and shorter duration of diarrhea when compared with the use of a yogurt-based one on the nutritional management of PD. A total of 154 male infants, aged between 1 and 30 months, with PD and with or without dehydration, were randomly assigned to 1 of 4 treatment groups. Throughout the study, the patients were placed in a metabolic unit; their body weights and intakes of oral rehydration solution, water, and formula diets, in addition to outputs of stool, urine, and vomit, were measured and recorded at 24-hour intervals. Four different diets were used in this study: diet 1, yogurt-based formula; diet 2, soy-based formula; diet 3, hydrolyzed protein-based formula; and diet 4, amino acid–based formula. Throughout the study, only these formula diets were fed to the children. The data showed that children fed the yogurt-based diet (diet 1) or the amino acid–based diet (diet 4) had a significant reduction in stool output and in the duration of diarrhea. The use of an inexpensive and worldwide-available yogurt-based diet is recommended as the first choice for the nutritional management of mild to moderate PD. For the few complicated PD cases, when available, a more complex amino acid–based diet should be reserved for the nutritional management of these unresponsive and severe presentations. Soy-based or casein-based diets do not offer any specific advantage or benefits and do not seem to have a place in the management of PD.     

Results of non-operative treatment following hip fracture compared to surgical intervention

We followed all consecutive hip fracture patients admitted between 2004 and 2006, identified cases in which the intention was to treat non-operative and compared their functional outcome and mortality with a similar cohort treated surgically over the same period. We recorded length of hospital stay, place of discharge, pre and post-fracture mobility and residence, 30 days and 1 year mortality, re-admission due to same fracture and delayed surgery. The group treated surgically was recruited and matched for age, gender, pre and post-fracture mobility, mental confusion and independence. 25 patients were treated non-operative. 22 patients treated surgically over the same time period matched the patient characteristics of the non-operative arm. The mean hospital stay was 13 days in both groups. There were 4 extra-capsular fractures (3 displaced) and 21 intra-capsular fractures (5 displaced) in the non-operative arm and 11 extra-capsular fractures and 9 intra-capsular fractures in the surgically treated arm. 4 patients from the non-operative treatment group underwent late surgery because of persisting hip pain 20 days-2 months after the index event (2 cannulated screws, 1 hemiarthroplasty, 1 total hip arthroplasty). 11 patients in the surgical treatment arm underwent dynamic screw fixation, 1 had cannulated screw, 1 had total hip replacement and 7 had hemiarthroplasty. 14 of the non-operative treated patients were mobile independently or with aid before fracture but only 9 patients retained their pre-fracture mobility following treatment, compared to 16 patients pre-fracture and 11 patients post-fracture after surgery. 16 patients treated non-operative were living independently prior to injury but only 7 went back to their own residence. Of the operatively treated patients 14 patients were living independently and 10 patients went back to their previous residence. 1 month and 1 year mortality in the non-operative treated group was 4/21 and 7/21 respectively compared to 1/20 and 5/20 in the operative fixation group. There was no statistically significant difference in mobility, residence or mortality between the two groups (Fisher exact test, p > 0.05). Non-operative management after hip fracture is suitable for medically unfit patients and does not result in statistically significant difference in functional outcome or mortality compared to patients treated surgically.