Loss of liver transplant surgeons into alternate career paths

In Germany, long‐term commitment of surgeons to transplantation is rare. Most surgeons leave transplant surgery after a short stint and follow careers in other surgical fields. This rapid turnover of liver transplant surgeons may result in poor resource utilization and potentially compromise patient safety. In this report, we have analyzed the caseload and the careers of 25 surgeons in liver transplantation over a period of 22 years. The median time in liver transplantation was short. Of all surgeons who engaged in liver transplantation, the median time was 3.5 years. Surgeons who completed their training remained in the field for 7 years. Surgeons who prematurely stopped their training remained for 2 years. Individual total caseloads of transplant surgeons were relatively low. The median number of procedures was 40 for all surgeons, 153 for currently active surgeons, 51 for surgeons who completed training, 27 for surgeons currently in training, and a median of four liver transplantations for surgeons who prematurely stopped liver transplantation. The vast majority (75%) of surgeons prematurely quit liver transplantation to follow alternate surgical careers. Structural changes in academic transplant surgery have to be made to facilitate long‐term commitments of interested surgeons and to avoid “futile” transplant careers.     

Are isoprostanes a clinical marker for antioxidant drug investigation?

Abstract— Numerous pathological conditions are suspected to involve free radical production as part of their pathogenic process. Therefore, a pharmacological control of oxidative stress could probably benefit many vascular, inflammatory or degenerative diseases. However, the development of antioxidant drugs and their clinical evaluation are limited by the absence of an accurate, reliable and easy-to-handle marker of tissue oxidative events. Isoprostanes (isoPs), a prostaglandin-related series of metabolites, are emerging as major candidates for clinical measurement of oxidative stress. They are chemically stable products of lipid peroxidation, formed in cellular membranes and subsequently released and excreted in the urine. Many recent clinical studies have reported that urinary and plasma levels of isoPs (in particular the iPF2α-III isomer also called 8-epi-PGF2α) are increased in clinical conditions where oxidative stress is suspected to play a pathogenic role. Moreover, isoPs have been detected in tissue extracts from atherosclerotic plaques and Alzheimer patients brain tissue. Finally, antioxidant treatments such as vitamin E supplementation appear to reduce isoPs levels in biological fluids of treated patients. These preliminary observations argue for a further investigation of isoPs as a practical pharmacodynamic endpoint for the clinical evaluation of antioxidant therapies.     

Randomized controlled trial of supervised exercise to evaluate changes in cardiac function in patients with peripheral atherosclerotic disease

INTRODUCTION: Peripheral atherosclerotic disease (PAD) is a condition characterized by low functional capacity which is associated with impaired free living, ambulation and low exercise tolerance. The purpose of this randomized controlled study was to evaluate whether changes in maximal walking time are associated with adaptations in cardiovascular function following supervised exercise. METHODS: After ethics approval, 28 patients (63 +/- 11 years) completed a graded treadmill test (2 min stages, 3.2 km h(-1), with gradient increasing 2% every 2 min) until they reached level three or four on the claudication pain scale. Peak oxygen consumption was assessed on a breath-by-breath basis, by online expiratory gas analysis. Following a 40-min recovery period, peak cardiac output was measured using the non-invasive carbon dioxide rebreathing method described by Defares (J Appl Physiol, 13, 1958, 159). Peak cardiac power output was then computed using the equation described by Cooke et al. (Heart, 1998, 79, 289). Patients were randomly assigned to one of two groups: supervised, who exercised at the hospital twice weekly for 12 weeks or control, who received normal treatment which included encouragement to walk regularly. RESULTS: After 12 weeks, there were no significant changes in body mass, peak oxygen consumption, peak cardiac output, peak heart rate, peak cardiac power output, respiratory exchange ratio or rating of perceived exertion in both the supervised and control group. There was a significant improvement (91%) in maximal walking distance following the supervised exercise programme. Although patients' peak cardiovascular measurements were unchanged, the patients in the supervised exercise group were able to complete a higher workload at the end of the 12 weeks of exercise, for the equivalent demands on the circulation system. CONCLUSIONS: The findings from this study suggest that a short-term period of supervised exercise training results in an improved walking time in patients with limiting claudication because of PAD. It also demonstrated that the cardiovascular system becomes more efficient in meeting the demands of exercise. It is recommended that individuals with PAD should undertake exercise as a form of treatment.     

Dis/integrated care: family caregivers and in-hospital respite care

AIM: The aim of this study was to explore family caregivers' experiences of in-hospital respite care for people with dementia and the factors that influenced their perceptions of the service. BACKGROUND: The provision of respite care is based on the assumption that temporary relief from caregiving will relieve caregiver stress and may possibly extend the duration of home care. Research evidence suggests that this is a simplistic perspective which fails to account for families' concerns about the quality of institutional care and the impact of relocation on the person being cared for. DESIGN: Nine family caregivers, using four different hospitals sites were interviewed during a period of 3 years from 1994 to 1997. The research texts were analysed using a critical discourse analysis approach drawing on the work of Foucault. FINDINGS: Family caregiver texts were distinguished by difference rather than by homogeneity. Caregivers occupied a range of positions in terms of their ability to take advantage of the respite time intermittent care offered. My reading of these texts has highlighted the aspects of nurse-family relationships that ameliorated, or alternately exacerbated, the tensions felt by caregivers, as they were torn between the necessity to have a break and their anxieties about the impact of in-hospital respite care on the person with dementia. CONCLUSION: Nurses' practices in this study were a critical element in facilitating, or alternately constraining, family caregivers' ability to relinquish care and to take full advantage of the respite time. The research findings highlight the need for nurses and other formal caregivers to locate themselves in a secondary and supporting caregiving role, to acknowledge the family caregivers as the primary caregiver, and use family caregivers in-depth and intimate knowledge of the needs of their relative to inform care within the institutional setting.     

Value of power Doppler imaging and the hypoechoic halo in the sonographic detection of foreign bodies: correlation with histopathologic findings.

OBJECTIVE: To present the power Doppler findings and evaluate the hypoechoic rim in increasing the conspicuity of foreign bodies detected on sonography and to correlate the sonographic and histopathologic findings. METHODS: Between 1998 and 2001, all sonographic examinations for evaluation of possible foreign bodies were reviewed retrospectively. Patients who had surgical exploration and pathologic evaluation were included in the study. Gray scale and power Doppler examinations were performed with high-frequency linear array transducers. Histologic evaluation was then correlated with the sonographic findings. RESULTS: Twenty-five patients were referred for evaluation of possible foreign bodies. Twelve patients underwent surgery and had pathologic correlation. Sonography had sensitivity of 92% for the overall detection of foreign bodies. There were 2 false-positive findings in which discrete foreign bodies were not seen at gross inspection, but inflammation and scar tissue were present at histologic examination. Pathologic findings were thought to represent chronic foreign body reactions. Hypervascularity immediately surrounding the foreign bodies was shown on power Doppler imaging in all cases, correlating with granulation tissue and neovascularity on pathologic examinations. The hypoechoic halo was shown in all but 2 cases and correlated with fibrinous exudate, granulation tissue, and collagenous capsule formation. CONCLUSIONS: Sonography is an effective and sensitive tool for the detection of soft tissue foreign bodies. The use of power Doppler imaging may aid in detection of possible foreign bodies by increasing the conspicuity of both the hypoechoic halo and the foreign body itself.     

郭士魁活血化瘀学术思想探析

郭士魁先生是中国现代活血化瘀学术思想的奠基人之一,其活血化瘀理论与实践是张仲景与王清任等医家活血化瘀理论与实践的继承与发展。郭老创造性地将活血化瘀法应用于冠心病心绞痛的治疗,大大提高了冠心病的疗效,使活血化瘀法从此成为冠心病治疗最重要的治法。文章对郭老活血化瘀学术思想进行探析,希望能对中医临床活血化瘀法用药提供参照。     

全国名老中医于志强教授学术思想浅析

于志强教授从事中医内科医、教、研工作近40年,学验俱丰,在临床上推崇"郁滞论"及丹溪"六郁"学说,主张"内伤杂病以开郁为先务、从肝论治",重视"气血津液辨证",用药精准,善用古方,化裁新方,创制了一系列有效经验方,同时仁爱施医,兴学重教,重视中医心病学科的建设。跟师于志强教授临诊学习,对其学术思想有了一定的认识和体会,遂撰文介绍。     

袁秀丽学术思想浅析

袁秀丽主任医师系第六批全国老中医药专家学术经验继承工作指导老师,澄江学派四川名家陈治平先生亲传弟子。袁师注重学习经典,认为治病之要,首在治神;同时强调学习现代医学知识,临证灵活运用中西医手段,擅用针刺及中药治疗疾病。     

基于数据挖掘技术探讨郭勇教授治疗肝癌的用药规律

[目的] 探讨郭勇教授治疗肝癌的处方用药规律,传承名中医治疗肝癌的指导思想并推广应用。[方法] 收集郭师治疗肝癌的处方,基于信息管理系统软件建立数据库,统计药物使用频次,并对药物的药性、药味、归经等进行描述性分析。[结果] 药性频率最高的是寒(34.46%),其次是温(29.94%)、平(27.12%),累计频率达91.52%;药味频率最高的是甘(37.09%),其次是苦(23.64%)、辛(17.45%),累计频率达78.18%;药物归经频率最高的是肝(19.61%)、其次是脾(15.50%)、肺(15.25%)、胃(14.29%),累计频率达64.65%。采用关联法则、复杂网络分析、聚类分析等数据挖掘方法,确定处方中各种药物的使用频次和药物之间的关联规则,前6位中药依次为:白芍、郁金、预知子、猫爪草、猫人参、太子参。从核心处方总结出,郭师治疗肝癌多用猫人参、猫爪草、郁金、预知子、白芍等药物。[结论] 郭师治疗肝癌,重视辨病与辨证相结合,应用灵活,配伍严谨。数据挖掘应用对于挖掘名老中医临床经验具有重要的价值。