重型颅脑损伤的手术治疗

目的探讨重型颅脑损伤梯度减压的手术方法对预防术中脑膨出、降低死亡率及致残率的效果。方法对100例重型颅脑损伤患者采用分次减压手术方式及去骨瓣后，硬膜与颞肌筋膜瓣减张缝闭硬膜切口方法。结果40例脑肿胀患者术中脑嘭出6例占15．0％，死亡19例占47．5％；60例脑内血肿病人未发生脑膨出，死亡12例占20％。结论脑外伤后脑血管调节麻痹及血肿压迫继发脑水肿易造成脑膨出.术中分次减压降低了骨窗部位脑组织的顺应性，从而降低了局部的压力梯度，避免脑血管急性扩张，能有效防止脑膨出，降低死亡率及致残率。     

44例老年重症哮喘的院前急救体会

目的探讨老年重症哮喘急性发作的院前急救措施。方法在常规平喘治疗基础上,治疗组用甲基泼尼松龙80mg加入5%葡萄糖溶液(0.9%氯化钠溶液)40ml中静脉注射,对照组用地塞米松10mg加入5%葡萄糖溶液(0.9%氯化钠溶液)20ml中静脉注射,观察治疗前、后两组患者临床疗效评分变化。结果治疗组比对照组起效快,疗效好,两组疗效间差异有显著性意义(P<0.01)。结论甲基泼尼松龙是老年重症哮喘院前急救的首选方法,尽早使用,有利于提高抢救成功率。     

Effect of norethisterone acetate on serum lipid and lipoprotein parameters as well as on blood coagulation in female monkeys (M. fascicularis)

The effects of daily oral administration of a high dose of 10 mg norethisterone acetate (NET-Ac.)/kg/day over 14 weeks on serum lipid and lipoprotein parameters as well as on blood coagulation were investigated in female monkeys (M. fascicularis). Measurements of lipids and lipoprotein cholesterol were performed in weeks —5 and — 1 before treatment and in weeks 4, 8 and 12 after treatment. In addition, various blood coagulation and fibrinolytic parameters were determined in weeks 11–14 after treatment with NET-Ac. Furthermore, the serum levels of norethisterone (NET) were determined in order to monitor the real systemic compound exposure and revealed that C_max and AUC (0–3 h) values reached for norethisterone in this experiment in monkeys were about 25 times higher than those obtained after an oral contraceptive dose of NET-Ac. in women.

The results of lipid and lipoprotein cholesterol determinations showed decreases in serum total lipids, phospholipids, triglycerides and total cholesterol associated with similar decreases in HDL-, LDL- and VLDL-cholesterol fractions after NET-Ac.-treatment in monkeys. These effects were observed from week 4 onwards and maintained their magnitude up to week 12 after treatment. Since both HDL- and LDL-cholesterol fractions decreased, the HDL/LDL-ratio remained almost unchanged. Thus, the results obtained in this study after high-dose treatment with NET-Ac. in monkeys did not indicate any changes of lipid and lipoprotein parameters which in humans are supposed to be associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular lesions, namely a decrease in HDL- and increase in LDL-cholesterol fractions.

The results of blood coagulation and fibrinolytic parameters showed increased antithrombin-III and plasminogen levels besides minor changes in other parameters, thus indicating that NET-Ac. -treatment does not contribute to an increased risk of cardiovascular thrombotic events in the cynomolgus monkey.     

On the quantification of prothrombin from different species using echis carinatus as activator

The generation of thrombin-like activity from rat, human, bovine and mouse prothrombin by Echis carinatus venom (ECV) treatment was compared using a partially purified system (i.e. whole ECV and isolated prothrombin). A rapid increase in coagulant activity was obtained within 0.5 to 2 min., being constant upon further incubation for 60 min. A large variation in coagulant activity of the ECV generated thrombin from the four species was found, whereas no differences were found for the amidolytic activities. The coagulant activities of the ECV generated thrombin was also low compared with the corresponding thrombin activities obtained by physiological activation. Coagulant activity of the ECV generated thrombin levelled off at increasing concentration of prothrombin in the sample as measured by the one-stage coagulation assay. By measuring amidolytic activity a linear relationship to the concentration of prothrombin was found, however. These findings indicate that ECV converts prothrombin from the four different species to a thrombin-like protein with properties distinct from -thrombin. The lack of linearity in the ECV generated clot activity with increasing concentration of prothrombin could be explained by assuming a dimerization of the thrombin like protein molecules making them less accessible to fibrinogen. The significance of these observations for the quantification of prothrombin from different species is discussed.     

Molecular basis of severe myoclonic epilepsy in infancy

Severe myoclonic epilepsy (SMEI) or Dravet syndrome is caused by mutations of the SCN1A gene that encodes voltage-gated sodium channel alpha-1 subunit. Recently, we generated and characterized a knock-in (KI) mice with an SCN1A nonsense mutation that appeared in three independent SMEI patients. The SCN1A-KI mice well reproduced the SMEI disease phenotypes. Both homozygous and heterozygous knock-in mice developed epileptic seizures within the first postnatal month. In heterozygous knock-in mice, trains of evoked action potentials in inhibitory neurons exhibited pronounced spike amplitude decrement late in the burst but not in pyramidal neurons. We further showed that in wild-type mice the Nav1.1 protein is expressed dominantly in axons and moderately in somata of parbalbumin (PV) – positive inhibitory interneurons. Our immunohistochemical observations of the Nav1.1 are clearly distinct to the previous studies, and our findings has corrected the view of the Nav1.1 protein distribution. The data indicate that Nav1.1 plays critical roles in the spike output from PV interneurons and further, that the specifically altered function of these inhibitory circuits may contribute to epileptic seizures in the mice. These information should contribute to the understanding of molecular pathomechanism of SMEI and to develop its effective therapies.     

Immunohistological identification of cell subsets in human gingival after local treatment for gingivitis or periodontitis

The cellular infiltrate present in human diseased gingiva was analyzed in biopsies from 12 patients with gingivitis or periodontitis. The samples studied had been obtained in the course of surgery at inflammatory sites remaining after institution of periodontal treatment. Histological and immunological techniques were used to identify macrophages, B-cells, plasma-cells, T-cells and T cell subsets, as well as cells expressing class II HLA membrane antigens. T-cells appeared as the predominant population, but plasma-cells were also visualized in nearly all samples. Both OKT4+ and OKT8+ cells were seen in all cases, the latter being more numerous in periodontitis patients. Interdigitating-like cells were observed, positively labelled for class II antigens, as well as macrophages which were more numerous in periodontitis patients. These results suggest the participation of all components of the immune response in gingival disease, in a way resembling chronic recurrent inflammatory diseases.     

Postoperative pain management—clinical practice is still not optimal

Major progress in clinical pain assessment and management has been achieved in the last decade. More effective analgesic drugs and improved techniques for pain management have been introduced. However, medical reports published during the last few years on postoperative pain management (POPM) indicate that moderate or even severe pain is still rather commonly experienced by surgical patients in the early postoperative period and that worst-pain-episodes may occur even in the late postoperative phase. Insufficient relief of postoperative pain seems a more common problem on surgical wards than on a postanaesthesia care unit (PACU). The aims of POPM are to inhibit autonomic trauma-induced nociceptive impulses that may result in functional disturbances of vital organs and thereby affect the incidence of potentially severe complications influencing clinical outcome. Considering that recent studies continue to show sub-optimal pain management despite the availability of effective drugs and analgesic techniques it must be considered essential to identify possible barriers to effective pain management in clinical practice so that necessary improvements in POPM routines can be carried out.     

Differentiation of Motor Activity of Normally Active and Hyperactive Boys in Schools: Some Preliminary Results

All non-task-related body movements during school hours were listed in 11 normally active and 12 hyperactive boys. The mean number of movements was 48 +/- 7 per 45 minutes in the normal actives and 79 +/- 16 per 45 minutes in the hyperactives. The rather monotonous increment and decrement of motor activity during the 4-hr registration period was noticed only in hyperactive boys. These results could be a consequence of a circadian rhythm, as there was independence of type of school hours and of teacher personality. The cyclical level of activity in hyperactive boys was sometimes in the range of the normal actives.     

Pitfalls in diagnosis of aortic dissection by angiography: Algorithmic approach utilizing CT and MRI

Dissection of the thoracic aorta is a life-threatening event requiring imaging studies to define the level of the tear and the intinmal flap. The “gold standard” has been angiography. This method may fail to demonstrate the dissection, however, due to overlap of the true and false lumens or a very thin flap that is imaged en face rather than tangentially. Computed tomography has a diagnostic accuracy of 95%, but can fail to image the dissection due to technical factors or a thrombosed false hunen. Magnetic resonance imaging requires a hemodynamically stable and cooperative patient. A diagnostic algorithm is proposed for diagnosis of aortic dissection based on renal function and the surgeon's imaging modality preference.