Surgical management of the diabetic foot

Diabetic foot is one of challenging diseases in vascular surgery. This is based on uncontrolled diabetes mellitus and its true character is the neuropathic gangrene due to microangiopathy. Diabetic foot, however, is sometimes accompanied by peripheral arterial occlusive disease, which true status is macroangiopathy. Therefore, the strategy for diabetic foot is as follows;the first step is the infection control by minor amputation and/or drainage, the second step is the assessment of the limb ischemia, and the final is the complete vascular reconstruction. To salvage these diabetic feet, it is important that doctors, who concern to diabetics, understand these strategies and also that they have a settled opinion for the diabetic foot.     

Improvement of the method of collection of blood flowing from the adrenal glands in the experiment on dogs

Blood from the adrenal gland can flow in two directions--into the caudal vena cava and by anastomoses into the portal vein. A method of multiple blood procuring from these vessels in dogs for the purpose of studying the adrenal gland function is suggested. Polyethylene catheters, 0.9 mm in diameter and 35--40 mm in length glued to capron plates, mandrins, Gordeev's needles and blood-drawing needles are necessary. Transperitoneal surgical approach to the caudal and mesenteric veins is to be provided. Purse-string suture is applied on the wall of the mesenteric vein. The catheter is washed with heparin, the mandrin is introduced into it and it is inserted into the Gordeev's needle. A puncture is made in the centre of the purse-string suture with this needle, which is introduced into the vein together with the catheter. Gordeev's needle is withdrawn and the catheter is pushed through to the portal vein. The purse-string suture is tightened, and the capron plate is fixed in the wall of the vein. The mandrin is recovered from the catheter, heparin is administered into its canal, polyethylene plug is inserted and withdrawn through the abdominal wall outside with the aid of the blood-drawing needle. The catheter is introduced into the caudal vena cava in the same way. Blood samples can be obtained on the 14th postoperative day.     

The harmful, nontherapeutic use of animals in research is morally wrong

It is argued that using animals in research is morally wrong when the research is nontherapeutic and harmful to the animals. This article discusses methods of moral reasoning and discusses how arguments on this and other bioethical issues might be defended and critiqued. A basic method of moral argument analysis is presented and used to show that common objections to the view that "animal research is morally wrong" fail: ie, common arguments for the view that "animal research is morally permissible" are demonstrably unsound or in need of defense. It is argued that the best explanations why harmful, nontherapeutic research on human beings is wrong, ie, what it is about humans that makes such experimentation wrong, apply to many animals as well. Thus, harmful and nontherapeutic animal experimentation is wrong for reasons similar to the reasons that harmful and nontherapeutic human experimentation is wrong.     

Asthma in the elderly

Asthma is common in the elderly population and the differences between younger and older asthmatics should be appreciated (Table 2). Asthma is frequently overlooked in the geriatric population. Objective measures of pulmonary function can aid in a prompt diagnosis and lead to effective treatment and improved quality of life. Because smoking is an important risk factor for asthma-like symptoms of wheezing, cough, and sputum production, asthma is frequently confused with COPD. When airflow obstruction is found, attempts to demonstrate reversibility can uncover an asthmatic component to the disease. In patients who have asthma symptoms and no airflow obstruction, methacholine testing is helpful. When a normal methacholine challenge is present, a diagnosis of asthma can be excluded and the physician can pursue other diagnostic considerations such as heart failure, chronic aspiration syndrome, pulmonary embolic disease, and carcinoma of the lung. The onset of wheezing, shortness of breath, and cough in an elderly patient is likely to cause concern. Although the adage "all that wheezes is not asthma" is true at any age, it is especially true in the elderly. Diagnosis based on objective measures is essential.     

北京航空航天大学的消化性溃疡病发病情况调查报告

本文对北京航空航天大学10739人教职员工作了消化性溃疡病的发病情况的有关调查,发现消化性溃疡病的总发病率为1.3％,男女之比为3.24∶1(十二指肠溃疡2.84∶1;胃溃疡4.32∶1)。其中以教师发病率最高(62.86％),O型血的发病率为40.29％,并发症的发生率为55.71％。     

Möglichkeiten der Handgelenkarthroskopie

The wrist is the most commonly involved joint in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Because it becomes involved early in the disease course and because this involvement rapidly progresses, early and adequate treatment is necessary to prevent disease progression. Arthroscopic synovectomy is recommended for pain relief and functional recovery in early-stage RA and is also helpful in advanced RA. The technique is complicated, and the learning curve is steep, but its efficiency is high. Arthroscopic synovectomy of the wrist reduces pain and improves function in most cases. It also improves motion, which is an advantage to the open procedure, and patient acceptance of this procedure is high. Nevertheless, arthroscopic synovectomy may delay the need for complex surgery, such as wrist arthrodesis or total wrist arthroplasty in selected cases.     

Local care and medical treatment for ischemic diabetic ulcers

Optimal medical treatment of ischemic diabetic ulcers is multifactorial. Infection is very common and it is necessary to distinguish between limb or life threatening infections and non-limb-threatening infections. The major pathogen associated with non-limb-threatening infection is staphylococcus aureus; oral antibiotics such as amoxicillin/clavulanate or clindamycin can be used. For severe infection, empiric antibiotic therapy is broader-spectrum covering staphylococci, streptococci, gram-negative bacilli and enterococci; intravenous administration is the rule. Duration of antibiotic therapy depends on severity and depth of infection, and on requirement of surgical debridment. Granulocyte colony-stimulating factor is a growth factor stimulating proliferation and function of neutrophils. As an adjunctive therapy for limb-threatening infections, it is associated with a lower rate of amputation. Increasing arterial perfusion if the patient is unsuitable for reconstructive surgery or angioplasty is desirable. Iloprost is an analogue of epoprostenol with effects on platelet aggregability and vasodilatation. It improves ulcer healing, decreases pain, slightly diminishes the rate of amputation. Systemic hyperbaric oxygen therapy can perhaps improve clinical outcome but additional research is needed to define the specific indications and benefits of this treatment modality. Local care is not rationalized and depends on local habits. Debridment is required. Non necrotic wounds can be covered by modern dressing (hydrophilic dressing, alginates, hydrocolloid). Necrotic wounds are dryed until surgical revascularization, or excised if they are limited and superficial. Pinch grafts are very useful for arterial ulcers. The place of topical growth factor like PDGF (platelet derived growth factor) and of living skin equivalents (dermagraft, apligraf) is not defined in ischaemic diabetic ulcers. Treatment of edema is necessary, because it retards or complicates healing. Inelastic bandages can be useful with good tolerance if ischemia is not critical. Pneumatic foot compression is under evaluation. Electric stimulation could be an adjuncting treatment, but with a problem of compliance. Reducing plantar pressure is always necessary.     

Influence of Factors in the Photopolymerization Process on Dental Composites Microhardness

The aim of the present paper is to investigate the influence of factors in photopolymerization process that govern microhardness of three types of dental composites—universal (UC), bulk-fill (BC), and flowable (FC). Cylindrical specimens with different thicknesses are made and light cured. The significance of light intensity, irradiation time, and layer thickness on Vickers microhardness is evaluated by experimental design, analysis of variance, and regression analysis. It is found that the main factor influencing the microhardness on the top surface of the three composites is light intensity. The second factor is layer thickness for the UC and FC, while for BC, it is curing time. The third factor is curing time for the first two composites and layer thickness for bulk-fill. The significance of factors’ influence on the microhardness of the bottom surface is the same for the UC and FC, but different for BC. The main factor for the first two composites is layer thickness, followed by curing time and light intensity. For bulk-fill, curing time is main factor, light intensity is second, and layer thickness is last. Different significance of factors influencing the microhardness on top and bottom surfaces of investigated composites is revealed for the first time in the present study.     

Bradyarrhythmias: AV conduction disturbances

When conduction block is located in the AV node, the QRS complex is narrow, and the escape rate is near normal. The patient is frequently minimally or not symptomatic. More often, however, the site of block is below the AV node, and the prognosis is much graver. It should be remembered that "high-grade" Type II block is not usually the result of a transient process, but rather of a chronic, progressive infranodal disease. This means that it is more likely to progress to complete heart block and require permanent pacing.     

Primary pulmonary lymphoma.

Three distinct entities are now covered by the definition of primary pulmonary clonal lymphoid proliferation. The aim of this review is to describe the pathophysiological, diagnostic, prognostic and therapeutic aspects of these three entities. Low-grade pulmonary B-cell lymphoma is the most frequent form of primary pulmonary clonal lymphoid proliferation. It arises from mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue. It is usually indolent and appears in the form of a chronic alveolar opacity. The prognosis is excellent, but treatment is controversial (simple monitoring, surgery or single-agent chemotherapy). High-grade pulmonary B-cell lymphoma is far rarer and usually occurs in individuals with an underlying disorder (e.g. immunodeficiency). The prognosis is poor and therapeutic options depend on the underlying disorder. The inclusion of lymphomatoid granulomatosis in the definition of primary pulmonary lymphomas is controversial. The clonal nature of the proliferation is very rarely demonstrated and extrapulmonary involvement is frequent (upper airways, skin, kidneys, central nervous system, etc.). The prognosis is extremely variable, with some authors reporting complete remission with steroids and cyclophosphamide and others reporting failure of combination chemotherapy.     

Antipsychotic drugs and diabetes—an application of the Austin Bradford Hill criteria

There is concern that antipsychotic drugs cause diabetes. Although there has been an explosion in the quantity of literature about this subject, it remains confusing and inconsistent. To assess whether the association between antipsychotic drugs and diabetes is causative, we applied the Austin Bradford Hill criteria to the available evidence. In support of a causative relationship, there is temporality for some cases of diabetes, and there is a biologically plausible explanation. The causative link between antipsychotic drugs and diabetes is coherent with our understanding of diabetes and there are other analogies. However the strength of association is weak, there is lack of consistency or specificity, and there is little evidence to support a biological gradient. We should therefore conclude that the evidence surrounding a causative link between antipsychotic drugs and diabetes is inconclusive. Moreover, the risk is probably low and the attributable risk of developing diabetes is greater for traditional risk factors such as family history, ethnicity, obesity and ageing than it is for receiving an antipsychotic drug. Consequently, the majority of patients receiving second-generation antipsychotics will not develop diabetes as a result of their medication.Electronic Supplementary Material Supplementary material is available for this article at     

Ayurveda and yoga in cardiovascular diseases

Ayurveda is derived from 2 Sanskrit words, namely, "Ayus" and "Veda," meaning life and knowledge, respectively. It literally means science of life. Ayurveda, of which yoga is an integral part, is widely practiced in India and is gaining acceptance in many countries around the world. It is a comprehensive and a holistic system, the focus of which is on the body, mind, and consciousness. The Ayurvedic treatment consists of the use herbal preparations, diet, yoga, meditation, and other practices. Based on the review of available studies, the evidence is not convincing that any Ayurvedic herbal treatment is effective in the treatment of heart disease or hypertension. However, the use of certain spices and herbs such as garlic and turmeric in an overall healthy diet is appropriate. Many herbs used by Ayurvedic practitioners show promise and could be appropriate for larger randomized trials. Yoga, an integral part of Ayurveda, has been shown to be useful to patients with heart disease and hypertension. Yoga reduces anxiety, promotes well-being, and improves quality of life. Its safety profile is excellent. Its use as a complementary therapeutic regimen under medical supervision is appropriate and could be worth considering.     

Effect of overall phenotypic selection on genetic change at individual loci.

The selective advantage of an allele Gi (relative to the mean of alleles at this locus) is given by (formula: see text) in which Ai is the average excess of the allele on the character, X; W(X) is the fitness function; F(X) is the frequency function; W is the mean fitness; and the prime denotes differentiation. With truncation selection si = AaF(C)/w in which F(C) is the ordinate at the culling level and w is the proportion saved; this does not depend on any assumption about the distribution of F(X). If the character is normally distributed, si = AiI/sigma2, in which I is the selection differential and sigma2 is the variance of the character distribution. Finally, if the logarithm of the fitness is proportional to the squared deviation from the optimum and the character is distributed normally, si = AiK(Xop--m), in which Xop is the optimum value of the character, m is the mean value, and K is a constant determined by the variances of the fitness function and the frequency function. Truncation is the most efficient form of directional selection in the sense of producing the maximum gene frequency change for a given effect of the gene on the character, but fitness functions can depart considerably from sharp truncation without greatly reducing the efficiency.     

Hepatopulmonary Syndrome and Liver Transplantation: A Recent Review of the Literature

A severe and common pulmonary vascular complication of liver disease is hepatopulmonary syndrome (HPS). It is a triad of liver dysfunction and/or portal hypertension, intrapulmonary vascular dilatations, and increased alveolar-arterial oxygen gradient. Prevalence varies according to various study groups from 4%–47%. While the most common presenting symptom of HPS is dyspnea, it is usually asymptomatic, and thus all liver transplant candidates should be screened for its presence. Pulse oximetry is a useful screening method, but arterial blood gas examination is the gold standard. If there is an abnormal P (A-a)O₂ gradient, microbubble transthoracic echocardiography should be done for diagnosis. Outcome is unpredictable, and there is currently no effective medical therapy. The only effective therapy is considered to be liver transplantation. Complete resolution of HPS after liver transplantation is seen within a year in most HPS patients.     

肝纤维化血清学诊断的研究

肝纤维化是多种慢性肝病的共同病理过程,可导致肝硬化及相关并发症的发生,而肝纤维化具有可逆性。因此,肝纤维化诊断对慢性肝病的防治及预后评估具有重要意义。肝活检一直是诊断肝纤维化的金标准,但有其局限性,近来研究发现血清学指标与肝纤维化之间有良好的相关性,且简便易行,有望替代肝活检,本文就血清学检查在肝纤维化诊断中的研究作一概述。     

Benign ulceration of the gecum presenting with massive hemorrhage

Massive gastrointestinal hemorrhage secondary to benign cecal ulceration is a rare occurrence. The diagnosis of bleeding from this benign condition is rerely entertained and is often a finding on a pathologic examination. A case of massive hemorrhage from a cecal ulcer is presented, and the literature is reviewed. The role of angiographic demonstration of the lesion, if angiography is readily available, is emphasized, but surgery is the definitive therapy.     

衰老机制:生化副反应损变的失修性累积

动物和人类的衰老机制众说纷纭、错综复杂,但”衰老是遗传因素和环境因素共同作用的结果”已逐渐成为公认的科学事实。本文综合衰老生物医学研究的最新成果,明确地指出：尽管衰老是生理性过程,但衰老机体的分子结构已经”病变”。开拓性地阐明：认识衰老,应以起因和机制的区别为鉴,则其真面目昭然若揭。损伤和变构(损变)为因,修复为应,修之不尽则积累,积累的过程才是衰老性的渐变过程。通过对高等动物衰老过程的理性思考和讨论,最终归纳提出,生化副反应引起的损变的失修性累积是广义的高等动物衰老过程的生化本质。     

The injury-spasm (ischemia-induced hemostatic vasoconstrictive) and vascular autoregulatory hypothesis of ischemic disease: Resistance vessel-spasm hypothesis of ischemic disease

The injury-spasm concept assumes that severe myocardial ischemia secondary to stenotic coronary artery disease causes spasm of resistance vessels through ischemic tissue injury. In this communication the concept is developed further and is now extended to include other diseases. It is suggested that relative arterial insufficiency, as traditionally understood, is an invalid concept and that disorders usually attributed to it, including congestive heart failure and peripheral vascular disease, should be attributed to injury-spasm. Because a basic reaction to injury is to prevent bleeding, injury-spasm is identified as an exaggerated form of hemostatic vasoconstriction, and spasm is related to distorted vascular autoregulatory activities of resistance vessels. It is asserted that blood platelets probably are not involved in the initiation of ischemic attacks, and instead of a platelet thromboxane/vessel prostacyclin vasomotor balance of epicardial coronary arteries, the vasoconstrictive/vasodilative balance is centered in resistance vessels and is based on autoregulatory processes such as the hemostatic injury-spasm reaction and reactive hyperemia.     

肺小血管炎的研究进展

肺小血管炎(SVVL)是原发性小血管炎累及肺脏血管的一组疾患.因本病与抗中性粒细胞胞浆抗体(ANCA)密切相关,故称为抗中性粒细胞胞浆抗体相关性小血管炎(AAVS).主要包括:韦格纳肉芽肿病(WG)、显微镜下多血管炎(MPA)、变应性肉芽肿性血管炎(CSS)[1],常可累及多个系统.肺是原发性小血管炎累及频率最高的脏器之一,据报道肺脏受累占75%,仅次于肾脏,且是造成死亡的主要原因.其临床表现复杂多变,缺乏特异性,常常被误诊为其它疾病,延误治疗.而经积极治疗,其生存率明显上升.因此有必要提高对SVVL的认识.     

Sclerosing cholangitis

Primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) is a chronic, progressive cholestatic liver disease whose aetiopathogenesis is unknown. PSC is frequently associated with inflammatory bowel disease, in particular chronic ulcerative colitis, is most commonly observed in young males and is clinically characterized by fatigue, pruritus and jaundice. The diagnosis is supported by a cholestatic biochemical profile and histological abnormalities, and confirmed by visualization of an abnormal biliary tree. The natural history of the disease is currently being evaluated but is generally recognized to be slowly progressive, leading to complications of chronic cholestasis, portal hypertension and biliary cirrhosis. There is no specific medical treatment, and orthotopic liver transplantation remains the only definitive treatment for patients with end-stage PSC. A more rational approach to medical therapy will ensue upon a better understanding of the aetiopathogenesis of this disease.