Prenatal diagnosis and female abortion: a case study in medical law and ethics.

Alarm over the prospect that prenatal diagnostic techniques, which permit identification of fetal sex and facilitate abortion of healthy but unwanted female fetuses has led some to urge their outright prohibition. This article argues against that response. Prenatal diagnosis permits timely action to preserve and enhance the life and health of fetuses otherwise endangered, and, by offering assurance of fetal normality, may often encourage continuation of pregnancies otherwise vulnerable to termination. Further, conditions in some societies may sometimes render excusable the inclination to abort certain healthy female fetuses. In places where abortion for fetal sex alone is recognised as unethical, however, medical licensing authorities already possess the power to discipline, for professional misconduct, physicians who prescribe or perform prenatal diagnosis purely to identify fetal sex, or those who disclose fetal sex when that is unrelated to the fetus's medical condition.     

Prenatal cytogenetic diagnosis--a current audit. A review of 2000 cases of prenatal cytogenetic diagnoses after amniocentesis, and comparisons with early experience

An audit of 2000 cases of prenatal cytogenetic diagnoses is presented. This comprises two consecutive series of 1000 cases (1974-1980 and 1980-1983). Chromosomal studies were performed after mid-trimester amniocentesis. For both series detailed results of the reasons for referral and the outcome of laboratory studies and pregnancy follow-up (in 95% of cases) are presented. In current practice 75% of prenatal cytogenetic diagnoses were for advanced maternal age. Ten per cent of tests were undertaken because of a family history of Down's syndrome. The detection rate of chromosomal abnormality in prenatal cytogenetic diagnoses was 2.06%. Two per cent of amniotic cell cultures failed to grow, necessitating a repeat amniocentesis. The rate of culture failure due to undefinable causes was 0.55%. Fetal loss after amniocentesis for prenatal cytogenetic diagnosis at 16 weeks' gestation has halved since 1980, with a current miscarriage rate of 0.6% within four weeks of the procedure. One maternal death (as a result of amniotic fluid embolism) and one case of amnionitis occurred in the first series of 1000 consecutive cases (up to 1980), but no such complication has occurred since. Secular trends in the indications for referral, laboratory complications, clinical outcome and diagnostic patterns are presented.     

1 673例前列腺癌的诊治和预后——上海单中心10年回顾分析

目的 总结复旦大学附属中山医院 10年间收治住院的前列腺癌患者的疾病特征和治疗方式变化,探讨前列腺癌的诊治、患者生存情况及其相关预后因素。 方法 回顾性分析2003年1月至2012年12月住院治疗的1 673例前列腺癌患者资料,包括初诊年龄、初诊前列腺特异性抗原(prostate specific antigen,PSA)、穿刺活检病理Gleason总评分、TNM分期、治疗方式及患者生存状态。将患者分为2组:2003—2007年(前5年)为第1组(n=542),2008—2012年(后5年)为第2组(n=1 131)。两组间比较,第2组比第1组病例数增加589例,增长109%。第2组较第1组平均年龄更低(70.8岁vs.71.9岁,P=0.003),初诊PSA<20 ng/mL占比更高(38.1% vs. 32.9%,P=0.004),穿刺活检病理Gleason总评分≥8占比更高(47.1% vs. 42.2%,P=0.012),局限性前列腺癌占比更高(58.9% vs. 45.0%,P<0.001),根治术所占比更高(33.7% vs.14.2%,P<0.001)。其中机器人辅助根治性前列腺切除术(robotic-assisted radical prostatectomy,RARP)在2008—2012年逐渐开展(0% vs.20.7%,P<0.001)。主要的转移靶器官均是骨。本文运用Kaplan-Meier方法对所有患者进行生存分析,并利用多因素Cox回归模型比较其预后因素。结果 患者中位随访时间为28个月(1～121个月)。初诊年龄(P<0.001)、初诊PSA水平(P=0.012)、穿刺活检病理Gleason总评分(P=0.006)和癌远处转移(P<0.001)均是患者总体生存的独立影响因素。结论 我院收治的前列腺癌患者的疾病特点在2003—2012年这10年间发生变化,初诊患者平均年龄降低,诊断局限性前列腺癌病例增加,但低分化肿瘤占比仍然增加。初诊年龄、初诊PSA水平、穿刺活检病理Gleason总评分和癌远处转移都是患者总体生存的独立影响因素。     

医疗欠费:大环境与小环境交错的社会问题

政府、卫生部门规定即便是没钱的人,医院也不能见死不救,否则有悖医疗道德,这点我们非常认同.     

Medical ethics and medical practice: a social science view.

This paper argues that two characteristics of social life impinge importantly upon medical attempts to maintain high ethical standards. The first is the tension between the role of ethics in protecting the patient and maintaining the solidarity of the profession. The second derives from the observation that the foundations of contemporary medical ethics were laid at a time of one-to-one doctor-patient relations while nowadays most doctors work in or are associated with large-scale organisations. Records cease to be the property of individual doctors, become available not only to other doctors but also to educational and social work personnel. Making records openly available to patients is suggested as the only antidote to this irreversible loss of individual practitioner control. The importance for doctors of understanding the nature of professional and bureaucratic organisations in order to deal with the hazards involved is stressed as is the responsibility of the General Medical Council to regulate medical competence as well as personal behaviour.     

肿瘤干细胞及中草药提取物和其他补充医学植物药的作用研究综述

本文目的在于阐明某些癌症的起源与干细胞、肿瘤干细胞、干细胞微环境、肿瘤微环境之间的联系,并探讨中草药及其提取物治疗癌症的作用。本文从相关文献中筛选出8篇有关中草药防治癌症复发的研究,并对它们进行分析和评价。一些中草药中的有效成分,如大豆黄酮类、人参皂苷 Rg3、小白菊内酯、小檗胺、姜黄色素等,可通过干预肿瘤干细胞及与其相关的肿瘤发生机制而起到有效的抗癌作用。中草药成分可以针对肿瘤微环境和慢性系统性炎症反应进行联合治疗,这或许比其他药物单一的治疗方案更为有效。许多研究表明,在治疗癌症时运用补充替代医学与常规医学治疗相结合的方法可以取得更好的疗效。     

Carcinoma of the cervix, endometrium, and ovary: an 11-year review.

Over an 11-year period, 164 patients with genital tract carcinoma were managed at the Austin Hospital, Melbourne. For patients receiving primary treatment at the hospital, the five-year survival rates of patients with carcinoma of the cervix, endometrium, and ovary were 47.8%, 41.6% and 4.3% respectively. Improved results rest upon earlier diagnosis and alternative therapeutic measures, especially for carcinoma of the endometrium and ovary. Routine surveillance after initial therapy may detect asymptomatic metastatic disease when curative treatment is still possible.     

Aetiology, diagnosis and management of haemospermia: a review

OBJECTIVE: To provide an overview of the aetiology, investigations and the various treatment methods currently available in the management of haemospermia. DATA SOURCE: Review of literature was effected through medline and index medicus search of major published indexed journals and books. DATA SELECTION: Published data on haemospermia, hemospermia, haematospermia and semen over the last five decades (1967-2007) were utilised. DATA EXTRACTION: Abstracts of selected articles were read and analysed to determine their possible contribution and relevance to this article. DATA SYNTHESIS: All relevant articles were reviewed in full and contribution extracted for this review as necessary. CONCLUSION: Haemospermia (haematospermia) is a relatively frequent, distressing and frightening symptom in sexually active men. It is usually a benign self-limiting condition resolving within several weeks except for the few with underlying aetiology including prostate malignancy and idiopathic. Patients presenting with haemospermia should have a detailed medical history, physical examillation including blood pressure measurement, genital and digital rectal examination. Persistent and recurrent haemospermia is best investigated by TRUS, CT, MRI, urethrocystoscopy, and biopsy and histological confirmation of malignancies. Specific treatment depends on the underlying pathological cause but often involves only minimal investigations and simple reassurance.     

Drowning and near-drowning on Australian beaches patrolled by life-savers: a 10-year study, 1973-1983

Resuscitation report-forms of the Surf Life-Saving Association of Australia, for the period 1973-1983, were analysed. During this period there were 262 immersion victims at beaches that were patrolled by life-savers. Of these, 162 victims survived, some of whom received expired-air resuscitation (n = 61) or cardiopulmonary resuscitation (n = 29). Among those who drowned, none was younger than five years of age. Vomiting and regurgitation were major problems during resuscitation. Respiratory and cardiopulmonary arrest occurred after apparently-successful rescue; this highlights the necessity for the close observation of victims and the early administration of oxygen to all immersion victims. Resuscitation in deep water has been shown to be effective, and instruction in these techniques is now standard teaching within the Surf Life-Saving Association of Australia.     

The impact of the electronic medical record on structure,process, and outcomes within primary care: a systematic review of the evidence

Background

The electronic medical record (EMR)/electronic health record (EHR) is becoming an integral component of many primary-care outpatient practices. Before implementing an EMR/EHR system, primary-care practices should have an understanding of the potential benefits and limitations.

Objective

The objective of this study was to systematically review the recent literature around the impact of the EMR/EHR within primary-care outpatient practices.

Materials and methods

Searches of Medline, EMBASE, CINAHL, ABI Inform, and Cochrane Library were conducted to identify articles published between January 1998 and January 2010. The gray literature and reference lists of included articles were also searched. 30 studies met inclusion criteria.

Results and discussion

The EMR/EHR appears to have structural and process benefits, but the impact on clinical outcomes is less clear. Using Donabedian''s framework, five articles focused on the impact on healthcare structure, 21 explored healthcare process issues, and four focused on health-related outcomes.