Do distinct dyspepsia subgroups exist in the community? A population-based study

BACKGROUND: The heterogeneity of the dyspepsia symptom complex is well known. Several attempts to classify dyspepsia into subgroups have been proposed as a basis for diagnosis and therapy, but data are conflicting. We postulated that dyspepsia comprises three distinct subsets, characterized by pain, early satiety, or nausea/vomiting. We aimed to identify these subsets of dyspepsia: "frequent upper abdominal pain (UAP),"early satiety (ES)," and "nausea/vomiting (NV)." METHODS: A population-based, cross-sectional survey study was conducted by mailing a valid questionnaire to an age- and gender-stratified random sample of residents of Olmsted County, MN, aged 20-94 yr (response rate 55%). Dyspepsia and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) prevalence were estimated by Rome II criteria; gastroesophageal reflux (GERD) by weekly or more frequent heartburn or acid regurgitation. Dyspepsia subgroups were categorized based on a priori defined symptoms. RESULTS: The prevalence (95% CI) of dyspepsia was 15% (14, 17). Of 351 dyspeptic subjects, 51% (46, 56) reported UAP, 21% (16, 25) NV, and 47% (42, 52) ES. The overlap of the subgroups was significantly less than expected by chance. Among the three groups, the subjects were similar in age, educational level, IBS status, and overall symptom severity. A high somatic symptom checklist score and those with GERD were associated with greater odds for reporting combination symptoms compared with the upper abdominal pain subgroup of dyspepsia or the early satiety subgroup of dyspepsia, respectively. CONCLUSION: Distinct subgroups of uninvestigated dyspepsia do exist in the general population, suggesting that separate evaluation and treatment strategies are needed.     

Serum level of zinc in asthmatic patients: A case–control study

BackgroundHypozincemia could lead to a variety of defects in growth and the immune system, while it seems to be associated with increased rate of asthmatic attacks in children.MethodsThis study was performed to assess the serum zinc level in 100 paediatric asthmatic patients in comparison with a control group.ResultsMean serum level of zinc in the asthmatic patients was 70.5 ± 22.6 μg/dL, which was significantly lower than 80.9 ± 16.9 μg/dL in the control group (p < 0.001). Forty-two asthmatic patients (42%) had hypozincemia, while this rate was 12% in healthy children (p < 0.001). There was a significant association between the zinc level and severity of asthma (p < 0.001). However, no significant association was detected between the serum level of zinc and other factors, including control and treatment of the disease.ConclusionsAs for high rate of hypozincemia in the asthmatic children, evaluation of serum zinc level in asthmatic children could be suggested, while zinc substitution in the diet of those with hypozincemia could be recommended.     

Does the BMI reflect body fat in obese children and adolescents? A study using the TOBEC method.

OBJECTIVE: Due to the fact that obesity is defined as excess of body fat mass, we tested the hypothesis whether the body mass index (BMI) can be used as a valid measure for the detection of the degree of obesity in individual obese children and adolescents. METHODS: A total of 204 obese children and adolescents (105 boys, 99 girls) aged 6-17 y, using total body electrical conductivity (TOBEC) for fat measurement, were included into this study. A multiple regression analysis was performed with percentage body fat (PBF) as dependent variable and BMI, age and sex as independent variables. First- and second-order interaction terms were also included. Since all interaction terms showed a significant influence on PBF, regression analysis was performed separately for boys and girls, dividing each group into two age subgroups (subjects younger than 10 y, and subjects 10 y or older). RESULTS: BMI and PBF were observed to be positively correlated (overall: r=0,65; P=0.0001; boys r=0.63 and girls: r=0.68). Through a multiple regression analysis 57% of the variance of PBF could be explained by the independent variables. In boys younger than 10 y 73% and in girls younger than 10 y 63% of the variance of PBF was explained by the BMI. In subjects 10 y or older the association was poor (boys: 27%; girls: 38%). It should be emphasized that there is a wide range in the relationship between PBF and BMI in the obese subjects. CONCLUSION: From these results we conclude that BMI might be a useful parameter for epidemiological studies: however in the individual pediatric patient, especially from 10 y onwards, it gives only a limited insight to the degree of obesity based on the definition.     

Do glucocorticoids decrease mortality in acute respiratory distress syndrome? A meta‐analysis

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Glucocorticoids have been shown to improve survival when used in patients with septic shock. The aim of this study was to analyse the role of glucocorticoids in decreasing mortality in acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) both in the acute and the fibroproliferative phases. METHODS: We searched the MEDLINE database for relevant studies published between 1980 and 2006, and included studies if the study design was a randomized controlled trial or observational study (comparing historical controls). The study population included patients with ARDS treated with glucocorticoids. We calculated the odds ratio and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for the outcome of mortality. RESULTS: Six trials met the inclusion criteria; three investigated the role of steroids in early stage disease (n = 300) and three investigated the role of steroids in late stage disease (n = 235). The odds of glucocorticoids decreasing mortality in patients with early ARDS were 0.57 (95% CI: 0.25-1.32) with a number needed to treat of 10 for benefit (818 harm to 5 benefit) whereas the odds of glucocorticoids decreasing mortality in patients with late ARDS was 0.58 (95% CI: 0.22-1.53) with a number needed to treat of 15 for harm (6 harm to 21 benefit). However, there was significant heterogeneity. CONCLUSIONS: Current evidence does not support a role for corticosteroids in the management of ARDS in either the early or late stages of the disease. More research is required to establish the role of steroids in specific subgroups of patients with severe sepsis and early ARDS who have relative adrenal insufficiency and patients with late ARDS 7-14 days after the onset of disease.     

Is pain suffering? A case study

In this article, the case study of an elderly woman shows how bodily pain and suffering meld in her narrative, not as the subjective and objective sides of the same event, but as distinct experiences in which both constructs emerge separately or come together based on the meaning she imputes to the event. The case study shows the clear methodological fit of qualitative narrative research with the lived experiences of pain and suffering. The narrator recalled the "tremendous" pain she experienced almost 60 years previously as both suffering and not-suffering, depending on the outcome of the circumstances that surrounded her pain. This case shows how a significant aspect of the aging experience-suffering-is medicalized, yet remains resistant to both categorization and medicine.     

Do genetic variants in the SPINK1 gene affect the level of serum PSTI?

Background

The serine protease inhibitor Kazal type 1 (SPINK1), also known as pancreatic secretory trypsin inhibitor (PSTI), is a peptide secreted by pancreatic acinar cells. Genetic studies have shown an association between SPINK1 gene variants and chronic pancreatitis or recurrent acute pancreatitis. The aim of this study was to clarify whether the SPINK1 variants affect the level of serum PSTI.

Methods

One hundred sixty-three patients with chronic pancreatitis or recurrent acute pancreatitis and 73 healthy controls were recruited. Serum PSTI concentrations were determined with a commercial radioimmunoassay kit.

Results

Ten patients with the p.N34S variant, 7 with the IVS3+2T>C variant, two with both the p.N34S and the IVS3+2T>C variants, and one with the novel missense p.P45S variant in the SPINK1 gene were identified. The serum PSTI level in patients with no SPINK1 variants was 14.3?±?9.6?ng/ml (mean?±?SD), and that in healthy controls was 10.7?±?2.2?ng/ml. The PSTI level in patients carrying the IVS3+2T>C variant (5.1?±?3.4?ng/ml), but not in those with the p.N34S variant (8.9?±?3.5?ng/ml), was significantly lower than that in the patients without the SPINK1 variants and the healthy controls. The serum PSTI level in the patient with the p.P45S variant was 4.9?ng/ml. Low levels of serum PSTI (<6.0?ng/ml) showed sensitivity of 80?%, specificity of 97?%, and accuracy of 96?% in the differentiation of IVS3+2T>C and p.P45S carriers from non-carriers.

Conclusion

Serum PSTI levels were decreased in patients with the IVS3+2T>C and p.P45S variants of the SPINK1 gene.     

Assessing stress in animal populations: Do fecal and plasma glucocorticoids tell the same story?

Many studies have recently focused on stress as a marker of an animal’s well being. Since animals respond to a stressor by increasing their glucocorticoid (GC) levels there has been much interest in measuring these hormones. Fecal GC analyses have been used in a wide range of studies as they are an easily obtained, non-invasive measure of these stress hormones. However, these analyses rest on two major assumptions. First, they assume that fecal GC metabolites reflect free, biologically active levels of GCs in the plasma. Second, they assume that differences in fecal GC metabolite levels among animals are an accurate reflection of their physiological state and thus of their ability to respond to a stressor. We tested these assumptions in a population of free-ranging snowshoe hares (Lepus americanus) in the southwestern Yukon, from 2006 to 2008. Both assumptions were verified. Plasma free cortisol levels mirrored bile and fecal cortisol metabolite (FCM) levels, but plasma total cortisol levels did not. Differences in FCM concentrations among hares robustly predicted their response to a hormonal challenge. Hares with higher FCM concentrations showed a greater resistance to the suppression of their free plasma cortisol following a dexamethasone injection and a more marked increase of free plasma cortisol following an ACTH injection. Furthermore, we found that changes in FCM concentrations in autumn and winter over two years reliably tracked changes in plasma free cortisol levels obtained from the hormonal challenge test. These results indicate that both fecal and plasma measures of an animal’s stress physiology are concordant: they tell the same story.     

Do age differences in close and problematic family ties reflect the pool of available relatives?

Older adults consistently report having fewer close and fewer problematic social ties than do younger adults. Yet, prior studies have not explicitly examined associations between the availability of living relatives and the nature of family ties in later life. One hundred sixty-four individuals ages 13 to 99 described their networks of close and problematic social ties. Then they provided information about specific living relatives (e.g., spouse, mother, father, sons, daughters, siblings, grandparents, and grandchildren). Older individuals reported more living relatives than did adolescents or young adults. Although individuals of all ages tended to name the majority of living relatives as close social contacts, most adults did not name all available relatives as close contacts. Age differences emerged with regard to naming relatives as problematic social ties. Older adults were less likely to indicate that their relatives caused problems. Findings are discussed in terms of an extension of investment theory, the availability hypothesis, which suggests that individuals with few living relatives are likely to view more of these relatives as close ties and fewer of these relatives as problematic.     

Do wild ungulates allow improved monitoring of flavivirus circulation in Spain?

As a response to the need for improved and cost-efficient West Nile virus (WNV) and other flavivirus surveillance tools, we tested 887 juvenile free-living red deer, 742 free-living juvenile wild boar, and 327 farmed deer, to detect temporal variability in exposure to these viruses. Thirty of 742 wild boar samples (4%; 95% CI 2.8,5.7) yielded a positive ELISA result. Antibody-positive individuals had been sampled between 2003 and 2011 in localities from central and southern Spain. No wild boar from the northern half of Spain (n=120) tested positive. Regarding juvenile wild red deer, only two out of 887 samples yielded a positive ELISA result (0.2%; 95% CI 0.1,0.8). These two samples came from the same site and sampling year. The likelihood of detecting contact with WNV or cross-reacting flaviviruses was 18 times higher among juvenile wild boar than among juvenile red deer. ELISA positivity among farmed deer increased 10-fold after local flavivirus outbreaks recorded in the summer and autumn of 2010. This survey demonstrated the potential usefulness of juvenile wild ungulates, particularly wild boar, as suitable flavivirus sentinels in southwestern Europe, and that systematic serum banking of samples from hunter-harvested wildlife or from individual farmed ungulates provides valuable material for retrospective epidemiological surveys and future disease monitoring.     

How do GPs use x rays to manage chronic knee pain in the elderly? A case study

OBJECTIVES: To determine whether clinical signs and symptoms of osteoarthritis influence general practitioners' (GPs) decisions about x raying older patients with knee pain and whether x ray reports alter their initial treatment or referral plan. METHODS: A cross sectional survey of 1000 GPs in England and Wales using "paper cases" in three questionnaires mailed at two-weekly intervals. The first questionnaire assessed GPs' management of patients with knee pain using four case scenarios, two with features of clinical knee osteoarthritis. The second questionnaire contained the same scenarios with information on x ray findings added. The third questionnaire considered management of knee pain in general. RESULTS: 447 GPs responded to questionnaire 1, 316 (71%) to questionnaire 2, 287 (64%) to questionnaire 3. 106 responders (25%) would have x rayed all four patients and 64 (15%) none. Choosing to carry out an x ray examination was not influenced by the presence of clinical signs and symptoms of osteoarthritis but was linked to other management choices, such as referral to orthopaedics (odds ratio (OR) 2.13; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.62 to 2.81). The strongest predictor in questionnaire 2 of a treatment or referral was whether it had been chosen in the first survey. However, the x ray report was associated with a significant change in treatment and referrals. Where radiographic osteoarthritis was present, GPs were less likely to refer to a physiotherapist (OR 0.64; 95% CI 0.50 to 0.83) or rheumatologist (OR 0.15; 95% CI 0.08 to 0.28), and more likely to refer to an orthopaedic surgeon (OR 31.34; 95% CI 21.51 to 45.66). Questionnaire 3 showed that GPs' general views on the use of x rays correlated with the frequency of their choosing to x ray in the four individual case scenarios. CONCLUSIONS: A GP's choice to x ray older people with knee symptoms is linked with decisions on treatment and referral even before the x ray result is known, but it does not appear to be influenced by clinical features of osteoarthritis. The presence of radiographic osteoarthritis has a marked impact on the decision to refer to secondary care. More evidence on the outcome of management without x rays is needed to help GPs in decision making.     

Do systolic murmurs predict mortality in the elderly? A 15-year longitudinal population study of 70-year-olds

Systolic murmurs are common in the elderly but there is a striking paucity regarding published reports on their clinical significance and relation with mortality. This study describes prevalence of systolic murmurs in the elderly and cardiovascular diseases in 70-year-olds with or without systolic murmurs, and investigates the relation between systolic murmurs at age 70 and 15-year mortality. This cohort study is based on 973 (449 males and 524 females) 70-year-olds from G?teborg, Sweden who were examined in 1971/1972 at the Department of Geriatric Medicine, G?teborg University, and was followed-up to the year 2001. The prevalence of systolic murmur was 31% (females 36.4%, males 23.9%). Among subjects with systolic murmurs the prevalence of coronary heart disease (CHD) and hypertension was significantly higher in both sexes and congestive heart failure (CHF) in females only. Systolic murmur was a predictor for mortality in females (RR 1.49, 95% CI 1.17-1.91) but not in males (RR 1.14, 95% CI 0.89-1.49). Diagnosis of a cardiovascular disease was a significant predictor in both sexes for mortality irrespective of having systolic murmurs. In conclusion, there is a significant positive association of cardiovascular diseases with systolic murmurs in the elderly. The increased risk for mortality due to the presence of systolic murmur at age 70 is mediated through cardiovascular diseases.     

Do steroids increase lymphoma risk? A case–control study of lymphoma risk in polymyalgia rheumatica/giant cell arteritis

BACKGROUND: Recent studies indicate increased risks of malignant lymphomas among individuals treated with corticosteroids, but have not taken into account the underlying reasons for steroid use, so the increased risks might be attributable to the underlying disease or concomitant treatments other than steroids. Polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR) and temporal arteritis (giant cell arteritis, GCA) are common inflammatory conditions treated with steroids as single immunosuppressive therapy, but data on lymphoma risk in GCA/PMR are limited. OBJECTIVE: To assess the risk of lymphoma associated with steroid treatment of GCA/PMR. METHODS: The association between GCA/PMR and malignant lymphomas (overall, and separately for non-Hodgkin lymphoma, Hodgkin lymphoma, and chronic lymphatic leukaemia) was examined in a nationwide, population based, case-control study of 42,676 lymphoma cases and 78,487 matched population controls, using prospectively recorded data on lymphomas from the Swedish cancer register 1964-2000 and data on pre-lymphoma hospital admissions for GCA/PMR from the Swedish inpatient register 1964-2000. Odds ratios (OR) associated with a pre-lymphoma hospital admission for GCA/PMR were calculated using conditional logistic regression. RESULTS: 153 lymphoma cases and 345 population controls had a history of GCA/PMR, resulting in an overall OR for malignant lymphomas of 0.81 (95% confidence interval, 0.67 to 0.98). The OR varied little with lymphoma type, sex, age, and calendar period. The OR for GCA was 0.67 (0.48 to 0.98) and for PMR, 0.83 (0.67 to 1.04). CONCLUSIONS: Treated GCA is not associated with increased lymphoma risks, which suggests that even at considerable cumulative doses, steroids may not appreciably increase lymphoma risk.     

Is hygiene promotion cost‐effective? A case study in Burkina Faso

OBJECTIVES: To estimate the incremental cost-effectiveness of a large-scale urban hygiene promotion programme in terms of reducing the incidence of childhood diarrhoeal disease in Bobo-Dioulasso, Burkina Faso. METHODS: Total and incremental costs of the programme were estimated retrospectively from the perspectives of the provider, from the households who change their behaviour as a result of the programme and from society (the sum of the two). The programme effects were derived from an intervention study that estimated the impact on handwashing with soap after handling child stools through a time-series method of observing 37 319 mothers. Using data from the literature, the associated reductions in childhood morbidity and mortality were estimated. The direct medical savings and indirect savings of caregiver time and lost productivity associated with child death were estimated from interviews with households and health workers. The cost and outcome data were combined to provide an estimate of the cost per mother who starts handwashing with soap as a result of the programme and the cost per case of childhood diarrhoea averted. RESULTS: The total provider cost (including start-up and 3-year running costs) was $302 507. Core programme activities accounted for 31% of the cost, administration 40%. The total cost to the 7286 households associated with changing behaviour during the 3 years of programme implementation was $160 125 ($7.3 per year per household). An estimated 8638 cases of diarrhoea, 864 outpatient consultations, 324 hospital referrals and 105 deaths were averted by the programme during this time. Savings to the provider from reduced treatment costs were estimated at $10 716 and savings to the households from averted treatment cost were $9136, resulting in a total saving to society of $19 852, increasing to $393 967 if indirect savings are included. The incremental provider cost per case of diarrhoea averted was $33.8. The incremental cost to society was $51.3 falling to $7.9 if indirect savings are included. If the programme were to be replicated elsewhere, savings in the international research input and start-up costs could reduce provider costs to $26.9 per case of diarrhoea averted. The annual cost of the programme represents 0.001% of the national health budget for Burkina Faso. The direct annual cost of implementing the programme at the household level represents 1.3% of annual household income. CONCLUSION: Hygiene promotion reduces the occurrence of childhood diarrhoea in Burkina Faso at less than 1% of the Ministry of Health budget and less than 2% of the household budget, and could be widely replicated at lower cost.     

Do calcium channel blockers and antimuscarinics protect against perforated colonic diverticular disease? A case control study

BACKGROUND: The aetiology of perforated colonic diverticular disease (PCDD) remains largely unknown. Perforation may result from a combination of high intracolonic pressures, secondary to excessive colonic segmentation, and impairment of the mucosal barrier. Calcium channel blockers and antimuscarinic drugs, which reduce colonic contractility and tone, could potentially protect against perforation. The aim of this study was to test this hypothesis using a case control design. METHODS: All cases of acute PCDD were identified over a five year period in two hospitals in Norfolk, UK. Each case was matched for age, sex, and date of admission to two controls groups: (1) patients undergoing cataract surgery and (2) patients with basal cell carcinoma. Data on drug use prior to hospital admission were obtained from medical and nursing records and compared between cases and controls. RESULTS: A total of 120 cases of PCDD were identified and matched to 240 controls in each group. A statistically significant protective association was seen between calcium channel blocker use and PCDD using both control groups. The odds ratios were 0.41 (95% confidence interval (CI) 0.18-0.93) using the ophthalmology control group and 0.36 (95% CI 0.16-0.82) using the dermatology control group. CONCLUSIONS: This study has shown for the first time that a protective association exists between calcium channel blockers and PCDD. The validity of this association is supported by the consistent finding in both control groups and the plausible biological mechanisms. Further studies are required to confirm this association but calcium channel blockers may represent a potential preventive therapy in PCDD.