Association Between Patient and Physician Sex and Physician-Estimated Stroke and Bleeding Risks in Atrial Fibrillation

Background

Physicians treating nonvalvular atrial fibrillation (AF) assess stroke and bleeding risks when deciding on anticoagulation. The agreement between empirical and physician-estimated risks is unclear. Furthermore, the association between patient and physician sex and anticoagulation decision-making is uncertain.

Efficacy of phototherapy in non-haemolytic hyperbilirubinaemia

Clinical experience of phototherapy for non-haemolytic hyperbilirubinaemia in 3999 infants in Kandang Kerbau Hospital, Singapore, is documented. Phototherapy was most effective in extremely preterm infants with very low birth weight (gestation less than or equal to 32 weeks, birth weight less than or equal to 1500 g) and least effective in full term infants with very low birth weight (gestation greater than or equal to 37 weeks, birth weight less than or equal to 1500 g) and large preterm infants (gestation less than 37 weeks, birth weight greater than 2270 g). Overall, phototherapy was effective in almost all the infants, with a failure rate of only 2.00/1000 infants. No characteristic features common to all the failures could be detected. The bilirubin rebound was usually mild; repeat phototherapy was required in only 30 infants (7.50/1000), with the response to the second exposure comparable to that to the first. No infant required a third exposure. All the infants tolerated phototherapy well, none developing any illness that could be attributed to the treatment. This clinical experience shows that phototherapy for the treatment of nonhaemolytic hyperbilirubinaemia is effective and safe.     

Inhibition of the ubiquitin-proteasome system: a new avenue for atherosclerosis.

BACKGROUND: The ubiquitin-proteasome system (UPS) is thought to be functionally active in atherosclerosis (AS) lesions. Aspirin was found to be a potent inhibitor of the UPS in some tumour studies; however, its effect on AS remains to be demonstrated in vivo. METHODS: New Zealand rabbits were placed on a normal diet (N) or on a normal diet with aspirin (NI) or on an atherogenic diet without (H) or with aspirin (HI) for 12 weeks. Proteasome activity, concentrations of plasma lipids and levels of peroxidation were determined. Ubiquitin/ubiquitin-conjugates (Ub), IkappaBalpha, phosphorylated IkappaB (pIkappaBalpha) and p65 were investigated by Western blotting or immunochemistry. RESULTS: Concentrations of plasma lipids and peroxidation levels were higher in H or HI vs. N or NI. Histological analysis showed that atheroma was increased in H. Ub and IkappaBalpha were mainly localised in subendothelium and media vascular smooth muscle cells. Western blots revealed that Ub, IkappaBalpha, and pIkappaBalpha were increased, whereas p65 was lower in HI vs. H. The activity of the 20S proteasome was functionally active in H vs. N, NI or HI, while the 26S proteasome was not affected in any of the groups. CONCLUSIONS: Aspirin can attenuate the pathogenesis of atheroma formation, the degradation of IkappaBalpha and pIkappaBalpha, and lower the expression of p65, indicating that its therapeutic effects on AS may be via inhibition of the UPS.     

PR35THE INCIDENCE OF NON‐MELANOMA SKIN CANCER IN NEW ZEALAND

Background It is estimated that skin cancers cost $33 million per annum to the New Zealand healthcare system. Basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma are the commonest types of non melanoma skin cancers (NMSCs). Anecdotal evidence indicates that there has been a doubling in the incidence of NMSCs in New Zealand over the last decade. Because of the high incidence mandatory reporting of NMSCs to the National Cancer Registry is not required. This lack of accurate data has led to poor health care policies and strategies including funding and workforce planning. Aims The aims of this study are to (1) present the latest statistics on NMSCs in New Zealand, including the incidence across different regions over the last decade, patient demographics, anatomic distribution of NMSCs, incidence and sites of metastasis, and disease‐specific survival; to (2) the histopathology of NMSCs, including surgical margins, histologic grade, and perineural, lymphatic, and vascular invasion; and (3) the relative role of different faculties treating NMSCs. Method This project has been approved by the multi‐centre ethics committee. A retrospective review was conducted from patients’ histology records from public and private pathology laboratories within defined catchment areas. Criterion for analysis is a confirmed diagnosis of NMSC treated surgically. A Microsoft Access database is created that will facilitate subsequent data retrieval and analysis. Results and Conclusion It is hoped that this up‐to‐date data will form the framework for the development of sound and sustainable healthcare policies of management of NMSCs including management strategies and workforce planning, and research direction on this common disease.     

PR01“A PICTURE SPEAKS A THOUSAND WORDS”– THE USE OF DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHY AND THE INTERNET IN MONITORING FREE TISSUE TRANSFER

Purpose Post operative monitoring is crucial for the success of microsurgical free tissue transfer. Sophisticated and expensive methods are available for monitoring. We propose a novel technique using digital photography and the internet as a reliable and cost effective method to monitor free tissue transfers. Methods 163 micro‐vascular procedures were monitored using this technique over 8 months. Serial photographs taken to show flap color. Capillary refill time, pin prick‐ bleed time and color and hand held Doppler signal was recorded in the movie mode of a standard 5 mega pixel camera with duration of 15 seconds. Data was sent to the surgeon at regular intervals and or as deemed necessary. Results Analysis of the 67 cases is presented. 5 re‐explorations were done. The early diagnosis of venous congestion was possible using this technique. Timely intervention contributed to the success of the re‐explorations and these flaps could be salvaged. The file size of images was in the range of 1 MB–6 MB. The file size of an entire set of images ranged about 7 MB–9 MB. These were sent across the ADSL internet lines. Conclusion The use of the digital images and the internet allow reconstructive surgeons to have a reliable picture of the state of their free tissue transfers. This permits decrease in observer error and saves valuable time which otherwise needs to be spent to verify situations of doubt and offers an ideal solution to the logistic problem of having to visit the patient in case of doubt.     

浅谈药品快检在实践中存在的主要问题及建议

我国是发展中国家，农村人口占全国总人口的70%。由于基层群众医药基础知识欠缺，医疗和用药水平偏低，使得假劣药品在基层出现的频率较高。特别是近几年，随着制假水平的不断提高，假劣药品在基层呈现出范围广、流通快、制售手段和形式多变的趋势，给基层稽查工作带来了新的挑战。为此，国家食品药品监督管理局在2002年编写并下发了《药品快速鉴别手册》。     

Endothelial and smooth muscle properties of coronary and mesenteric resistance arteries in spontaneously hypertensive rats compared to WKY rats

Summary— To investigate if the functional alterations observed in resistance arteries of spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRs) were also present at the coronary level, in vitro experiments were performed in mesenteric resistance arteries (MRA) and in right (RIC) and left interventricular coronary (LIC) arteries taken from 15–25-week-old SHR and age-matched Wistar Kyoto rats WKYs. Using a passive extension protocol, internal diameters corresponding to 100 mmHg intraluminal pressure (D₁₀₀) were determined and vessels were set up to a normalized internal diameter (0.9 D₁₀₀). SHR mesenteric resistance arteries had a significantly smaller diameter compared to WKY arteries, whereas both types of SHR coronary arteries had a greater diameter compared to those of WKY rats. In arteries in the absence of contracting agonist, nitro-L-arginine (NOLA, 100 μM) induced a progressive rise in basal tone, which could be reversed by subsequent addition of L-arginine (100 μM) but not D-arginine (100 μM). When expressed as percent of maximal contractions induced by agonists (noradrenaline, NA [10 μM] in MRA; serotonin, 5-HT [10 μM], in RIC and LIC), these contractions were significantly stronger in WKY compared to SHR coronary and mesenteric resistance arteries. In NA-precontracted MRA and 5HT-precontracted coronary arteries in the presence of indomethacin (10 μM), the magnitude of acetylcholine-induced maximal relaxations (expressed as percent of maximal contractions induced by agonists) was greater in WKY compared to SHR arteries. After a 30-min incubation period, NOLA (100 μM) completely inhibited relaxations induced by acetylcholine (0.01–10 μM) in all types of precontracted arteries. Subsequent additions of sodium nitroprusside, (SNP, 10 μM) induced complete relaxations in all preparations. These results show that a basal release of NO or NO-like compound by endothelial cells is present in isolated mesenteric resistance and coronary arteries of WKY rats and SHRs. The contribution of endothelium-derived relaxing factor-nitric oxide (EDRF-NO) to arterial tone was lower in MRA compared to coronary arteries in both strains and in SHR compared to WKY arteries. In the SHR preparations, the impaired relaxation induced by acetylcholine appeared to be due to a functional alteration of the endothelium in the presence of normal reactivity of the smooth muscle cells.     

Associations among right minus left brain weight, right- and left-brain weight and the degree of paw preference in right- and left-preferent male and female cats.

The relation of right and left brain weight to right minus left (R-L) brain weight and the relation of R-L paw use to brain weight were studied in adults cats. The R-L brain weight was significantly larger than zero in right-pawed (RH) male and left-pawed (LH) females. The R-L brain weight was significantly smaller than zero in LH males, not significantly different from zero in RH females. The R-L brain weight was negatively linearly correlated with the left-brain weight in RH and LH males (no significant correlations in females). The R-L paw use showed a significant positive linear correlation with the R-L brain weight in RH male and females. There was a significant negative linear correlation between R-L paw use and R-L brain weight especially in LH males. Total brain weight showed a significant negative linear correlation with R-L paw use in RH males, and a positive linear correlation in LH males (no correlations in female cats). These results indicated that intermanual difference in paw use is associated with interhemispheric weight difference and total brain weight, especially in male cats; the left brain seems to be of importance in cerebral lateralization.