Children's communication mode five years after cochlear implantation: changes over time according to age at implant

One hundred and seventy six children who had received cochlear implants at one centre in the UK were followed up for five years post-implant. The cohort was divided into three groups by age at implant. 1: Under three years of age; 2: Between three and five; 3: Over five. Their mode of communication was noted at four key intervals - pre-implant; 1, 3 and 5 years post-implant. It was classified as either oral or sign. By five years post-implant, 83% of group 1 were using oral communication, 63.5% of group 2 and 45.1% of group 3. The results showed that the mode of communication five years post-implant is statistically related to age at implantation with more children implanted younger using an oral mode of communication (p = 0.001). Children implanted younger are more likely to change communication mode over time from sign to oral, and do so more quickly than those implanted later.     

Ultrasonography and computed tomography of inflammatory abdominal wall lesions

Twenty-four patients with inflammatory lesions of the abdominal wall were examined by ultrasonography. Nine of these patients underwent computed tomographic (CT) scanning as well. Both ultrasonography and CT clearly delineated the exact location and extent of abdominal wall abscesses. Abscesses were easily differentiated from cellulitis or phlegmon with ultrasound. The peritoneal line was more clearly delineated on ultrasonograms than on CT scans; abscesses were also more distinct on the ultrasonograms because of their low echogenicity compared with the surrounding structures. Gas bubbles, fat density with specific low attenuation values, and underlying inflamed bowel loops in obese patients with Crohn's disease were better delineated by CT.     

Posterior spinal cord block: a dosimetric study

To determine the optimal width of a midline posterior spinal block (MPSB) (to avoid delivering too great a dose to the cord and too small a dose to adjacent tissue), the authors determined with magnetic resonance (MR) imaging normal ranges of cord depth and width and correlated them with film dosimetric data. In 59 randomly selected patients there was a wide range for both depth and width. The average depths of the anterior and posterior surfaces of the cord were 6.7 cm +/- 1.4 and 5.4 cm +/- 1.3, respectively. The average cord width was 1.6 cm +/- 0.4. Optimal cord block width as a function of cord width was determined for a 6-MV photon beam. The optimal cord block width at the surface (half-value layer [HVL] thickness = 6) varied from 1.5 to 3.0 cm for cord widths of 0.8-2.4 cm, which correspond to two standard deviations from the average. There was no significant dependence on depth of the cord. For optimal treatment outcome, the MPSB width may have to be determined for each patient individually.     

麝香保心丸对内皮素-1诱导原代培养的人脐动脉血管平滑肌细胞增殖的影响

目的:观察麝香保心丸(SXBXW)对内皮素-1(ET-1)诱导原代培养的人脐动脉血管平滑肌细胞(VSMCs)增殖作用的影响。方法:建立ET-1刺激原代培养人脐动脉VSMCs增殖的细胞模型,设对照组、ET-1组、ET-1+SXBXW0.25g/L组、ET-1+SXBXW0.5g/L组、ET-1+SXBXW1.0g/L组和ET-1+SXBXW2.0g/L组,采用MTT法测定ET-1和SXBXW对细胞增殖的影响;用台盼蓝拒染和乳酸脱氢酶检测方法观察不同浓度的SXBXW对VSMCs的毒性作用;用流式细胞术观察ET-1和SXBXW对VSMCs增殖周期的影响。结果:与对照组相比,ET-1可显著促进VSMCs的增殖,一定剂量的SXBXW能够有效地抑制ET-1诱导的VSMCs细胞增殖,呈剂量依赖性;SXBXW抑制细胞增殖,但对活细胞数目和乳酸脱氢酶释放量均没有影响,提示对VSMCs无毒性作用。ET-1能够刺激VSMCs从G1期进入S期,从而促进细胞增殖,而SXBXW能抑制这一作用。结论:SXBXW能够有效抑制ET-1诱导的VSMCs增殖作用,其作用机制可能与其抑制细胞周期从G1期进入S期有关。     

Perinatal outcome and antenatal care in a black South African population.

The relationship between perinatal outcome and antenatal care was investigated at King Edward VIII Hospital, Durban, by a case control retrospective study of pregnancy records in 165 perinatal deaths and 156 infants surviving the perinatal period. 82% of the mothers of live infants had booked for antenatal care compared with only 60% of those who experienced a perinatal death. Hospital booking was associated with a higher infant birthweight. For those who booked earlier there was no reduction in total perinatal mortality or the stillbirth:neonatal death ratio, and many of the mothers of highest risk failed to book. This suggests that the better perinatal outcome in booked mothers may have been secondary to the type of mother who chose to book, rather than the actual antenatal care. To help reduce perinatal mortality, methods must be employed which reach those mothers who are most likely to fail to book.     

醋氨酚缓释包衣颗粒研究

包衣颗粒体外溶出试验证明在释放量达66%以前为零级恒速释放,此后释放速率降低为非零级释放。颗粒在室温下密闭贮存21个月后,释放速率增快,但仍为零级释放,也是在释放量达66%以后转变为非零级释放。用尿药排泄速率法研究了包衣颗粒的体内动力学并与常规片剂作比较,并测出两者的消除速率常数。常规片剂所得药物t 1/2=3.21h,而包衣颗粒剂所得半衰期约延长2.5倍。通过吸收百分率与体外溶出百分率在不同时间下数值的比较得到线性关系,相关系数r=0.9886。说明体外溶出数据可以作为控制吸收率的依据。按一级吸收一室模型公式计算了一定剂量下的血药浓度,在13h以内血药浓度都在治疗浓度范围(5～20μg/ml)以内。最高浓度为10.5μg/ml,达峰时间为3.27h。本品一次服1.1g可延效12h。     

The PREP system of nursing interventions: A pilot test with families caring for older members

The PREP system of nursing interventions, designed to increase preparedness (PR), enrichment (E), and predictability (P) in families providing care to older people, was pilot tested for acceptability and preliminary effectiveness. Eleven family units were assigned to the PREP group and 11 to a standard home health control group. The PREP group scored approximately one SD higher than the control group (p <.05) on the Care Effectiveness Scale, indicating greater preparedness, enrichment, and predictability. Further, on a rating of overall usefulness, the PREP group rated their assistance from PREP nurses (M = 9.75) as significantly higher (p <.01) than the control group rated assistance from the home health nurse or physical therapist (M = 6.57). Although not statistically significant, mean hospital costs for the PREP group ($2,775) were lower than for the control group ($6,929). Results provided support for a full intervention trial. ©1995 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Comparison of two fluorescent probes for the measurement of erythrocyte membrane fluidity in renal dialysis patients

Two fluorescent probes were used for the measurement of membrane fluidity in patients on haemodialysis and continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis. l,6-Diphenyl-1,3,5-hexatriene (DPH) anisotropy gives an indication of lipid order and pyrene measures lateral diffusion through the membrane. Pyrene dimer/monomer ratio was significantly lower than controls in both pre-dialysis and post-dialysis samples but DPH anisotropy was unchanged. Both methods showed an increase in membrane fluidity across a 4 hour haemodialysis session. There was an increase in membrane fluidity in CAPD patient samples which was more marked using DPH than pyrene. These results suggest that the two probes give different but complementary information about changes in membrane fluidity and may be more informative when used together rather than singly. An erratum to this article is available at .