Filling the gaps in physician communication. The role of the Internet among primary care patients

BACKGROUND: Millions of people use the Internet as a source for health information yet little is understood about how the use of the Internet for health information is related to the doctor-patient relationship. OBJECTIVE: We conducted the present study to understand the association between one's interest in using the Internet for general and quality-oriented health information and attitudes about one's communications with health care provider(s). DESIGN: Cross-sectional survey. SETTING: Four community-based primary care practices in Rhode Island. MEASUREMENTS: A single self-administered survey included items to measure: interest in using the Internet to look for general and quality-oriented information and a patient's perceptions of the degree to which their doctors over the previous year have: (1) given them information and (2) engaged them in the decision-making process. RESULTS: A total of 300 patients completed the survey. Among patients without Internet access, interest in using the Internet for health related activities was less among patients who felt that their doctor gave less information: Odds ratio 0.83 (95% CI, 0.70-0.98) and greater among patients who felt that their doctor engaged them more in decision making: Odds ratio 1.3 (95% CI, 1.1-1.6). Among patients with Internet access, we found no relationship between interest in using the Internet for health related activities and measures of patient-physician communication or patient-physician decision making. CONCLUSIONS: Interest in using the Internet for health information is greater for those who (1) felt their doctors provided less information and (2) felt their doctors engaged them more in the decision-making process, but this is true only for those without access to the Internet.     

The effects of sleep posture and sleep stage on apnea frequency

The Apnea Plus Hypopnea Index (A + HI) of 60 male positional sleep apneics was analyzed by sleep stage to determine if positional differences are limited to NREM sleep. Differences in apnea severity by sleep position were found to persist in REM sleep and to be of equal extent to those differences found in NREM sleep, despite the fact that there is also a significant increase in the frequency of apneic events associated with REM sleep. The positional effect persists in REM sleep, making treatments to control sleep posture a viable option.     

Mortality in psittacine birds resembling Pacheco's disease in Spain

The sudden death of five sulphur-crested cockatoos (Cacatua galerita) with no apparent clinical signs was investigated. The birds had hepatitis with intranuclear inclusion bodies (IIBs), as well as IIBs in mononuclear spleen cells, epithelial cells of the kidney tubules and endothelial cells of the glomerular capillaries. Ultrastructurally, icosahedral herpesvirus-like particles, 110 to 115 nm in diameter were found consistent with Pacheco's disease. This is the first time the disease has been reported in cockatoos in Spain.     

Surgical management of synchronous coronary artery disease and multiple aortic stenosis: a case report with brief review of the literature

One-stage surgery was successfully performed in a 44-year-old hypertensive man with uncontrolled angina, multiple coarctations of the thoracic and abdominal aorta, and a previous subtotal gastrectomy. There was a gradient of 120 mm Hg between the thoracic and abdominal aorta. A graft was placed retroperitoneally from the infrarenal aorta to the ascending aorta and was followed by a coronary artery bypass graft. Twenty-four months postoperatively, the patient was free of angina, and his hypertension was easily controlled.     

A sialic acid-specific O-acetylesterase in human erythrocytes: possible identity with esterase D, the genetic marker of retinoblastomas and Wilson disease.

The "nonspecific" esterases are a family of enzymes that were originally identified because of their reaction with synthetic O-acetyl ester substrates. While the electrophoretic polymorphisms of these enzymes have been extremely useful for genetic studies, their biological functions have remained completely unknown. Esterase D is characterized by its reactivity with 4-methylumbelliferyl acetate. This enzyme has recently been of particular interest because of its tight linkage to the putative recessive gene causing retinoblastomas, and to the recessive gene causing Wilson disease. We describe here the partial purification of a human erythrocyte esterase that appears to be highly specific for O-acetylated sialic acids. We next present evidence that suggests that esterase D is identical to this sialic acid-specific O-acetylesterase. First, both activities copurify from human erythrocyte lysates through several different purification steps, each of which use different principles of separation. Second, both activities show a remarkably similar profile of inhibition with a variety of different agents. Third, they both show a nearly identical heat-inactivation profile. This cytosolic sialic acid-specific O-acetylesterase appears to be involved in the "recycling" of O-acetylated sialic acid molecules. Thus, esterase D may be the first nonspecific esterase for which a specific biological role can be predicted.     

山东省社区空巢老人社会支持与自理能力现状及关联研究

目的 探讨城市社区空巢老人社会支持与自理能力现状,并分析社会支持对空巢老人自理能力的影响。方法 采取多阶段分层随机抽样方法,抽取山东省城市社区卫生服务机构的2597名空巢老人作为研究对象,采用自编一般资料调查表、社会支持评定量表（SSRS）、日常生活活动能力量表（ADL）进行调查。结果 山东省社区空巢老人社会支持评分为低、中水平占97.2%,ADL受损者占74.1%;社会支持总评分（r=-0.137,P＜0.01）及其主观支持（r=-0.150,P＜0.01）、客观支持（r=-0.086,P＜0.01）维度与日常生活活动能力呈负相关;回归结果显示,不同性别、年龄、婚姻状况、文化程度、患慢性病情况、两周患病情况、社会支持是ADL的影响因素,差异具有统计学意义（P＜0.05）。结论 社区空巢老人自理能力较差,社会支持水平较低,社会支持与空巢老人自理能力呈负相关。通过“政府-社区-家庭”支持系统加强对空巢老人的社会支持,提升老年人自我照顾能力,提高其生活质量。     

Randomized Controlled Trial of a Program to Help Latina Mothers Help Their Children Cope with Stress: Effects on Parenting,Child Coping,and Adjustment

Prevention Science - “Madres Apoyando el Desarrollo Emocional de Sus Hijos” (“Mothers Supporting the Emotional Development of Their Children”) is a parenting...     

中药皂苷类成分的降糖作用及机制研究进展

2型糖尿病（T2DM）是一种以胰岛素抵抗、高胰岛素血症、糖脂代谢紊乱为特征,临床以血糖升高为主要表现的慢性代谢性系统疾病。其病因及发病机制复杂,目前尚无完全治愈的手段,严重威胁着人类的健康,给社会和家庭带来了沉重的负担。皂苷是一类结构比较复杂的苷类化合物,具有来源广、安全性高、不良反应低等优点。中药皂苷作为中药重要的活性成分,具有降血糖、降血脂、抗炎、抗氧化、抗肿瘤、调节免疫等多种生物活性。近年来,众多研究表明中药皂苷类成分可有效地防治糖尿病。虽然中药皂苷类成分降糖作用及机制研究众多,但目前尚缺乏对中药皂苷类成分治疗T2DM作用及机制研究的系统综述。故该文围绕中药皂苷类成分改善胰岛β细胞功能、改善胰岛素抵抗、抑制糖苷酶活性、降低炎症反应、抗氧化应激、调节肠道菌群等降糖机制进行系统归纳,并分析目前研究存在的问题及发展趋势,以期为深入研究中药皂苷类成分的降糖作用提供理论基础,为药物的开发与临床应用提供科学依据。     

37所医院消化内镜超声探头清洗消毒现况调查

目的 了解目前国内消化内镜超声探头的清洗消毒现状及存在的问题。方法 采用问卷调查的方式对全国范围内37所医院的消化内镜超声探头清洗和消毒灭菌情况进行调查。结果 70.27%的医院内镜超声探头数量为1~3条,奥林巴斯品牌最多（72.97%）,48.65%的医院内镜中心每日使用探头的患者例数为0~5例;83.78%的医院采用专人清洗消毒内镜超声探头,人员主要以护理员为主（51.35%）;清洗方法以"酶洗-擦洗-擦干"为主（89.19%）,清洗时间以>1 min为主（62.16%）;83.78%的医院内镜超声探头消毒方式为化学消毒剂浸泡,其中以邻苯二甲醛（70.27%）和全浸泡消毒（48.65%）为主;消毒时间以≥ 5 min为主（56.76%）;27.03%的医院对内镜超声探头进行灭菌,其中以"一用一灭菌"（21.62%）和过氧乙酸浸泡10 min（10.81%）为主;消毒灭菌后的内镜超声探头主要放置在内镜储存柜（56.76%）;78.38%的医院对当日拟使用的内镜超声探头进行再次消毒;56.76%的医院从未对消毒后的内镜超声探头进行消毒效果监测。结论 37所医院对内镜超声探头清洗和消毒灭菌情况存在一定差异,建议尽快制定内镜超声探头清洗消毒相关国家标准,规范内镜超声探头的清洗消毒流程。     

基于内蒙古地区的非传统脂质参数与脑卒中的关联性研究

  目的  非传统脂质参数已被证实与心血管疾病有关,而内蒙古地区作为脑卒中高发和特定的血脂特征地区,非传统脂质参数与脑卒中风险的关联性研究较少。本研究利用内蒙古地区“心血管病高危人群早期筛查与综合干预项目”探索内蒙古地区非传统脂质参数与脑卒中的关联。  方法  2015―2017年,收集中国北部内蒙古地区35~75岁常住人群的人口学基本信息及各项血脂指标,最终纳入32 518人参与本项研究。将各脂质参数分为四分位,以第1四分位为参照,采用多因素Logistic回归分析模型探索非传统脂质参数与脑卒中的OR值及95% CI值。  结果  本研究含脑卒中患者1 949人,以脑卒中为因变量,调整相关因素后的Logistic回归分析模型结果表明,以各非传统脂质参数第1四分位为参照,第4四分位的TC/HDL-C、LDL-C/HDL-C、TG/HDL-C与脑卒中有关,其对应OR值分别为1.390(95% CI: 1.206~1.601)、1.380(95% CI: 1.201~1.585)及1.473(95% CI: 1.276~1.699);且随着各脂质参数水平的升高,脑卒中风险增加(均有P < 0.001)。在不同性别、年龄中除非高密度脂蛋白胆固醇(Non-high density lipoprotein-cholesterol, Non-HDL-C)外,TC/HDL-C、LDL-C/HDL-C及TG/HDL-C与脑卒中风险相关。  结论  TC/HDL-C、LDL-C/HDL-C及TG/HDL-C为脑卒中的危险因素,相比于传统脂质参数,非传统脂质参数与脑卒中的关联更强,其可作为脑卒中风险分层及一级预防的新指标。