Tourniquet inflation after intra-articular morphine and bupivacaine administration following knee arthroscopy

We performed a randomized doubled-blind study to evaluate whether there was a benefit in delay in tourniquet deflation with intra-articular administration of morphine and bupivacaine following operative arthroscopic surgery. In 34 patients the tourniquet was deflated immediately and in 38 patients the tourniquet remained inflated for 10 min following injection. The analgesic efficacy was assessed using pain scores and the amount of supplementary analgesia required. The results demonstrate no benefit in delay in tourniquet deflation.     

Postbiopsy renal transplant arteriovenous fistulas: color Doppler US characteristics

Color Doppler ultrasound (US) with point-spectral analysis was performed on eight patients with postbiopsy renal transplant arteriovenous fistulas. Waveform analysis of the supplying artery documented decreased resistive indices in all cases and increased flow velocities in seven. The peak-systolic flow velocity in the arteries supplying the fistulas ranged from 55 to 180 cm/sec (mean, 92 cm/sec), while the range in normal arteries was 20-52 cm/sec (mean, 32 cm/sec). The resistive indices of the arteries supplying the fistulas ranged from 0.31 to 0.50 (mean, 0.45), while the resistive indices of the normal arteries ranged from 0.60 to 0.92 (mean, 0.74). Arterialization of the venous waveform from the draining vein was also documented in all cases. In six cases, the increased flow velocities resulted in increased color saturation toward white in the supplying artery (n = 2) or in both the artery and the draining vein (n = 4), which was detectable on the realtime image. In six cases, flow turbulence resulted in localized tissue vibration, which appeared as random color assignment in extravascular renal parenchyma adjacent to the fistula. Knowledge of these imaging and Doppler characteristics should aid in the identification of renal transplant arteriovenous fistulas with color Doppler US.     

LATE-ONSET GM2 GANGLIOSIDOSIS PRESENTING AS BURNING DYSESTHESIAS

Peripheral polyneuropathy is the most frequent complication of diabetic mellitus. In spite of many clinical trials of different specific interventions for diabetic polyneuropathy, intensive glycemic control remains the only effective specific therapy currently available for this troublesome complication. This systematic overview reports the status of current clinical trials in diabetic polyneuropathy with an emphasis on those interventions directed towards specific pathophysiological derangements. A discussion of clinical trials of agents directed towards relieving painful symptoms of diabetic polyneuropathy concludes this overview.     

脑功能磁共振成像在针刺合谷、足三里与内关、三阴交穴位后的影像学特征变化比较

目的:利用功能磁共振技术观察针刺不同经脉的两组穴位后,人脑运动功能区的活动情况。方法:试验于2004-10/2006-06在中山大学附属第二医院进行。选取健康右利手志愿者11名,均为医学院学生。试验采用多组块设计,包括静息期和针刺期。每个受试者接受4次针刺,针刺穴位依次取右侧合谷、内关、三阴交、足三里穴,针刺同时采用荷兰飞利浦公司生产的Philips Intera1.5T超导型MR扫描仪进行功能磁共振扫描,两穴位刺激成像的间隔时间为15min。采用统计参数图进行数据统计学分析,用t检验分析,P<0.01的象素构成针刺激活的特异性脑区图。结果:11名受试者均进入结果分析。①针刺合谷穴引起平均信号强度升高脑区主要为双侧额中回,中央前后回、颞中上回,同侧楔前叶、岛盖以及对侧舌回、脑岛、顶下小叶。②针刺内关穴引起平均信号强度升高脑区主要为双侧额中回、尾状核、中央前后回、扣带回、颞中上回及对侧岛盖、缘上回、下丘脑、顶下小叶。③针刺足三里穴引起平均信号强度升高脑区主要为双侧颞中回、额中上回,同侧岛叶、枕上回以及对侧中央前后回、岛盖、角回。④针刺三阴交穴引起平均信号强度升高脑区主要为双侧颞中回、额下回、中央后回,同侧顶上小叶、岛叶及对侧中央前后回、顶下小叶。结论:在同一受试者,针刺不同穴位可引起相同部位脑功能区激活,不同人针刺相同穴位激活的脑功能区有一定差异,针刺效果可能并非通过单一脑功能区,而是通过有功能联系的多个脑功能区所形成的一个复杂的流动性网络的相互作用而实现的。     

Early postoperative hyperglycaemia is not a risk factor for infectious complications and prolonged in-hospital stay in patients undergoing oesophagectomy: a retrospective analysis of a prospective trial

Introduction  

Treating hyperglycaemia in hospitalized patients has proven to be beneficial, particularly in those with obstructive vascular disease. In a cohort of patients undergoing resection for oesophageal carcinoma (a group of patients with severe surgical stress but a low prevalence of vascular disease), we investigated whether early postoperative hyperglycaemia is associated with increased incidence of infectious complications and prolonged in-hospital stay.     

Mineral balance and whole body bone mineral content in very low-birth-weight infants

Fat and mineral metabolic balance studies were performed in 25 normal very low-birth-weight infants ( 1500 g at birth) fed either pooled pasteurized human milk supplemented with calcium, phosphorus and magnesium, or a preterm formula. Calcium, phosphorus and magnesium intake were similar in both groups and averaged 100mg/kg/day, 72 mg/kg/day and 8 mg/kg/day, respectively. Calcium and phosphorus retention was higher in the subjects fed fortified human milk than in those receiving a preterm formula (65±14 and 62±9mg/kg/day versus 55±12 and 47±7mg/kg/day respectively). The difference was only significant for phosphorus. Magnesium retention was similar in the two groups and averaged 3 mg/kg/day. Fat intake and absorption was significantly higher in the preterm formula fed group than in the one fed fortified human milk (5.5±0.4 g/kg/day and 88±4% versus 4.2±1 g/kg/day, 79±6% respectively). Assessment of the whole body bone mineral content by dual energy X-ray absorptiometry was performed at 3 and 6 months of age in another group of 25 low-birth-weight infants fed either fortified human milk or a preterm formula. Whole body bone mineral content (BMCt) was low (43.3±30.8 g of hydroxyapatite) at 3 months of age (theoretical term) compared to normal full-term newborns at birth. There was no significant influence of the diet. At 6 months of age, BMCt reached 168.6±36.6g, a value similar to that of full-term newborns, with no significant difference between the two regimen groups. The deficit in the 12 subjects who had a BMCt under 30 g at 3 months of age had been corrected at age 6 months. Premature babies fed a pooled pasteurized human milk enriched with calcium, phosphorus and magnesium favored a better retention of calcium and phosphorus. However, no significant influence of the two diets studied was observed on the gain in BMCt over the first 6 months of life.     

Recently published papers: Acute kidney injury – diagnosis and treatment

When faced with the management of the patient on intensive care with acute kidney injury, the clinician has various choices to consider. The conventional therapy, where appropriate, is renal replacement therapy. This technique used to be relatively straightforward but now a relative feast of alternatives is available, not least in choice of buffer and anticoagulant. Two recent studies add to the growing body of literature concerning alternative anticoagulant regimes, and one in particular should lead to a change in practice for many of us. We also review some new studies on biomarkers in the diagnosis of acute kidney injury as well as add yet another nail in the coffin for loop diuretics in the therapy of acute kidney injury.