Controversies in new antibiotic therapy for ambulatory patients

 The care of the febrile neutropenic patient has undergone a shift in the last 10 years with the realization that neutropenic patients presenting with fever do not constitute a homogeneous group. Strategies of risk assessment have allowed the testing of novel therapies including oupatient treatment with oral and intravenous antibiotics, either in combination regimens or as monotherapy; the addition of growth factors to hasten the return of the absolute neutrophil count; and the possibility of self-initiation of antibiotics by cancer patients when they develop fever. The clinical trials data regarding these new approaches will be reviewed, and areas requiring further research will be discussed.     

Evaluation of a prison-based hepatitis B immunisation pilot project

This paper describes the evaluation findings of a hepatitis B immunisation pilot project, which aimed to increase the uptake and compliance of hepatitis B vaccinations among female prisoners in Victoria. The evaluation used a mixed methods approach including in-depth interviews, focus group discussions and an analysis of quantitative data. Fifty-five per cent of potential participants (391/712) were offered hepatitis B immunisation. Of those offered immunisation, 204 were eligible for immunisation and 169 (83%) received the first dose. Ninety-three per cent of eligible women received two doses and 84% completed the three-dose series. Lessons learnt from the pilot led to the revision of key prison hepatitis B immunisation policies and practices to ensure uniformity across Victorian prisons.     

Ultrahigh speed endoscopic optical coherence tomography for gastroenterology

We describe an ultrahigh speed endoscopic swept source optical coherence tomography (OCT) system for clinical gastroenterology using a vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser (VCSEL) and micromotor imaging catheter. The system had a 600 kHz axial scan rate and 8 µm axial resolution in tissue. Imaging was performed with a 3.2 mm diameter imaging catheter at 400 frames per second with a 12 µm spot size. Three-dimensional OCT (3D-OCT) imaging was performed in patients with a cross section of pathologies undergoing upper and lower endoscopy. The use of distally actuated imaging catheters enabled OCT imaging with more flexibility, such as volumetric imaging in the small intestine and the assessment of hiatal hernia using retroflex imaging. The high rotational scanning stability of the micromotor enabled 3D volumetric imaging with micron scale volumetric accuracy for both en face OCT and cross-sectional imaging, as well as OCT angiography (OCTA) for 3D visualization of subsurface microvasculature. The ability to perform both structural and functional 3D OCT imaging in the GI tract with microscopic accuracy should enable a wide range of studies and enhance the sensitivity and specificity of OCT for detecting pathology.OCIS codes: (110.2350) Fiber optics imaging, (120.3890) Medical optics instrumentation, (120.5800) Scanners, (110.6880) Three-dimensional image acquisition, (140.7260) Vertical cavity surface emitting lasers, (170.2150) Endoscopic imaging, (170.2680) Gastrointestinal, (170.3880) Medical and biological imaging, (170.4500) Optical coherence tomography     

Acceptability of human papillomavirus vaccination and sexual experience prior to disclosure to health care providers among men who have sex with men in Vancouver, Canada: Implications for targeted vaccination programs

BACKGROUND: Men who have sex with men (MSM) may benefit from human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine due to increased risk for HPV infection and related disease. We assessed HPV vaccine acceptability and sexual experience prior to disclosure to Health Care Providers (HCP) to understand implications of targeted vaccination strategies for MSM. METHODS: From July 2008 to February 2009, 1169 MSM aged ≥19 years were recruited at community venues in Vancouver. We assessed key variables from a self-administered questionnaire and independent predictors of HPV vaccine acceptability using multivariate logistic regression. RESULTS: Of 1041 respondents, 697 (67.0%) were willing to receive HPV vaccine and 71.3% had heard of HPV. Significant multivariate predictors of higher vaccine acceptability were (adjusted odds ratio [95% CI]): previous diagnosis of genital warts (1.7 [1.1, 2.6]), disclosure of sexual behavior to HCP (1.6 [1.1, 2.3]), annual income at least $20,000 (1.5 [1.1, 2.1]), previous hepatitis A or B vaccination (1.4 [1.0, 2.0]), and no recent recreational drug use (1.4 [1.0, 2.0]). Most MSM (78.7%) had disclosed sexual behavior to HCP and median time from first sexual contact with males to disclosure was 6.0 years (IQR 2-14 years); for men ≤26 years these were 72.0% and 3.0 years (IQR 1-8 years) respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Willingness to receive HPV vaccine was substantial among MSM in Vancouver; however, acceptability varied by demographics, risk, and health history. HPV vaccine programs delivered by HCP would offer limited benefit given the duration of time from sexual debut to disclosure to HCP.     

破裂和未破裂颅内动脉瘤栓塞治疗实践标准

1 引言 弹簧圈栓塞最初被设计并经美国食品药品监督管理局批准用于治疗显微外科手术夹闭风险高的脑动脉瘤,但目前该方法越来越被认为是颅内动脉瘤的一线治疗方法.动脉瘤血管内治疗技术已有长足进步,新器材的研发使得以前因血管解剖结构复杂而无法填塞的动脉瘤也得以治疗,从而扩大了血管内治疗的适应证.而且,血管内弹簧圈栓塞已成为当前动脉瘤血管内治疗的主流方法;医学文献证明,在特定患者人群中,弹簧圈栓塞的转归优于外科手术夹闭[1-3].最近的一份美国心脏协会(American Heart Association,AHA)科学声明指出,对于适合治疗的脑动脉瘤,不论是血管内栓塞还是显微外科手术夹闭,均为破裂动脉瘤Ⅰ级推荐治疗方法和未破裂动脉瘤的Ⅱa级推荐治疗方法[4].在这两组患者中,治疗利大于弊.一个在血管显微神经外科、神经重症监护和介入神经外科方面有着丰富经验的多学科团队最有利于对颅内动脉瘤的处理实施最佳的技术.神经血管联合写作组此前已发表过一份联合声明,提出了有关脑血管介入治疗的培训和认证的推荐意见[5].