Poliomyelitis-like illness after acute asthma

Two children had pain in one arm, followed by weakness and wasting, after an acute exacerbation of bronchial asthma. Similar cases in which a poliomyelitis-like illness was associated with acute asthma have been reported, but the relationship between the two remains conjectural.     

Growth hormone replacement in patients with Langerhan's cell histiocytosis

OBJECTIVES: To assess the impact of growth hormone on growth and the underlying disease in children with growth hormone deficiency as a result of Langerhan's cell histiocytosis. STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective analysis of data from the Kabi (Pharmacia & Upjohn) international growth database (KIGS) for 82 children with Langerhan's cell histiocytosis treated with recombinant growth hormone. RESULTS: At the start of treatment the median (10-90th centile) age was 9.0 (5.2 to 14.7) years, with a median height standard deviation score (SDS) of -2.0 (-3.5 to -0.9). The median pretreatment height velocity (measured in cm/year) was 3.6 (0.9 to 6.4); this increased to 8.8 (3.8 to 12.0) in the first year of treatment with growth hormone, and then remained significantly greater than the pretreatment height velocity at 7.3 (4.4 to 9.7) and 7.1 (4.1 to 9.3) cm/year in the second and third years, respectively. The median height SDS increased from -2.0 to -0.8 (-2.3 to 0.6) by the end of three years of treatment. There was no increase in the recurrence rate of the underlying disease and no adverse event could be directly attributed to growth hormone treatment, apart from one case of benign intracranial hypertension that resolved on stopping treatment with growth hormone. CONCLUSIONS: Growth hormone replacement treatment for patients with Langerhan's cell histiocytosis with growth hormone deficiency is beneficial and safe.     

The effects of X-ray contrast media on bacterial growth

Six widely used X-ray contrast media (XRC) were tested against nine commonly isolated organisms to determine the practicality of using XRC to outline body spaces prior to obtaining specimens for culture and to assess the feasibility of using XRC in divided doses to reduce cost. Preparations of Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Enterococcus faecalis, Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus epidermidis, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Candida albicans, Streptococcus pyogenes and Streptococcus milleri in two approximate concentrations of 10⁴ and 10⁸ colony forming units/mL (cfu/mL) were inoculated into the following XRC: Conray 280, Hexabrix 320, lopamiro 370, Omnipaque 350, Ultravist 300 and Optiray 320 each in two concentrations. Sampling was performed in triplicate at 0, 2, 4 and 20 h with the 20 h counts made after exposure at both 22°C and 4°C. There were 16 significant interactions, predominantly with the Gram-negative organisms. Conray 280 produced the greatest number of effects. Most effects were bacteriostatic. Organisms were most susceptible at low concentration and after prolonged contact with XRC. No effect was seen with dilute XRC. All weekly sterility checks were negative. Non-ionic XRC have no significant effect on the growth of Gram-positive organisms and little effect on Gram-negative organisms if processing is performed promptly. Using standard aseptic technique, no contamination of XRC occurred, suggesting multi-dosing may be a safe and cost-effective method of XRC utilization.     

Pulmonary vascular resistance in complete atrioventricular septal defect. A comparison between children with and without Down's syndrome

Invasive data obtained in children with complete atrioventricular septal defect over the last three years are presented to determine the age at which pulmonary vascular obstructive disease develops. Comparisons were made between children with (n = 21) and without Down's syndrome (n= 12). The investigation was restricted to patients less than one year of age at initial catheterization. Patients with complicated associated heart defects were excluded. Patients with Down's syndrome had a higher ratio of pulmonary to systemic vascular resistance than children without Down's syndrome in the basal situation. This difference almost disappeared after 100% oxygen had been given to patients with elevated pulmonary vascular resistance, indicating that hypoxia and/or hypoventilation is of importance, especially in children with Down's syndrome. Fixed elevated pulmonary vascular resistance was found in 11% of Down patients under one year, with the youngest patient being 5.5 months old. One child without Down's syndrome may have had fixed elevated pulmonary vascular resistance. It is concluded that all children with complete atrioventricular septal defect should be evaluated and operated on at a very young age.     

Epilepsy with myoclonic absences

The cases are described of eight children, five of them girls, who had epilepsy with myoclonic absences. The mean age of onset was 4.9 years. Brief episodes of loss of awareness with bilateral clonic jerking of the upper limbs were associated with rhythmic 3 cycles/second spike-wave discharges on electroencephalogram. Generalised tonic-clonic or astatic seizures, or both, also occurred in seven patients. All now have learning difficulties, and seven have behavioural problems. Conventional treatment for absences was effective in only two children. Of six patients treated with lamotrigine, five have improved substantially, but only one is in sustained complete remission. One recently diagnosed patient continues to have frequent myoclonic absences. As the response to treatment and long term outcome are much poorer, it is important to differentiate myoclonic absences from typical childhood absence epilepsy.     

Successful treatment of epiglottitis with two doses of ceftriaxone

Epiglottitis in childhood is caused by Haemophilus influenzae type b. The usual antibiotic treatment at the Royal Children's Hospital, Parkville, Victoria is a five day course of chloramphenicol. Increasingly, third generation cephalosporins are being used to treat invasive H influenzae type b infections and preliminary data suggest that they can be used successfully for epiglottitis. In a prospective, randomised trial, the efficacy of a short course (two days) of ceftriaxone was compared with that of five days of chloramphenicol for the treatment of epiglottitis. The ability of these treatment regimens to eradicate H influenzae type b from the throat was also studied. Fifty five children were enrolled over an 18 month period. Epiglottitis was diagnosed clinically and confirmed on inspection of the epiglottis at direct laryngoscopy. Fifty three (96%) of 55 patients had H influenzae type b detected from at least one site: 44/52 (85%) from blood cultures, 41/47 (87%) from throat swab, and 6/8 (75%) as H influenzae type b urinary antigen. Children were randomised to receive either ceftriaxone 100 mg/kg intravenously followed by a single dose of 50 mg/kg 24 hours later (28 patients), or chloramphenicol 40 mg/kg intravenously, then 25 mg/kg eight hourly for five days, intravenously then by mouth (27 patients). All household contacts and patients receiving chloramphenicol received rifampicin 20 mg/kg daily for four days. Index patients randomised to ceftriaxone were not treated with rifampicin. There was no significant difference in outcome between the two groups with respect to the mean duration of fever, the duration of intubation, or the length of hospital admission. The proportion of patients colonised with H influenzae type b four weeks after discharge was not significantly different between the two groups: ceftriaxone 5/22 (23%) versus chloramphenicol and rifampicin 3/23 (13%). A short course of ceftriaxone was successful in treating all patients with no significant side effects and no relapses. A short course of ceftriaxone is a safe, efficacious, and economic alternative to the standard treatment in children with epiglottitis.     

Cost-effectiveness analysis of alternative first-trimester pregnancy termination strategies in Mexico City

Objective  To assess the comparative health and economic outcomes associated with three alternative first-trimester abortion techniques in Mexico City and to examine the policy implications of increasing access to safe abortion modalities within a restrictive setting.
Design  Cost-effectiveness analysis.
Setting  Mexico City.
Population  Reproductive-aged women with unintended pregnancy seeking first-trimester abortion.
Methods  Synthesising the best available data, a computer-based model simulates induced abortion and its potential complications and is used to assess the cost-effectiveness of alternative safe modalities for first-trimester pregnancy termination: (1) hospital-based dilatation and curettage (D&C), (2) hospital-based manual vacuum aspiration (MVA), (3) clinic-based MVA and (4) medical abortion using vaginal misoprostol.
Main outcome measures  Number of complications, lifetime costs, life expectancy, quality-adjusted life expectancy.
Results  In comparison to the magnitude of health gains associated with all safe abortion modalities, the relative differences between strategies were more pronounced in terms of their economic costs. Assuming all options were equally available, clinic-based MVA was the least costly and most effective. Medical abortion with misoprostol provided comparable benefits to D&C, but cost substantially less. Enhanced access to safe abortion was always more influential than shifting between safe abortion modalities.
Conclusions  This study demonstrates that the provision of safe abortion is cost-effective and will result in reduced complications, decreased mortality and substantial cost savings compared with unsafe abortion. In Mexico City, shifting from a practice of hospital-based D&C to clinic-based MVA and enhancing access to medical abortion will have the best chance to minimise abortion-related morbidity and mortality.     

全膝关节置换术前模板测量预测术中假体型号：92例资料回顾

目的：人工关节置换术前应用模板测量预测术中所用假体型号,是完善术前设计的重要方面,但其准确性和可靠性尚无定论,文章对初次全膝关节置换术前模板测量的准确性进行回顾性分析。方法：选择在北京积水潭医院矫形骨科2004-01/2007-01进行人工全膝关节置换患者92例107膝,男15例17膝,女77例90膝。其中55膝采用了GenesisⅡ假体（Smith＆nephew人工关节公司提供）,52膝采用了ΣPFC假体（美国Depuy人工关节公司提供）,术前X射线片分别使用上述两套全膝关节假体系统模板进行测量。比较模板测量的膝关节假体型号与手术实际使用的膝关节假体型号的一致性,以κ系数加以评估（0～1,0表示完全不一致,1表示完全一致）;依据术中实际所用的假体型号,以百分数表示测量者术前模板测量的准确率,2组患者的测量准确率应用SPSS11.5统计学软件以配对χ^2检验进行比较。结果：对于GenesisⅡ假体,术前测量的股骨假体和胫骨假体型号的准确率分别为50.9%和56.3%;对于ΣPFC假体,准确率分别为51.9%和55.8%。κ系数结果提示,术前应用模板测量结果与实际植入假体的大小具有适中的一致性。配对χ^2检验的结果提示2组患者的测量准确率之间无显著性差异。结论：全膝关节置换术前模板测量对于预测实际所用假体型号可以起到一定的指导作用,但其准确性并不十分理想。要正确认识模板测量在全膝关节置换中的地位,并且要综合考虑会影响到假体型号选择的各种因素。