Cost-effectiveness of using hepatitis C viremic hearts for transplantation into HCV-negative recipients

Outcomes following hepatitis C virus (HCV)-viremic heart transplantation into HCV-negative recipients with HCV treatment are good. We assessed cost-effectiveness between cohorts of transplant recipients willing and unwilling to receive HCV-viremic hearts. Markov model simulated long-term outcomes among HCV-negative patients on the transplant waitlist. We compared costs (2018 USD) and health outcomes (quality-adjusted life-years, QALYs) between cohorts willing to accept any heart and those willing to accept only HCV-negative hearts. We assumed 4.9% HCV-viremic donor prevalence. Patients receiving HCV-viremic hearts were treated, assuming $39 600/treatment with 95% cure. Incremental cost-effectiveness ratios (ICERs) were compared to a $100 000/QALY gained willingness-to-pay threshold. Sensitivity analyses included stratification by blood type or region and potential negative consequences of receipt of HCV-viremic hearts. Compared to accepting only HCV-negative hearts, accepting any heart gained 0.14 life-years and 0.11 QALYs, while increasing costs by $9418/patient. Accepting any heart was cost effective (ICER $85 602/QALY gained). Results were robust to all transplant regions and blood types, except type AB. Accepting any heart remained cost effective provided posttransplant mortality and costs among those receiving HCV-viremic hearts were not >7% higher compared to HCV-negative hearts. Willingness to accept HCV-viremic hearts for transplantation into HCV-negative recipients is cost effective and improves clinical outcomes.     

膳食炎症指数与慢性肾脏病发病之间的研究进展

目的 对膳食炎症指数(DII)与慢性肾脏病发病之间的研究进行综述,探究两者之间的关系。方法 以“膳食炎症指数”、“促炎饮食”和“慢性肾脏病”、“肾小球滤过率”为检索词,在PubMed, Web of Science和EMBASE等数据库进行检索,查询并严格筛选合格文献,进一步综述膳食炎症指数与慢性肾病的流行病学关系,并从炎症因子方面解释阐述了膳食炎症指数与慢性肾病之间可能的相关机制。结果 促炎饮食会造成慢性肾脏病的发病风险升高,相反,抗炎饮食可以有效降低慢性肾脏病的发病风险,特定的炎症因子标志物对慢性肾脏病的发病有特定作用。结论 膳食炎症指数对慢性肾脏病的发生有一定的影响,未来可能作为慢性肾病发病的预防控制策略之一,并可能给肾脏疾病的防治提供重要的科学依据。     

Susceptibility and resistance to environmental carcinogens in the development of carcinoma of the lung

Eight selected cases are presented to show different effects of the environment on the lung. Some appear to lack resistance to environmental carcinogens. The variations in response and an assessment of the carcinogens involved are discussed. Further study of these poorly understood etiologic factors is needed.     

用于评价动物社交偏好程度的新方法

目的：利用一种改进的三箱社交装置评价动物的社交偏好程度,并探索该方法的可行性。方法：采用注意力缺陷多动障碍(ADHD)大鼠作为社交障碍模型动物,以同源大鼠（WKY)大鼠和Wistar大鼠作为对照组,模型组采用治疗ADHD的临床常用中成药小儿黄龙颗粒（1.88 g/kg、3.75 g/kg）灌胃给药16 d。利用改进的三箱社交箱,以待测鼠在陌生鼠侧密切交流区的时间、频次、路程及相关比例作为行为学指标,检测该方法对社交行为评价的可行性。结果：与Wistar大鼠组比较,模型组大鼠与WKY组大鼠在密切交流区域及有陌生鼠侧区域的时间显著减少（P<0.01）,其他指标如频次、路程及比例也均有不同程度减少,小儿黄龙颗粒两剂量均能增加模型大鼠上述各指标数值。结论：该方法能准确捕捉动物的社交行为特征,实现对动物社交偏好程度的全面、客观评价。     

The inappropriate use of acute hospital beds in an inner London District Health Authority

The requirement for District Health Authorities to assess the health care needs of their population implies that they must consider how well acute hospital care meets these identified needs. This study, which was conducted in an inner London health district, identified that 123 (14.6%) patients were perceived by medical and/or nursing staff to be inappropriately located in an acute bed. This group was dominated by patients aged 65 years or above, those in general and geriatric medicine, those with a length of stay of 30 days or more, and those with high levels of physical and mental dependency. The main reasons for patients being labelled as 'inappropriate' were the need for non-acute health services (eg rehabilitation, terminal care etc), a need for nursing home places or because of social or housing problems. Five months after identification, the notes of 100 of the 123 inappropriate patients were traced. Retrospective classification of these notes using the more 'objective' Oxford Bed Study Instrument showed that 97 patients were still defined as inappropriate. Details of the length of inappropriate stay were available for 74 patients who accrued 7,519 inappropriate bed days at a cost of 836,547 pounds. These patients are an illustration of the potential failings of current health and social care systems and highlight the need for imaginative care solutions which bridge this divide.     

Computerized photo-plethysmography of the finger

A microcomputer system for studying photo-plethysmography of the finger (PPF) was designed and applied to 50 non-premedicated healthy boys (one to ten years old) undergoing general anaesthesia (halothane in 70% N₂O, with mechanical ventilation) for outpatient inguinal hernia repair. The purpose of this study was to assess the accuracy of computerized estimations of the photo-plethysmographic (arterial waves) amplitude and to evaluate whether or not PPF allows discrimination between two different surgical stimuli (skin incision, and manipulation of the spermatic cord). When anaesthesia was stable for at least five minutes (end-tidal halothane=1.25–1.5%;PetCO₂=32–38 mmHg; SpO₂≥98%; rectal temperature=36.3–37°C; ambient operating room temperature=20–21°C), and immediately before the skin incision, computerized estimations of the photo-plethysmographic (arterial waves) amplitudes (PPA) were recorded and saved for later comparison with direct (manual) measurements of the plethysmographic tracing, using an arbitrary scale of 0–255 units. Also, the values of PPA, systolic blood pressure, and pulse rate recorded immediately before the skin incision were later compared with the maximum changes in these same values recorded 30–90 sec after skin incision, and 30–90 sec after manipulation (traction + dissection) of the spermatic cord. Six boys (three to ten years old) stayed quiet enough, during induction of anaesthesia by mask, to allow regression analysis of PPA, systolic blood pressure, and pulse rate (Y) on end-tidal halothane/70% N₂O (X). Computerized estimations tended to give a higher reading, by between 0.2 to 0.8 units, than direct measurements. Spearman and Kendall correlations showed that computerized and direct measurements were associated (P<0.0001), the Kolmogorov-Smirnov’s test revealed that the two distributions were identical (P=1), the mean difference between computerized and direct estimations of the PPA was 0.52±1.08 units, and the limits of agreement (?1.6 and 2.6 units) were small enough to be confident that computerized (automatic) estimations of PPA can be used for clinical purposes. Skin incision caused a smaller decrease of PPA (24%) than manipulation of the spermatic cord (37%). Changes in PPA were more pronounced than changes in systolic blood pressure or pulse rate (P<0.05). Linear regressions and Fisher’s exact test (two-tailed) showed that, during induction of anaesthesia with halothane in 70% N₂O by mask (n=6), changes in end-tidal halothane concentration were related more to changes in PPA than to changes in systolic blood pressure and/or in pulse rate (P<0.05). In conclusion, computerized PPF allows discrimination between two different surgical stimuli, provides quantification of the sympathetic response to preoperative anxiety, and may be useful for studying pre-anaesthetic sedation.     

SPECT断层模型测试实验探讨

本文给出了参加广东省SPECT质控网设计的断层模型测试实验后的结果并对实验结果进行分析,充分说明了如何选择最佳滤波函数是获得良好的SPECT图像的重要保证.     

内源性一氧化碳对大鼠主动脉球囊损伤后新生内膜形成及丝裂素活化蛋白激酶活性的影响

目的：探讨内源性血红素加氧酶（ｈｅｍｅｏｘｙｇｅｎａｓｅ,ＨＯ）／ 一氧化碳（ｃａｒｂｏｎ ｍｏｎｏｘｉｄｅ,ＣＯ） 系统对大鼠主动脉球囊损伤后新生内膜形成及丝裂素活化蛋白激酶（ｍｉｔｏｇｅｎａｃｔｉｖａｔｅｄ ｐｒｏｔｅｉｎ ｋｉｎａｓｅ, ＭＡＰＫ） 激活的调节作用。方法：采用大鼠主动脉内膜球囊拉伤模型,观察ＨＯ 抑制剂锌卟啉９（ｚｉｎｃ ｐｒｏｔｏｐｏｒｐｈｙｒｉｎＩＸ,ＺｎＰＰ９）或其底物血红素左旋赖氨酸盐（ｈｅｍｅＬｌｙｓｉｎａｔｅ,ＨＬＬ）对血管壁细胞３ＨＴｄＲ掺入和ＭＡＰＫ 活性的影响,同时观察血管平滑肌ＨＯ活性和ＣＯ 生成的变化。结果：内膜拉伤后２ 周血管３ＨＴｄＲ 掺入和ＭＡＰＫ 活性明显增加,同时ＨＯ 活性和ＣＯ 的产生增加;ＺｎＰＰ９ 使血管的３ＨＴｄＲ掺入和ＭＡＰＫ 活性增加更为明显（ 分别比单独拉伤组增加３４ ．６％ 和３９．２％ ,均为Ｐ＜ ０．０１） ;而ＨＬＬ 使血管的３ＨＴｄＲ 掺入和ＭＡＰＫ 活性则明显降低（ 比单独拉伤组分别减少２９．４５ ％ 和３３．６ ％ ,均为Ｐ＜ ０．０１） 。结论：ＨＯ 活性上调或ＣＯ 产生增加是血管对机械拉伤的一种保护性应激反应;内源性ＨＯ／ＣＯ 系统直接     

Trends in presentation of congenital heart disease in a population-based study in Malta

Differing pathological haemodynamics in cardiac malformations lead to varying modes and timings of presentation. This study identifies historical trends in presentation of congenital heart disease in a population-based study. All patients diagnosed as having congenital heart disease in Malta between 1960–1994 were included (n = 868). Analysis was carried out on trends in referral sources, modes of presentation and birth prevalence. The number of patients diagnosed with congenital heart disease increased over the period under study. For both patients not requiring intervention (n = 283) and those requiring intervention (n=585), the proportion diagnosed prior to hospital discharge increased (p 0.005). There was a decreasing trend for general practitioners to refer cases (p < 0.0001), and an increasing trend for paediatricians to refer such patients (p 0.0003). The commonest presentation to the general practitioner was an incidental finding (92%), while paediatricians referred more patients for cyanosis or heart failure (p 0.005). For lesions not requiring intervention, the commonest lesion referred was ventricular septal defect from all sources. For lesions requiring intervention, the commonest lesion detected prior to hospital discharge was tetralogy of Fallot. Atrial septal defects were the commonest lesions detected after discharge by both paediatricians and general practitioners. An increase in the proportion of hospital diagnoses is attributed to increasing rate of hospital delivery, and greater training and experience in doctors performing neonatal examinations prior to discharge. Patients diagnosed after discharge are increasingly diagnosed by paediatricians due to an increasing pool of paediatricians and better parent awareness and education.