Evaluating systems of care: Missing links in children's mental health research

Systems of care (SOCs) have been developed throughout the country to meet the needs of children with severe emotional disturbances (SED) and their families. In these SOCs, multiple agencies and disciplines are expected to work together with informal community supports to address families' needs (Stroul & Friedman, 1986a). A review of the literature on the impact of SOCs suggests: (a) communities' service delivery systems change; and (b) children experience modest improvements in symptomatology and functioning. At the same time, little is known about (a) which components of the SOC approach, at what levels, are necessary to impact child and family outcomes; (b) the degree to which SOCs affect other family members, beyond the target child; and (c) the impact of community contexts and supports in SOCs. Future research should improve measurement of key SOC constructs, examine the relation between specific levels of implementation and outcomes for the entire family, and investigate the impact of broader community systems and supports on families within SOCs. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Comm Psychol 32: 655–674, 2004.     

Free flap monitoring with continuous tissue oxygen tension measurement

Intraoperative and postoperative free flap monitoring by means of oxygen tension measurement was carried out in 11 patients. We used an invasive flexible microcatheter that allowed for measurement of oxygen tension in all types of free flaps. Two cases of the measured flaps were buried free flaps which do not allow monitoring by clinical assessment. All flaps monitored in this study survived. One case of displacement of the microcatheter occurred. In one patient, the tissue pO₂ monitor successfully detected early vascular thrombosis with subsequent reoperation and salvage of the free flap.     

急性肺栓塞时心肌血流灌注的变化

目的观察急性肺栓塞（APE）后冠状动脉血流量及心脏肌钙蛋白T（cTnT）与肌红蛋白（Mb）含量变化，探讨心肌血流灌注在急性肺栓塞继发心肌损伤机制中的作用。方法通过介入方法经导管注入自体血栓选择性栓塞肺动脉，建立不同栓塞面积的急性肺栓塞动物模型。监测栓前、栓后5、30min，1、2h冠状动脉血流量变化及栓后4h血清cTnT与Mb含量。结果急性肺栓塞后血清cTnT与Mb含量升高。急性肺栓塞导致冠状动脉血流量显著下降，肺血管栓塞后15～30min降至最低值，30min后趋于平稳。右冠血流量下降程度与肺栓塞面积有显著相关性。结论冠状动脉血流量减少及血清心肌结构蛋白含量升高为急性肺栓塞继发心肌缺血改变提供了直接证据。急性心肌缺血严重影响急性肺栓塞的预后。     

Validation of a simplified technique for using the POPQ pelvic organ prolapse classification system

Our objective was to determine the inter-examiner agreement of a simplified pelvic organ prolapse quantification (POPQ) exam and to assess its correlation with the standard POPQ exam. This study consists of two parts; both were preformed in a prospective, randomized, blinded fashion on women presenting with complaints attributed to pelvic organ support defects. The first study was done to determine the inter-examiner reliability of a simplified POPQ exam. The simplified POPQ exam is based on the POPQ with similar ordinal staging but with only four points measured instead of nine. Forty-eight women underwent exams by five different investigators. The order of exams was randomized and the examiners were blinded to the results of each other’s findings. The results of these two exams were compared using weighted kappa statistics. The second part of the study was done to determine the inter-system agreement between the simplified vs standard POPQ exam. A group of 49 women were examined by four different investigators: one using the simplified and the other using standard POPQ exams. The order of the exams was randomized and the examiners were blinded to the results of each other’s exam. Kendall’s tau-b statistics were used to determine the inter-system agreement. For the inter-examiner reliability of the POPQ exam, the average age was 60±13 years. The weighted kappa statistics for the inter-examiner reliability of the simplified prolapse classification system were 0.86 for the overall stage, 0.89 and 0.86 for the anterior and posterior vaginal walls, respectively, 0.82 for the apex/cuff, and 0.72 for the cervix. All demonstrate significant agreement. For the inter-system association between the simplified POPQ and standard POPQ, the average age was 61±15 year. The Kendall’s tau-b value for overall stage was 0.90, 0.83, and 0.87 for the anterior and posterior walls respectively, and 0.78 for the cuff/apex and 0.98 for the cervix. There is good inter-examiner agreement of a simplified POPQ classification system and it appears to have good inter-system association with the POPQ.IUGA Standardization of Terminology Committee members: Robert Freeman MD (chairman), Steven Swift, Eckhard Petri MD, Richard J. Scotti MD, and Peter Dwyer MD.     

From Innumeracy to Insight: The Uncertainty of Help versus Harm in Treatment of Asymptomatic Aortic Aneurysms

There is insufficient evidence that the surgical treatment of asymptomatic infrarenal aneurysms > 5.5 cm. is beneficial to patients. This is the result of serious complications of aneurysm surgery and the dearth of information from randomized trials. Based on evidence from the literature we defined scenarios and translated data into natural frequency trees to improve understanding of the uncertainty of help versus harm due to treatment of aneurysms. Our analysis shows that the majority of patients can expect little on longevity from surgery while they are at risk of dying from surgery or suffering from serious morbidity. We conclude that, as long as uncertainty persist, patients should be treated in hospitals that can show very low surgical mortality and major morbidity rates. To further resolve the problem of uncertainty randomized trials for larger aneurysms should be performed. Important issues to discuss are the lower and upper limits of the diameter of the aneurysms and the age and risk profiles of the patients to be included in such trials.     

Analysis of surgical management of calvarial tumours and first results of a newly designed robotic trepanation system.

This study was performed to evaluate the surgical strategy in patients with calvarial tumours, in order to design and modify a robot-assisted trepanation system. A total of 75 patients underwent craniectomy for the treatment of calvarial tumours during the 10-year period from 1993 to 2002. The patients' complaints, the size, location and histology of the tumour, and the various cranioplasty techniques used were analysed retrospectively. In a second procedure several craniectomies at typical locations according to the study's results were performed in a laboratory setting using a hexapod robotic tool, constructed at the Helmholtz-Institute, RWTH Aachen University, and plastic model heads. The workflow was documented and the reproducibility and the accuracy of the procedure were registered. A total of 83 surgical procedures were performed on 75 patients. The majority (87 %) of lesions treated surgically were located in the frontal, temporal and anterior parts of the parietal region. Histological examination revealed benign lesions in 66 % of the patients and dural involvement in 46 %. According to these results craniectomies were performed using the robotic system. Mean positioning accuracy of the robotic system while milling was 0.24 mm, with a standard deviation of 0.04 mm, and maximum error under 1 mm. Craniectomies leaving a 1-mm layer of the tabula interna intact to ensure a healthy dura were performed in several regions successfully. The majority of calvarial tumours, requiring surgical treatment in our patients, were located in cosmetically relevant areas in which drilling can be carried out with the robotic trepanation system. Consequently, the surgical approach had to be planned carefully in order to achieve a good cosmetic outcome.     

BG Aktuell

This paper gives an overview of the changes in the sector of accident insurance companies over recent months and a prognosis for the changes that can still be expected, especially with reference to the election results.     

Malignancy larynx presenting solely as pharyngo-cutaneous fistula

Malignancy larynx usually presents early, the common symptoms being hoarseness, pain thorat, cough and irritation of throat. An advanced malignancy is likely to be complicated by a pharyngo-cutaneous fistula. However it is an occurrence towards the end stage of the disease. Here we present a case of malignancy larynx primarily presenting as pharyngo-cutaneous fistula without any other symptoms.     

11C-乙酸盐PET显像在肾脏肿瘤诊断中的作用

目的探讨^11C-乙酸盐PET显像在肾脏肿瘤诊断中的作用及其与^18F-脱氧葡萄糖（FDG）肾肿瘤显像的关系。方法29例疑肾肿瘤患者行^11C-乙酸盐PET早期及延迟显像，其中22例1周内行^18F—FDG PET显像。所有患者均有手术病理检查或CT、随访结果。患者静脉注射^11C-乙酸盐后即刻采集肾脏部位早期图像，以反映肾皮质血流灌注；10min后采集延迟图像，以反映^11C-乙酸盐在肾皮质内的代谢。观察^11C-乙酸盐在人体内的分布，并比较^11C-乙酸盐与^18F—FDG肾肿瘤显像的阳性率及其与病理类型、分级的关系。结果^11C-乙酸盐在人体内以胰腺摄取最高，并可能经胰液分泌人肠道。肾皮质对^11C-乙酸盐摄取随时间而变化，延迟相大部分原发肾皮质肿瘤（13例中分级Ⅰ～Ⅱ为12例）对^11C-乙酸盐摄取高于正常肾皮质，阳性率为76．9％（10／13例）；而^18F—FDG显像仅为30．8％（4／13例）。6例肾盂输尿管移行细胞癌^11C-乙酸盐显像阳性仅2例；其中5例行^18F—FDG显像，均阳性。1例肾血管平滑肌脂肪瘤^11C-乙酸盐早期及延迟显像均清晰显示，2例输尿管炎症对^11C-乙酸盐无摄取。结论^11C-乙酸盐PET显像对恶性程度较低的肾皮质肿瘤显像阳性率较高，可弥补^18F—FDG显像的不足。