腕管综合征主要症状体征敏感性与特异性的比较

目的　比较腕管综合征 (carpaltunnelsyndrome ,CTS)主要症状、体征的敏感性与特异性。方法　对 10 1例 ( 162只手 )进行症状严重程度与功能状况的询问 ,感觉、运动功能的检查 ;其中 62只手在术后 6周再次测定。结果　 162只患手中 15 8只具有典型症状 ( 98% )。Phalen征、前臂正中神经加压征、Semmes Weinstein单丝纤维测试阳性率分别为 98%、96%、82 %。 87%的患手出现肌力下降 ,拇短展肌肌力测定 (定量法 )结果显示 ,与徒手法相比 ,不同性别间、术前与术后的差异均具非常显著意义 (P <0 .0 1)。结论　典型症状、Phalen征、前臂正中神经加压征、拇短展肌肌力变化的敏感性与特异性最高 ,拇短展肌肌力定量法测定是判断腕管综合征严重程度、评定疗效的一个良好的客观指标。     

Zinc deficiency and hyperprolactinaemia are not reversible causes of sexual dysfunction in uraemia

We selected a group of male dialysis patients complaining of sexual dysfunction in whom penile vascular insufficiency and drug-induced impotence had been excluded. Monitoring of nocturnal penile tumescence was used to confirm organic disturbance. Patients with normal serum prolactin concentrations (n = 18) had significantly lower serum zinc values than normal controls (P less than 0.001) and were entered in a 6-month double-blind study comparing oral zinc acetate with placebo. Patients with elevated prolactin concentrations (n = 8) were entered in a 3-month double-blind crossover study comparing oral pergolide mesylate with placebo. In the zinc study, serum zinc concentrations increased (P less than 0.05) in the zinc-treated but not the placebo-treated group. One of nine patients receiving zinc reported improved sexual function, as did two of nine patients receiving placebo. There were no significant changes in sperm counts, nocturnal penile tumescence, testosterone, sex hormone binding globulin or gonadotrophin concentrations in either treatment group. In the pergolide study, serum prolactin values decreased (P less than 0.01) in the pergolide but not in the placebo treatment period. One patient reported improved sexual function during the pergolide treatment period and two during the placebo period. There were no significant changes in sperm counts, nocturnal penile tumescence, testosterone, sex hormone binding globulin or gonadotrophin concentrations after pergolide. These studies show no benefit of zinc or pergolide compared with placebo in the treatment of uraemic impotence.     

Triquetral-lunate arthritis secondary to synostosis

Until recently the problem of painful, symptomatic arthritis of the wrist secondary to congenitally incomplete separation of carpal bones has been infrequently recognized. Five patients with either excessive stress loading or trauma had eight symptomatic wrists with congenitally incomplete separation of the triquetral-lunate joint. Three of these patients had bilateral symptoms. Six of the wrists had been treated by a limited wrist arthrodesis of the triquetral-lunate joint resulting in asymptomatic wrists and improved range of motion. It appears that patients with this congenital condition poorly tolerate stress loading or trauma secondary to deficient intra-articular cartilage formation resulting in a clinical and anatomic state similar to degenerative arthritis. We suggest a limited wrist arthrodesis as definitive treatment for symptomatic congenitally incomplete separation of the triquetral-lunate joint, with possible application in incomplete separation of the other intercarpal joints.     

Zinc phosphide ingestion: a case report and review

We present the case of a patient who attempted suicide by ingestion of the rodenticide zinc phosphide. Zinc phosphide manifests its immediate toxicity through production of phosphine gas. Signs and symptoms of toxicity include nausea, vomiting, dyspnea, and changes in mental status; immediate death results from pulmonary edema. Delayed effects are secondary to the absorption of phosphide, affecting primarily the liver, heart and kidneys. Delayed deaths are related to a direct cardiotoxicity. Treatment is mainly symptomatic and supportive; aggressive airway management and circulatory support are critical to a successful outcome.     

食管腺癌淋巴结转移与肿瘤侵及食管壁深度的关系

目的 对腺癌侵及食管壁深度与淋巴结转移的关系以及淋巴结转移对预后的影响进行分析研究.方法 澳大利亚弗林德斯大学医学中心自1985年～2003年,手术治疗食管腺癌121例.其中男101例,女20例.年龄36～80岁,平均62岁.本组手术切除率为96.7%（117/121例）.手术清扫淋巴结的数目每例为2～30个,平均8个.无淋巴结转移59例（48.8%）、有淋巴结转移62例（51.2%）.本组病例全部得到随访.结果 当肿瘤位于黏膜层或黏膜下层（T1）时,淋巴结转移的发生率为22.2%（10/45例）、平均淋巴结转移的个数为0.3个、＞4个淋巴结转移的比例为0（0/45例）;当肿瘤侵及食管周围组织（T4）时,淋巴结转移的发生率为85.7%（6/7例）、平均淋巴结转移的个数为5.1个、＞4个淋巴结转移的比例为71.4%（5/7例）,P＜0.05.无淋巴结转移组的5年生存率为52.9%、1～4个淋巴结转移组的5年生存率为11.5%、＞4个淋巴结转移组的5年生存率为0,P＜0.01.结论 肿瘤对食管壁侵及深度和淋巴结转移的发生率及淋巴结转移的数量之间存在正相关性.随着肿瘤对食管壁侵及深度的增加,淋巴结转移的发生率、平均淋巴结转移的数量和＞4个淋巴结转移的比例均增加.有无淋巴结转移和淋巴结转移的数量是影响远期生存率的一个重要因素.     

The Fort McMurray demonstration project in social marketing: health- and safety-related behaviour among oil sands workers

This is the first round in a series of surveys conducted inFort McMurray as part of the Fort McMurray Demonstration Projectin social marketing. This component of the survey was intendedto focus on the most prominent group of employed workers inthe community and to compare their patterns of response withthe community as a whole. Respondents to the survey were overwhelminglymale (96%), married (72.9%) and living in households of twoto five persons (87.9%). They were predominantly aged 30–44(55%) and graduates of high school (53.5%). Younger male workers(below age 30) were more likely to have a high school diploma(78.3%) or some additional technical or vocational training(21.7% compared to 12.5% overall) and to be unmarried or separated.Attitudes toward safety-related behaviours were stronger thanfor respondents from the community as a whole. Approximately70–100% of all age groups and both sexes showed strongagreement with attitudes involving child car seats and the unacceptabilityof drinking and driving. These attitudes include strong advocacyof vigorous enforcement of occupational health and safety standards.However, they showed a variability similar to the communityas a whole in behaviour at home compared to work, generallyreporting more consistent use of personal protection on thejob than in their own homes, particularly hearing protection.Even so, they were much less likely to perform stretching andwarm-up exercises prior to exertion than community residentsin general. The potential may exist to transfer the technologyand attitudes from workplace health and safety to communitysafety. One possible strategy to accomplish this is to involveworkers in this industry directly in community initiatives.This strategy may be generalizable to any community in whichthere are major employers who place a heavy emphasis on riskcontrol and occupational health and safety.     

Time to contact and the control of manual prehension

In the present study, a kinematic analysis was made of unconstrained, natural prehension movements directed toward an object approaching the observer on a conveyor belt at one of three constant velocities, from one of three different directions (head-on or along the fronto-parallel plane coming either from the subject′s left or right). Subjects were required to grasp the object when it reached a target located 20 cm directly in front of the hand′s start position. The kinematic analysis revealed that both the transport and grasp components of the movement changed in response to the experimental manipulations, but did so in a manner that guaranteed that, for objects approaching from a given direction, hand closure would begin at a constant time prior to object contact (regardless of the object’s approach speed). The kinematic analysis also revealed, however, that the onset of hand closure began earlier with objects approaching from the right than from other directions – an effect which would not be predicted if time to contact was the key variable controlling the onset of hand closure. These results, then, lend only partial support to the theory that temporal coordination between the transport and grasp components of prehension is ensured through their common dependence on time to contact information. Received: 20 September 1996 / Accepted: 16 June 1997