Caffeine in children with obstructive sleep apnea

BACKGROUND: Children with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) have a higher rate of adverse post-extubation respiratory events, such as laryngospasm, upper airway obstruction, apnea, desaturation and/or need for re-intubation. They are overly sensitive to sedatives and narcotics. Although the etiology of OSA is primarily obstruction (mechanical or neuromuscular), a central element may contribute to OSA. Caffeine citrate has been shown to be effective in treating apnea of prematurity. This study evaluated whether the administration of caffeine benzoate to children with OSA decreases the number of children who experience adverse post-extubation respiratory events. METHODS: In a randomized, double-blind and placebo-controlled study, children with OSA scheduled for adenotonsillectomy (T&A) received either caffeine benzoate, 20 mg/kg IV, (caffeine group, n = 36) or saline (placebo group, n = 36). The primary outcome evaluated the number of children who developed adverse post-extubation respiratory events, and the secondary outcome was the incidence of those events. RESULTS: The results demonstrated the two groups differed in the number of children who developed adverse post-extubation respiratory events (p = 0.032). The overall incidence of adverse postoperative respiratory events was less in the caffeine group than the placebo group (p = 0.0196). CONCLUSION: In children with OSA scheduled for T&A, administration of caffeine benzoate, 20 mg/kg IV, decreased the number of children who developed adverse post-extubation respiratory events and decreased the overall incidence of adverse post-extubation respiratory events. PACU duration, hospital discharge time and postoperative delirium did not differ between groups.     

Stereotactic radiosurgery for locally recurrent nasopharyngeal carcinoma

BACKGROUND: Stereotactic radiosurgery has been used to treat intracranial tumors. Recently, it has also been used for the treatment of head and neck tumors involving the base of skull, including recurrent NPC. METHODS: From October 1994 to April 1999, 36 patients with recurrent NPC, were retreated by stereotactic radiosurgery. These patients received radiosurgery as a boost treatment after reirradiation for recurrence. The external RT dose ranged from 20 to 60 Gy. The tumor volume ranged from 3.58 to 24.6 cc. The target surface dose ranged from 8 to 20 Gy. The median follow-up was 22.1 months. RESULTS: The 3-year local control rate was 56%. The 5-year overall survival was 49%. Persistence after radiosurgery had a worse survival than those who had secondary recurrence. Age and gender were marginally significant. No patient had new severe complications after retreatment. Four patients (11%) had nasopharyngeal necrosis after radiosurgery, none had nasal bleeding or headache, but a foul odor was present in one patient. CONCLUSIONS: Conformal radiotherapy and stereotactic radiotherapy provide good local control and survival without severe complications for patients with recurrent NPC.     

Anterior lateral thigh flap for buccal mucosal defect after resection of buccal cancer.

OBJECTIVE: To preserve oral function after buccal cancer resection, a free anterior lateral thigh flap (ALTF) was used to cover the buccal mucosal defect. STUDY DESIGN AND SETTING: Nine patients who underwent primary surgical treatment between June 2005 and September 2006 for buccal cancer were enrolled in this study. An ALTF was used to repair the defect immediately after tumor resection. Oral function, including mouth-opening width, oral intake, and teeth cleaning, were compared pre- and postoperatively. RESULTS: No difference was observed in the mouth-opening width between that preoperatively and three months postoperatively (P = 0.54). The oral intake and teeth cleaning also remained unchanged three months postoperatively. CONCLUSION: Repair of a buccal mucosa defect with a free anterior lateral thigh flap is a good alternative for selected patients who undergo resection of buccal cancer; oral function is likely to be preserved.     

The experience of biliary tract complications after liver transplantation

AIM: To report the morbidity and mortality of patients who undergo liver transplantation with or without T-tube implantation after choledochocholedochostomy as well as to discuss management of biliary complications. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We performed a retrospective review of 104 liver transplantations from August 2001 to February 2006, including 51 patients who underwent choledochocholedochostomy with a T-tube (group A) and 53, without a T-tube (group B). We compared the clinical characteristics, operative methods, biliary complications, morbidity, mortality, and management of complications. RESULTS: Between the two groups, there were no significant differences in clinical characteristics, including sex, age, and indication for liver transplantation (hepatitis B virus, hepatitis C virus, alcoholic liver cirrhosis, or hepatocellular carcinoma), Child-Pugh classification, Model for End-stage Liver Disease score, and operative macroscopic/microscopic findings. Additionally, there was no significant difference in biliary complications. Among these 104 patients, 14 (13.5%) developed biliary complications: seven anastomotic strictures, two intrahepatic duct strictures, two anastomotic stricture combined intrahepatic duct stricture, one bile leakage, one bile leakage combined with anastomotic stricture, and one external biliary compression. Nine patients with anastomotic stricture underwent endoscopy with a stent, which was successful only in two patients. The other six patients underwent choledochojejunostomy with excellent results. CONCLUSIONS: This study showed choledochocholedochostomy with or without a T-tube after liver transplantation did not influence the biliary complications. The biliary complications of anastomotic stricture after liver transplantation can be managed by endoscopy with a stent. If endoscopy fails, surgical intervention should be considered immediately.     

15-脱氧-前列腺素J2激活过氧化物酶体增殖物激活受体信号抑制肝癌细胞侵袭转移的实验研究

目的探讨15-脱氧-前列腺素J2(15-d-PGJ2)对肝癌细胞SMMC-7721侵袭转移的影响及其内在的机制。 方法SMMC-7721肝癌细胞经天然配体15-d-PGJ2和(或)抑制剂GW9662处理,用伤口愈合实验和Transwell方法检测细胞的转移侵袭能力,用RT-PCR检测细胞PTEN和MMP-9 mRNA的表达,用Western blotting检测细胞PTEN和MMP-9蛋白的表达。 结果15-d-PGJ2对SMMC-7721细胞的转移侵袭具有抑制作用,并能上调PTEN mRNA和蛋白的表达,下调MMP-9 mRNA和蛋白的表达;单药GW9662无此效应,GW9662与15-d-PGJ2联合能够逆转此效应。 结论15-d-PGJ2是通过激活PPAR信号上调PTEN表达,下调MMP-9表达,抑制肝癌细胞的侵袭转移。     

Experience in the use of the long Gamma nail for 16 femoral shaft fracture that have occurred following initial Asian Pacific Gamma nail fixation for pertrochanteric fractures

From January 1993 to September 2002, 931 patients suffered from intertrochanteric fracture and subrochanteric fracture received open reduction and internal fixation with APGN in our institute. Among these patients, 16 patients (1.7%) developed a femoral shaft fracture after the initial fixation with APGN. Removal of the APGN, closed reduction and fixation with long Gamma nail (LGN) was performed in all the 16 patients. The patients were followed for 12-60 months (average, 39.8 months). The union time of fracture was 12-24 weeks (average, 18.5 weeks) for femoral shaft fractures and 12-20 weeks (average, 16 weeks) for peritrochanteric fractures. Two early complications were noted, including one superficial (6%) infection and one deep (6%) infection. Two malunions (12.5%) developed with no definite functional impairment. The functional results using the Harris hip score were good to excellent. In conclusion, closed reduction and internal fixation with a LGN is very effective in the management of a femoral shaft fracture, a complication of a previous APGN that had been initially used for stabilisation of a pertrochanteric fracture.     

Impact of tension‐free vaginal tape procedure on dysfunctional voiding in women with stress urinary incontinence

Objectives: To determine the prevalence of dysfunctional voiding (DV) in female stress urinary incontinence (SUI) and its modification after tension‐free vaginal tape (TVT) procedure. Methods: Three hundred and sixty women with SUI were enrolled and underwent urodynamics from 2002 to 2008. DV was determined when non‐neurogenic detrusor‐sphincter dyssynergia occurred during voluntary voiding. It was further quantitatively analyzed using the tense/loose value, a parameter derived from external anal sphincter electromyogram. The distribution of other urodynamic variables was also evaluated. One hundred and fifty patients underwent the TVT procedure and forty of them were studied with urodynamics after surgery during follow up. Results: Overall, DV was diagnosed in ninety‐nine patients, with a prevalence of 27.5%. The functional profile length in SUI women with DV was significantly shorter than that in SUI women without DV (3.13 ± 0.76 vs 3.32 ± 0.65, P = 0.017). After the TVT procedure, the recovery of SUI between cases with and without DV showed no significant difference. The rate of DV state change after the surgery, namely from with to without DV or from without to with DV, significantly differed between the female patients with and without DV (66.7% vs 3.6%, P < 0.05) during follow up. The DV improved after the surgery in SUI women with DV. Conclusions: DV might represent a coexistent finding in women with SUI. The main difference of women with SUI and DV, as compared with those without DV, is a shortened functional profile length. In such cases, TVT procedure can improve DV along with the treatment of SUI.     

Ⅰ、Ⅱ级肝门区域阻断肝叶(段)切除的初步体会

目的 总结区域阻断肝叶、肝段的入肝血管分支,施行各种类型肝切除的经验.方法 回顾性分析2006年～2007年间湖南省人民医院肝胆科行肝门区域血管阻断肝部分切除的319例临床资料.左肝外叶切除127例,左半肝切除(含Ⅰ段切除)89例,右肝前叶切除15例,右肝后叶切除34例,右半肝切除(含Ⅸ段切除)32例,肝血管瘤剥除/肝局部切除19例,肝囊肿剥除/肝局部切除3例.结果 全组无手术死亡,失血量平均(70±15)mL,术后5～7 d复查肝功能无明显损害,未出现肝坏死、胆漏、出血等并发症.结论 区域血管阻断肝叶(段)切除避免了保留肝叶的缺血再灌注损伤,使手术从容不迫的进行,减少了大量失血及肝功能衰竭的发生,是一种安全、有效的切肝手术方法.     

A Quality and Cost-Benefit Analysis of Dialyzer Reuse in Hemodialysis Patients

Background. To evaluate the benefits of dialyzer reuse for hemodialysis (HD) patients, including the cost of HD treatment and patient's survival, a comparison was made regarding the standard practice of single-use dialysis. Methods. From January 1, 2005, to December 31, 2005, a total of 128,232 successive HD treatments in 822 patients in Chang Gung Memorial Hospital-Kaohsiung Medical Center were included in this study. Results. Approximately 54.25% (446/822) of patients reused dialyzers. The average times of dialyzer reuse was 2.54. The annual hollow fiber cost is reduced by $241,054.08 U.S. dollars (NT $7,834,257.60). The annual cost of hollow fiber was reduced by $540.48 U.S. dollars (NT $17,565.60) in one patient with dialyzer reuse. The mortality rates in dialyzer reuse and single use groups were 3.1% and 10.9% within one year (p < 0.0001). Multiple logistic regressions showed that single use compared with reuse was associated with higher mortality after adjusting co-morbid conditions including age, diabetes mellitus, etc. Conclusions. We concluded that the benefits of dialyzer reuse included safety in our center and reduction in cost during a 12-month period. Dialyzer reuse may be a safe alternative.