Mortality in children hospitalised with respiratory syncytial virus infection in Singapore

INTRODUCTIONThis study aimed to investigate the trend and seasonality of infection due to respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) at KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital (KKH) in Singapore and to examine the risk factors for mortality among children with RSV infection requiring admission to the paediatric intensive care unit (PICU).METHODSA retrospective study was conducted at KKH on children with RSV infections who were admitted to the PICU between January 2004 and December 2010. The medical records of children who died from RSV infections were reviewed. Linear regression was performed to determine the risk factors for RSV mortality.RESULTSRSV infection was documented in 5,785 children during the study period; the infection was noted to be occurring throughout the year, with a small increase in prevalence between the months of June and August every year. Among 85 (1.5%) out of 5,785 children who were admitted to the PICU for RSV infection, 74 (1.3%) survived and 11 (0.2%) died. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that haemodynamically significant cardiac disease (odds ratio [OR] 12.2, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.9–16.7, p = 0.05), immunodeficiency (OR 71.4, 95% CI 8.2–500, p < 0.001) and metabolic disease (OR 71.4, 95% CI 4.3–1,000, p = 0.003) were independent risk factors for mortality in RSV infections. Prematurity increased the risk of admission to the PICU but was not significantly associated with mortality.CONCLUSIONChildren with haemodynamically significant cardiac disease, immunodeficiency and metabolic disease were at higher risk of death after hospitalisation for RSV-related illnesses. These children should be considered for palivizumab prophylaxis.     

Three-phase response of mock-cell culture to long-term antiviral chemotherapy

Department of Inhibitors of Viral Activity, Belorussian Research Institute of Epidemiology and Microbiology, Ministry of Health of the Belorussian SSR, Minsk. Translated from Byulleten' Éksperimental'noi Biologii i Meditsiny, Vol. 107, No. 5, pp. 595–598, May, 1989.     

Epidemiological, clinical and viral determinants of the increased prevalence of high-risk human papillomavirus (HPV) infections in elderly women

BACKGROUND: Population-based studies have reported a second peak of human papillomavirus (HPV) prevalence among women > 55 years, but reasons for this U-shaped HPV prevalence curve are poorly understood. OBJECTIVES: To analyse determinants of high-risk HPV (HR-HPV) infections among postmenopausal women. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: A cohort of 3,187 women was stratified into three age categories: i) youngest age group < 25 years (n = 1.103); ii) women between 26-55 years (n = 2.004), and iii) women > 55 years (n = 80), analysed for epidemiological, clinical and virological determinants of their HR-HPV infections. Real-time PCR was used for HPV genotyping, analysis of viral loads for HPV16, 18/45, 31, 33/52/58, 35 and 39, and load of integrated HPV16. RESULTS: Age-standardised prevalence of HR-HPV infections showed a second peak among women > 55 years, with a perfect U-shaped curve (R2 = 0.966). The factors explaining this increased HR-HPV prevalence among older women include: i) cohort effect, ii) higher viral loads for HR-HPV types with cubic model curve (R2 = 0.714) for HPV 16, iii) distinct shift (p = 0.0001) from multiple-type infections to single HR-HPV types, iv) transition from episomal to integrated HPV16 (p = 0.009), v) higher load of integrated HPV16 (p = 0.009), and, vi) higher proportion of incident infections, higher rate of viral persistence, and lower rate of HR-HPV clearance. CONCLUSIONS: These data suggest that in women who fail to eradicate their HR-HPV infection until menopause, selection of integrated viral clone has taken place, driving the process towards progressing disease. Consequent to this, most of the HR-HPV infections in women > 55 years were associated with high-grade CIN or invasive carcinoma.     

血栓弹力图评价全髋置换术围手术期应用利伐沙班后的凝血功能改变

目的研究血液凝固性在全髋关节置换术前、后的改变以及术后服用利伐沙班对其影响。方法随机选择2011年在我科行全髋关节置换术的患者66例。所有患者术后第1天开始口服利伐沙班,并分别于术前、术后第1天、术后第4天行血栓弹力图（thromboelastography,TEG）检查。比较各阶段TEG重要指标的差异。结果全髋关节置换术后TEG各指标中凝血反应时间（r）、血细胞凝集块形成时间（k）、凝血时间（r＋k）值短于术前,血细胞凝集块形成速率（α）、最大振幅（ma）、凝血指数（CI）值高于术前,差异有统计学意义;术后服用利伐沙班后TEG各指标中r、r＋k时间长于服药前,差异有统计学意义;k、α、ma、CI无显著变化,差异无统计学意义。结论全髋关节置换术可明显增加患者的血液凝固性,而增加血栓风险;术后短期口服利伐沙班可降低血液凝固性。     

穴位注射治疗尖锐湿疣及对免疫功能的影响

目的：探讨穴位注射治疗CA的临床疗效及对CA患者免疫功能的影响。方法：149例患者随机分为治疗组（A组）、药物对照组（B组）和空白对照组（C组）。运用激光治疗消除疣体后，A组用卡介菌多糖核酸穴位注射，B组用卡介菌多糖核酸肌肉注射，C组仅行激光消除疣体治疗。分别于治疗前及6个月以后检测患者细胞免疫功能。另设健康人对照组40例，检测项目同上。结果：治疗前与健康人相比，CA患者CD4^＋百分率降低，CD8^＋百分率升高，CD4^＋／CD8^＋比值降低，NK细胞活性降低（P〈0．05或P〈0．01）。运用穴位注射卡介菌多糖核酸治疗后，治疗组CD4^＋百分率升高，CD8^＋百分率降低，CD4^＋／CD8^＋比值升高，NK细胞活性升高（P〈0．05或P〈0．01）。结论：穴位注射卡介菌多糖核酸疗法对CA的T淋巴细胞亚群、自然杀伤（NK）细胞有良性调节作用；可明显降低尖锐湿疣复发率，提高细胞免疫调节作用，是防止尖锐湿疣复发的机制之一。     

Cerebrospinal fluid amino acid levels in newborn infants with intracranial hemorrhage

Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) amino acid levels including excitatory amino acids (i.e. glutamate and aspartate) in 25 preterm and 18 full-term newborn infants with no serious disease except intracranial hemorrhage (ICH) were measured. ICH was detected in 13 preterm and six full-term infants on the basis of the clinical, lumbar puncture (LP) and cranial ultrasonography (CraUSG) findings. Twelve preterm and 12 full-term infants who were neurologically healthy comprised the control group. The mean concentration of CSF amino acids did not differ between preterm and full-term infants. The CSF concentrations of taurine, threonine, glycine, alanine, valine, isoleucine, leucine, tyrosine and phenylalanine in preterm infants, and threonine, aspartic acid and alanine in full-term infants were significantly elevated in infants with ICH. These abnormalities, especially in preterm infants, are probably related to cerebral hypoxia in CSF amino acid concentrations in newborn infants with ICH.     

山东沿海农村地区的新生儿听力筛查

目的探讨如何在农村地区开展新生儿听力筛查。方法调查2004年1-12月在山东省莱州市人民医院出生的3922例新生儿，2004年莱州市年鉴显示：农业人口约占79％。采用瞬态诱发耳声发射快速筛查程序对出生后2～7d的新生儿进行听力筛查。未通过者在生后的4～6周进行复筛，复筛仍未通过者随访并做诊断性检查。结果3612例接受筛查占该院总出生人数的92．1％（3612／3922）；其中6％贫困儿享受免费筛查。初筛通过2527例，占总筛查人数的69．96％；未通过1085例（30．4％）。未接受筛查310例（7．9％）。应复筛1085例，实际按时复筛633例（58．34％），未能复筛452例（41．66％）。其中高危新生儿163例，按时筛查114例（69．94％），放弃筛查49例（30．06％）。复筛未通过者共14例，11例接受了诊断性听性脑干反应检查，2例双耳中度听力损伤，2例双耳重度听力损伤，4例单耳轻度听力损伤，3例正常。结论在农村地区开展新生儿听力筛查是可行的，也是必要的，建议应该尽快地建立和完善农村地区新生儿听力筛查模式，让更多的贫困婴儿享受免费筛查，真正做到人人享有健康。     

Do eating habits differ according to alcohol consumption? Results of a study of the French cohort of the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (E3N-EPIC)

BACKGROUND: The potential of dietary habits to confound the association between alcohol consumption and health needs further study. OBJECTIVE: We examined whether eating habits differed according to alcohol consumption in a large cohort of French women. DESIGN: This was a cross-sectional study of the French cohort of the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (E3N-EPIC). The cohort was established in 1990 and includes 100000 women born between 1925 and 1950. Dietary data were obtained between 1993 and 1995 by using self-administered food-frequency questionnaires. About 73000 questionnaires were analyzed, and women were placed into 7 categories of alcohol consumption. RESULTS: After adjustment for energy derived from alcohol, increasing alcohol consumption was associated with a higher total energy intake, a higher percentage of energy intake as protein and lipids, and higher intakes of cholesterol, fatty acids, retinol, iron, and vitamin E. Conversely, energy provided by carbohydrates decreased with increasing alcohol consumption, as did beta-carotene intake. Increasing alcohol consumption was associated with higher consumption of animal products, cheese, potatoes, oil, bread, and breakfast cereals and with lower consumption of vegetables and dairy products. CONCLUSION: In this population of middle-aged, highly educated French women, marked differences in dietary patterns and nutrient intakes were found according to alcohol consumption. Part of the detrimental effect of alcohol on health may be due to the less healthy dietary habits of drinkers. This points to a confounding role of eating habits and nutrient intakes in the relation between alcohol and health.