Comparison of mortality risk associated with bacteremia due to methicillin-resistant and methicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus.

OBJECTIVE: To quantify the clinical impact of methicillin-resistance in Staphylococcus aureus causing infection complicated by bacteremia in adult patients, while controlling for the severity of patients' underlying illnesses. DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study from October 1, 1995, through December 31, 2003. PATIENTS AND SETTING: A total of 438 patients with S. aureus infection complicated by bacteremia from a single Veterans Affairs healthcare system. RESULTS: We found that 193 (44%) of the 438 patients had methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) infection and 114 (26%) died of causes attributable to S. aureus infection within 90 days after the infection was identified. Patients with MRSA infection had a higher mortality risk, compared with patients with methicillin-susceptible S. aureus (MSSA) infections (relative risk, 1.7 [95% confidence interval, 1.3-2.4]; P<.01), except for patients with pneumonia (relative risk, 0.7 [95% confidence interval, 0.4-1.3]). Patients with MRSA infections were significantly older (P<.01), had more underlying diseases (P=.02), and were more likely to have severe sepsis in response to their infection (P<.01) compared with patients with MSSA bacteremia. Patients who died within 90 days after S. aureus infection was identified were significantly older (P<.01) and more likely to have severe sepsis (P<.01) and pneumonia (P=.01), compared with patients who survived. After adjusting for age as a confounder, comorbidities, and pneumonia as an effect modifier, S. aureus infection-related mortality remained significantly higher in patients with MRSA infection than in those with MSSA infection, among those without pneumonia (hazard ratio, 1.8 [95% confidence interval, 1.2-3.0]); P<.01. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study suggest that patients with MRSA infections other than pneumonia have a higher mortality risk than patients with MSSA infections other than pneumonia, independent of the severity of patients' underlying illnesses.     

实时荧光定量PCR检测PML-RARα融合基因的临床应用研究

目的 利用PML-RARα融合基因作为标志物,应用实时荧光定量PCR技术,监测急性早幼粒细胞白血病(APL)微小残留病(minimal residual disease,MRD)患者体内病毒的状态,探讨预测APL复发风险的方法.方法 利用本实验室建立的定量检测APL患者PML-RARα融合基因的方法,对25例处于初诊、完全缓解(complete remission,CR)、复发等不同阶段的APL患者进行了PML-RARα融合基因的定量检测,并对其中6例患者的MRD状态进行了动态监测.结果 应用荧光定量PCR技术分析患者初诊、CR和复发状态的PML-RARα基因对数值(lg)水平,结果 显示有统计学意义(x2=6.847,P＜0.05);随访期患者的PML-RARα对数值(lg)水平变化较大:初诊时较高(-0.61±0.79),CR时下降(-1.31±0.62),复发时又出现上升(-0.57±0.44),提示若该患者在CR时的对数值呈现上升趋势,患者复发的机率大.结论 应用实时荧光定量(RQ)-PCR技术定量检测PML-RARα融合基因,对监测APL患者MRD状态具有临床适用性,随访期的MRD动态追踪监测具有预后价值.     

卫生院改革中的"软法"运行现状及功能实现

乡镇卫生院改革是一项关乎农村稳定、农民安康的工程。从既有的工作轨迹及发展趋势来看,这项改革是在以“两办(中共中央办公厅、国务院办公     

Neuroactive Properties of Reproductive Steroids

Migraine is 3 times more common in postpubertal women than in men. Migraine is frequently exacerbated perimenstrually and commonly occurs exclusively at that time. It is often benefited by pregnancy and menopause. Estrogen withdrawal has been implicated as a mechanism for triggering migraines. The mechanism, however, is not well understood. Reproductive steroids have neuroactive properties that can modulate neuronal morphology and physiology. Increasing evidence suggests that circulating reproductive steroid levels regulate the balance of neuroexcitatory and neuroinhibitory activities in some brain regions by influencing synaptic plasticity. Estrogen has neuroexcitatory, whereas progesterone has neuroinhibitory, effects in most preclinical and clinical models. Several neurotransmitter systems that are implicated in migraine vary with reproductive steroid levels during the reproductive cycle. Estrogen stabilization may provide effective treatment in susceptible women, especially for catamenially exacerbated migraine.     

Emergency Medicine Practitioner Knowledge and Use of Decision Rules for the Evaluation of Patients with Suspected Pulmonary Embolism: Variations by Practice Setting and Training Level

Background Several clinical decision rules (CDRs) have been validated for pretest probability assessment of pulmonary embolism (PE), but the authors are unaware of any data quantifying and characterizing their use in emergency departments. Objectives To characterize clinicians' knowledge of and attitudes toward two commonly used CDRs for PE. Methods By using a modified Delphi approach, the authors developed a two‐page paper survey including 15 multiple‐choice questions. The questions were designed to determine the respondents' familiarity, frequency of use, and comprehension of the Canadian and Charlotte rules. The survey also queried the frequency of use of unstructured (gestalt) pretest probability assessment and reasons why physicians choose not to use decision rules. The surveys were sent to physicians, physician assistants, and medical students at 32 academic and community hospitals in the United States and the United Kingdom. Results Respondents included 555 clinicians; 443 (80%) work in academic practice, and 112 (20%) are community based. Significantly more academic practitioners (73%) than community practitioners (49%) indicated familiarity with at least one of the two decision rules. Among all respondents familiar with a rule, 50% reported using it in more than half of applicable cases. A significant number of these respondents could not correctly identify a key component of the rule (23% for the Charlotte rule and 43% for the Canadian rule). Fifty‐seven percent of all respondents indicated use of gestalt rather than a decision rule in more than half of cases. Conclusions Academic clinicians were more likely to report familiarity with either of these two specific decision rules. Only one half of all clinicians reporting familiarity with the rules use them in more than 50% of applicable cases. Spontaneous recall of the specific elements of the rules was low to moderate. Future work should consider clinical gestalt in the evaluation of patients with possible PE.