Importance of blood pressure reduction for prevention of progression of renal disease

Despite reduction of stroke and coronary mortality rates, progression of renal disease to end stage continues to occur with increasing frequency. Recent studies emphasize common pathways of elevated arterial pressures that produce increased glomerular capillary pressures and increase filtered proteins in the urinary space. Such proteinuria, along with activation of the intrarenal renin-angiotensin system, endothelin, and inflammatory cytokines, magnifies progressive renal injury and fibrosis. Malignant forms of hypertension with severe arteriolar injury and proteinuria can be treated effectively with current antihypertensive regimens with improved patient survival. Several recent studies indicate improved renal outcomes in proteinuric diseases, generally regardless of the specific antihypertensive agent. Recent trials of hypertensive subjects with minimal proteinuria demonstrate slower rates of disease progression than that seen in subjects with proteinuria above 1 gram per day. Reduction of arterial pressures, particularly when it leads to reduced proteinuria, can slow the progression of many renal diseases.     

Pet sensitivities in asthmatic children

A history of pet contact and/or apparent clinical sensitivity was obtained in 65 (55%) of 118 unselected asthmatic children. These 65 children were skin tested and their sera examined for specific IgE using the radioallergosorbent test. Those children who had apparent clinical sensitivities had larger skin test reactions and were more likely to have positive specific IgE results than those without apparent sensitivities. Positive skin tests were very common (80%), but the larger the skin test reaction (weal diameter greater than 4 mm diameter) the more likely was there to be a positive history or a positive specific IgE result. Hence a large skin test reaction can provide a helpful pointer to animal allergy of clinical importance. Commercially available animal extracts have limitations for diagnostic tests. A questionnaire survey of 150 day schools emphasized the potential opportunities for contact with animal allergens at school.     

闭合性输尿管损伤的早期诊断

０　引言　腹部钝性伤所致闭合性输尿管损伤罕见,且早期缺乏典型症状,往往延误诊断［１］,造成严重后果．我们采用电视屏幕动态观察下大剂量静脉肾盂造影或逆行造影的方法,早期诊断闭合性输尿管损伤,取得较满意效果．１　临床资料　本组男性５例,女性１例,年龄３岁～３６岁,右侧４例,左侧２例．２例合并肾损伤,１例合并骨盆骨折,右骶髂关节分离,尿道损伤．４例为撞伤、压伤,２例坠落伤．６例均无典型输尿管损伤症状．４例在电视屏幕动态观察下行大剂量静脉肾盂造影,其中１例同时在电视屏幕动态观察下行逆行造影．本组６例,早…     

Giant Asian honeybee or Bambara stings causing myocardial infarction,bowel gangrene and fatal anaphylaxis in Sri Lanka: a case series

The sting of Giant Asian honeybee (Apis dorsata) or Bambara in Sinhala and Karunge Kulavi in Tamil is a common environmental hazard in Sri Lanka known to cause immediate allergic reactions, which could be fatal in sensitized individuals. We reported myocardial infarction, bowel gangrene and fatal anaphylaxis in a prospectively proven case series and the association of these uncommon complications with delayed removal of stingers from the patients' skin.     

选择性κ阿片激动剂K-Ⅱ与U-50488的药理作用比较

K-Ⅱ系k阿片激动剂U-50488的同类物。通过部分离体和整体实验比较了K-Ⅱ与U-50488的药理作用。实验发现,K-Ⅱ抑制电刺激兔输精管收缩的IC₅₀值为0.42 nmol/L,U-50488为26.5 nmol/L;K-Ⅱ抑制小鼠运动功能(横筛法)的ED₅₀值为1.7 mg/g,U-50488为15.3 mg/kg;K-Ⅱ的小鼠LD₅₀值为152.5 mg/kg,U-50488为118.4 mg/g;K-Ⅱ明显降低小鼠自发活动的作用比U-50488强5倍。结果表明,K-Ⅱ是一个药理作用较U-50488强的k受体激动剂。     

Prediction of two month modified Rankin Scale with an ordinal prediction model in patients with aneurysmal subarachnoid haemorrhage

Background  

Aneurysmal subarachnoid haemorrhage (aSAH) is a devastating event with a frequently disabling outcome. Our aim was to develop a prognostic model to predict an ordinal clinical outcome at two months in patients with aSAH.     

MGB1 Poor Adherence to Hypertension Treatment Guidelines: An Analysis of Therapeutic Choices

The recent Sixth Report of the Joint National Committee on Prevention, Detection, Evaluation, and Treatment of High Blood Pressure (JNC) reiterated long-standing recommendations that Stage 1 hypertension (BP ≥ 140/90 mm Hg) without comorbidity should be treated initially with diuretics (DI) or beta blockers (BB). Yet market research suggests that many physicians prefer to use other drug classes, such as calcium channel blockers and ACE inhibitors.
OBJECTIVES: To explore the determinants of therapeutic choice in hypertension.
METHODS: We surveyed by mail a stratified random sample of 10,000 U.S. cardiologists, internists, and family/general practitioners. Physicians were queried about their practice environment and their knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding antihypertensive therapy, including their choice of drugs to treat patients with specified clinical profiles. The probability that physicians would follow JNC guidelines Stage 1 hypertension was analyzed using multiple logistic regression with stepwise backward elimination to select variable with p < 0.001.
RESULTS: Completed surveys were received from 1,023 physicians. 86.7% prescribe drug therapy for Stage 1 hypertension, and 19.5% (22.5% of drug prescribers) limit their choices to DI and BB. Guideline conformity was higher among physicians who: practice in academic medical centrers; are older; are general practitioners (versus general internists); have smaller caseloads; have fewer hypertensive patients; have higher proportions of HMO, Medicaid, and uninsured patients; and experience more formulary restrictions. Cardiologists and family practitioners were less likely than internists to follow guidelines.
CONCLUSION: JNC guidelines are better accepted by academic physicians, older physicians who have more expenence using DI and BB, physicians with smaller caseloads and hence more time for follow-up and therapy adjustment, and physicians who face drug reimbursement constraints.