Congential dislocation of the hip and adult low back pain: a report of three cases

Congenital dislocation of the hip (CDH) in an adult can accompany or cause mechanical low-back pain. This in turn, can create confusion in making the proper diagnosis. The mechanical alterations caused by CDH create an added strain to the lumbosacral spine. Manipulative treatment for back pain in these patients must not subject the dislocated hips to undue torque.     

Interactions of dextromethorphan with theN-methyl-d-aspartate receptor-channel complex: single channel recordings

The actions of dextromethorphan (DXM) on the 50 pS conductance state of theN-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) receptor-operated channel were studied using outside-out patches obtained from cultured rat hippocampal pyramidal neurons. DXM (5–50 μM) had no effect on the amplitudes of unitary currents but caused concentration-dependent reductions in channel mean open times and the frequency of channel openings. Channel open probability was reduced in a concentration-dependent manner by DXM and was one-half of the control value at a DXM concentration of 6 μM, with the patch potential held at −60 mV. An IC₅₀ value of 4 μM was obtained for the reduction by DXM of NMDA-evoked rises in [Ca²⁺]_i in cultured rat hippocampal pyramidal neurons loaded with Fura-2. The results were consistent with drug block of the open NMDA channel with an onward (blocking) rate constant of 7.7 × 10⁶ M⁻¹ · s⁻¹ (at −60 mV). The estimated unblocking rate constant was about 10 s⁻¹, a value considerably higher compared to the off-rate constant found for dizocilpine block of the NMDA channel.     

Bereavement and remarriage for older adults

The purpose of this study was to assess differences in bereavement outcomes between surviving spouses aged 50 and over who remarried within 4-5 years and those who did not. Fifteen bereaved respondents out of 192 in a longitudinal prospective study who later remarried were compared with 15 other matched nonremarried respondents. Analyses of sociodemographic data, standardized measures of depression, life-satisfaction, resolution of grief, and self-perceived ratings of coping, stress, self-esteem, health and social support were performed with correlated t-tests. Statistically significant differences indicated that over time, the remarried subjects displayed more positive outcomes.     

Antiphospholipid antibodies in pre-eclamptic women: relation to growth retardation and neonatal outcome.

The significance of antiphospholipid antibodies in pre-eclamptic women has not been thoroughly elucidated. The purpose of this study was to determine the proportion of pre-eclamptic women who were antiphospholipid antibody positive, and to elucidate the significance of these antibodies regarding growth retardation and neonatal outcome. Positive levels of anticephalin antibodies, which are antiphospholipid antibodies, were detected in 7 (19%) out of 37 pre-eclamptic women, as compared with none of 40 in a control group of normotensive women at similar stage of pregnancy (p = 0.004). The birthweight percentiles of the neonates of anticephalin antibody positive women were significantly lower than those of the neonates of anticephalin antibody negative women (p = 0.018). Four of 7 infants of anticephalin antibody positive women were growth retarded (less than 2.5th percentile). This was a significantly larger proportion than that for anticephalin antibody negative women (3/30) (p = 0.004). The 95% confidence interval for the difference between the two proportions was 0.10 to 0.85. Two of the 7 neonates of anticephalin antibody positive women died during the neonatal period, compared with none of the 30 neonates of anticephalin antibody negative women (p = 0.003). Thus, our study suggests that positive levels of anticephalin antibodies in pre-eclamptic women increase the risk for growth retardation and neonatal death.     

Requiring Consent vs. Waiving Consent for Medical Records Research: A Minnesota Law vs. the U.S. (HIPAA) Privacy Rule

The use of medical records in research can yield information that is difficult to obtain by other means. When such records are released to investigators in identifiable form, however, substantial privacy and confidentiality risks may be created. These risks become more common and more serious as medical records move to an electronic format. In 1996, the state of Minnesota enacted legislation with respect to consent requirements for the use of medical records in research. This legislation has been widely criticized because--it is claimed--it creates an unnecessary impediment to research. In this article, we show that these arguments rest upon misinterpretation and/or misrepresentation of the 1996 legislation. A consent requirement had actually been present in Minnesota since 1976 (though codified in a patient rights statute rather than a privacy statute). The 1996 law does not require specific consent, as often claimed, but rather only a general authorization. The campaign against the Minnesota legislation appears to have been motivated by concern with respect to the then impending federal privacy rule. The HIPAA rule, as enacted, is in fact less stringent with respect to consent than the Minnesota consent law. On the other hand, the Minnesota consent law has not been effectively applied or enforced. As we change the way we manage sensitive medical information, new efforts are needed to provide protection against the confidentiality risks in research. Patient consent is an important tool in this regard. New instrumentalities are needed to solicit and document consent.     

Sex,stress, and health: Does stress predict health symptoms differently for the two sexes?

Objectives: Previous studies have been inconsistent with regard to the extent to which stress perception, rather than stressor exposure, predicts negative health symptoms. Because sex differences have been observed in all three of these variables, in this study the possibility that sex differences also exist in the relationships between them is investigated. Methods: Self‐report inventories of perceived stress, stressor exposure, and negative health symptoms were given to 107 young‐adult participants (65 females, 42 males). Results: Sex differences were observed in the associations among perceived stress, stressor exposure, and negative health symptom rates. Specifically, while higher perceived stress and higher stressor exposure rates independently predicted higher negative health symptoms rates in females, only higher stressor exposure rates independently predicted higher negative health symptoms in males. Indeed, unexpectedly, after controlling for exposure to stressors there was a trend towards higher perceived stress predicting lower negative health symptoms in males. Conclusions: While exposure to stress was a significant negative predictor of health for both sexes, perception of stress was predictive only for females. One implication of this finding is that different psychological models are needed to predict health symptoms in the two sexes. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Needs assessment for persons with severe mental illness: What services are needed for successful community living?

The development and implementation of effective community support systems are goals of many public mental health authorities who are attempting to shift the focus and dollars for mental health services from inpatient to community care. This article presents the results of a survey which asked 90 community mental health agency case managers to assess the community support and residential needs of over 1400 of their clients. Medication monitoring and therapy were rated high priority needs. Psychosocial treatment, day and vocational activities also ranked high. Survey responses regarding residential services indicated a need for more supported and supervised options.The study reported was a collaborative effort by county and agency staff.