Somatic symptoms,pain, catastrophizing and the association with disability among children with heritable connective tissue disorders

The aim of the present study was to investigate the nature and prevalence of nonspecific somatic symptoms, pain and catastrophizing in children with Heritable Connective Tissue Disorders (HCTD), and to determine their association with disability. This observational, multicenter study included 127 children, aged 4–18 years, with Marfan syndrome (MFS) (59%), Loeys-Dietz syndrome (LDS) (8%), Ehlers-Danlos syndromes (EDS) (12%) and hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (hEDS) (23%). The assessments included the Children's Somatization Inventory or parent proxy (CSI, PCSI), pain visual-analogue scale (VAS), SUPERKIDZ body diagram, Pain Catastrophizing Scale Child or parent proxy (PCS-C, PCS-P) and Childhood Health Assessment Questionnaire (CHAQ-30). Data from children aged ≥8 years were compared to normative data. In children ≥ 8 years (n = 90), pain was present in 59%, with a median of 4 (IQR = 3–9) pain areas. Compared to normative data, the HCTD group reported significantly higher on the CSI (p ≤ 0.001, d = 0.85), VAS pain intensity (p ≤ 0.001, d = 1.22) and CHAQ-30 (p ≤ 0.001, d = 1.16) and lower on the PCS-C (p = 0.017, d = −0.82) and PCS-P (p ≤ 0.001, d = −0.49). The intensity of nonspecific somatic symptoms and pain explained 45% of the variance in disability (r² = 0.45 F(2,48) = 19.70, p ≤ 0.001). In children ≤ 7 years (n = 37), pain was present in 35% with a median of 5(IQR = 1–13) pain areas. The mean(SD) VAS scores for pain intensity was 1.5(2.9). Functional disability was moderately correlated to the number of pain areas (r = 0.56, p ≤ 0.001), intensity of nonspecific somatic symptoms (r = 0.63, p ≤ 0.001) and pain (r = 0.83, p ≤ 0.001). In conclusion, this study supports the need for comprehensive assessment of nonspecific somatic symptoms, pain, and disability in children with HCTD to allow tailored treatment.     

Comparative activity of cefepime with several antimicrobials against aerobic Gram-negative and Gram-positive organisms isolated from patients across Canada in 1993

To compare the activity of cefepime, a fourth-generation cephalosporin, with several available antimicrobials, in vitro susceptibility studies were carried out on bacteria commonly associated with various infections, including sepsis. Ten tertiary care hospital laboratories in six provinces provided 1276 clinically relevant isolates of aerobic Gram-negative bacilli and Gram-positive cocci during 1993. When the activity of each of the antimicrobials was determined against all isolates submitted, cefepime, piperacillin/tazobactam, imipenem and ciprofloxacin all had minimal inhibitory concentrations for 90% of the organisms (mic(90)) two or more dilutions below the mic resistant category. Gentamicin's mic(90) against all organisms tested was one dilution below the mic resistant category. The mic(90)s of the third-generation cephalosporins, piperacillin and ticarcillin/clavulanate, for Enterobacter species fell in the resistant category. This is presumably due to constitutive high level chromosomal cephalosporinase production. The mic(90)s of cefepime for Enterobacter species was three or more dilutions below the mic resistant category. The mic(90)s of all antimcrobials against Staphylococcus aureus, with the exception of ceftazidime and piperacillin, had mic(90) categories two or more dilutions below the resistant category. The activity of cefepime, piperacillin/tazobactam, imipenem, ciprofloxacin and gentamicin make them excellent candidates for the empirical therapy of serious infections due to aerobic Gram-negative bacilli and S aureus.     

80例正常人体表标测Q-T_d~p的观察

采用９１ 导联体表电位标测法（ Ｂ Ｓ Ｐ Ｍ） 观察８０ 例正常人 Ｑ Ｔｐｄ（ Ｑ 波起点到 Ｔ 波峰值间期的离散度） ,与同步１２ 导联心电图 Ｑ Ｔ 离散度（ Ｑ Ｔｄ） 对照,探讨 Ｂ Ｓ Ｐ Ｍ 条件下测定 Ｑ Ｔｄ 的可行性。结果：① Ｑ Ｔｐ 、 Ｑ Ｔｐｄ 、 Ｑ Ｔｐｃ１ｄ（ Ｂａｚｚｅｔｔ 公式校正） 、 Ｑ Ｔｐｃ２ｄ（ Ｆｒｉｄｅｒｃｉａ 公式校正） 分别为（２９２ ．６９ ±３７ ．７５） ｍｓ 、（３６ ．７７ ±７ ．４０） ｍｓ 、（４０ ．２３ ±９ ．０４） ｍｓ 和（４０ ．１１ ±７ ．７３） ｍｓ ;② Ｑ Ｔｐｄ 与 Ｑ Ｔｄ 、 Ｑ Ｔｐｃ１ｄ 与 Ｑ Ｔｃ１ｄ 、 Ｑ Ｔｐｃ２ｄ 与 Ｑ Ｔｃ２ｄ 有良好的相关性;③３ 个年龄组（１８ ～３５ 岁、３６ ～６０ 岁、６１ ～７０ 岁） 各参数间无显著性差异;④ Ｑ Ｔｐ 女性明显大于男性（ Ｐ＜ ０ ．０５） ,其余各值男女性之间均无显著性差异。提示： Ｂ Ｓ Ｐ Ｍ 测定 Ｑ Ｔｐｄ 简便可行、较为准确,正常值可暂定为５２ ｍｓ 。     

European multicenter study of natural family planning (1989–1995): efficacy and drop-out

Background: Effectiveness studies in natural family planning (NFP) published over the past 20 years have shown a wide range of contraceptive efficacy and acceptability. This seems to be due in part to different NFP methodologies. Consequently, we decided to carry out an effectiveness study in Europe to examine one group of the most widely spread NFP methods, the sympto-thermal methods.Methods: Between 1989 and 1995, 15 NFP groups from 10 European countries participated in a prospective European multicentre study. This paper reports on l328 women aged between 19 and 45 years and willing to participate for at least 12 cycles. Two types of symptothermal methods were mainly used, the symptothermal double-check methods (1046 women, 16 865 cycles of exposure, 34 unintended pregnancies) and the symptothermal single-check methods (214 women, 1495 cycles of exposure, 13 unintended pregnancies). The study was an observational study with prospectively collected data. The pregnancy rates, drop-out rates and lost-to-follow-up rates are presented separately for both subgroups according to the Kaplan–Meier method.Results: For the double-check methods, there was an unintended pregnancy rate of 2.6% at the end of the first 12 cycles of use (standard error or SE 0.55%), a drop-out rate for difficulties or dissatisfaction of 3.9% (SE 0.69%) and a lost-to-follow-up rate of 3.l% (SE 0.62%). In the single-check group, there was a total of 13 unintended pregnancies at the end of the first 12 cycles of study participation, giving an unintended pregnancy rate of 8.5% (SE 2.52%), a drop-out rate for difficulties or dissatisfaction of 3.0% (SE 1.76%) and a lost-to-follow-up rate of 23.4% (SE 4.35%). No pregnancy was observed in women over 40 years of age. Most pregnancies occurred because of deliberate unprotected intercourse in the fertile phase (user failure).Conclusions: The symptothermal double-check methods have proved to be effective family planning methods in Europe. The low drop-out-rate for difficulties or dissatisfaction with NFP shows the good acceptability.     

Multicentre international liver tumour study protocol of the case-control study on hepatocellular cancer

Toxicological evidence has recently shown that cyproterone acetate (CPA) is associated with increased adduct formation in liver cell cultures that was interpreted as a possible sign for genotoxicity. Likewise, a few spontaneous reports of liver cancer associated to CPA were published. This led to an alert announced by the German Drug Regulators. One reason to design a case-control study on hepatocellular cancer (HCC) and oral contraceptives (OC's) use (and specific subtypes such as CPA-containing ones) was that other clinical or pharmacoepidemiological studies were not available which dealt with this suspicion. This idea got support from the fact that most of the earlier case-control studies on HCC and OC were small, did not sufficiently control for confounding by: hepatitis B and C, exposure at work, use of other potentially hepatotoxic drugs and also did not distinguish between different types of OC's. Objectives, hypotheses, methods used and subjects studied are described in this paper. The study began in six countries (Germany, United Kingdom, France, Italy, Spain, Greece) on 1 July 1994. It will be finished by the end of June 1996, and first results can be expected by the end of 1996 or early 1997.     

Cerebrospinal fluid cyclic AMP and acid monoamine metabolites following probenecid: Studies in psychiatric patients

At probenecid levels greater than 10 g/ml, CSF cAMP was independent of CSF probenecid concentration. At these levels of probenecid, cAMP transport out of CSF is probably maximally blocked and cAMP levels reflect cAMP release into CSF. CSF cAMP was significantly higher in RDC-diagnosed schizophrenics than in other psychotics or depressives. A significant decrease in CSF cAMP was found in psychotic patients treated with chlorpromazine. No changes in CSF cAMP were observed in patients treated with tricyclic antidepressants or lithium.     

High-dose immunoglobulin therapy for Guillain−Barré syndrome in Japanese children

BACKGROUND: Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) is an acute acquired demyelinating polyneuropathy, presumed to be immune-mediated. Intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIg) has been used to treat GBS and was found to be effective. However, a well-controlled study of pediatric GBS has not been conducted in Japan. Therefore, to evaluate the efficacy of IVIg in the treatment of GBS, an open-labeled study was performed in pediatric patients. METHODS: Participants in the study were required to be younger than 15 years old, and diagnosed as having moderate or severe GBS. IVIg (400 mg/kg per day) was administered to patients for five consecutive days. Predefined outcome measures were defined on a seven-point scale of motor function (Hughes' functional grade [FG]). RESULTS: Eleven patients were treated with IVIg. The median time taken to improve by one grade on the FG scale was 10.0 days after initial treatment. Two weeks after initial treatment, 72.7% of patients treated with IVIg improved by one or more grades, and 36.4% improved by two or more grades, measured on the FG scale. After 4 weeks an improvement by one or more grades was observed in 81.8% of patients, and two or more grades in 63.6% of patients. These improvement rates were markedly greater than would occur with the natural course of GBS1. Adverse events (subjective symptoms or abnormal laboratory findings) were observed in four patients, although all were temporary and mild. CONCLUSIONS: The authors conclude that IVIg is a safe and effective treatment for childhood GBS, which shortens the time to recovery.     

Factors associated with liver biopsy performance in HCV-HIV coinfected injecting drug users with HCV viremia: Results from a five-year longitudinal assessment

The last international consensus conference about hepatitis C virus (HCV) treatment emphasized the importance of treatment for persons coinfected with HCV and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). As liver biopsy precedes treatment, we aimed to identify factors associated with the performance of liver biopsy among HIV-HCV coinfected drug users during a 5-year follow-up to study their access to HCV treatment. Of the 296 patients followed in the HIV hospital departments of Nice and Marseilles and with retrievable records about HCV diagnosis and care, 166 were eligible for analysis having had detectable HCV RNA at least once during the study period. Overall, 45.2% of patients underwent liver biopsy during follow-up. Using proportional hazard models, predictors of having had a liver biopsy were high social support, complete abstinence from drug injection, and lack of immunosuppression as well as male gender, no history of multiple incarcerations, more recent onset of drug use, and an increase of liver enzyme levels. These results suggest that specific efforts should be devoted to HIV-HCV coinfected drug users to assist with stabilizing these patients to optimize their access to HCV care whenever possible. The MANIF 2000 study group includes C. Boirot, A. D. Bouhnik, M. P. Carrieri, J. P. Cassuto, M. Chesney, P. Dellamonica, P. Dujardin, S. Duran, J. G. Fuzibet, H. Gallais, J. A. Gastaut, G. Lepeu, D. A. Loundou, C. Marimoutou, D. Mechali, J. P. Moatti, J. Moreau, M. Nègre, Y. Obadia, I. Poizot-Martin, C. Pradier, D. Rey, C. Rouzioux, A. Sobel, B. Spire, F. Trémolières, and D. Vlahov.