Sexual experience of partners after hysterectomy, comparing subtotal with total abdominal hysterectomy

BACKGROUND: There is a lack of knowledge about partners' sexual experience after hysterectomy. The aim of this study was to explore potential differences in the experience of sexual intercourse by the partner, related to the operation method (subtotal versus total abdominal hysterectomy). METHOD: Of all patients having undergone abdominal hysterectomy for benign indications at St Olav Hospital, Trondheim between February 2001 and March 2003, Norway, 120 patients (60 total, 60 subtotal abdominal hysterectomy) were identified. Each patient and partner received a postal questionnaire addressing sexuality in connection with the operation. RESULTS: Of the 240 questionnaires, 111 were returned, a response rate of 46%. Among partners of women having undergone total hysterectomy, proportionally more noticed during sexual intercourse that the uterus had been removed (12%) compared to partners of women having undergone subtotal hysterectomy (4%); this was not significant and all of these partners experienced this as positive. Sexual satisfaction was improved or unchanged in most women and their partners, regardless of operation type. Partners who reported poor satisfaction before the operation were significantly more likely to report poor satisfaction after the operation. A high proportion of partners in both hysterectomy groups had not discussed sexuality in relation to the surgery either before or after the operation (subtotal: 44%; total: 24%; not significant). CONCLUSION: The majority of women and their partners reported no negative impact on sexual satisfaction after abdominal hysterectomy, regardless if subtotal or total. The only predictor of negative sexual experience of partners after hysterectomy was negative sexual experience before hysterectomy.     

Quantitative assessment of early experimental diabetes in rats using dynamic contrast-enhanced computed tomography

Purpose

To quantitatively assess the time course of changes of the renal volume and function in the early phase of streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetes in rats using dynamic contrast-enhanced computed tomography (DCE-CT).

Methods

The DCE-CT studies were performed in 24 male Sprague-Dawley rats (n = 6 for control and n = 18 for STZ-treated group) on days 0, 4, 7, 11, and 14 using a multi-detector row CT. The rats of an STZ-treated group were given intraperitoneally 65 mg/kg body weight of STZ on day 0, and were divided into two groups based on the blood glucose concentration on day 4 being less than 300 mg/dL [STZ-treated group (L), n = 8] or greater than 300 mg/dL [STZ-treated group (G), n = 10]. The contrast clearance per unit renal volume (K₁) was estimated from the DCE-CT data using the Patlak model. The renal volume (V_CT) was calculated by manually delineating the kidney on the contrast-enhanced CT image. The contrast clearance of the entire kidney (K) was obtained by K₁ × V_CT.

Results

V_CT in the STZ-treated group was significantly enlarged on day 4 compared to that on day 0 and continued until day 14. Although there were no significant changes in the time course of K₁ in all groups, K in the STZ-treated groups (L) and (G) significantly increased on days 7 and 4, respectively, and continued until day 14, suggesting that hyperfiltration occurs in parallel with renal volume enlargement.

Conclusion

The present method appears useful for quantitatively evaluating the time course of STZ-induced diabetes in rats, because it allows repeated and simultaneous evaluation of renal morphology and function.     

Sex differences in cytokine production and surface antigen expression of peripheral blood mononuclear cells after surgery

BACKGROUND: Several clinical and epidemiological studies have observed a better outcome after sepsis in women than in men. The purpose of this study was to determine if these sex differences are observed in cytokine responses and the surface antigen expression of monocytes. In addition, the clinical courses of male and female patients after gastrointestinal surgery were compared. METHODS: A total of 25 patients with gastric carcinoma who underwent gastrectomy were enrolled in this study. Tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), interleukin-10, and interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) production by lipopolysaccharide-stimulated peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) as well as the expression of Toll-like receptor-4 (TLR-4), TLR-2, human leukocyte antigen-D related (HLA-DR), and CD16 on monocytes in 16 men and 9 women on the day before surgery were compared with measurements on postoperative day (POD) 1. Furthermore, postoperative infectious complications, the development of systemic inflammatory response syndrome, and serum C-reactive protein levels on POD3 were compared. RESULTS: TNF-alpha production of PBMCs and TLR-2 and CD16 expression on monocytes were significantly higher in women than in men before surgery. IFN-gamma production of PBMCs and HLA-DR expression on monocytes were significantly lower in men than in women on POD1. Furthermore, TNF-alpha production of PBMCs on POD1 was significantly increased, and both IFN-gamma production and HLA-DR expression were significantly decreased compared with that observed before surgery in men, but no corresponding significant changes were observed in women. In addition, C-reactive protein levels on POD3 were significantly higher in men than in women. CONCLUSIONS: Both TNF-alpha and interleukin-10 production of PBMCs and both TLR-2 and CD16 expression on monocytes were significantly higher in women than in men on the day before surgery. Excessive TNF-alpha and suppressive IFN-gamma production of PBMCs, as well as a decrease in HLA-DR expression on monocytes, occurred more often in men than in women after surgery, suggesting that these factors all contribute to an increased susceptibility of men to develop systemic inflammatory response syndrome or postoperative infectious complications.     

Intracortical lipoma of the femur

The authors report on a rare case of intracortical lipoma of the right femur in a 74-year-old woman. Magnetic resonance imaging and computed tomography of the femur demonstrated an intracortical lesion in the lateral diaphysis. No medullary involvement by the lesion was noted. Both imaging methods revealed the presence of fat in the lesion. Histologically, the tumor consisted of a large area of mature adipose tissues, admixed with foci of fat necrosis, calcification, and myxoid degeneration. Total excision of the tumor was curative. This is the second reported case of intracortical lipoma.     

Clinical features of body dysmorphic disorder in adolescents and adults

Body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) usually begins during adolescence, but its clinical features have received little investigation in this age group. Two hundred individuals with BDD (36 adolescents; 164 adults) completed interviewer-administered and self-report measures. Adolescents were preoccupied with numerous aspects of their appearance, most often their skin, hair, and stomach. Among the adolescents, 94.3% reported moderate, severe, or extreme distress due to BDD, 80.6% had a history of suicidal ideation, and 44.4% had attempted suicide. Adolescents experienced high rates and levels of impairment in school, work, and other aspects of psychosocial functioning. Adolescents and adults were comparable on most variables, although adolescents had significantly more delusional BDD beliefs and a higher lifetime rate of suicide attempts. Thus, adolescents with BDD have high levels of distress and rates of functional impairment, suicidal ideation, and suicide attempts. BDD's clinical features in adolescents appear largely similar to those in adults.     

Correlation between the number of segmental chromosome aberrations and the age at diagnosis of diploid neuroblastomas without MYCN amplification

Background

In neuroblastomas (NBs) without MYCN amplification, segmental chromosome aberrations SCAs such as 1p loss, 11q loss, and 17q gain have been suggested to be associated with the prognosis of the patients. We assessed the correlation between the number of SCAs and other biological factors in primary NBs samples.

Method

The status of SCAs in 54 primary NBs samples was analyzed using the single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) array (Human CMV370-Duo; Illumina, San Diego, CA). The status of MYCN amplification was determined by an SNP array and the fluorescence in situ hybridization method. The DNA ploidy was determined by flow cytometry.

Results

Nine of 54 samples showed MYCN amplification. All 9 samples with MYCN amplification and 20 of 45 samples without MYCN amplification showed diploidy/tetraploidy, and the other 25 samples without MYCN amplification showed aneuploidy. The most frequent SCAs were 17q gain (26/54; 48.1%) and 11q loss (16/54; 29.6%), followed by 1p loss (15/54; 27.8%). The number of SCAs in diploidy/tetraploidy NBs without MYCN amplification (7.00 ± 4.67) was higher than that in NBs with MYCN amplification (4.78 ± 2.82) and in aneuploid NBs (1.64 ± 2.78) (P < .05). In diploid/tetraploid NBs without MYCN amplification, there was a significant difference between an age at diagnosis less than 12 months (n = 7) and over 12 months (n = 13) (4.14 ± 3.63 vs 8.54 ± 4.54; P = .04). Moreover, the number of SCAs correlated with the age at diagnosis in diploid/tetraploid samples without MYCN amplification (r = 0.70, P = .0006). In NBs with MYCN amplification, the number of SCAs did not correlate with the age at diagnosis.

Conclusion

The number of SCAs significantly increased in proportion to age at diagnosis in diploid/tetraploid NBs without MYCN amplification. The increase in the number of these SCAs may play an important role in the prognosis of patients without MYCN amplification over 12 months of age.     

Implementing a patient education intervention about Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus prevention and effect on knowledge and behavior in veterans with spinal cord injuries and disorders: A pilot randomized controlled trial

Objectives

To assess the feasibility and effect of a nurse-administered patient educational intervention about Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) prevention on knowledge and behavior of Veterans with spinal cord injuries and disorders (SCI/D).

Design

Blinded, block-randomized controlled pilot trial.

Setting

Two Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) SCI Centers.

Participants

Veterans were recruited March–September 2010 through referral by a healthcare provider from inpatient, outpatient, and residential care settings.

Intervention

Thirty participants were randomized to the nurse-administered intervention and 31 to the usual care group. The intervention included a brochure and tools to assist nurses in conducting the education.

Outcome measures

Pre- and post-intervention measurement of knowledge and behaviors related to MRSA and prevention strategies and feasibility measures related to implementation.

Results

Participants were primarily male (95.1%), white (63.9%), with tetraplegia (63.9%) and mean age and duration of injury of 64.3 and 20.5 years, respectively. The intervention groups mean knowledge score significantly increased between pre- and post-test (mean change score = 1.70, 95% confidence interval, CI 0.25–3.15) while the usual care groups score did not significantly change (mean change score = 1.45, 95% CI −0.08–2.98). However, the mean knowledge change between intervention and usual care groups was not significantly different (P = 0.81). Overall behavior scores did not significantly differ between treatment groups; however, the intervention group was more likely to report intentions to clean hands (90.0% vs. 64.5%, P = 0.03) and asking providers about MRSA status (46.7% vs. 16.1%, P = 0.01). Nurse educators reported that the quality of the intervention was high and could be implemented in clinical care.

Conclusions

A targeted educational strategy is feasible to implement in SCI/D clinical practices and may improve some participants’ knowledge about MRSA and increase intentions to improve hand hygiene and engagement with providers about their MRSA status.