Total parenteral feeding in infants using peripheral veins

Fifteen infants with life-threatening gastrointestinal anomalies received total parenteral feeding for periods ranging from 10 to 54 days; their ages ranged from one day to 5 months. The solutions were administered through peripheral veins. All patients gained weight during the period of observation and no cases of septicaemia were encountered.     

商陆多糖Ⅰ联合白细胞介素2对小鼠脾细胞杀瘤活性的影响

商陆多糖Ⅰ(PAP-I),0.3～3μg·ml^-1和小鼠脾细胞培养3～5d可显著增强其杀伤P815肿瘤细胞活性及IL-2(250～500IU·ml^-1)诱导的LAK细胞活性,最适浓度为1μg·ml^-1。PAP-I及IL-2和脾细胞培养的上清液对P815肿瘤细胞无细胞毒作用,但能增强脾细胞及LAK细胞杀瘤活性。PAP-I,5,10及50mg·kg-1,ip可增强脾细胞杀伤P₈₁₅和L₉₂₉细胞的活性及IL-2诱导的LAK细胞活性。     

Psychological distress and depressed mood in employees with asthma, chronic bronchitis or emphysema: A population-based observational study on prevalence and the relationship with smoking cigarettes

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate if employees with asthma, chronic bronchitis or emphysema can be characterized as a population of patients with a high prevalence of psychological distress and/or depressed mood. Above all, we wanted to examine the influence of smoking status on the relationship between chronic disease and psychological distress/depressed mood. METHODS: A postal survey was conducted among 12,103 employees participating in the Maastricht Cohort Study. RESULTS: Smoking employees, who reported having asthma, chronic bronchitis or emphysema were more likely to report suffering from depressed mood compared to smokers with no long-lasting disease (prevalence rate, PR: 29.3 and 9.0%, respectively; OR for depressed mood = 4.04; 95% CI: 2.56-6.39) and when compared to smoking employees with a history of heart disease, hypertension or myocardial infarction (PR: 18.1%; OR: 1.99; 95% CI: 1.07-3.68), or rheumatoid arthritis (PR: 20.1%; OR: 1.73; 95% CI: 0.96-3.11). CONCLUSION: These findings provide health care professionals with additional evidence regarding the importance for including the assessment of psychological distress and depressed mood in the routine evaluation of the patient with asthma, chronic bronchitis or emphysema, especially with regard to smoking cessation.     

Perforated colorectal neoplasms: correlation of clinical, contrast enema, and CT examinations

Results of clinical, contrast enema (CE), and computed tomographic (CT) examinations in 39 patients with perforated colorectal neoplasms were retrospectively reviewed. Twenty patients were toxemic at initial presentation, but in only four patients was the diagnosis of perforated colorectal neoplasm initially suspected clinically. CE study was performed in 22 patients and enabled the diagnosis of perforated neoplasm in 11 cases, neoplasm alone in eight, and neither neoplasm nor perforation in three. CT was performed in 38 patients and enabled the diagnosis of perforated neoplasm in 36; pericolic phlegmon but no mass lesion was evident in two. In 16 patients, CT also demonstrated metastatic disease. Because of its reliability in establishing the diagnosis and staging the extent of the inflammatory and neoplastic disease, CT is indicated in cases of suspected or proved perforated colorectal neoplasm and in cases in which CE study findings are indeterminate or suggestive of perforated neoplasm.     

Breast MRI: Early experience with a 3-D fat-suppressed Gradient Echo Sequence in the evaluation of breast lesions

The early clinical experience with a 3-Dimensional Fourier Transform Gradient Echo sequence with fat suppression in the evaluation of breast masses is reported. Ten female patients with breast malignancies were pre-operatively evaluated with this sequence and the results compared with the pathological specimens. The scanning protocol included a noncontrast sequence followed by an immediate post-contrast sequence (completed 4.5 min after intravenous contrast injection) and a delayed sequence. Images were assessed for maximum lesion and parenchymal enhancement, lesion size and additional enhancing abnormalities. In six patients, malignant masses enhanced maximally on the immediate post-contrast sequence with parenchyma enhancing maximally on delayed images. In three cases, there was preferential enhancement of malignant lesions over normal parenchyma but to a similar degree on both post-contrast sequences. In one case, both the lesion and parenchyma enhanced maximally on the delayed sequence. Magnetic resonance assessed lesion size accurately and also detected satellite malignancies in one case. However, lesion grade, associated in situ carcinoma and lymphovascular invasion did not impact on lesion enhancement. In this small series, a contrast-enhanced, fat-suppressed 3-D Gradient Echo Sequence detected breast carcinoma with high sensitivity. The technique holds promise but further evaluation is required.     

Circadian and sleep disturbances in the elderly

The incidence of disturbed sleep is strongly increased in healthy and demented elderly. Age-related alterations in the circadian timing system appear to contribute strongly to these problems. With increasing age, a lack of input to the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN), the biological clock of the brain, may accelerate de-activation of neurons involved in the generation of 24-h rhythm or output of this rhythm. This process appears to be reversible, since supplementation of stimuli that impinge on the SCN can re-activate these neurons and ameliorate disturbances in the sleep–wake rhythm.