Sex‐related Disparity in Surgical Mortality among Pediatric Patients

Background. It has been reported that gender differences in cardiovascular outcomes found in adults also are present in children who undergo surgical repair for congenital heart disease. Methods. California statewide hospital discharge data 1989–99 were used to study outcomes in children <18 years undergoing cardiac surgery. Hospital discharge data were linked to death registry data to study postdischarge death within 30 days of discharge. We used logistic regression to evaluate the effect of gender on mortality controlling for age, race and ethnicity, type of insurance, household income, date and month of surgery, type of admission, hospital case volume, and various types of procedures. Results. There were 25 402 cardiac surgery cases with 1505 in‐hospital deaths (mortality rate of 5.92%). An additional 37 deaths occurred within 30 days after hospital discharge. Crude mortality rates for males (5.99%) and females (5.84%) were not significantly different. However, fewer neonates were female and females underwent a higher proportion of low‐risk procedures than males. Logistic regression revealed that females, compared with males, had a significantly higher odds ratio (OR) for in‐hospital mortality (OR = 1.18, P < .01) and overall (up to 30 days post discharge) mortality (OR = 1.18, P < .01). The risk‐adjusted length of hospital stay was similar between females and males while charges per hospital day were slightly higher in females than males. The prevalence of Down syndrome, pulmonary hypertension, and failure to thrive were higher in females. Conclusions. Female gender is associated with an 18% higher in‐hospital and 30‐day postdischarge mortality as compared with male gender. There was no difference in length of hospital stay between males and females. The mechanism by which female gender acts as a risk factor requires further investigation.     

Littoral‐cell angioma as a rare cause of splenomegaly

We report the case of a littoral‐cell angioma of the spleen, a recently described benign vascular tumour, whose imaging and pathological characteristics have been discussed only by a few authors. The diagnosis was made after elective splenectomy. The CT images, scintigraphy and histological specimens are presented, and differential diagnoses discussed.     

北欧清洗消毒现状——消毒过程如何减少医院感染

1“消毒”定义的发展250多年前,在瑞典的医疗工作中已经开始使用“消毒”(Disinfection)作为术语,主要指控制或减少医院内的怪味。当时微生物致病的重要性依然不为民众所知。消毒的现代定义是指去除或杀灭致病微生物,以达到清洁要求。消毒的理想方式是完全去除表面的微生物,当然如果真能做到这一点,物品的表面就不止达到了消毒要求,而应为无菌状态了。2现代消毒技术水作为溶剂和优良的载体,对清洁过程起着至关重要的作用。但是,单纯用水或水溶液清洗的方法达不到去除所有微生物的要求。这样,消毒过程要分两步,第1步是通过清洗或机械手段尽…     

Pick’s disease with Pick bodies combined with progressive supranuclear palsy without tuft‐shaped astrocytes: A clinical,neuroradiologic and pathological study of an autopsied case

We report clinical, neuroradiologic features, and neuropathologic findings of a 76‐year‐old man with coexistent Pick’s disease and progressive supranuclear palsy. The patient presented with loss of recent memory, abnormal behavior and change in personality at the age of 60. The symptoms were progressive. Three years later, repetitive or compulsive behavior became prominent. About 9 years after onset, he had difficulty moving and became bed‐ridden because of a fracture of his left leg. His condition gradually deteriorated and he developed mutism and became vegetative. The patient died from pneumonia 16 years after the onset of symptoms. Serial MRI scans showed progressive cortex atrophy, especially in the bilateral frontal and temporal lobes. Macroscopic inspection showed severe atrophy of the whole brain, including cerebrum, brainstem and cerebellum. Microscopic observations showed extensive superficial spongiosis and severe neuronal loss with gliosis in the second and third cortical layers in the frontal, temporal and parietal cortex. There were Pick cells and argyrophilic Pick bodies, which were tau‐ and ubiquitin‐positive in neurons of layers II–III of the above‐mentioned cortex. Numerous argyrophilic Pick bodies were observed in the hippocampus, especially in the dentate fascia. In addition, moderate to severe loss of neurons was found with gliosis and a lot of Gallyas/tau‐positive globus neurofibrillary tangles in the caudate nucleus, globus pallidus, thalamus, substantia nigra, locus coeruleus and dentate nucleus. Numerous thorned‐astrocytes and coiled bodies but no‐tuft shaped astrocytes were noted in the basal ganglion, brainstem and cerebellar white matter. In conclusion, these histopathological features were compatible with classical Pick’s disease and coexistence with progressive supranuclear palsy without tuft‐shaped astrocytes.     

中日大学生“ぁぃさつ”语言行为比较研究

以“家庭”“家庭访问”中的“ぁぃさつ”语言行为为中心，通过实证调查和具体事例进行综合性的描述和分析，探究中日两国ぁぃさつ语言行为的体系结构、共性和特性，可以加深对日本文化的理解，同时帮助日语学习者提高跨文化交际语言行为的能力。