Prognostic role of alveolar-arterial oxygen pressure difference in acute pulmonary embolism.

BACKGROUND: This study investigated the utility of the alveolar - arterial oxygen pressure difference (AaDO (2)) in predicting the short-term prognosis of acute pulmonary embolism (PE). METHODS AND RESULTS: This study retrospectively enrolled 114 consecutive patients with acute PE, diagnosed by either spiral computed tomography or high probability ventilation - perfusion lung scans. During the first 24 h of admission, all patients had initial artery blood gas collected under room air. Patient exclusion criteria were chronic lung disease, septic emboli, and moderate and low probability lung scans. Patients were assigned to 2 groups based on either 30-day death or a 30-day composite event. Receiver operating characteristic analyses was used to determine the AaDO(2) cut-off value for predicting primary and composite endpoints. Statistical analysis demonstrated significant differences in AaDO(2) between the 30-day composite endpoint group and the 30-day composite event-free survival group (p=0.012). The AaDO(2) had a strong trend between the 30-day death group and the survival group (p=0.062). The best cut-off value for AaDO(2) was 53 mmHg and using this, the positive predictive value for 30-day death was 25% and the negative predictive value was 92%. For the 30-day composite endpoint, the positive predictive value for AaDO(2) was 35%, and the negative predictive value was 84%. In this study, thrombocytopenia was also an indicator of poor prognosis for patients with acute PE. CONCLUSION: The AaDO(2) measurement is a highly useful and simple measurement for predicting short-term prognosis in patients with acute PE. It has high negative predictive value and moderate positive predictive value for 30-day death and 30-day composite event. Aggressive thrombolytic treatment strategies should be considered for patients with an initial poor prognostic parameter (ie, AaDO(2) >or=53 mmHg).     

A preliminary study of the relationship between antibiotic administration and changes in bacteriological profile of wound infection in a burn unit

Objective:To investigate the relationship between antibiotic administration and the changes in bacteriological profile in a burn unit. Methods: The data of consumption of different kinds of antibiotics, including total antibiotic consumption [expressed as the number of defined daily doses (DDD)] as well as pathogen identification, were collected in a 8-year period. The constituent ratios of different kinds of antibiotics in total antibiotic consumption to isolation rates of various species of bacteria were calculated, and their correlation was analyzed. Results: Within this period, it was found that the aminoglycosides and first generation cephalosporins were used less frequently, while the polypeptides, carbopenem and macrolides were used proportionally more. At the same time, the isolation rates of Staphylococcus aureus, Acinetobacter sp, Enterobacter cloacae, Klebsiella pneumoniae and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus were gradually increased. The constituent ratios of predominant pathogens were correlated to the different kinds of antibiotics consumption in the burn unit. Conclusion: The results suggested that the consumption of different antibiotics was closely related to the trends of emergence of bacterial isolates from infected burn wounds. The result might imply that to regulate the administration of certain antibiotics might help decrease the emergence of certain pathogenic bacteria in burn infections.     

PCR amplified HLA DQ alpha and DQ beta DNA typed by dot-blot hybridization and direct sequence for suspect.

For more effective screening of suspects, we combined two methods to individualize the biologic evidence from a crime scene: polymerase chain reaction (PCR) dot-blot hybridization for DNA typing of HLA Dq alpha; and PCR direct sequencing for DNA typing of HLA DQ beta. PCR-DQ alpha was typed by an AmpliType HLA DQ alpha kit from Cetus. PCR-DQ beta was typed by direct sequence using the dideoxy chain termination method. In 20 DNA samples, complete separation was demonstrated by these two polymorphic DNAs. This will be of considerable use in screening suspects in crime investigation work. The sensitivity of PCR is useful for trace evidence, and the rapid results of dot-blot hybridization and the precise results of direct sequencing have significant advantages.     

Present status of undergraduate urological education in Turkey: is standardization necessary?

23 medical faculties exist in Turkey at the moment and 2 others are being established. Considering that all these faculties run their own programs independently, different education systems might effect the standard of doctors and health care. All of the new graduates in this country face a centralized examination for postgraduate posts in teaching hospitals or start an obligatory service under the authority of the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare. This necessitates standardization in medical education to provide equal facilities and opportunities to all young doctors. Questionnaires, replied to by the urology departments of medical faculties, reflect a wide range of teaching periods in urology with a broad spectrum of topics. Under these circumstances it is advisory to agree on both the time period and content of a standard urology program, as well as other subjects, for better health care and equal chances in centralized examinations.     

Immunohistochemical differentiation of atypical hyperplasia vs. carcinoma in situ of the breast.

The distinction between atypical hyperplasia and carcinoma in situ in breast lesions can be difficult. The identification of myoepithelial cell layers may be helpful in establishing a diagnosis of proliferative breast disease vs. intraepithelial neoplasia. We reviewed pathologic material on 20 cases of atypical hyperplasia and 29 cases of carcinoma in situ. Immunohistochemical stains were employed against muscle-specific actin, S-100 protein, and cytokeratin to identify myoepithelial cells and to recognize different staining patterns. In atypical hyperplasia, muscle-specific actin staining identified myoepithelial cells in fine branching fibrovascular layers or as scattered cells between other proliferating cells. This pattern was absent in carcinoma in situ. S-100 protein showed more positive staining in atypical hyperplasia than in carcinoma in situ with patterns distinct from muscle-specific actin. Immunostaining for cytokeratin demonstrated distinctly different patterns between the two lesions. This study suggests that muscle-specific actin, S-100 protein, and cytokeratin in combination may assist in distinguishing proliferative breast disease with atypia from carcinoma in situ.     

Sensitive trace-first liquid chromatographic determination of 4-aminopyridine in 3,4-diaminopyridine

For the treatment of human neuromuscular diseases, 3,4-diaminopyridine (DAP) is six to ten times more effective than 4-aminopyridine (AP), but only half as convulsant and toxic. Therefore, there is a need for the determination of AP in DAP. With only conventional equipment, high-pressure liquid chromatography can be used for the extremely sensitive detection of a trace contaminant under one condition: that is, the trace must be eluted before the major component it contaminates. Prior elution presents a trace peak in a fully exploitable form that is maximally efficient and maximally observable. This has already been demonstrated with a Pirkle-concept chiral stationary phase for determination of a chiral trace. However, its application to determination of a nonchiral trace with a reversed phase has not previously been reported. Such an application is reported here. In this demonstrative study, selectivity and loading capability were iteratively improved. Ion pairing with dodecanesulfonate maximized selectivity. It was again shown that using a less concentrated sample in greater volume maximizes loading capability without obscuring the peak of the trace. Eventually, the ability to detect 0.005% AP in DAP was demonstrated. Whether that sensitivity might be improved still more, perhaps with a larger column, was not established.     

The filter properties of the arterial beds of organs in rats.

The frequency properties of arterial beds in organs were studied by temporarily ligating the renal, the gastric, the splenic or the superior mesenteric arteries of rats. Blood-pressure waves of the tail arteries were recorded before and during the ligations, and were analysed by Fourier's transformation. Their frequency spectra have been found to change profiles following specific patterns with the ligations of different arteries. The results were significant with regard to the frequency selectivities of the organic arterial beds. Such frequency properties can be clearly explained when the circulation system is viewed as an electrical circuit network in which the organic arterial beds work as filters.     

Molecular epidemiology and control of nosocomial methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus infection in a teaching hospital.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Nosocomial methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infection is difficult to control. Due to a dramatic increase in the nosocomial MRSA infection rate at our hospital from 2000 to 2001, this study was conducted to identify the source of these infections and the effectiveness of control measures. METHODS: 179 healthcare workers (HCWs) were screened for carriage of MRSA. Starting in April 2001, all patients with MRSA infection or colonization were put in strict contact and cohort isolation. The bacterial isolates of HCW carriers and patients with MRSA infection from April 2001 to September 2001 were subjected to antimicrobial susceptibility testing by disk-diffusion method and molecular typing by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE). RESULTS: Fifteen HCWs were found to be carriers of MRSA. They were all given topical mupirocin treatment. After these interventions, the nosocomial MRSA infection rate decreased from 1.23 to 0.53 per 1000 patient-days. All 61 MRSA isolates available for antimicrobial susceptibility testing and molecular typing were multidrug resistant. PFGE study revealed 2 predominant types, type C and type Y, comprising 36 and 12 isolates, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The current study demonstrates the importance of measures to control nosocomial MRSA infections in hospitals that already have a high incidence of endemic MRSA infection. Elimination of carriage by healthcare workers, and strict contact and cohort isolation are the main effective measures.     

Lack of evidence for fecal-oral transmission of Helicobacter pylori infection in Taiwanese.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Helicobacter pylori infection is primarily acquired in early childhood and its transmission routes are debated. The aims of this study were to determine the seroprevalence of anti-H. pylori immunoglobulin G (IgG) in Taiwanese and to investigate whether a common mode of transmission could be shared between H. pylori and hepatitis A virus (HAV). METHODS: An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used to investigate the prevalence of H. pylori among 924 healthy volunteers aged less than 40 years, and radioimmunoassay for HAV infection was conducted in 500 subjects from the same population. The kappa statistic was used to measure the difference in positivity for the 2 infections in a subgroup of 500 subjects who had their sera simultaneously tested for anti-H. pylori and anti-HAV antibodies. RESULTS: The seroprevalence of anti-H. pylori IgG was 16.7% in subjects aged < 16 years and 38.3% at ages >or= 16 years. Most children (99%) under the age of 16 were seronegative for HAV. The prevalence of H. pylori infection increased rapidly with age, at 1%/year and 0.8%/year for children and adults, respectively. The rate of H. pylori infection was higher in male (21%) than in female (12%) children (p < 0.01; OR, 2.0; 95% confidence interval, 1.2 to 3.0). No significant difference in seroprevalence between genders was noted in subjects aged >or= 16 years. The agreement in the trend of seropositivity between both infections in the age groups 1 to 10 years and 10 to 20 years was worse than chance (kappa = -0.56) and little better than chance (kappa = 0.01), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Acquisition of H. pylori infection occurs at a young age, and male children are more likely to develop the infection. The main transmission route of HAV, the fecal-oral route, did not seem to be responsible for H. pylori transmission in this Taiwanese cohort.