A PC-based free text retrieval system for health care providers

The purpose of this paper is to describe the design and development of the Clinical Practice Library of Medicine (CPLM). CPLM is an investigational project aimed at providing health care practitioners with critical in-depth information similar to that obtained from a medical reference library or consultant. When used in conjunction with the physician's knowledge, CPLM can provide valuable diagnostic prompting information to assist in rapidly reaching a suitable diagnosis for timely administration of appropriate treatment. This system may also be used to assist paramedical professionals working in remote areas where other expert medical assistance may not be available.     

Extragastrointestinal stromal tumor possibly originating from the prostate

We report a case of extragastrointestinal stromal tumor possibly originating from the prostate. The patient underwent radical prostatectomy because of no metastatic evidence. No recurrence and metastasis have been found during 14 months of follow up. To our knowledge, this may be the third such case published in a report in terms of pathological type.     

Liver and lung resection for colorectal metastasis

Aim: To examine the survival benefit of liver and lung resection for colorectal metastasis and the potential prognostic factors that affect patient survival. Methods: All patients who had resection of lung or liver metastasis for colorectal metastasis in Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Hong Kong from 1995 to 2004 were retrospectively reviewed. The overall and disease‐free survival was analysed, in particularly between liver and lung metastasis. All factors that may have affected the survival were entered into Cox's proportional hazards regression model to identify significant variables associated with survival. Results: At 5 years, the overall survival of patients who had resection of lung and liver metastasis was 44% and 38%, respectively; the disease‐free survival was 26% and 24%, respectively. Overall and disease‐free survival of patients with resection of lung metastasis was comparable to those with resection of liver metastasis. The differentiations of primary tumour and time to metastasis were shown to be significant prognostic factors influencing overall survival. Those patients with systemic chemotherapy after resection of colorectal metastasis demonstrated a significantly higher probability of overall survival. Conclusion: Resection of lung and liver metastases from colorectal origin was safe and both procedures improved survival. The use of chemotherapy after resection of metastasis significantly improved the overall survival.     

Inguinal hernia repair in Hospital Authority hospitals: The role of laparoscopic hernioplasty

Objective: Two major changes have occurred in inguinal hernia repair during the last two decades: (i) the use of tension‐free mesh repair; and (ii) the application of laparoscopic technique for repair. The aims of the present study were to study: (i) how inguinal hernia repair was carried out; and (ii) the outcome of inguinal hernia repair in Hospital Authority (HA) hospitals. Methodology: This was a retrospective analysis on 8311 elective inguinal hernia repairs performed in 16 HA hospitals from January 2001 to December 2003. The mean age was 63.9 ± 14.2 years, and the male to female ratio was 22.0 : 1.0. Among these, 869 (10.5%) repairs were performed with the laparoscopic approach and 7442 (89.5%) repairs with the open approach. The proportion of laparoscopic hernia repair increased from 8.7% to 12.6%. Results: For open repair, 39% of cases were carried out with regional anaesthesia, 32% with general anaesthesia and 29% with local anaesthesia (LA). Furthermore, mesh repair was used in 88% of the patients. For laparosocpic repair, 98.4% of cases were carried out under general anaesthesia, and all patients had mesh repair using the totally extraperitoneal approach. A significantly higher proportion of bilateral repair and recurrent hernia repair was performed with the laparoscopic approach (P = 0.000). For primary unilateral repair, there was no significant difference in the postoperative length of stay (LOS) and the total LOS between the laparoscopic and the open surgery groups. No difference in LOS was found in recurrent hernia repair between the two groups. With respect to bilateral repair, both the preoperative LOS (P = 0.036) and total LOS (P = 0.039) were shorter in the laparoscopic group. Furthermore, a significantly higher proportion of day‐surgery patients was observed in the laparoscopic group than the open surgery group (21.3%vs 16.9%, P = 0.001). Nevertheless, when only the results of 2003 were analyzed, the postoperative LOS (P = 0.000) and total LOS (P = 0.000) were significantly shorter in the laparoscopic group than the open surgery group. The LOS parameters were significantly shorter in the open surgery LA subgroup compared with the non‐LA subgroup (P = 0.000), and they were not different from those in the laparoscopic group. Conclusions: The open mesh repair is the predominant approach for inguinal hernia repair in HA hospitals. The originally described local anaesthetic approach was under utilized, although it resulted in good outcome. The use of laparoscopic hernia repair is increasing and a learning curve was recently observed with improved outcome.     

Surgical strategy of one stage surgery of anterior release combined with posterior correction in treatment of severe scoliosis

Objective: Severe scoliosis refers to scoliosis with serious and stiff curve. It always combins with trunk imbalance in coronal and sagittal contour. Besides complex pathological changes, cardiopulmonary deficits and other concomitant diseases increase treatmental difficulties. So the treatment of severe scoliosis is always a great challenge to spine surgeon. Methods :Thirty-six patients with severe scoliosis received one stage posterior correction followed by anterior release during July 1997 to January 2003, including 9 males and 27 females. Mean age was 17.2 years. Of them, 33 was idiopathic scoliosis and 3 was neurofibromatosis scoliosis( Cobb angle: 85-116 degree); 20 cases were abnormal in sagital plane. Three-dimensional devised instrumentation were applied such as CD, CD-Horizon, TSRH or Isola in posterior procedure followed by anterior release during the same anesthesia. 31 cases of this group received thorac icplasty. Results: The correction in the frontal plane achieved an average of 48.5%. In the sagittal plane, the pathological shape of the spine was reduced and distinctly ameliorated. 80. 6% of the patients maintained or achieved balance of sagittal plane. There were no complications of severe neurological deficit, hook displacement, rod broken, and deep infection at follow-up. One case occurred traumatic pleurisy after operation and another appeared pseudarthrosis 2 years later. One case demonstrated imbalance 11 months after operation. One patient was presented loss of correction more than 10 degree at one year follow-up and 5.2 degree in average. Conclusion:The study indicates that the one stage posterior correction combined with anterior release in treatment of severe scoliosis can achieve satisfactory correction. Appropriate choice of cases, preoperational detailed assessment and application of SEP and wake-up test during operation can possibly reduce severe complication. The long-term outcomes still need further observation.     

CT引导下颈侧入路舌咽神经毁损术

目的探讨CT引导下颈侧入路舌咽神经毁损术对舌咽神经痛及舌咽神经支配区顽固性疼痛的疗效. 方法 A组16例舌咽神经痛及B组12例舌咽神经支配区顽固性疼痛,采用CT引导经皮穿刺定位于茎突前缘第2颈椎水平,注入局麻药仅阻滞舌咽神经,注入7%苯酚甘油溶液0.8 ml. 结果 A组完全缓解率87.5%(14/16),总有效率100%(16/16),随访6个月无复发;B组完全缓解率50%(6/12),总有效率83.3%(10/12),随访6个月,复发6例(50.0%).2组均无严重并发症. 结论 CT介导下颈侧入路舌咽神经毁损术具有疗效可靠,定位准确,操作安全的特点,并有效减少严重并发症的发生.     

[Ca^2＋]i change in hippocampal neurons influenced by preconditioning of etomidate fat emulsion following cerebral ischemia in rats

BACKGROUND: It is known that intravenous anesthetic etomidate fat emulsion has cerebral protection. Now many scholars focus on the research of its cerebral protection from molecular biology, but the mechanism of cerebral protection is still fully unclear. OBJECTIVE: To observe the influence of etomidate fat emulsion on the [Ca2+]i in hippocampal neurons during the transient cerebral ischemia injury in rats. DESIGN: Randomized controlled observation. SETTING: Weifang Medical College. MATERIALS: This study was carried out in the functional laboratory of Weifang Medical College between October 2005 and March 2006. Twenty-four male healthy Wistar rats, aged 3 to 4 months, were involved. Etomidate fat emulsion was provided by the limited company of En-hua Medical Bloc in Jiangsu Province (code of H20020511) and the other agents and materials were provided by Laboratory Center of Weifang Medical College. METHODS: The 24 Wistar rats were randomized into 3 groups: sham-operation group, model group and etomidate preconditioning group, with 8 rats in each. Rat models of transient cerebral ischemia injury were made by the ligation of bilateral carotid arteries combined with descending blood pressure in the latter two groups. Before ischemia (ligation of bilateral common carotid artery), rats in the etomidate preconditioning group were intraperitoneally injected with 12 mg/kg etomidate fat emulsion and then persistently intraperitoneally injected with etomidate fat emulsion at 1.0 mg/kg per minute. Rats in the model group were not administrated. Rats in the sham-operation group were only performed bilateral common carotid artery isolation. When rats were modeled, their brain tissues were quickly taken out and detected. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Change of the fluorescence pixel value of the [Ca2+]i in each group by the laser scanning confocal microscope. RESULTS: Twenty-four rats were involved in the final analysis. Fluorescence pixel value in the sham-operation group was in the low level. Fluorescence pixel value in the model group was significantly higher than that in the sham-operation group (P < 0.01). Fluorescence pixel value in the etomidate preconditioning group was significantly lower than that in the model group (P < 0.01). CONCLUSION: The protection of etomidate fat emulsion to the transient cerebral ischemic injury in rats is associated with the inhibition to the increase of [Ca2+]i to some extent.     

钬激光输尿管镜下碎石与经皮肾取石治疗嵌顿性输尿管上段结石的比较

目的比较钬激光输尿管硬镜碎石与经皮肾取石术治疗嵌顿性输尿管上段结石的疗效。方法106例单侧伴有肾积水的嵌顿性输尿管上段结石,48例采用URL治疗（URL组）,58例采用PCNL治疗（PCNL组）,统计分析2组的结石清除率及手术并发症。结果术后1 d结石清除率URL组25.0%（12/48）显著低于PCNL组98.3%（57/58）（χ^2=62.065,P=0.000）;术后3个月结石清除率URL组77.1%（37/48）显著低于PCNL组100%（58/58）（χ^2=14.831,P=0.000）;术后高热（T〉38.5℃）率URL组8.3%（4/48）与PCNL组6.9%（4/58）无统计学差异（χ^2=0.000,P=1.000）。结论对于嵌顿性输尿管上段结石,在有条件且技术成熟的医院PCNL可作为治疗的首选方法。