Transurethral Foley catheter misplacement into the upper urinary tract in a patient with a history of lung cancer and chemotherapy: a case report and considerations to keep in mind

Indwelling urethral catheter placement is a common and comparatively safe procedure. Misplacement of a urethral catheter into the upper urinary tract is unusual, and only a few cases have been reported. We describe the case of a 43-year-old man who presented with oliguria and had a history of chemotherapy for known metastatic lung cancer. As he had no history of urological disease, urethral catheterization was expected to be uneventful. The catheter was unable to be pulled back to the bladder neck once the balloon was inflated, and the patient expressed discomfort. Subsequent computed tomography revealed that the tip of the catheter was placed in the middle of the right ureter. Unbeknownst to the physicians before urethral catheterization, the patient had severe lower urinary tract symptoms and urinary bladder dysfunction with hydronephrosis, likely due to chemotherapy. Based on the patient’s symptoms and imaging results, we judged the possibility of severe ureteral injury to be low. The malpositioned catheter was removed uneventfully after complete balloon deflation and then reinserted properly. He was admitted to the medical department but died as a result of an exacerbation of the underlying disease unrelated to the incident. If urethral catheter placement seems abnormal, physicians should aspirate and irrigate to confirm correct positioning before balloon inflation; then, they should carefully pull the inflated balloon near the neck of the bladder while monitoring the patient’s symptoms. Although urethral catheter placement is comparatively safe, physicians must keep in mind that patients who have undergone chemotherapy might be at a risk for this rare complication.     

Diagnostic accuracy of Raman spectroscopy for prostate cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis

BackgroundAlthough various studies have been conducted to demonstrate the possibility of Raman spectroscopy (RS) as a diagnostic tool for prostate cancer (PC), it is difficult to use it in the real clinical area because of imitations in various research processes. Therefore, we did a systematic review and meta-analysis about the accuracy in diagnostic use of RS for PC.MethodsA literature search was done using PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane library databases in March 2019 to analyze the accuracy of RS for diagnosis of PC. The accuracy of RS for diagnosis of PC was evaluated by means of pooled sensitivity, specificity, positive likelihood ratio (PLR), negative likelihood ratio (NLR), diagnostic odds ratio (DOR), and summary receiver operating characteristic (SROC).ResultsFive studies were included for qualitative analysis by screening the remaining articles according to the inclusion and exclusion criteria by means of a systematic review. The pooled sensitivity and specificity of RS were 0.89 (95% CI: 0.87–0.91) and 0.91 (95% CI: 0.89–0.93), respectively. The overall PLR and NLR were 9.12 (95% CI: 4.15–20.08) and 0.14 (95% CI: 0.07–0.29), respectively. The DOR of RS demonstrated high accuracy (73.32; 95% CI: 18.43–291.73). The area under the curves (AUCs) of SROC curves was 0.93.ConclusionsRS is an optical diagnostic method with high potential for diagnosis and grading of PC and has advantages of real-time and convenient use. In order to consider real-time use of RS in an actual clinical setting, more studies for standardization and generalization of RS performance and analytical method must be conducted.     

The beneficial impacts of splanchnic vasoactive agents on hepatic functional recovery in massive hepatectomy porcine model

BackgroundExcessive portal pressure after massive hepatectomy can cause hepatic sinusoidal injury and have deleterious impacts on hepatic functional recovery, contributing to developing post-hepatectomy liver failure. This study aimed to assess the effects of splanchnic vasoactive agents on hepatic functional recovery and regeneration while clarifying the underlying mechanism, using a 70% hepatectomy porcine model.MethodsEighteen pigs undergoing 70% hepatectomy were involved in this study and divided into three groups: control (n=6), terlipressin (n=6), and octreotide (n=6). Terlipressin (0.5 mg) and octreotide (0.2 mg) were administered 3 times a day for each group with the first dose starting just before surgery until the 7th postoperative day, at which time the surviving pigs were sacrificed. During the period, portal pressure, liver weight, biochemical analysis, histological injury score, and molecular markers were evaluated and compared between groups.ResultsThe 7-day survival rates in the octreotide, terlipressin, and control groups were 100%, 83.3%, and 66.7%, respectively. The portal pressures decreased in both terlipressin and octreotide groups than the control group at 30 minutes, 1 hour and 6 hours after hepatectomy. The amount of regeneration measured by liver weight to body weight ratio at the time of sacrifice in the terlipressin group was smaller than that in the control group (117% vs. 129%, P=0.03). Serum aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and total bilirubin levels at 1 and 6 hours after hepatectomy and prothrombin time/international normalized ratio (PT/INR) at 6 hours after hepatectomy were significantly improved in the terlipressin and octreotide groups compared to the control group. Serum endothelin-1 (ET-1) was significantly lower in the terlipressin group than that in the control group 6 hours after hepatectomy (P<0.01). The histological injury score in the control group was significantly higher than that in the terlipressin group on the 7th postoperative day (P<0.01).ConclusionsSplanchnic vasoactive agents, such as terlipressin and octreotide, could effectively decrease portal pressure and attenuate liver injury after massive hepatectomy.     

Concentrating stroke care provision in the Czech Republic: The establishment of Stroke Centres in 2011 has led to improved outcomes

This article describes policy processes that have led to the re-organisation of stroke care in the Czech Republic since 2011, which has been part of a broader process of care concentration in several medical fields. Currently, stroke care is provided by 13 Comprehensive and 32 Primary Stroke Centres. The paper explains factors that supported the reform implementation, reviews implications, and discusses future challenges.Mandatory reporting of quality indicators, the introduction of a benchmarking system, integration with pre-hospital emergency care, and the introduction of countrywide patient triage have supported more timely treatment for stroke patients and better quality of care. Data from the Stroke Care Quality Indicators of the Czech Stroke Society show positive trends in many areas: the number of patients treated with intravenous thrombolysis quadrupled in eight years, with 26.4 % of all acute stroke patients receiving thrombolysis in 2018. Czech Republic now ranks third in Europe in the number of thrombolysis per population and second in the number of mechanical thrombectomies per population. The Czech experience provides an example of positive outcomes of concentrated stroke care, while highlighting the importance of proper implementation processes. In particular, it is essential to involve stakeholders and to provide reputational incentives through continuous benchmarking.     

中国9个长寿地区65岁及以上人群血铅浓度与认知功能受损的关联研究

目的探讨65岁及以上人群血铅水平与认知功能受损的关联。方法研究对象来自2017-2018年在我国9个长寿地区开展的“老年健康生物标志物队列研究”,最终将1684名血铅和认知功能数据完整的65岁及以上人群纳入本研究。通过问卷调查和体格检测,收集调查对象的人口学特征、生活方式、健康状况及认知功能评分等信息;同时采集调查对象的静脉血以检测血铅水平。根据血铅水平的四分位数将调查对象分为4组(Q₁-Q₄组),采用多因素logistic回归模型分析血铅浓度与认知功能受损的关系,采用限制性三次样条检验血铅浓度与认知受损之间是否存在非线性关联。结果1684名研究对象年龄为(83.1±11.1)岁,其中女性843名(50.1%);认知功能受损者191名(11.3%)。调整相关混杂因素后,老年人血铅浓度每升高10μg/L,认知功能受损患病风险OR(95%CI)值为1.05(1.01~1.10);与血铅浓度Q1组老年人相比,血铅浓度较高者认知功能受损的患病风险较高,Q₂,Q₃,Q₄组的OR(95%CI)值分别为1.19(0.69~2.05)、1.45(0.84~2.51)和1.92(1.13~3.27)。结论我国9个长寿地区65岁及以上老年人血铅水平与认知功能受损患病风险存在关联。     

超高效液相色谱-串联质谱法同时检测消毒产品中13种抗生素

目的采用超高效液相色谱-串联质谱技术,建立消毒产品中8类13种抗生素的检测方法。方法样品经甲醇或乙腈提取后,经Waters HSS T3色谱柱(100 mm×2.1 mm,1.8μm)分离,三重四级杆串联质谱仪检测。结果13种选定的抗生素在4~100μg/L范围内线性关系良好,相关系数均大于0.991,检出限为2~25μg/kg。在3种不同剂型的消毒产品中,低、中、高3个浓度加标水平的回收率为71.2%~130.4%,相对标准偏差均小于11.3%,满足消毒产品中抗生素违法添加的检测要求。运用建立的方法,在一份膏霜剂型的消毒产品中检测出氧氟沙星,含量为21.1 mg/kg,其余样品中均未检出相关物质。结论该方法简单、可靠、重现性好,覆盖的抗生素种类多。     

Histological observations on the evolution of nutritional encephalomalacia in chick cerebellum

Summary A study was made of the histological alterations which occur in the development of nutritional encephalomalacia in the chick cerebellum. 3 categories of chicks were discernible according to severity of symptoms.The earliest changes consisted of focal edema in the folial and medullary white matter. These became progressively more severe and resulted in widespread spongy degeneration. Edema of the Purkinje layer consistently appeared and led to a separation of this layer from the underlying granular layer. Apparent capillary proliferation was noted in all layers and distention of blood vessels finally resulted in hemorrhage and in necrosis of the folia.Clinical signs occasionally occurred without apparent morphological alterations. The edematous process, when noted, was considered to be intracellular, involving glial elements in the white matter and the Golgi epithelial cells (Bergmann astroglia) in the Purkinje layer. The condition results from altered permeability of the cerebellar blood-brain barrier which is selectively affected by the metabolic changes brought about by vitamin E deficiency.

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Zusammenfassung Die histologischen Veränderungen in der Entwicklung von nutritiver Encephalomalacie im Kleinhirn des Huhnes wurden untersucht. Nach der Schwere der klinischen Symptome wurden 3 Gruppen von Tieren unterschieden.Die frühesten Veränderungen bestanden in Ödemherden im Läppchenmark und Marklager, die progredient an Schwere zunehmen und ausgedehnte spongiöse Degeneration bewirken. Ödem der Purkinje-Zellschicht trat regelmäßig auf und führte zu ihrer Ablösung von der darunterliegenden Körnerschicht. Deutliche Capillarproliferation war in allen Schichten erkennbar. Die Gefäßerweiterung führte schließlich zu Blutungen und Nekrosen in den Läppchen.Klinische Symptome traten gelegentlich ohne manifeste morphologische Läsionen auf. Der ödematöse Prozeß wurde, wenn nachweisbar, als intracellulär aufgefaßt. Er betraf Gliaelemente des Markes und die Golgi Epithelzellen in der Purkinje-Zellschicht (Bergmann Astroglia). Diese Veränderung ist bedingt durch Permeabilitätsveränderungen der cerebellaren Bluthirnschranke, die selektiv betroffen erscheint, wenn der Stoffwechsel durch Vitamin E-Mangel gestört wird.

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This investigation was supported by United States Public Health Service Grants HD 00217 and FR 05388.