Effect of cimetidine on wedged hepatic venous pressure in cirrhotic patients

According to our supposition that "humoral mechanism" plays an important role in the pathogenesis of portal hypertension due to cirrhosis, antagonists to some of humoral substances would lower the portal pressure in cirrhotic patients. Wedged hepatic venous pressure (WHVP) was used as an indicator for changes of portal pressure. Cimetidine was given intravenously to 8 cirrhotic patients, in whom an average lowering of 0.72 kPa (7.3 cm H2O) of WHVP was observed subsequently. This change was of clinical significance as compared with the previous results of splenorenal shunting operations.

     

矿泉“851”对抗疟治疗的非特异性免疫作用

感染伯氏疟原虫(P.berghe ANKA株)小鼠,经矿泉“851”及与抗疟酮合用治疗后,腹腔巨噬细胞吞噬百分率和吞噬指数明显高于感染对照组(P<0.01)。两组药均能提高小鼠单核巨噬细胞系统(MPS)对碳微粒的廓清率,其K值与对照组相比,P<0.01,MPS活性的增强程度与其疟原虫的抑制率成正相关。     

Longitudinal study of earthquake-related PTSD in a randomly selected community sample in north China

OBJECTIVE: This study longitudinally described rates of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in two groups with different levels of severity of exposure to an earthquake in North China. The effects of diagnostic criteria on the frequency of detected PTSD were also examined. METHOD: Subjects were randomly sampled in two villages at different distances from the earthquake epicenter. A total of 181 and 157 subjects were assessed at 3 months and 9 months after the earthquake, respectively, for PTSD by using both DSM-IV and DSM-III-R criteria. The brief version of the World Health Organization Quality of Life Assessment and three subscales of the SCL-90-R were also administered at both assessment points. RESULTS: The village with a higher level of initial exposure to the earthquake and a higher level of postearthquake support had a lower frequency of PTSD than the village with a lower level of initial exposure and less postearthquake support. The rate of onset of DSM-IV PTSD within 9 months for the two villages was 19.8% and 30.3%, respectively. In both villages, the rate of onset of earthquake-related PTSD within 9 months was 24.2% by using DSM-IV criteria and 41.4% by using DSM-III-R criteria. The introduction in DSM-IV of a criterion requiring clinically significant distress or impairment in functioning for a diagnosis of PTSD was a major contributor to the lower rate of DSM-IV PTSD. CONCLUSIONS: PTSD may be as prevalent and persistent in disaster victims in China as in those elsewhere. Prompt and effective postdisaster intervention could mitigate the impact of initial exposure and reduce the probability of PTSD occurrence. Caution should be used in comparing rates of postdisaster PTSD identified by using different diagnostic criteria.     

Effects of support group intervention in postnatally distressed women. A controlled study in Taiwan

Objective: The symptoms of depression experienced by women during the postnatal period may have profound effects on the lifelong health of both the mother and the child. In this randomized controlled study, we systematically evaluated the effects of weekly supportive group meetings for women with postnatal distress. Methods: Sixty postnatally distressed women were randomly assigned to support (n=30) and control (n=30) groups. Women assigned to the support group participated in four supportive group sessions that comprised discussions concerning transition to motherhood, postnatal stress management, communication skills, and life planning. Results: Subjects who attended the support sessions had significantly decreased scores on the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), and significantly increased scores on the Interpersonal Support Evaluation List (ISEL) as evaluated at the end of the fourth weekly session. In contrast, no significant changes were observed in the control group during this period. Conclusion: This is the first controlled study to provide evidence that participation in support groups for postnatally distressed women provides quantifiable psychosocial benefits.     

Treating acute stroke patients with intravenous tPA. The OSF stroke network experience

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Since the FDA approved tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) in 1996 for acute ischemic stroke, few data have been obtained during the postmarketing phase, and applicability in rural hospitals does not exist. We attempt to examine the safety and outcome of intravenous tPA for acute ischemic stroke in the OSF Stroke Network. METHODS: Fifty-seven consecutive patients treated with tPA were examined from June 1996 through December 1998. Admission and discharge National Institute of Health Stroke Scales (NIHSS), modified Rankin Scales (MRS), and discharge disposition, as well as intracerebral hemorrhage and mortality rates, were compared. RESULTS: Of 20 network hospitals, 12 had the experience of administering tPA. No statistically significant differences in the variables recorded were observed for patients treated at the community hospitals versus those who received tPA at the tertiary medical center. In 35% of patients, tPA was initiated by an emergency room or primary care physician in consultation with an OSF neurologist. At discharge, 47% of the patients had minimal or no disability (MRS, 0 to 1), 44% had an NIHSS score of 0 or 1, 54% went home, 25% were transferred to in-patient rehabilitation, 12% went to a nursing or skilled-care facility, and 9% died. Intracerebral hemorrhage rate was 9%; 5% were symptomatic. CONCLUSIONS: tPA can be administered safely with good outcome at community and rural hospitals. The OSF Stroke Network can serve as a model to assist small community hospitals to set up stroke programs and deliver up-to-date, acute stroke therapies.     

Comparative study of quality of life between the Chinese and Japanese adolescent populations

Researchers from Japan, China and Singapore have initiated a collaborative project, with the aim of comparing adolescent quality of life (QOL) internationally. This study presents the primary results of the investigation conducted in Beijing, China, and Kobe, Japan. The 70-item Quality of Life Questionnaire for Adolescents (QOLQA) was developed and evaluated in Japan and China. In total, 1114 Japanese and 613 Chinese junior high school students, aged 12-15 years, completed the questionnaire. Chinese students scored significantly higher than the Japanese students in overall QOL scores and in most domains. For both groups, subjects had highest score in the independence domain and lowest in psychological domain. In terms of overall QOL score, Chinese male students ranked first, followed by Chinese girls, Japanese boys, and Japanese girls. In the Japanese group, a continuing decrease of QOL scores with age was observed without exception, but no such tendency was present in their Chinese counterparts. No parallel relationship was observed between the higher level of economic development and better quality of life. The results also suggest that mental health promotion should be a priority in improving overall quality of life of adolescents both in Japan and China.     

Transarterial embolisation of complex cavernous sinus dural arteriovenous fistulae with low-concentration cyanoacrylate

We report the effectiveness of low-concentration n-butyl-2-cyanoacrylate (NBCA)-Lipiodol-tungsten mixture (10–15 %) in the management of patients with aggressive or recurrent complex cavernous dural arteriovenous fistulae (CSDAVF). We treated five patients with complex CSDAVF with a low concentration of an NBCA-Lipiodol-tungsten mixture after catheterisation of the feeding arteries arising from the external carotid artery. Three had a recurrent CSDAVF after transarterial particulate embolisation. Three refused transvenous treatment or could not be treated in this way; two patients had also feeding dural branches of the internal carotid artery. All patients had complete resolution of symptoms and signs within a month of the procedure. No definite neurological complication was found during follow-up ranging from 12 to 36 months. Transarterial embolisation with low-concentration cyanoacrylate appears to be an effective alternative management of aggressive or recurrent CSDAVF. Received: 8 November 1999/Accepted: 2 March 2000