Efficacy of radiology of the esophagus for evaluation of dysphagia

The efficacy of radiology in evaluating dysphagia was studied in 86 patients by comparison to endoscopic findings. In the 66 patients with endoscopic abnormalities radiology was correct in 54, for a sensitivity of 82%. Sensitivity of radiology improved to 95% if mild esophagitis was excluded. In the 20 patients with normal endoscopy, radiology was normal in 18 (90%). Thus radiology proved to be a reliable means of evaluating the esophagus in patients with dysphagia.     

Statistical analysis of gait patterns of persons with cerebral palsy

Patients at Boston's Children's Hospital diagnosed as having cerebral palsy were filmed walking. These films were digitized and translated into measurements associated with leg motion. In this paper we use the gait measurements of 128 such patients to illustrate that the kth nearest neighbour clustering procedure results in a gait typology for patients with cerebral palsy. The procedure identifies four subpopulations from the sample data; the membership of a patient within this typology is mostly determined by the patient's motor control. The developed typology differs from the present diagnostic system which classifies a cerebral palsy patient as either quadriplegic, diaplegic or hemiplegic.     

Developing a model for clinical and basic science teaching skills

This report describes a model for identifying sets of teaching abilities considered to be effective for medical school teaching staff, based on roles teachers assume and functions they are expected to perform as instructors. The specification of these teaching abilities was the first step in the development of a comprehensive course on Medical Instruction at the Basic Institute of Medical and Agricultural Biology of the State University of Sao Paulo, Botucatu, Brazil, where the senior author is employed. The work was based on the assumption that medical school teachers are expected to assume a variety of teaching roles and that identification and specification of the abilities that define their roles can result in more effective and efficient teaching.     

Hormone dependency and histological types of prostatic carcinoma

In comparative histological and cytological studies on 270 prostatic carcinoma patients highly and moderately differentiated tumors were found to be more frequent histologically than cytologically. An early and reliable sign of response to hormone therapy proved to be reticularization and vacuolization of the nuclear chromatin. Follow-up studies by means of multiple aspiration biopsies with cytologic examinations seem to be more reliable in prognostic terms than examination of the histological tumor structure.     

Poisoning due to Pyrethroids

The first pyrethroid pesticide, allethrin, was identified in 1949. Allethrin and other pyrethroids with a basic cyclopropane carboxylic ester structure are type I pyrethroids. The insecticidal activity of these synthetic pyrethroids was enhanced further by the addition of a cyano group to give α-cyano (type II) pyrethroids, such as cypermethrin. The finding of insecticidal activity in a group of phenylacetic 3-phenoxybenzyl esters, which lacked the cyclopropane ring but contained the α-cyano group (and hence were type II pyrethroids) led to the development of fenvalerate and related compounds. All pyrethroids can exist as at least four stereoisomers, each with different biological activities. They are marketed as racemic mixtures or as single isomers. In commercial formulations, the activity of pyrethroids is usually enhanced by the addition of a synergist such as piperonyl butoxide, which inhibits metabolic degradation of the active ingredient. Pyrethroids are used widely as insecticides both in the home and commercially, and in medicine for the topical treatment of scabies and headlice. In tropical countries mosquito nets are commonly soaked in solutions of deltamethrin as part of antimalarial strategies. Pyrethroids are some 2250 times more toxic to insects than mammals because insects have increased sodium channel sensitivity, smaller body size and lower body temperature. In addition, mammals are protected by poor dermal absorption and rapid metabolism to non-toxic metabolites. The mechanisms by which pyrethroids alone are toxic are complex and become more complicated when they are co-formulated with either piperonyl butoxide or an organophosphorus insecticide, or both, as these compounds inhibit pyrethroid metabolism. The main effects of pyrethroids are on sodium and chloride channels. Pyrethroids modify the gating characteristics of voltage-sensitive sodium channels to delay their closure. A protracted sodium influx (referred to as a sodium ‘tail current’) ensues which, if it is sufficiently large and/or long, lowers the action potential threshold and causes repetitive firing; this may be the mechanism causing paraesthesiae. At high pyrethroid concentrations, the sodium tail current may be sufficiently great to prevent further action potential generation and ‘conduction block’ ensues. Only low pyrethroid concentrations are necessary to modify sensory neurone function. Type II pyrethroids also decrease chloride currents through voltage-dependent chloride channels and this action probably contributes the most to the features of poisoning with type II pyrethroids. At relatively high concentrations, pyrethroids can also act on GABA-gated chloride channels, which may be responsible for the seizures seen with severe type II poisoning. Despite their extensive world-wide use, there are relatively few reports of human pyrethroid poisoning. Less than ten deaths have been reported from ingestion or following occupational exposure. Occupationally, the main route of pyrethroid absorption is through the skin. Inhalation is much less important but increases when pyrethroids are used in confined spaces. The main adverse effect of dermal exposure is paraesthesiae, presumably due to hyperactivity of cutaneous sensory nerve fibres. The face is affected most commonly and the paraesthesiae are exacerbated by sensory stimulation such as heat, sunlight, scratching, sweating or the application of water. Pyrethroid ingestion gives rise within minutes to a sore throat, nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain. There may be mouth ulceration, increased secretions and/or dysphagia. Systemic effects occur 4–8 hours after exposure. Dizziness, headache and fatigue are common, and palpitations, chest tightness and blurred vision less frequent. Coma and convulsions are the principal life-threatening features. Most patients recover within 6 days, although there were seven fatalities among 573 cases in one series and one among 48 cases in another. Management is supportive. As paraesthesiae usually resolve in 12–24 hours, specific treatment is not generally required, although topical application of dl-α tocopherol acetate (vitamin E) may reduce their severity.     

Jeff Koons and the celebration of banality: impressions from Oslo

The annual conferences of the European Public Health Associationare a good opportunity to look around in the old continent.I vividly remember the Dresden conference in 2002, which broughtthe European public health community to a city reflecting thegreat and tragic history of Germany. Some of that history, andits effects on German public health, can be experienced firsthand     

Helicobacter pylori; histological and cultural correlation in chronic gastritis.

Seventy seven antral biopsies were collected from patients attending endoscopy clinic at King Khalid University Hospital, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia during a period of six months between December 1988 to May 1989. Of these 69 (89.6%) showed chronic gastritis as well as Helicobacter-like organisms (HLOs) in the biopsy specimens while 63 (81.8%) of biopsies grew Helicobacter pylori on culture. These findings indicate a good correlation between the histological diagnosis of chronic gastritis and isolation of H. pylori on culture.