Renal Allograft Biopsies with Borderline Changes: Predictive Factors of Clinical Outcome

The clinical outcome and appropriate management for patients showing 'borderline changes' on allograft biopsy after renal transplantation is still controversial. In an attempt to identify predictive factors of clinical outcome of patients with such lesions, we reviewed the clinical course of 91 patients with borderline changes. Multivariate analysis revealed significant and independent effects of histological stage (i + t < or = or > 2) and time to borderline changes (< or = or > 3 months after transplant) on serum creatinine levels at 1 year from borderline changes episodes (respectively, p = 0.04 and p = 0.02) and only a significant effect of time to borderline changes on serum creatinine levels at 2 years (p = 0.005). Renal function at 1 year and 2 years as 5- and 8-year graft survival were not significantly different in the group of patients treated with antirejection therapy (T group, n = 49) compared with the untreated group (UT group, n = 42). This study strongly suggests that borderline changes with histological score (i + t) > 2 and late episodes of borderline changes should be considered to be of poor prognosis.     

The floating hip injury: which should we fix first?

In floating hip injuries, the priority of the steps in fixation has not been well described. We have treated these patients in accordance with the following protocols. In patients with pelvic ring fractures, the external fixation should be performed first, and in patients with acetabular fractures, the femoral fractures should be internally fixated first. The purpose of the present study was to review our experience with these fracture treatments to evaluate our strategy. For 8 years, 31 patients with femoral fractures associated with ipsilateral fractures: 26 unstable pelvic ring fractures and 7 unstable acetabular fractures were surgically treated at our level 1 trauma center. We reviewed the admission, operation, and follow-up records retrospectively and evaluated the order of the fixation and the complications. Two patients with acetabular fractures failed to follow our protocol outlined at the preoperative planning stage. There were no surgical difficulties other than two patients with the hemipelvis dislocated proximally who required traction of the fixated femur. The complications that were thought to be related to our protocol were one fat embolism syndrome and one pubic fracture displacement. One heterotopic ossification seemed to occur due to using a single approach for both fractures. We believe our protocol to be generally effective, however, in patients with acetabular and vertical shear type pelvic ring fractures, the internal or external fixation of the femur should be performed before the internal fixation of the pelvis.     

Insurance-mandated preoperative dietary counseling does not improve outcome and increases dropout rates in patients considering gastric bypass surgery for morbid obesity

BACKGROUND: Preoperative dietary counseling (PDC) before bariatric surgery is mandated by a growing number of insurance payers. Their claim is that PDC improves outcomes and postoperative compliance. We compared outcomes of GBP patients undergoing a mandatory 13 weeks of PDC (n = 72) to a contemporaneous group of patients with no such requirement (no-PDC; n = 252) who underwent operation between January 2000 and December 2002. METHODS: The PDC and no-PDC groups were characterized by similar male:female ratios (1:4 vs 1:4.6), mean age (42 years), mean body weight (324 lb vs 309 lb), and mean body mass index (BMI) (52 kg/m2 vs 50 kg/m2). The PDC group had a higher incidence of obstructive sleep apnea compared with the no-PDC group (41% vs 28%; P < .04) but otherwise the two groups had similar incidences of obesity-related comorbidities. The presurgery dropout rate was 50% higher in the PDC group than in the no-PDC group (28% vs 19%; P < .05). RESULTS: At 1 year follow-up, the no-PDC patients had a statistically greater percentage excess weight loss (67% vs 60%; P < .0001), lower BMI (32 vs 35; P < .015), and lower body weight (197 vs 218; P < .01). Resolution of major comorbidities, complication rates, 30-day postoperative mortality, and postoperative compliance with follow-up were similar in the two groups. CONCLUSIONS: The data demonstrate that insurance-mandated PDC is an obstacle to patient access for surgical treatment of severe obesity and has no impact on weight loss outcome or postsurgical compliance. PDC should be abandoned by the insurance industry.     

Ex Vivo Application of Carbon Monoxide in University of Wisconsin Solution to Prevent Intestinal Cold Ischemia/Reperfusion Injury

Carbon monoxide (CO), a byproduct of heme catalysis, was shown to have potent cytoprotective and anti-inflammatory effects. In vivo recipient CO inhalation at low concentrations prevented ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury associated with small intestinal transplantation (SITx). This study examined whether ex vivo delivery of CO in University of Wisconsin (UW) solution could ameliorate intestinal I/R injury. Orthotopic syngenic SITx was performed in Lewis rats after 6 h cold preservation in control UW or UW that was bubbled with CO gas (0.1-5%) (CO-UW). Recipient survival with intestinal grafts preserved in 5%, but not 0.1%, CO-UW improved to 86.7% (13/15) from 53% (9/17) with control UW. At 3 h after SITx, grafts stored in 5% CO-UW showed improved intestinal barrier function, less mucosal denudation and reduced inflammatory mediator upregulation compared to those in control UW. Preservation in CO-UW associated with reduced vascular resistance (end preservation), increased graft cyclic guanosine monophosphate levels (1 h), and improved graft blood flow (1 h). Protective effects of CO-UW were reversed by ODQ, an inhibitor of soluble guanylyl cyclase. In vitro culture experiment also showed better preservation of vascular endothelial cells with CO-UW. The study suggests that ex vivo CO delivery into UW solution would be a simple and innovative therapeutic strategy to prevent transplant-induced I/R injury.     

金黄色葡萄球菌在皮肤病医院对苯唑西林敏感性降低并无性系蔓延

2000年11月，作者得知从Aarhus大学医院皮肤科患者分离到的金黄色葡萄球菌对苯唑西林出现界线耐药（BORSA）。本文旨在描述其表型和基因型，并评估可能的传播途径以干预和阻止进一步蔓延。菌株由脉冲场凝胶电泳鉴定。几个感染控制方案的缺口显示患者间可直接或间接传播。皮肤屏障缺陷、皮肤病患者金黄色葡萄球菌的高携带率和院内双氯西林的高消耗率可促使传播。改善普通感染控制措施和重新评价院内抗生素政策后，该菌的暴发感染消失。     

Replacement of deciduous incisors in children: psychological aspects]

The absence of the temporary incisors could be to a genetic illness or to some multiple premature extractions. These extractions are the aftermaths of the carious lesions or some traumatisms underwent by the temporary incisors. Beyond measure the loss of the space, the premature loss some temporary incisors very often assign the relational development of the child and disturb its psychological development and the aesthetic function. Across some cases clinics, the authors show that the replacement of the temporary incisors is the therapeutic ideal solution. Indeed, the child prosthesis, replacing the temporary absent incisors, solves the psychological, aesthetic and relational problems of the child.