Cultured skin fibroblasts in schizophrenia: acute growth and susceptibility to damage

The study of cultured fibroblasts derived from skin biopsies of patients with inherited neurodegenerative disorders has aided in the elucidation of their pathological basis. This usefulness might be expected to extend to the study of fibroblast characteristics in schizophrenia in view of recent evidence of neurodegenerative changes in the disorder. In this study, the acute growth characteristics and response to toxic oxygen metabolites of fibroblast cell lines derived from skin biopsies of patients with schizophrenia (n = 9) are compared with those derived from psychiatric patients with various diagnoses not associated with a deteriorating course (controls = 11). No significant differences between the cell lines of the two patient groups are found.     

Streptococcus pneumoniae serotypes involved in children with pleural empyemas in France]

It has been suggested that the incidence of childhood empyema have increased during the last years in France without clear explanation. Streptococcus pneumoniae is responsible for the vast majority of bacteriological documented cases. Potential prevention of pleural empyemas by the heptavalent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine is dependent on adequation between specific pneumococcal serogroups present in vaccine and those responsible for empyemas. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We retrospectively collected cases of pleural empyemas registered at the National Reference Center for pneumococci (December 2002 to February 2004). Thirty children, aged 4.1+/-3.3 (SD) years, were included. RESULTS: Ten specific serogroups were identified: 1, 3, 5, 6B, 7F, 9V, 14, 18C, 19A, and 23F. Serogroups 19A and 1 were the 2 dominant serogroups and represented 50% of cases. All children infected with serotype 19A were younger than 5 years, whereas serotype 1 was identified in 80% of empyemas in children older than 5 years. Among the 30 patients enrolled, 20 (69%) were infected with serotypes not included in the conjugate vaccine. CONCLUSION: These results thus limit the potential impact of the heptavalent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine on the frequency of pleural empyemas in children.     

A comprehensive eye/vision program

As an essential element of the comprehensive rehabilitation efforts at Northport VA Medical Center, and as a service whose demand is projected to increase substantially with the expanding proportion of aging veterans, eye/vision care has become increasingly important. As a result, the administration of the Medical Center decided to heed the suggestions of Congress and the Director of Optometry in VA Central Office and reorganize the delivery of eye/vision services so the ever-increasing demand could be met more rationally, efficiently and effectively. In this paper, the Northport VA Medical Center's Comprehensive Eye/Vision Program, including the residency program in rehabilitative optometry, will be described and the benefits of the reorganization will be discussed.     

Diagnosis of traumatic cardiac contusion

Cardiac contusion following blunt chest trauma remains a diagnostic problem because of a lack of sensitive diagnostic tests. This study evaluated thallous chloride Tl 201 single-photon-emission computed tomography in a series of 48 patients following blunt chest trauma. Of the 48 patients, 23 had normal scans. None of these patients proved to have serious arrhythmias during three days of continuous monitoring. Of 25 patients with abnormal or ambiguous studies, five (20%) developed serious arrhythmias requiring therapy. Single-photon-emission computed tomography scanning thus was sensitive in indicating that group of patients at risk of serious arrhythmias, and may therefore prove to be a useful screening test to determine the need for hospitalization and arrhythmia monitoring following blunt chest trauma.     

Legal issues in complementary and integrative medicine. A guide for the clinician.

Physicians integrating CAM therapies into clinical practice face many legal challenges, including the fact that legal rules governing CAM providers and practices are new and evolving in many cases. Laws vary by state, and their application depends on the specific clinical scenario in question. As more evidence accumulates regarding safety and efficacy or lack thereof of specific therapies for given conditions, physicians will find clinical knowledge more abundantly mapped and that the parameters of liability are increasingly clear. Meanwhile, good clinical practice and a working knowledge of major legal rules can help provide physicians with a good measure of legal protection in situations involving integration of CAM providers and therapies in conventional medical practice.     

Long-term effects of cochlear implants in children.

OBJECTIVE: Since 1987, when the use of multichannel cochlear implants was initiated in children, candidacy has expanded; many thousands of children have received these devices, and results have revealed a wide range of performance. However, few long-term studies exist on a large population of these children. There have been concerns expressed that cochlear implant function might degrade over time, that devices and electrodes might migrate and extrude in the growing child, or that there might even be a deleterious effect of long-term stimulation of the cochlear nerve. The purpose of this study was to explore the long-term effects of implantation as a function of performance over time, reimplantation, and educational factors. STUDY DESIGN AND SETTING: We studied 81 children who received implants at a major academic medical center and were followed for 5 to 13 years. RESULTS: Results revealed significant gains in speech perception, use of oral language, and ability to function in a mainstream environment. There was no decrease in performance over time and no significant incidence of device or electrode migration or extrusion, and device failure did not cause a deterioration in long-term outcome. CONCLUSIONS: Multichannel cochlear implants in children provide perception, linguistic, and educational advantages, which are not adversely affected by long-term electrical stimulation.     

Haemophilus parainfluenzae complicating total hip arthroplasty: a rapid failure.

We present a case of rapid failure of a total hip arthroplasty caused by infection with Haemophilus parainfluenzae. The septic loosening occurred over a period of 3 months and followed a dental extraction that had not been covered by prophylactic antibiotics. This failure occurred in a previously well-functioning and asymptomatic prosthetic joint.