The dark side of sniffing: Paint colour affects intoxication experiences among adolescent inhalant users

Introduction and Aims. Inhalant abuse among adolescents is a significant health concern in many countries; however, limited research has explored whether the intoxication experience differs between commonly used inhalants. The aim of the present study was to examine how exposure to different types of paints (chrome vs. non‐chrome) were experienced by adolescent users. Design and Methods. Sixteen adolescent (aged 15–19 years) regular inhalant users completed a semistructured questionnaire enquiring about their inhalant use. Participants were divided into two groups based on paint colour preference [chrome paints (n = 10) and non‐chrome paints (n = 6)] and were compared using appropriate statistical tests. Results. Relative to non‐chrome users, the chrome‐using group were more likely to report deliberately inhaling to experience altered perceptions (such as visual and auditory hallucinations). In addition, a significantly greater proportion of chrome users reported that the perceptual alterations they experienced after sniffing paint differed between paint colours, with chrome colours being associated with more vivid hallucinations. Discussion and Conclusion. While both chrome and non‐chrome users reported a comparable level of pleasure from paint sniffing, chrome paint users were more likely to be motivated by the potential to hallucinate. Our findings suggest that the type of inhalant used is an important consideration that may have relevance to clinical treatment.[Takagi MJ, Yücel M, Lubman DI. The dark side of sniffing: Paint colour affects intoxication experiences among adolescent inhalant users. Drug Alcohol Rev 2010]     

Extensive cutaneous metastasis of transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder

Cutaneous metastasis of bladder carcinoma is extremely rare. Iatrogenic implantations have been the main cause in the majority of cases of transitional cell carcinoma with cutaneous metastasis. Otherwise, primary cutaneous metastasis is accepted as the late manifestation of systemic spread. The present paper describes a case of relatively early and extensive skin metastasis of transitional cell carcinoma in a 78-year-old man. The patient had a histopathological diagnosis of poorly differentiated (grade III) muscle invasive transitional cell carcinoma with a staging of T2NOMO 6 months prior to presenting. He presented to our outpatient clinic with a 3-month history of skin lesions as multiple, rubbery subcutaneous nodules. Radiological reinvestigation revealed no other metastatic site (including bone and lung), except for a metastatic nodule in the liver. The present paper reports an interesting and rare case of extensive skin metastasis of transitional cell carcinoma as the primary complaint.     

Psychiatric Morbidity and Depressive Symptomatology in Patients with Permanent Pacemakers

Implantation of a permanent pacemaker requires a psychological effort on the patient's part for adaptation in the acute term, and chronically, it restricts activities of the patient and may cause some psychiatric disturbances. To investigate psychiatric morbidity and depressive symptomatology of the patients with permanent pacemakers, 84 pacemaker patients were diagnosed using the DSM-III-R criteria and depressive symptoms were determined by modified Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (mHDRS). Sixteen (19.1 %) patients had been given a psychiatric diagnosis. The most frequent diagnoses were adjustment disorder (5.9%) and major depressive episode (4.7%). Nine patients (10.7%) were diagnosed as having clinical depression (mHDRS ≥ 17). The mean score of mHDRS was 7.57 ± 7.46, and the severity of depression was significantly higher in females. The most frequent symptoms are difficulties in work and activities (53.6%), psychic anxiety (48.8%), loss of energy (42.9%), and hypochondriasis and insomnia (39.3%). Depressed mood, psychic anxiety, loss of energy, loss of interest, insomnia, and hypochondriasis were significantly more frequent in females. Uneducated patients had a more significant loss of energy than educated patients. Depressed mood, psychic anxiety, and somatic concerns and symptoms were more frequent in patients with permanent pacemakers than in the general population. These symptoms, resembling mixed anxiety-depression disorder, were related to fears of having a permanent pacemaker, since our series were composed of uneducated patients who did not have enough knowledge about the device.     

The body compartments of normal pregnant,edematous pregnant,and pre-eclamptic women

The human body may be considered to consist of two components, the lean and the fat—the aqueous and the anhydrous.¹ The aqueous portion, the lean body weight (LBW), is the sum of the cell mass (CM), the extracellular fluid (ECF), and the skeletal minerals (MM). The anhydrous portion is the total weight of the water insoluble body fat (FM). The total weight of the body is the sum of these two masses (LBW + FM). In health, the ratio of fat to lean varies widely with the degree of obesity of the individual studied, but the composition of the lean is reasonably constant.^{2, 3, 4} Regardless of the degree of obesity, the ratio of the cell mass to the extracellular fluid is fixed within fairly narrow limits.It was the purpose of this study to determine the relative mass of these specific portions of the total weight in nonpregnant, normal pregnant, and toxemic women. We believed that this experimental approach might provide us with a better understanding of the significance of normal and abnormal weight gain in pregnancy.     

Therapeutic efficacy of sequential and simultaneous treatments with interferon-α and lamivudine in children with chronic hepatitis B

BACKGROUND: Interferon (IFN)-alpha and lamivudine (LAM), a nucleoside analog, are frequently used drugs for the treatment of chronic hepatitis B (CHB), and their combined therapy has been shown to be effective. The purpose of the present study was to examine the therapeutic efficacy of sequential and simultaneous combination therapies of IFN-alpha and LAM in children with CHB. METHODS: A total of 45 children with CHB, whose antibody status was positive for hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg), hepatitis B envelope antigen (HBeAg), and HBV-DNA at least for 6 months; who had alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels 1.5-fold higher than normal and hepatic activity index scores higher than 6, were allocated to two groups. The first group included 24 children who were given standard dose IFN-alpha (5 MU/m(2) s.c., thrice weekly) for 6 months, followed by LAM (4 mg/kg per day per oral, maximum 100 mg/day) for an additional 6 months (sequential therapy group). The second group included 21 children who were given IFN-alpha and LAM therapy simultaneously for 6 months and who continued with LAM alone for another 6 months (simultaneous therapy group). Partial response was defined as normalization of ALT and eradication of HBV-DNA. Complete response was defined as normalization of ALT, eradication of HBV-DNA and e seroconversion. Non-responders were defined as having positive HBV-DNA and abnormal ALT levels. Sustained response was defined as absence of HBsAg and presence of hepatitis B surface antibody (anti-HBs). RESULTS: The mean age of the sequential therapy group was 12.7 +/- 4.1 years, and 16 (66.7%) of the patients were male. The mean age of the simultaneous therapy group was 14.8 +/- 4.6 years, and 15 (71.4%) were male. In the first group, 13 patients (54.2%) were non-responders; partial response was observed in five patients (20.8%), and complete response was seen in six patients (25%). Despite the occurrence of e seroconversion, normalization of ALT was not achieved in one case. In the second group, which consisted of 21 patients, 11 subjects (52.4%) were non-responders; partial response was observed in one case (4.8%), and complete response was seen in seven (33.3%). Sustained response was found in two patients (9.5%). There were no significant differences between the groups (P > 0.05). CONCLUSION: When the therapeutic efficiency of two different treatment regimens applied for 1 year was evaluated in childhood CHB therapy, it was remarkable that there was a sustained response and a higher complete response in group 2, although there was no considerable difference between the therapy results of both groups.     

微波组织凝固器在无阻断肾蒂肾部分切除术中的应用

目的探讨微波组织凝固器在无阻断肾蒂肾脏部分切除术中应用价值。方法用微波组织凝固器对16例(17个肾脏)行肾脏部分切除术,术中未阻断肾蒂。结果1例同时行双侧肾部分切除术患者手术时间为325min,15例手术时间为90~220min,平均为180min。术中出血量45~450ml,平均80ml。术前术后血肌酐无显著性差异。患者术后第2天即可下床活动。结论微波组织凝固器在肾脏部分切除术中,具有微创、安全、出血少及操作简便等作用。     

Stress Cardiomyopathy (Tako‐Tsubo) Associated with Sustained Polymorphic Ventricular Tachycardia

We present a case of 38‐year‐old woman with stress cardiomyopathy presenting to the emergency department with a 1‐week history of recurrent syncope due to sustained polymorphic ventricular tachycardia.     

Ultrasound guided internal jugular vein access in children and infant: A meta‐analysis of published studies

Introduction: Central venous catheter placement is technically difficult in pediatric population especially in the younger patients. Ultrasound prelocation and/or guidance (UPG) of internal jugular vein (IJV) access has been shown to decrease failure rate and complications related to this invasive procedure. The goal of the present study was to perform a systematic review of the advantages of UPG over anatomical landmarks (AL) during IJV access in children and infants. Material and methods: A comprehensive literature search was conducted to identify clinical trials that focused on the comparison of UPG to AL techniques during IJV access in children and infants. Two reviewers independently assessed each study to meet inclusion criteria and extracted data. Data from each trial were combined to calculate the pooled odds ratio (OR) or the mean differences (MD), and their 95% confidence intervals [CI 95%]. I² statistics were used to assess statistics heterogeneity and to guide the use of fixed or random effect for computation of overall effects. Subgroup analysis was used to clarify the effects of the techniques used (prelocation or guidance) or the experience of practitioners. Results: Literature found five articles. Most of the patients were cardiac surgery patients. In comparison with AL, UPG had no effect on IJV access failure rate (OR = 0.28 [0.05, 1.47], I² = 75%, P = 0.003), the rate of carotid artery puncture (OR = 0.32 [0.06, 1.62], I² = 68%, P = 0.01), haematoma, haemothorax, or pneumothorax occurrence (OR = 0.40 [0.14, 1.13], I² = 17%, P = 0.30, OR = 0.72, OR = 0.81 [0.18, 3.73], I² = 0%, P = 0.94, respectively) and time to IJV access and haemothorax/pneumothorax occurrence. Subgroup analysis found an efficacy of ultrasound when used by novice operators or during intraoperative use. Discussion: This current meta‐analysis does not found the utility of ultrasound during IJV access in children and infants in increasing the success rate and in decreasing complications.