New England Medical Center Posterior Circulation Stroke Registry: I. Methods, Data Base, Distribution of Brain Lesions, Stroke Mechanisms, and Outcomes

Among 407 New England Medical Center Posterior Circulation Registry (NEMC-PCR) patients, 59% had strokes without transient ischemic attacks (TIAs), 24% had TIAs before strokes, and 16% had only posterior circulation TIAs. Embolism was the commonest stroke mechanism accounting for 40% of cases (24% cardiac origin, 14% arterial origin, 2% had potential cardiac and arterial sources). In 32%, large artery occlusive lesions caused hemodynamic brain infarction. Stroke mechanisms in the posterior and anterior circulation are very similar. Infarcts most often included the distal posterior circulation territory (rostral brainstem, superior cerebellum and occipital and temporal lobes), while the proximal (medulla and posterior inferior cerebellum) and middle (pons and anterior inferior cerebellum) territories were equally involved. Infarcts that included the distal territory were twice as common as those that included the proximal or middle territories. Most distal territory infarcts were attributable to embolism. Thirty day mortality was low (3.6%). Embolic stroke mechanism, distal territory location, and basilar artery occlusive disease conveyed the worst prognosis.     

LATE TENSION PNEUMOCEPHALUS FOLLOWING FRONTAL CRANIOTOMY

Tension pneumocephalus is an uncommon but life-threatening complication of craniotomy which requires urgent diagnosis and treatment. It most often occurs perioperatively following subsequent anaesthesia using nitrous oxide. All previously reported postoperative cases followed posterior fossa or upper spinal cord surgery. Only two cases associated with frontal craniotomy have been reported since 1972, both occurring intraoperatively.     

17-β雌二醇对不同月龄大鼠成骨细胞雌激素受体β表达的影响

目的探讨17-β雌二醇对不同月龄大鼠成骨细胞雌激素受体β（ERβ）表达的影响。方法雌性大鼠颅盖骨经多次酶消化、反复贴壁法分离纯化培养得到大量纯净成骨细胞并进行形态学检查和碱性磷酸酶（ALP）染色;免疫组化法（SABC）进行雌激素受体染色;用10-8mol/L17-β雌二醇处理培养的成骨细胞,SDS-PAGE电泳和western blot法检测雌激素受体。结果成骨细胞碱性磷酸酶染色阳性率为90%以上。形态学检查符合成骨细胞的特征。免疫组化染色显示大鼠的成骨细胞存在雌激素受体β,且位于胞核内。Western blot结果表明,与对照组相比,处理组的各月龄大鼠雌激素受体β表达均有上调。结论17-β雌二醇能提高各月龄组大鼠成骨细胞雌激素受体β表达水平,不同月龄间上调水平不同,以4、8月龄组最为显著。     

脂联素与妊娠期糖尿病巨大儿发生关系的研究

妊娠期糖尿病孕妇中巨大儿发生率明显高于正常孕妇,巨大儿是妊娠期糖尿病最多见的围产儿并发症,高血糖-高胰岛素学说是其基本的发病机制.脂联素、瘦素、肿瘤坏死因子-α、胰岛素样生长因子、成纤维细胞生长因子-Ⅱ、胰岛素抵抗等因素的参与加剧了妊娠期糖尿病,同时这些因素也与胎儿的生长发育密切相关,其以各种方式参与了巨大儿的发生.其中,脂联素可能起着重要作用.脂联素是调节胰岛素和糖代谢的关键因子,而胎儿的生长发育受胰岛素和糖代谢的影响,因此,脂联素可能是调节胎儿宫内发育的候选因子之一.胎盘组织中存在脂联素基因的表达,妊娠期糖尿病孕妇胎盘脂联素基因mRNA表达水平显著降低,表明妊娠期糖尿病孕妇内分泌环境的变化不但严重地影响着胎盘基因的表达,而且能通过影响胎盘调节干扰胎儿的生长发育.     

Clinical outcomes and maternal perceptions of an updated model of perinatal care

BACKGROUND: Postpartum hospital stays seem likely to remain limited even under new laws which mandate that insurers cover 48-hour hospitalization after uncomplicated delivery. Clinicians, who are increasingly practicing in capitated arrangements, need better information to maximize clinical benefit to mothers and newborns using finite resources. OBJECTIVE AND INTERVENTIONS: This study's aim was to evaluate the clinical outcomes, patient perceptions, and costs of a revised model of perinatal care services. In this model, a new postpartum care center was established for routine follow-up of newborns within 48 hours after hospital discharge, educational efforts were shifted from the postpartum hospitalization to the prenatal period, and lactation consultant hours were increased. DESIGN AND PARTICIPANTS: Controlled, nonrandomized (double cohort) study that compared mothers and newborns with hospital stays of 48 hours or less during the Baseline Care (preintervention) study period (N = 344) with those under the Revised Care (postintervention) study period (N = 456). SETTING: The Hayward, California, medical center of Kaiser Permanente, a nonprofit health maintenance organization. DATA COLLECTION: Telephone interviews were attempted with all mothers 3 weeks after delivery. Data on rehospitalizations, emergency department (ED) and clinic visits, and costs during the first 14 postpartum days were collected from computerized databases and chart review. OUTCOME MEASURES: The combined clinical outcome was defined as any undesirable health event, including rehospitalization, an ED visit, or an urgent clinic visit by either the mother or newborn within the first 14 days postpartum, or breastfeeding discontinuation within the first 21 days postpartum. Maternal satisfaction and costs were also studied. RESULTS: Of 876 attempted interviews, 800 were completed (91%). Analyses were adjusted for age, race, education, parity, breastfeeding experience, and other relevant variables. Among the interviewed mother-newborn pairs, 45% in the Revised Care group experienced the combined clinical outcome, compared with 52% in the Baseline Care group. Newborns in the Revised Care group (29%) were significantly less likely to make urgent clinic visits during the first 14 days of life than those in the Baseline Care group (36%). There were no differences between groups in newborn ED visits or rehospitalizations, maternal clinical outcomes, or breastfeeding continuation. Mothers in the Revised Care group expressed higher satisfaction with the newborn's care, the amount of information they received about newborn care and breastfeeding, and the amount of help they received with breastfeeding. Planned hospital care, planned follow-up visits, and unplanned care costs decreased by $149 per delivery, while the new prenatal class and increased lactation consultant services cost $58 per delivery, for an estimated overall reduction in cost. CONCLUSIONS: We conclude that the revised model of perinatal care in this health maintenance organization medical center improved clinical outcomes and maternal satisfaction for low-risk mothers and newborns without increasing costs.