Do house officers learn from their mistakes?*

Mistakes are inevitable in medicine. To learn how medical mistakes relate to subsequent changes in practice, we surveyed 254 internal medicine house officers. One hundred and fourteen house officers (45%) completed an anonymous questionnaire describing their most significant mistake and their response to it. Mistakes included errors in diagnosis (33%), prescribing (29%), evaluation (21%), and communication (5%) and procedural complications (11%). Patients had serious adverse outcomes in 90% of the cases, including death in 31% of cases. Only 54% of house officers discussed the mistake with their attending physicians, and only 24% told the patients or families. House officers who accepted responsibility for the mistake and discussed it were more likely to report constructive changes in practice. Residents were less likely to make constructive changes if they attributed the mistake to job overload. They were more likely to report defensive changes if they felt the institution was judgmental. Decreasing the work load and closer supervision may help prevent mistakes. To promote learning, faculty should encourage house officers to accept responsibility and to discuss their mistakes.     

Histopathologic findings in a case of recurrent parotitis in adulthood

Most cases with recurrent parotitis in childhood (RPC) can be cured before puberty.^1–3 A few of them, however, may continue to adulthood.^1–4 To distinguish this condition from other types of chronic parotitis in adults, such as chronic obstructive parotitis,⁵ we suggest that the diagnosis of recurrent parotitis in adults (RPA) be reserved for the cases derived from RPC.⁶ The pathophysiology and development of RPA is still not well known. To our knowledge, there are few reports of RPA in the literature, especially concerning its histopathology. This report describes a cases of RPA studied with sialography and light and electron microscopy.     

人甲胎蛋白时间分辨免疫荧光分析试剂盒的研制

目的研制人甲胎蛋白(hAFP)时间分辨免疫荧光分析(TRFIA)试剂盒.方法采用双抗体夹心法建立AFP TRFIA 试剂盒,对试剂盒的各项指标进行评价.结果试剂盒的可测范围为l～1 000 U/ml,灵敏度为0.17 U/ml,精密度良好,批内和批间的精密度分别为3.3%～5.9%,3.7%～6.5%.与CEA、CA12-5、CA19-9、CA15-3、白蛋白无交叉反应.稳定性试验表明试剂可以在4℃稳定1年,37℃稳定7 d.426份正常血清标本测试该试剂盒的正常参考值范围是0～12 U/ml.用本试剂盒与国外同类试剂盒同时检测60份血清标本,其相关系数为0.995.结论试剂盒各项指标(灵敏度、精密度、特异性、稳定性、准确度)均达到临床检测要求,可替代国外同类产品试剂盒.     

缺血再灌流肾组织内皮素—1动态变化的实验研究

在大鼠肾缺血６０分钟再灌注的模型上观察不同时相肾静脉血、肾皮质、外髓和内髓的内皮素１（ＥＴ１）浓度变化，肾组织ＥＴ１光镜和电镜免疫组织化学变化。结果发现：缺血再灌流肾组织ＥＴ１基因表达及分泌明显增强，主要分布在血管内皮细胞及平滑肌细胞、系膜细胞、肾小管上皮细胞。其分布特点与细胞类型和活性有关。本实验结果提示了缺血再灌注肾内ＥＴ１的变化规律。     

Sympathetic skin response and R–R interval variation in chronic uremic patients

Sympathetic skin response (SSR) and R–R interval variation (RRIV) were studied in 36 chronic, nondiabetic uremics to compare with their nerve conduction studies (NCS) and clinical dysautonomia. Abnormal SSR was noted in 5 (13.9%) patients, abnormal RRIV in 14 (38.9%), and abnormal NCS in 26 (72.2%). The patients were classified into three groups: group (GP) 1: “normal,” n = 21 (58.3%), normal RRIV and SSR; GP 2: “isolated parasympathetic dysfunction,” n = 10 (27.8%), abnormal RRIV and normal SSR; and GP 3: “sympathetic sudomotor dysfunction,” n = 5 (13.9%), abnormal SSR. A significant difference in age was found among the three groups (GP 3 > GP 2 > GP 1; P < 0.0001, ANOVA). After controlling the age factor, we still noted a tendency toward increasing NCS disturbances (distal latency and nerve conduction velocity of peroneal nerve; P < 0.05, multiple regression analysis) and frequencies of clinical autonomic symptoms (postural dizziness and impotence; P < 0.05, Mantel–Hanszel test) from GP 1 to GP 3. Patients with abnormal SSR (GP 3) displayed significantly higher frequencies of postural dizziness and impotence, indicating the relationship between an absence of SSR and clinical dysautonomia. © 1994 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

不同来源HSP70的氨基酸组成分析

使用ＤＥＡＥ－５２离子交换层析和ＡＴＰ琼脂糖亲和层析方法，从人体肿瘤细胞株，大鼠肝脏和心脏、家兔和小鼠肝脏组织中纯化了主要的热应激蛋白－ＨＳＰ７０，用氨基酸自动分析仪分析它的氨基酸组成。     

Arginine-8-vasopressin potentiates acute ethanol intoxication.

AVP maintains ethanol (EtOH) tolerance after cessation of chronic EtOH treatment. However, the acute interaction of AVP and EtOH has not been well characterized. Rats were trained on a moving belt and the EtOH dose-response relationship (range 1.0-2.0 g/kg) was determined after pretreatment with saline, AVP (2.5-40 micrograms SC or 10 ng ICV), the AVP-V1 receptor antagonist [Des-Gly9,d(CH2)5(1),O-Et-Tyr2, Val4,Arg8]-vasopressin (10 ng ICV), or AVP in combination with the V1 antagonist. AVP produced a 16% decrease in the EtOH ED50 when given either SC or ICV; this decrease, which appears to represent true potentiation rather than additivity, was prevented by the preadministration of the V1 antagonist. Other rats were made EtOH-tolerant by 7 daily injections of either EtOH alone (1.8 g/kg IP) or EtOH (1.5 g/kg IP) + AVP (10 micrograms SC), followed by a practice session on the moving belt. In both sets of tolerant animals, AVP potentiation of acute EtOH effects was still seen on day 6. The mechanism of AVP potentiation of EtOH-induced impairment is unknown, but the failure of the V1 antagonist alone to alter the effect of EtOH suggests that endogenous AVP is not involved directly in modulating EtOH intoxication.     

Inhibition on Telomerase Activity and Cytotoxic Effects by Cisplatin in Cultured Human Choroidal Melanoma Cells

Purpose: To study the changes of telomerase activity and cytotoxic effects by Cisplatin; cis-dichlorodiamine platinum (CDDP) in cultured human choroidal melanoma. Material and Methods: The primary cultured human choroidal melanoma cells were cultured in the presence and absence of CDDP with different concentration and time respectively. The toxic effects were evaluated by MTT and the level of telormarse was detected by PCR-ELISA assay. And the relationship between telomerase activity and cytotoxic effects were analyzed by a correlation analysis.Results: Following the increase of the concentration and the time of CDDP, gradually repressed telomerase activity was detected in cultured cells. Meanwhile, the restrain rate of the cells increased. The telomerase activity at 24h and 1μg/ml was repressed significantly compared with the control cells. However, the appearance of cell death lagged behind the decreasing of telomerase.Conclusions: CDDP is an effective telomerase inhibitor in cultured choroidal melan     

几种中草药复配杀虫剂的急性毒性实验研究

为有效开发植物杀虫剂资源及今后的推广应用提供科学依据。用两种粉剂和两种醇剂的杀虫应用浓度给小白鼠灌,而家兔则行皮肤刺激试验。结果显示,除醒剂Y-13经口有中毒情况发生外,其它3种制剂均无中毒现象,醇剂Y-13的家兔皮肤也无刺激反应发生。作者认为:4种制剂在有杀虫效果的前提下,杀虫应用浓度对人和动物都较安全。有开发和推广应用价值。     

Myelopathy presenting decades after surgery for congenital cervical cutaneous lesions

We report on two patients in whom cervical myelopathy developed decades after they had undergone surgery for congenital cervical cutaneous lesions. Preoperative magnetic resonance imaging demonstrated dorsal tethering and cavitation of the cervical cord in the area of the previous surgery and was helpful in decision making regarding surgical exploration and in planning for it. We stress the importance of long-term follow-up by both clinical examination and magnetic resonance imaging in children who have been operated on for cervical cutaneous masses that may have central connections.