Breast screening: a subject for debate.

The National Health Service Breast Screening Programme was instituted in 1988 following the recommendations of the Forrest report in 1986. From the beginning it has been controversial. Is breast cancer screening efficacious? Can the efficacy produced in trials be reproduced nationwide in the UK? Do the benefits of screening outweigh the adverse effects? Answers to all these questions are not yet available but in the light of current evidence, breast screening does appear to offer a realistic opportunity to reduce the mortality from a disease which constitutes a major public health problem in the UK. The role of the general practitioner and the primary care team is considered in the light of the experience gained in the first phase of the screening programme.     

Daptomycin disrupts membrane potential in growing Staphylococcus aureus.

Daptomycin (LY146032) caused a calcium-dependent dissipation of the membrane potential (delta psi) in Staphylococcus aureus without noticeably affecting the chemical gradient (delta pH) across the membrane. The effect of daptomycin on membrane energization may account for many of the inhibitory effects on macromolecular biosyntheses and membrane function reported for this antibiotic. Our evidence indicates that the bactericidal activity of daptomycin is dependent on an available delta psi.     

Targeted routine asthma care in general practice using telephone triage

BACKGROUND: There is a high non-attendance rate for traditional clinic-based routine asthma care in general practice. Alternative methods of providing routine asthma care need to be examined. AIM: To examine the cost and effectiveness of targeted routine asthma care in general practice using telephone triage, compared to usual clinic care. DESIGN OF STUDY: An open randomised controlled trial. SETTING: A single semi-rural practice in the southwest of England. METHOD: Adult patients with asthma were randomised to receive either their routine asthma care in the surgery or care by telephone triage. Asthma control parameters, health status and NHS resource utilisation were measured over the 12-month study period. RESULTS: One hundred and ninety-four patients were randomised and 35% per cent more patients (n = 84 versus n = 62) received more than one consultation in the telephone group. Asthma control as measured by the asthma control questionnaire (ACQ) was similar in the clinic and telephone groups: mean change in ACQ = -0.11 (95% CI = -0.32 to 0.11) versus -0.18 (95% CI = -0.38 to 0.02). Mean NHS costs were 210 pounds sterling per patient per year in the telephone group compared to 334 pounds sterling in the clinic group (P-value of bootstrapped difference = 0.071). CONCLUSION: Targeted routine asthma care by telephone triage of adult asthmatics can lead to more asthma patients being reviewed, at less cost per patient and without loss of asthma control compared to usual routine care in the surgery.     

中医理论的诠释与"过度诠释"

针对中医理论研究存在着触目惊心的“过度诠释”现象，对其产生的弊端、原因进行了探讨，最后提出克服过度诠释的对策。     

Just-in-Time Evidence-Based E-mail “Reminders” in Home Health Care: Impact on Patient Outcomes

OBJECTIVE: To assess the impact and cost-effectiveness of two information-based provider reminder interventions designed to improve self-care management and outcomes of heart failure (HF) patients. DATA SOURCES/STUDY SETTING: Interview and agency administrative data on 628 home care patients with a primary diagnosis of HF. STUDY DESIGN: Patients were treated by nurses randomly assigned to usual care or one of two intervention groups. The basic intervention was an e-mail to the patient's nurse highlighting six HF-specific clinical recommendations. The augmented intervention supplemented the initial nurse reminder with additional clinician and patient resources. DATA COLLECTION: Patient interviews were conducted 45 days post admission to measure self-management behaviors, HF-specific outcomes (Kansas City Cardiomyopathy Questionnaire-KCCQ), health-related quality of life (EuroQoL), and service use. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Both interventions improved the mean KCCQ summary score (15.3 and 12.9 percent, respectively) relative to usual care (p< or =.05). The basic intervention also yielded a higher EuroQoL score relative to usual care (p< or =.05). In addition, the interventions had a positive impact on medication knowledge, diet, and weight monitoring. The basic intervention was more cost-effective than the augmented intervention in improving clinical outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrates the positive impact of targeting evidence-based computer reminders to home health nurses to improve patient self-care behaviors, knowledge, and clinical outcomes. It also advances the field's limited understanding of the cost-effectiveness of selected strategies for translating research into practice.     

玉溪市2004年女职工普查结果分析

目的：为了解女职工患妇女病现状，充分认识普查普治必要性。方法：对玉溪市部分女职工进行常规妇科检查、白带多项快染、宫颈荧光筛查、乳腺红外线扫描。结果：女职工患病率74．54％，阴道炎患病率18．67％，宫颈糜烂患病率21，04％，子宫肌瘤占受检人数10．79％，慢性输卵管炎占9．60％，卵巢囊肿占4．3％，乳腺小叶增生患病率为26．86％，乳腺纤维瘤占0．43％，IF荧光宫颈癌筛查3-4分占8．33％。结论：女职工患病率高，提高宣传力度，定期开展妇女病普查普治尤为必要。     

电视纵隔镜手术在肺癌分期中的应用价值

背景与目的　随着新辅助治疗方案的提出,以及人们逐渐认识到CT和PET等检查在肺癌分期中的局限性,纵隔镜手术在肺癌分期中的价值日益受到人们的重视。本研究旨在探讨电视纵隔镜手术在肺癌纵隔淋巴结分期中的应用价值。方法　回顾性总结2001年9月至2004年6月60例经电视纵隔镜检查的肺癌患者的临床资料,其中颈部电视纵隔镜手术52例,胸骨旁电视纵隔镜手术2 例,颈部加胸骨旁电视纵隔镜手术6例。术前所有患者胸部CT均发现纵隔淋巴结肿大(直径大于1.0 cm)。结果　本组60 例患者,经电视纵隔镜检查证实纵隔淋巴结转移(阳性)者42例,未见纵隔淋巴结转移(阴性)者18例。纵隔淋巴结阳性者放弃手术,予以化疗;阴性者中转开胸行肺叶切除或肺楔形切除加纵隔淋巴结清扫,术后病理证实17 例纵隔淋巴结未见转移,1例隆凸后淋巴结可见癌转移(电视纵隔镜检查假阴性)。电视纵隔镜手术敏感性、特异性和准确性分别为97.7%、100%和98.3%。本组术中发生无名动脉撕裂1 例,并发症发生率为1.7%(1/60)。无围手术期死亡。结论　电视纵隔镜手术安全、可靠,可作为明确肺癌分期的常规方法。     

室间隔夹层瘤的超声诊断(附4例报告)

目的 总结室间隔夹层瘤的超声心动图诊断及临床应用价值。方法1985～2005年超声诊断罕见的室间隔夹层瘤4例。超声主要取左室长轴、四腔心、五腔心、大动脉短轴及非标准切面，观察主动脉窦的形态及结构：如扩张窦瘤的大小、窦壁厚度、窦瘤破口的部位、窦瘤破口与室间隔之间的关系，主动脉窦瘤与室间隔夹层瘤之间交通口的大小，测量形成室间隔夹层瘤的大小及夹层瘤左、右室面的厚度，结合彩色多普勒观察心动周期夹层瘤与主动脉窦瘤血流动态变化，频谱多普勒测量窦瘤与室间隔夹层瘤之间的血流速度。结果4例室间隔夹层瘤均为主动脉右窦破人室间隔基底段，且均行手术治疗证实超声诊断。结论超声心动图对室间隔夹层瘤可直接做出诊断，超声诊断价值在于早发现、早诊断、及早治疗，并可为外科选择手术方式提供重要的有价值的依据。