We present the design of an open randomized multi-centre study on surgical versus conservative treatment of acute Achilles
tendon ruptures. The study is designed to evaluate the effectiveness of conservative treatment in reducing complications when
treating acute Achilles tendon rupture. 相似文献
BACKGROUND: The mainstay of treatment for pemphigus is systemic corticosteroids. Different adjuvants have been used to reduce side-effects of long-term corticotherapy. Gold is an anti-inflammatory drug used in autoimmune diseases, whose use has waned with the advent of new immunosuppressive agents. OBJECTIVE: To study the outcome of the use of intramuscular gold treatment of pemphigus vulgaris refractory to previous therapies. METHODS: Thirteen patients with pemphigus vulgaris who had failed to respond to several prior therapies were treated with aurothiomalate, as a steroid-sparing agent. Patients were monitored to assess disease activity and gold toxicity. RESULTS: Seven patients achieved complete remission. Four patients were able to taper prednisone doses, although pemphigus flared when prednisone was discontinued or reduced. Toxicity was observed in the other two patients. CONCLUSIONS: In 53.4% of the patients, the use of chrysotherapy resulted in the complete clearing of the disease, discontinuation of all systemic therapies and induced a long-term clinical remission. Prednisone doses were able to be reduced in the remaining 46.6%. Any side-effects were reversible with drug discontinuation. Gold therapy showed efficacy as a secondary line treatment in refractory pemphigus vulgaris. 相似文献
One-hundred and six male children aged 6-23 months with a history of acute watery diarrhoea of less than 72 h duration were randomized to receive either folic acid in a dose of 5 mg at 8-h intervals or placebo for 5 d. There were 54 children in the folic acid group and 52 in the placebo group. The admission characteristics were comparable between the two groups. No significant differences were observed in the intake of oral rehydration solution or stool output between the groups. The mean ± SD of total stool output (g kg−1) was 532 ± 476 vs 479 ± 354 and the duration (h) of diarrhoea was 108 ± 68 vs 103 ± 53 in the folic acid vs placebo group, respectively. The findings, therefore, should have a positive influence on preventing the inappropriate use of folic acid in acute diarrhoea. 相似文献
Laryngotracheoesophageal cleft is an uncommon disease that is difficult to diagnose and treat. Repair of the cleft depends on length and localization of the defect as well as the associated anomalies. A successful repair of a type II cleft is reported in this paper. An anterior split of the larynx and trachea was used and provided excellent exposure and safe repair without injury to the neurovascular structures. This is the best approach and should be used to correct all type II defects. 相似文献
The involvement of angiotensin AT1 receptors in sodium appetite was studied in hypothyroid rats treated with the angiotensin II antagonist losartan. Losartan was administered chronically by the oral route or acutely by the subcutaneous route after water and sodium depletion or water, sodium and food deprivation. Three days after addition of losartan to the food at the dose of 1.0 mg x g(-1), the rats significantly reduced (P < 0.02) their spontaneous intake of 1.8% NaCl. Increasing the dose of losartan to 2.0 and 4.0 mg x g(-1) did not reduce NaCl intake; in contrast, the intensity of the sodium appetite gradually returned to previous levels. The simultaneous administration of captopril, an angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor, and losartan significantly increased (P < 0.05) NaCl intake and after captopril removal NaCl intake returned to the levels observed with losartan treatment alone. The administration of losartan 4 days after the beginning of captopril treatment significantly reduced (P < 0.0001) NaCl intake. Following acute administration of losartan, water- and sodium-depleted rats significantly reduced their NaCl and water intake (P < 0.001). The administration of losartan also induced a significant reduction in NaCl and water intake in water, NaCl and food-deprived rats (P < 0.0001 and P < 0.001, respectively). The present results show that chronic treatment with oral losartan inhibited spontaneous sodium appetite in hypothyroid rats. Continuation of treatment rendered rats resistant to the blockade of AT1 receptors. Water and sodium depletion and water, NaCl and food deprivation induced sodium appetite, which in the short term depends on cerebral angiotensinergic activity mediated by the activation of AT1 receptors. 相似文献
BACKGROUND: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a major health problem with an estimated prevalence of 10-15% among smokers. The incidence of moderate COPD, as defined by the Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD), is largely unknown. AIM: To determine the cumulative incidence of moderate COPD (forced expiratory volume in 1 second/forced vital capacity ratio [FEV1/FVC] <0.7 and FEV1 <80% predicted) and its association with patient characteristics in a cohort of male smokers. DESIGN: Prospective cohort study. SETTING: The city of IJsselstein, a small town in the Netherlands. METHOD: Smokers aged 40-65 years who were registered with local GPs, participated in a study to identify undetected COPD. Baseline measurements were taken in 1998 of 399 smokers with normal spirometry (n = 292) or mild COPD (FEV1/FVC <0.7 and FEV1 >or=80% predicted, n = 107) and follow-up measurements were conducted in 2003. RESULTS: After a mean follow-up of 5.2 years, 33 participants developed moderate COPD (GOLD II). This showed an estimated cumulative incidence of 8.3% (95% CI = 5.8 to 11.4) and a mean annual incidence of 1.6%. No participant developed severe airflow obstruction. The risk of developing moderate COPD in smokers with baseline mild COPD (GOLD I) was five times higher than in those with baseline normal spirometry (one in five versus one in 25). CONCLUSIONS: In a cohort of middle-aged male smokers, the estimated cumulative incidence of moderate COPD (GOLD II) over 5 years was relatively high (8.3%). Age, childhood smoking, cough, and one or more GP contacts for lower respiratory tract problems were independently associated with incident moderate COPD. 相似文献
Cervical smears were reviewed from patients in whom a cytological abnormality was followed, after an interval without interference, either by regression to `negative' or else by progression to invasive carcinoma. Twenty-eight cases were from a previously analysed series with positive smears and an interval of at least two years before investigation, resulting from refusal or failure to trace. Slides were also reviewed from 25 cases in which `positive' smears had regressed to negative without escaping from surveillance, and from 10 patients subsequently developing invasive carcinoma whose previous slides, taken several years earlier, showed abnormalities on review. None of these 63 patients had any biopsy or other surgical procedure to the cervix between the initial smear and the outcome.
Slides showing `superficial cell dyskaryosis' and/or well-differentiated `parabasal cell dyskaryosis' were found only among the groups with subsequent regression. Those showing dissociated poorly differentiated dyskaryotic parabasal cells regressed to negative in two cases and progressed to invasion in nine. This suggests that many examples of spontaneous regression correspond to mild dysplasias which are not precancerous, and overdiagnosis must often have resulted in unnecessary surgical procedures in the past.
`Regressing' and `progressing' groups both included cases in which the spatula had removed coherent pieces of undifferentiated epithelium. These are difficult to interpret cytologically. In nine of them (including four which regressed) the cytological picture was that of carcinoma in situ. The remainder (14 cases) were probably examples of reserve cell hyperplasia, and it is noteworthy that, of the 21 cases subsequently progressing to invasive carcinoma, five were preceded by appearances of this type. It is concluded that cell aggregates suggesting an unusual degree of reserve cell hyperplasia are a danger signal and require careful surveillance.