Comparing outcomes in renal replacement therapy: how should we correct for case mix?

The need to evaluate the effectiveness of clinical practice to justify expensive therapy in the face of financial constraints in all areas of health care delivery makes it necessary to identify groups of patients who are likely to benefit most from treatment. Various risk stratification methods have been used for analyzing survival probabilities for patients receiving renal replacement therapy. Complicated risk stratification methods produce large numbers of risk groups of small sizes, which makes comparison between individual centers difficult. We compared three simple methods of risk stratification, that divided patients into low-, medium-, and high-risk groups, in a cohort of 1,407 patients who commenced renal replacement therapy in five European countries during a 7-year period. Method 1 considered age (>55 years) and diabetes alone; method 2 used a higher age limit (>70 years) and comorbid illnesses, including those other than diabetes; and method 3 used only the number of comorbidities (none, 1, or > or =2) for stratification. Kaplan-Meier survival curves were constructed for comparison between risk groups and Cox's regression model used to assess strength of relationship with mortality. Although patient survival was significantly different between the low-, medium-, and high-risk groups using all three methods, Cox's regression analysis showed that method 2 provided the greatest discrimination between risk groups. In predicting mortality, method 2 (based on comorbidities and age) showed the highest sensitivity and specificity (84% and 80%, respectively) compared with method 1 (80% and 74%) and method 3 (64% and 82%). Validation of this approach in other populations in a prospective study is required before this method, which takes into account the influences of both age and comorbidity for risk stratification, can be used for comparing survival data and for presenting results of renal replacement therapy.     

The combination of intravitreal triamcinolone and phacoemulsification surgery in patients with diabeticfoveal oedema and cataract

Background  

The management of diabetic patients with refractory macular oedema or patients with no adequate pre-operative view to administer laser treatment provide a challenge to the ophthalmologist. We wished to assess the use, safety and effect of intravitreal triamcinolone injection at the time of cataract surgery in patients with diabetic foveal oedema and sight limiting lens opacities.     

急性重度有机磷农药中毒32例的救治

0引言在急性重度有机磷农药中毒(AOPP)救治过程中,早期的内科常规处理,结合抗胆碱药及复能剂的应用,并积极进行肠道水疗,血液灌流,后期营养支持等综合救治,能提高AOPP在基层医院的抢救成功率、存活率.我院2000-3/2005-03收治32例重度AOPP患者,获得满意治疗效果.     

Proliferation and cytogenetic analysis of hairy cell leukemia upon stimulation via the CD40 antigen

Using the CD40 system, in vitro proliferation of hairy cell leukemia (HCL) was examined in 43 patients. In this culture system, cells were stimulated by interleukin-4 (IL-4) and anti-CD40 monoclonal antibodies (MoAbs) that were added in soluble form or were cross-linked via their Fc part using Fc gamma RII-transfected mouse fibroblast cells. Proliferation was induced and confirmed by 3H-thymidine incorporation in 14 cases and by the presence of metaphases in 42 cases. 3H-thymidine incorporation showed a heterogeneous pattern: cross-linking of anti- CD40 gave the highest proliferation in 8 cases; in 11 cases, stimulation with anti-CD40 MoAbs alone, without cross-linking also resulted in proliferation; the addition of IL-4 further enhanced 3H- thymidine incorporation in 5 cases, but suppressed this phenomenon in 5 other cases. The CD40 system proved to be very effective in obtaining cytogenetic data. With a success rate of 42 of 43 patients tested, we found clonal abnormalities in 8 cases (19%) and nonclonal abnormalities with involvement of one or two abnormal metaphases in another 7 cases. The chromosomes most frequently involved in the abnormal karyotypes, both structurally and numerically, were chromosomes 5, 7, and 14. By fluorescence-activated cell-sorting analysis of the cultured cells, and by immunophenotypic analysis of metaphase spreads, T-cell growth could be excluded and the HCL-lineage confirmed. Stimulation via the CD40 antigen is an excellent tool for growing hairy cell leukemia cells.     

Pressure ulcers in trauma patients with suspected spine injury: a prospective cohort study with emphasis on device‐related pressure ulcers

Of all patients in a hospital environment, trauma patients may be particularly at risk for developing (device‐related) pressure ulcers (PUs), because of their traumatic injuries, immobility, and exposure to immobilizing and medical devices. Studies on device‐related PUs are scarce. With this study, the incidence and characteristics of PUs and the proportion of PUs that are related to devices in adult trauma patients with suspected spinal injury were described. From January–December 2013, 254 trauma patients were visited every 2 days for skin assessment. The overall incidence of PUs was 28·3% (n = 72/254 patients). The incidence of device‐related PUs was 20·1% (n = 51), and 13% (n = 33) developed solely device‐related PUs. We observed 145 PUs in total of which 60·7% were related to devices (88/145). Device‐related PUs were detected 16 different locations on the front and back of the body. These results show that the incidence of PUs and the proportion of device‐related PUs is very high in trauma patients.     

头序木叶中三萜化学成分的研究

从头序木（ＡｒａｌｉａｄａｓｙｐｈｙｌａＭｉｑ）叶中分离到６个三萜化合物，用化学方法和波谱（ＵＶ，ＩＲ，ＭＳ，１ＨＮＭＲ，１３ＣＮＭＲ，１３ＣＤＥＰＴ，ＨＭＱＣ，ＨＭＢＣ）分析，确定其中４种化合物的结构，分别为齐墩果酸（Ｉ），１６β羟基１８βＨ齐墩果酸（Ｉ），齐墩果酸２８ＯβＤ吡喃葡萄糖甙（ＩＩ）和１６β羟基１８βＨ齐墩果酸２８ＯβＤ吡喃葡萄糖甙（ＩＶ）。用ＮＯＥＳＹ谱确定化合物Ｉ的立体构型。以上４个化合物均为首次从该植物中分离到，化合物ＩＶ为新化合物。     

干细胞治疗糖尿病的研究现状及未来

目的:综述干细胞治疗糖尿病的研究现状及未来发展。资料来源:应用计算机检索Pubmed2000-01/2006-11有关干细胞治疗糖尿病方面文献,检索词“diabetes mellitus and stem cell not review”,限定文章语言种类为English。资料选择:对检索到的干细胞治疗糖尿病相关文献进行整理,选取针对性强文章。同一领域文献则选择近期发表或权威杂志文章。资料提炼:共检索到359篇相关文献,有关胚胎干细胞、胰腺干细胞、造血干细胞、神经干细胞、骨髓基质干细胞在糖尿病方面研究文章50篇,其中29篇符合要求。资料综合:干细胞极强的自我更新能力和多向分化潜能为糖尿病的细胞治疗开辟了新途径,按其发育阶段不同可以将干细胞分为胚胎干细胞和胰腺干细胞、造血干细胞、神经干细胞、骨髓基质干细胞等成体干细胞。干细胞移植是治疗糖尿病的一条新途径。干细胞生成胰岛素分泌细胞前需要经过诱导分化、细胞选择和细胞成熟3个阶段。干细胞治疗糖尿病研究已取得一定进展,部分实验已纠正糖尿病动物的高血糖状态。结论:干细胞定向分化为胰岛β细胞研究为糖尿病患者点燃了新希望,其勿庸置疑的成为治疗糖尿病的最佳种子细胞。     

针刺足三里和悬钟治疗缺血性脑卒中

目的:观察针刺足三里、悬钟2穴对缺血性脑卒中脑血管功能的影响,分析其可能的作用机制,并对临床疗效做出评价。方法:选择2004-11/2006-05湖北中医药高等专科学校附属古城医院针灸科、荆州市第五人民医院中医康复科、荆州市第三人民医院中医科3单位缺血性脑卒中患者合适病例160例,采用查随机数字表的方法,将其随机分为对照组和针刺组,各80例。对照组采用现代医学常规干预方法进行治疗:卧床,保持呼吸道通畅,预防感染,控制颅内压、血压,维持水电解质平衡。针刺组在此基础上加针刺足三里、悬钟2穴,采用慢速捻转进针法针刺,留针20～30min,每隔5min行针1次。1次/d。两组患者治疗30d。并以经颅多普勒检测观察缺血性脑卒中患者治疗前后脑血管舒缩反应能力、脑血流自动调节功能、大脑半球侧枝循环代偿功能的变化,同时以治疗前后神经功能缺损程度为指标评价其临床疗效。结果:160例病例全部进入结果分析。①针刺组与治疗前相比,脑血管舒缩反应能力明显加强,差异有显著性意义(t=2.97,P<0.05),且优于对照组(t=2.45,P<0.05)。②针刺组与治疗前相比,脑血流自动调节能力明显改善,差异有非常显著性意义(t=8.01,P<0.01),且优于对照组(t=7.67,P<0.05)。③针刺组与治疗前相比,大脑半球侧枝循环代偿功能得到加强,差异有显著性意义(t=3.15,P<0.05),且优于对照组(t=5.16,P<0.05)。④针刺组与治疗前相比,神经功能缺损积分明显降低,差异有非常显著性意义(t=4.83,P<0.01),且优于对照组(t=5.43,P<0.05)。结论:针刺足三里、悬钟2穴对缺血性脑卒中患者脑血管舒缩反应能力、脑血流自动调节功能、大脑半球侧枝循环代偿功能有明显改善作用,并能促进神经功能的恢复。