Pathways from first health care seeking to diagnosis: obstacles to tuberculosis care in rural China.

OBJECTIVE: To examine health care seeking pathways for patients with tuberculosis (TB) and barriers related to these pathways in counties under the National TB Control Programme in rural China. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted in two counties of east China in 2004-2005. A total of 557 TB patients were recruited and interviewed by physicians at the time of TB diagnosis. RESULTS: Of 557 participants, 13.3% had presented to a specialised county TB dispensary (CTD) directly after onset of symptoms, 31.4% had first sought care at a village health station and 51.2% had visited a township or county hospital first. The proportion of referral by a first health care provider to a CTD was highest in county level hospitals (73.5%) and lowest in village health stations (21.7%). The most prompt pathway from first health care seeking to TB diagnosis was to visit a CTD directly, with a median provider's delay of only one day. There was an increase in provider's delay when more health facilities were involved. CONCLUSION: To improve direct referral from general health care providers, especially village health care workers, to TB specialists would significantly shorten the delays in TB diagnosis in rural China.     

Significance of changes in serum superoxide dismutase level in hypertensive syndrome of pregnancy.

The concentration of human serum superoxide dismutase-1 (hSOD-1) containing copper and zinc ions were measured by radioimmunoassay healthy nonpregnant women, 15 normal pregnant women, 15 patients with mild to moderate hypertension (MMHSP) and 15 with severe hypertensive syndrome of pregnancy (SHSP). The mean serum hSOD-1 concentration in nonpregnant women was 148.84 +/- 60.53 (x +/- s) micrograms/L; while in the other 3 groups it was 394.19 +/- 122.21 micrograms/L, 377.12 +/- 173.45 micrograms/L and 581.15 +/- 118.50 micrograms/L. The results suggest that harmful free radicals increase gradually and a strong body defence system against oxidation damage of tissue cells is produced in the course of normal pregnancy and MMHSP. With cardionatrin treatment serum hSOD-1 concentrations of patients ameliorated returned to the level of normal pregnancy. The results indicate that there is a positive correlation between cardionatrin and hSOD-1 levels (r = 0.569, P less than 0.05), and a physiological regulation of the defence system exists, which may be related to the white blood cells. Hence, hSOD-1 probably plays a significant role in defence during normal pregnancy and hypertensive syndrome of pregnancy (HSP).

     

大白鼠尾动脉吻合实验的方法与体会

报告了960次大白鼠尾动脉吻合实验,采用端端吻合法800次,即刻通畅率96.5％,套叠吻合法160次,即刻通畅率100％。作者认为利用大白鼠尾动脉作吻合训练,具有节省动物、可多次操作、无需无菌条件、操作简单易行等优点,并介绍了操作方法和注意点。     

Neurochemical studies on the mesolimbic circuitry of antinociception

Previous studies using the technique of microinjection into brain nuclei indicated that the periaqueductal gray (PAG), nucleus accumbens, habenula and amygdala play an essential role in pain modulation and that these nuclei possibly act through a ‘mesolimbic neural loop‘ to exert an analgesic effect, in which Met-enkephalin (MEK) and β-endorphin (β-EP) have been implicated as the two major opioid peptides involved in antinociception. In the present study performed in rabbits, intracranial microinjection was supplemented with push-pull perfusion and radioimmunoassay to determine whether the release of enkephalins (ENK) and β-EP was increased in these nuclei when the putative neural circuit was activated by morphine administered into one of the nuclei. The results showed: (1) microinjection of morphine into the PAG increased the release of ENK and β-EP in the N. accumbens, and vice versa; (2) microinjection of morphine into the N. accumbens increased the release of ENK and β-EP in the amygdala, and vice versa; (3) morphine microinjected into the PAG caused an increase in the release of ENK and β-EP in the amygdala and vice versa, although the release of ENK in PAG was statistically not significant. These results indicate that PAG, N. accumbens and amygdala are connected in a network served by a positive feedback circuitry.     

Infantile spasms. A retrospective study of 105 cases.

This paper is a summary of our observations on 105 cases of infantile spasms. The age of onset was around six months after birth, but the patients came for treatment mainly about one year after onset. Fever of unknown cause, asphyxia, birth injury, infection of the central nervous system, tuberous sclerosis, phenylketonuria and recent immunization etc. were complained. Clinically, it is characterized by head nodding, mental retardation, myoclonic jerks and various neurologic deficits. EEG findings showed classical or modified arrythmia or other epileptiform patterns. About one third of 22 cases examined had abnormal brain stem auditory evoked potentials. Among 42 patients who underwent CT scanning before ACTH treatment, 18 were normal and 7 abnormal; during ACTH treatment 3 normal and 4 abnormal; after completion of treatment, 4 normal and 6 abnormal, suggesting no further atrophy of the brain. Examination of trace elements of the hair by particle-induced X-ray emission (PIXE) method in 23 patients revealed a significant difference in lead, calcium and zinc contents between patients and 101 controls, but no statistical difference in iron and copper contents between the two groups. Sodium valproate, prednisone and ACTH appear to be effective in the treatment of infantile spasms. Eight patients fully recovered, and they can go to school without difficulty. Many patients derived various degrees of improvement to the satisfaction of their parents. Two patients were still amented and often attacked by myoclonus. The effects, side effects of these drugs, and the possible pathogenesis were discussed.

     

Early uptake of 99mTc-C2A in the acute phase of myocardial infarction as a prognostic indicator for follow-up cardiac dysfunction

OBJECTIVE: The C2A domain of Synaptotagmin I is a molecular probe for the specific imaging of cell death. Here we test the hypothesis that the uptake of 99mTc-C2A in the acute phase of an infarction is associated with cardiac dysfunction in follow-ups. METHODS: The left coronary artery was occluded in Sprague-Dawley rats for 0, 10, 20, and 30 min. 99mTc-C2A was injected intravenously at 2 h of reperfusion. Anterior planar images were acquired with one million counts on a gamma camera 3 h after injection. 99mTc-C2A uptake was calculated as the total counts in the left ventricle region minus blood pool signal. The in-vivo signal detected was correlated with wall motion score index at 1 and 3 weeks follow-ups measured by echocardiography. RESULTS: 99mTc-C2A uptake was higher with increased ischemic time (2244+/-852, 4054+/-1223, and 6178+/-1451 for 10, 20, and 30 min ischemia, analysis of variance P<0.001). A significant correlation was found between 99mTc-C2A uptake and wall motion score index at 1 week (R=0.800, P=0.0006) and 3 weeks (R=0.810, P=0.0008). CONCLUSION: In this ischemia/reperfusion model, 99mTc-C2A uptake in the acute phase was associated with functional abnormality at 1 and 3 weeks. This demonstrates the potential diagnostic and prognostic value of 99mTc-C2A as a novel imaging agent.     

第2代(温控)射频消融子宫内膜切除术

目的探讨第2代（温度控制）射频消融子宫内膜切除术的疗效、安全性和可行性。方法2004年9月-2006年2月由上海市4家医院联合开展一项多中心、前瞻性研究,完成功能性子宫出血温控射频消融子宫内膜切除术81例。在超声监护下,射频治疗以温度控制模式输出功率50 W、温度设定85℃,按照两侧宫角、宫底、宫体、下段部位顺序射频消融子宫内膜。每个治疗点治疗时间为4 min。结果81例术后随访4-17个月。术后6个月随访70例,其中闭经48.6%（34/70）,点滴状月经41.4%（29/70）,少量月经10%（7/70）,总有效率为100%（70/70）。术后12个月随访67例,其中闭经56.7%（38/67）,点滴状月经29.9%（20/67例）,少量月经9.0%（6/67）,正常月经量3.0%（2/67）,月经量过多1.5%（1/67）,总有效率98.5%（66/67）。结论温控射频消融子宫内膜切除术不仅使患者的异常子宫出血在保留子宫的情况下得到有效的治疗,同时具有操作方便、治疗时间短、并发症少、术后恢复快等特点。     

后腹腔镜联合经尿道电切镜治疗上尿路移行细胞癌(附83例报告)

目的 探讨后腹腔镜联合经尿道电切镜治疗上尿路移行细胞癌的效果和安全性. 方法 2003年3月～2006年7月,我院采用后腹腔镜联合经尿道电切镜治疗83例上尿路移行细胞癌.经尿道袖状电切患侧输尿管口周围1.5 cm范围膀胱壁达膀胱外脂肪组织,采用后腹腔镜切除肾及全长输尿管.术后留置导尿管7 d.11例术后辅助放疗. 结果 83例手术均成功.手术时间115～205 min,平均156 min.术中出血50～150 ml,平均80 ml.无术中并发症.术后住院7～11 d,平均8.5 d.病理报告：82例上尿路移行细胞癌,1例肾盂上皮中～重度不典型增生.术后随访3～38个月,平均10.8月.术后12个月内行膀胱镜检查发现膀胱肿瘤6例,其中5例行经尿道膀胱肿瘤电切,1例行腹腔镜根治性膀胱全切术、左侧输尿管皮肤造口术.2例肾盂肿瘤（pT3 G3和pT2 G3）于术后3个月肝转移.2例输尿管中段肿瘤（pT3 G3和pT3 G2～3）术后6个月原位复发并肺转移.1例输尿管下段肿瘤（pT3 G3）术后6个月骨转移.失访1例.其余71例均未发现肿瘤复发、切口转移及远处转移. 结论 对于上尿路移行细胞癌,采用后腹腔镜联合经尿道电切镜行肾、输尿管全切及膀胱袖套状切除具有创伤小、安全、恢复快等优点,值得临床推广应用.