Retrospective study of treatment outcome for individuals with aphasia

Abstract

Measurement of outcomes subsequent to treatment and documentation of the efficiency with which outcomes are achieved is critical information for healthcare policy makers and third-party payers. This study employed the ASHA Functional Communication Measure (FCM) scales to retrospectively analyse charts of 20 aphasic patients. By discharge, both severe and moderate groups gained a median (across modalities) of 1 FCM level. The severe group remained dependent for communication, while the moderately impaired group typically achieved independent communication levels. Efficiency (amount of FCM level gain relative to number of treatment sessions) was greater for the moderate group; average number of treatment sessions was 40 for the severe group and 22 for the moderate group.     

Ambulatory blood pressure monitoring

Ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM) in adults is proving to be useful. The aim of this study was to determine if ABPM is accurate in the lower blood pressure range encountered in children and, equally important, whether it is acceptable to children. Thirty one children, between the ages of 6 and 18 years, were assessed using an ambulatory blood pressure monitor that uses an auscultatory method. Blood pressure was measured in the contralateral arm with a mercury sphygmomanometer and an oscillometric device at the beginning and end of the study for comparison. Over a blood pressure range of 90-130 mm Hg systolic and 40-80 mm Hg diastolic, a close agreement was found with the sphygmomanometer; the limits of agreement (+/- 2 SD) were 11.6 mm Hg for systolic blood pressure and 13.6 mm Hg for diastolic blood pressure. The bias was less than 1.0 mm Hg. The ambulatory device was worn by all patients for at least 16 hours with an average of 52 recordings per patient. The majority found the device comfortable to wear and were not woken from sleep.     

Lactobezoar and cows' milk protein intolerance

A baby girl of an atopic family who developed eczema, asthma, and cows' milk protein intolerance was found to have a gastric lactobezoar at age 9 1/2 months. She responded well to the removal of the bezoar and to the appropriate dietary treatment.     

Effect of folic acid fortification of food on homocysteine-related mortality

PURPOSE: In 1998, the Food and Drug Administration mandated the fortification of food products with folic acid. The effect of this rule on mortality associated with homocysteine levels in patients with coronary artery disease is unknown. METHODS:We studied 2481 consecutive patients with coronary artery disease who underwent coronary angiography between 1994 and 1999, and who had baseline homocysteine measurements and at least 2 years of follow-up. Patients were divided into prefortification (1994 to 1997, n = 1595) and postfortification (1998 to 1999, n = 886) groups, as well as classified based on baseline homocysteine levels (normal to low, intermediate, and high). Homocysteine levels were measured by fluorescence polarization immunoassay. Mortality was determined by telephone survey or from a national Social Security database or hospital records. RESULTS: After implementation of the fortification rule, median homocysteine levels declined from 13.8 to 12.3 micromol/L (P <0.001), and the proportion of patients with high homocysteine levels (>15 micromol/L) decreased from 41% (n = 650) to 28% (n = 249) (P <0.001). Overall, homocysteine was a modest risk factor for mortality (adjusted relative risk [RR] = 1.03 per micromol/L; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.01 to 1.05; P = 0.006). There was no significant interaction between fortification status and homocysteine category with mortality (P for interaction = 0.85). Two-year mortality was reduced minimally (7.8% [n = 124] to 7.2% [n = 64]; RR = 0.93; 95% CI: 0.68 to 1.27; P = 0.63; adjusted RR = 0.97; 95% CI: 0.68 to 1.40), but was consistent with the expectation of a modest reduction in homocysteine levels. CONCLUSION: Homocysteine is an independent, graded risk factor for mortality. Homocysteine levels decreased modestly after the fortification of food with folic acid, but the effects on mortality were minor and likely attributable to other factors, indicating the need for more aggressive measures to reduce homocysteine-associated cardiovascular risk.     

Does "mainstreaming" guarantee access to care for medicaid recipients with asthma?

OBJECTIVE: Recent reforms in the federal Medicaid program have attempted to integrate beneficiaries into the mainstream by providing them with managed care options. However, the effects of mainstreaming have not been systematically evaluated. DESIGN: Cross-sectional survey. SETTING/PARTICIPANTS: A sample of 478 adult, nonelderly asthmatics followed by a large Northern California medical group. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: We examined differences in self-reported access by insurance status. Compared to patients with other forms of insurance, patients covered by the state's Medicaid program (Medi-Cal) were more likely to report access problems for asthma-related care, including difficulties in reaching a health care provider by telephone, obtaining a clinic appointment, and obtaining asthma medication. Adjusting for relevant clinical and sociodemographic variables, Medi-Cal patients were more likely to report at least one access problem compared to non-Medi-Cal patients (adjusted odds ratio [AOR], 3.34; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.43 to 7.80). Patients reporting at least one access problem were also more likely to have made at least one asthma-related emergency department visit within the past year (AOR, 4.84; 95% CI, 2.41 to 9.72). Reported barriers to care did not translate into reduced patient satisfaction. CONCLUSIONS: Within this population of Medicaid patients, the provision of health insurance and care within the mainstream of an integrated health system was no guarantee of equal access as perceived by the patients themselves.     

Acute leukemia associated with valproic acid treatment: A novel mechanism for leukemogenesis?

Valproic acid has been previously associated with hematologic toxicity, including a reversible myelodysplasia-like syndrome without chromosomal abnormalities. We now report three cases of acute leukemia with features of secondary leukemia associated with valproic acid therapy: two cases of acute myelogenous leukemia with multilineage dysplasia, one with trisomy 8 and one with monosomy 7, and one case of secondary acute lymphoblastic leukemia with del (7) (q22q34), del (9) (q21.11q22), del (11) (q12q23). One patient had a previous myelodysplastic syndrome while on valproic acid. Valproic acid has been previously shown to be a histone deacetylase inhibitor. Inhibition of histone deacetylase causes a relaxation of chromatin structure and thus increases susceptibility to DNA damage and sensitizes cells to radiation. We propose that valproic acid therapy may lead to secondary leukemia by increasing DNA damage through chronic inhibition of histone deacetylase.     

Stepped Care to Optimize Pain care Effectiveness (SCOPE) trial study design and sample characteristics

Pain is the most common physical symptom in primary care, accounting for an enormous burden in terms of patient suffering, quality of life, work and social disability, and health care and societal costs. Although collaborative care interventions are well-established for conditions such as depression, fewer systems-based interventions have been tested for chronic pain. This paper describes the study design and baseline characteristics of the enrolled sample for the Stepped Care to Optimize Pain care Effectiveness (SCOPE) study, a randomized clinical effectiveness trial conducted in five primary care clinics. SCOPE has enrolled 250 primary care veterans with persistent (3 months or longer) musculoskeletal pain of moderate severity and randomized them to either the stepped care intervention or usual care control group. Using a telemedicine collaborative care approach, the intervention couples automated symptom monitoring with a telephone-based, nurse care manager/physician pain specialist team to treat pain. The goal is to optimize analgesic management using a stepped care approach to drug selection, symptom monitoring, dose adjustment, and switching or adding medications. All subjects undergo comprehensive outcome assessments at baseline, 1, 3, 6 and 12 months by interviewers blinded to treatment group. The primary outcome is pain severity/disability, and secondary outcomes include pain beliefs and behaviors, psychological functioning, health-related quality of life and treatment satisfaction. Innovations of SCOPE include optimized analgesic management (including a stepped care approach, opioid risk stratification, and criteria-based medication adjustment), automated monitoring, and centralized care management that can cover multiple primary care practices.     

在缝合基础上局部应用纤维蛋白胶对周围神经再生的影响

目的:在缝合的基础上局部应用纤维蛋白胶治疗损伤的周围神经,观察纤维蛋白胶对周围神经再生的影响。方法:实验于2005-03/07在大连医科大学中心实验室完成。实验材料:纤维蛋白胶(广州倍绣生物技术有限公司,主要成分:纤维蛋白原50～70mg/支和凝血酶400U/支,从哺乳动物血中提纯,经过灭菌消毒,冻干制成,不含致热源)。实验分组:选择健康SD大鼠48只,按随机数字表法分为两组,每组24只:单纯缝合 纤维蛋白胶组、单纯缝合组。实验方法:大鼠麻醉后,于左大腿后外侧做2cm纵切口,显露坐骨神经。距梨状肌下缘远侧约1.5cm处切断坐骨神经,切除远端1～2mm,采用10-0无创伤线缝合神经外膜,使远近端保留约1～2mm间隙。单纯缝合 纤维蛋白胶组:对称缝合2针,将纤维蛋白胶注入缝合周围在神经对合端生成凝胶环,混合物固化形成再生室。单纯缝合组:单纯外膜缝合。实验评估:①术后连续观察动物行为学:手术侧后肢及足趾的运动情况,有无溃疡形成,足趾、趾甲的溃疡愈合情况,观察展爪反射。②术后8周两组各取4只大鼠行神经电生理检查,检测神经传导速度、潜伏期。③术后2,4,6,8周两组各取2只大鼠行苏木精-伊红染色后光镜下观察神经再生情况。④术后8周两组各取4只大鼠采用LUZEX-F彩色图像分析仪对甲苯胺蓝染色神经组织切片中轴突数目及轴突直径进行分析。⑤术后8周两组各取4只大鼠行醋酸铀枸橼酸铅染色,Phlip-10型透射电镜下观察轴突再生情况。⑥术后8周两组各取4只大鼠行辣根过氧化物酶标记观察脊髓前角运动神经元情况。结果:纳入大鼠48只,均进入结果分析。①术后大鼠行为学观察:术后8周单纯缝合 纤维蛋白胶组大鼠除足趾略见下垂、屈曲现象外,步态基本正常,展爪反射基本正常,下肢活动已接进正常,单纯缝合组下肢活动略差。②神经电生理检查:术后8周单纯缝合 纤维蛋白胶组神经传导速度快于单纯缝合组[分别为(11.13±0.37),(9.26±0.44)m/s],潜伏期短于单纯缝合组[分别为(1.83±0.18),(2.17±0.19)ms],差异有显著性意义(F=27.78,5.53,P<0.05)。③光镜下神经再生情况:单纯缝合 纤维蛋白胶组再生的有髓神经纤维髓鞘较厚、直径较大、数量多、排列规则,再生良好。单纯缝合组再生的有髓神经纤维髓鞘较薄、直径较小、数量少、排列不规则,再生较差。④轴突数目及轴突直径:单纯缝合 纤维蛋白胶组在轴突数目、轴突直径大于单纯缝合组[分别为(2187±107),(1847±96)个/400倍视野;(2.79±0.15),(2.05±0.17)μm],差异有显著性意义(F=80.70,42.92,P<0.05)。⑤透射电镜下轴突再生情况:术后8周单纯缝合 纤维蛋白胶组大鼠再生轴突发育良好,排列有序,轴突直径大小相差小,髓鞘厚薄一致,轴突染色均匀,雪旺细胞核呈卵圆型。单纯缝合组大鼠轴突发育差,排列不规则,髓鞘薄,可见扩张血管,部分区域有出血水肿。⑥辣根过氧化物酶标记观察脊髓前角运动神经元情况:单纯缝合 纤维蛋白胶组在实验侧腰骶段前角可见辣根过氧化物酶标记的大型运动神经元,且数目较多。单纯缝合组标记的数量较少。结论:在修复神经过程中应用纤维蛋白胶,可明显促进损伤的周围神经修复与再生,优于单纯缝合的效果。