Prediction of complicated lower respiratory tract infections in older patients with diabetes

BACKGROUND: Patients with diabetes have an elevated risk of developing complicated lower respiratory tract infections (LRTIs). However, up until now, GPs have not had the tools to assess individual risks. AIM: To assess the applicability of an existing prediction rule for complicated LRTI among patients with diabetes. DESIGN OF STUDY: Retrospective cohort study. SETTING: The Utrecht GP Research Network. METHOD: An existing rule that was used estimates the risk of 30-day hospitalisation or death following an episode of LRTI. Predictors were exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or pneumonia, increasing age, heart failure, number of hospitalisations in the previous year, use of antibiotics in the previous month, diabetes medication, and prednisone use. Discriminative capacity of the rule was estimated in patients with diabetes. Other potential predictors from the original study were examined, to test for a potentially improved model. RESULTS: Of 445 episodes of LRTI in patients with diabetes, 68 had an outcome of hospitalisation or death within 30 days of diagnosis of LRTI (15.3%). Results showed good reliability of the model (goodness of fit test P=0.16) and discriminative properties (area under the receiver operating characteristic curve: 0.79, 95% confidence interval=0.73 to 0.86). No other predictors could be added. Patients with a lower-risk assignment (scoreor=7) had a probability of 36.6% for the composite endpoint of hospitalisation or death within 30 days of diagnosis of LRTI. CONCLUSION: The use of a prediction rule may help GPs to assess the risk of hospitalisation or death in patients with diabetes who have an episode of LRTI.     

A genome scan for loci influencing total serum immunoglobulin levels: possible linkage of IgA to the chromosome 13 atopy locus

Immunoglobulins play an essential part in the immune system, and immunoglobulin deficiencies can have profound medical consequences. The genetic control and regulation of the immunoglobulin response is therefore of interest. Previous investigations have identified a number of loci influencing total and specific IgE levels. In this study, 80 nuclear families have been examined for linkage of total serum IgA, IgG and IgM levels to a genome-wide panel of microsatellite markers. Potential quantitative trait loci influencing IgA levels have been identified on chromosomes 10 and 13, and possible loci influencing IgG levels were found on chromosomes 3 and 13. No significant linkages to IgM levels were found. The linkage of IgA on chromosome 13 was to a marker previously linked to IgE responses (atopy). Linkage to IgG was in the same region but to a more distal marker. None of the factors known to influence immunoglobulin expression map to the loci identified in the present study. These loci are therefore likely to contain previously unrecognized components of the immunoregulatory system.      

Primary malignant melanoma of the esophagus: report of a case successfully treated with pre- and post-operative adjuvant hormone-chemotherapy

Primary malignant melanoma of the esophagus is a very rare and deadly disease, with a survival of 2.2% at 5 years and a median survival of about 10 months. The aggressive biological behavior of this disease and advanced stage at the time of diagnosis together with the lack of effective treatment have contributed to its poor prognosis. We present the case of a 45-year-old Japanese man diagnosed as having a primary melanoma of the esophagus by clinical evaluation and a histological examination of endoscopic biopsy specimens. A novel approach consisting of pre- and post-operative chemo-hormone therapy with dacarbazine, nimustine, cisplatin and tamoxifen in conjunction with radical esophagectomy accompanied by lymph node dissection was carried out. The tumor size was decreased to 70% by the pre-operative chemo-hormone therapy. During the post-operative 32 months of follow-up, no evidence of recurrence or metastatic disease has been found. Although this is only one case, the outcome observed suggests that the combination of pre- and post-operative chemo-hormone therapy and radical esophagectomy with lymph node dissection is a modality that can increase the possibility of curability or at least improve the survival of patients with primary melanoma of the esophagus.      

The role of complementary medicine in European and Asian patients with inflammatory bowel disease

Three hundred and eighty-two patients with known inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) (190 European and 192 Asian) and 190 with coeliac disease were sent a previously validated questionnaire to investigate patients' use of alternative medicine and their views on its effectiveness. Details sought included whether they had ever consulted an alternative practitioner, whether they had followed a course of treatment and its clinical effects. Information about where patients had heard about such alternative practitioners and whether they were told to discontinue their current allopathic medication was also sought. Results were analysed after three consecutive mailings, including one in Gujurati to Asian patients. A randomly selected group was re-interviewed four months later. To validate the study alternative medicine practitioners were also interviewed to investigate what percentage of their attendees have IBD and how many of those clients were Asians.One hundred and fifty-eight questionnaires were returned from European patients with IBD (response rate = 83%), 145 from patients with coeliac disease (response rate = 76%) but only 81 Asian patients with IBD (response rate = 42%). Forty-seven European and Asian patients with inflammatory bowel disease sought advice or treatment from an alternative practitioner, compared with only 11 with coeliac disease (X² = 11.64, df = 12, P < 0.003). There was no significant difference in consultation rates between Asian and European patients with IBD (Yates corrected X² = 0.78, ns). The most common practitioners consulted by all groups were homeopaths (n = 23) and herbalists (n = 27) but 20 patients consulted more than one practitioner at a time. Patients with coeliac disease and European patients with IBD had consulted osteopaths (n = 6) and reflexologists (n = 7). Ten patients with IBD had also attended a spiritualist and five Asian patients a hakim. Common sources of information about alternative remedies included friends and relatives (n = 13), the media (n = 11), word of mouth (n = 11) and family practitioners (n = 6). Most patients were advised to continue their current medications, although two had been told to stop and 10 advised to reduce the dose of their allopathic medications. Twenty alternative medicine practitioners stated that overall between 2–5% of their attendees have IBD with 10% of those clients being Asian. Asians preferred to consult Asian practitioners rather than European practitioners. There was no clear consensus as to whether complementary therapies were felt beneficial, although many patients with IBD believed them to be helpful.     

Rhemulatologists' performance in dailiy practice

OBJECTIVE: To assess rheumatologists' performance for 8 rheumatologic conditions and to explore possible explanatory factors. METHODS: After written informed consent was obtained, 27 rheumatologists (21% of all Dutch rheumatologists) practicing in 16 outpatient departments were each visited by 8 incognito "standardized patients" (SPs). The diagnoses of these 8 cases account for about 23% of all new referred patients in the Netherlands. Results for ordered lab tests as well as real radiographs with corresponding results from a radiologist were simulated. Information from the visits was obtained from the SPs, who completed predefined case-specific checklists, and by collecting data on resource utilization. Feedback was provided. RESULTS: Altogether 254 encounters took place, of which 201 were first visits and 53 were followup visits. SPs were unmasked twice during a visit. There was considerable variation in resource utilization (lab tests and imaging) between cases and between rheumatologists. Mean costs per rheumatologist ranged from US $ 4.67 to $ 65.36 per visit for lab tests and from US $ 33.15 to $ 226.84 per visit for imaging tests. No significant correlations were seen between resource utilization costs and number of years of clinical experience or performance on checklist scores. Rheumatologists with longer experience had lower total item checklist scores (r = -0.47; P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: A considerable variation in resource utilization was found among 27 Dutch rheumatologists. The information obtained is an excellent source for discussion on the appropriateness of care.     

Prosthetic valve endocarditis.

From January 1963 until January 1974, 45 patients had prosthetic valve endocarditis. Symptoms of prosthetic valve endocarditis developed within 2 months after operation (early onset) in 16 patients (36%) and more than 2 months after operation (late onset) in 29 patients (64%). Overall mortality among the 45 patients was 56% (88% among those with early onset and 40% among those with late onset). Medical therapy alone was curative in 60% of the surviving patients. Combined medical and surgical therapy was curative in 40% of the survivors. The most frequent isolates in the early-onset group were Staphylococcus aureus (44%) and Gram-negative bacilli (38%); associated mortality was 86% and 83%, respectively. The most frequent isolates in the late-onset group were viridans streptococci (41%) and Gram-negative bacilli (31%); the mortality was 25% and 22% respectively. Suggestions are offered for operative antimicrobial prophylaxis and for medical and surgical treatment of prosthetic valve endocarditis. Prompt surgical replacement of an infected prosthesis is necessary when medical therapy fails.     

Chromosome abnormalities in AIDS-associated lymphadenopathy

Cytogenetic studies were performed on direct and 24-hour culture preparations of eight lymph node biopsies from seven patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) or AIDS-related complex (ARC)- associated lymphadenopathy in whom histological evidence of lymphoma was not detected. Three of these seven had chromosomal abnormalities, including chromosome instability in one and clonal chromosomal abnormalities in two; one of the latter was a t(8;14)(q24;q32). The remaining five showed normal karyotypes. Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) titers were elevated in all three patients that exhibited chromosome abnormalities, two of whom later developed malignant lymphoma. A control group of five patients with reactive lymphadenopathy not associated with AIDS failed to reveal chromosomal aberrations, but elevated EBV titers were present in two. These data are consistent with current views on the role of EBV and chromosome change in the development of lymphoma in immunodeficient states and suggest that karyotypically abnormal AIDS-related lymphadenopathy represents a prelymphomatous proliferation.