The burden of costs on health services from patients with venous leg ulcers in Singapore

Healthcare costs arising from venous leg ulcers (VLU) are expected to increase due to an aging population and increased prevalence of comorbidities. We aim to estimate the healthcare resources incurred by VLU patients, and to quantify the extent to which predictors explain variation in cost-related outcomes. Retrospective patient-level cohort data for VLU patients were analysed using generalised linear regression models. Data were extracted from a tertiary hospital registry in Singapore, between 2013 and 2017. The outcome variables were length of stay per admission; inpatient and outpatient bill per admission; whether a patient underwent a surgical treatment of the venous system; and, whether they visited the emergency department. Cost outcomes were reported in Singapore dollars (S$). A total of 162 VLU patients were included with a mean age of 67.5 (±14.4). For the inpatient setting the mean length of stay was 8.1 days and the mean inpatient bill was S$7886. For outpatients, the mean number of dressings was 29.4, and mean outpatient bill was S$6962. Heart disease patients incurred longer hospital stays and larger inpatient bills per admission and females had greater odds of undergoing a surgical procedure on the venous system. Certain VLU patient groups were found to be associated with larger cost outcomes.     

Incidence of and Risk Factors for Screw Loosening after Iliosacral Screw Fixation for Posterior Pelvic Ring Injury

Purposes

Screw loosening is a common complication of iliosacral screw fixation, with subsequent loss of stability and fracture re-displacement. This study aimed to investigate the incidence of and risk factors for screw loosening after iliosacral screw fixation for posterior pelvic ring injury.

Methods

A total of 135 patients with posterior pelvic ring injuries who were treated with iliosacral screw fixation in our department between July 2015 and April 2021 were selected for this retrospective analysis. The possible risk factors for screw loosening were investigated using univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses of patient demographics and trauma-related and iatrogenic variables, including age, sex, body mass index, Osteoporosis Self-Assessment Tool for Asians (OSTA) index, mechanism of injury, Young–Burgess classification, site of injury, type of injury, type of screw, mode of fixation, numbers of guidewire adjustments, accuracy of screw position, and quality of fracture reduction.

Results

The incidence of screw loosening was 15.6% (n = 21). The mean duration for screw loosening was 3.2 ± 1.5 months after operation. Univariate analysis results showed that the Young–Burgess classification, type of injury, site of injury, type of screw, mode of fixation, and OSTA index might be related to screw loosening (p < 0.05). According to the multivariate logistic regression, vertical shear injuries (Odds ratios [OR] 9.80, 95% Confidence intervals [CI] [1.96–73.28], p = 0.008), type of injury (OR 0.25, 95% CI [0.13–0.79], p = 0.027), common screws (OR 6.94, 95% CI [1.53–31.40], p = 0.012), screws insertion only at the level of the first sacral segment (S1) (OR 8.79, 95% CI [1.18–65.46], p = 0.034), injury site located in the medial sacral foramina (OR 6.28, 95% CI [1.16–34.06], p = 0.033), and lower OSTA index [OR 0.41, 95% CI [0.24–0.71], p = 0.001] were significantly related to screw loosening.

Conclusions

Vertical shear injuries, sacral fractures, injury site located in the medial sacral foramina, and lower OSTA index are significantly associated with the postoperative occurrence of screw loosening. Transiliac–transsacral screw fixation and screws insertion both at the level of the S1 and second sacral segment can prevent screw loosening.     

下肢动脉缺血性患者假性高压的鉴别及临床意义

目的 研究在下肢动脉缺血患者中血管压力假性升高的发生比例,及其与糖尿病的关系.方法 回顾性收集自2006年3月至2008年3月在安贞医院血管外科住院或门诊就诊的182例下肢缺血患者的临床资料,将患者分为3组,不存在假性高压组;存在假性高压组(ABI<1.3);及存在假性高压组(ABI≥1.3).分析其下肢无创血管检查中的踝臂指数(ankle-brachial index,ABI)与趾臂指数(toe brachial index,TBI),并与彩超,造影、MRA、及CT等结果相比较分析其ABI是否存在假性升高,检测下肢缺血的漏诊与误诊情况.结果 在182例患者中,102例(56.0%)不存在假性高压,其中27.5%患有糖尿病;72例(39.6%)存在假性高压同时ABI<1.3,其中44.4%患有糖尿病;8例(4.4%)患者存在假性高压同时ABI≥1.3,其中75%患有糖尿病.3组之间患有糖尿病的比例差异有统计学意义(均P<0.05).结论 在患有糖尿病的下肢缺血患者中,存在假性高压的比例明显升高,应综合分析辅助检查结果来判断肢体缺血程度.     

我国登革2型病毒43株基因组全长cDNA体外RNA转录物感染性的研究

目的：研究我国登革２型病毒４３株（Ｄ２－４３）基因组全长ｃＤＮＡ体外ＲＮＡ转录物的感染性,为进一步阐明登革２型病毒的致病机制及探索其新型疫苗奠定基础。方法：用ＳＰ６ＲＮＡ聚合酶系统制备Ｄ２－４３基因组全长ｃＤＮＡ的体外ＲＮＡ转录物,纯化后经电穿孔法转染Ｃ６／３６细胞,观察致细胞病变作用以判断其感染性。从病变的细胞和培养上清中提取总ＲＮＡ,通过ＲＴ－ＰＣＲ扩增及克隆测序的方法证实细胞病变确为ＲＮＡ转录物感染所致;同时收集可产生细胞病变的培养上清,再感染Ｃ６／３６细胞以进一步证实该体外ＲＮＡ转录物感染的稳定性。结果：以我国Ｄ２－４３病毒株基因组全长ｃＤＮＡ为模板制备的体外ＲＮＡ转录物可使Ｃ６／３６细胞产生病变,从病变细胞和培养上清中可扩增获得病毒特异的基因片段。在培养细胞中进行连续传代仍可产生细胞病变作用。结论：构     

The aggressiveness of urinary tract urothelial carcinoma increases with the severity of chronic kidney disease

OBJECTIVE

To assess, in a retrospective cohort, urinary tract urothelial carcinoma (UT‐UC) in patients with various stages of chronic kidney disease (CKD) and their clinicopathological features, as patients with end‐stage renal disease (ESRD) have a higher incidence of UT‐UC, but the relationship between early stages of CKD and characteristics of UT‐UC are less well known.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

The study included 267 patients with pathologically confirmed UT‐UC from January 1994 to December 2006; all had a physical examination (blood pressure), and measurements of laboratory data (serum creatinine, serum haemoglobin) and pathological data. The glomerular filtration rate (GFR) was calculated using the Modification of Diet in Renal Disease equation. Patients were divided into three groups by individual GFR (mL/min), i.e. >60 (no/mild CKD), 30–60 (CKD stage 3) and <30 (CKD stage 4/5).

RESULTS

The CKD stages included 81 (30.3%) patients with none/mild CKD, 121 (45.3%) with CKD stage 3 and 65 (24.3%) with CKD stage 4/5. There was a significant and parallel increase in the frequency of UT‐UC as CKD severity increased from none/mild CKD to stage 3 (11% vs 55%), and from CKD stage 3 to 4/5 (55% vs 71%; P < 0.05). Pathologically, the frequency of high‐grade and high T stage UT‐UC in patients with CKD stage 3 (90% and 35%, respectively) and CKD stage 4/5 (91% and 29%, respectively) were significantly greater than in the group with none/mild CKD (P < 0.001). Advanced age and more distant metastasis were independent risk factors for patient survival.

CONCLUSION

The aggressiveness of UT‐UC increased with the severity of CKD, and this might have important clinical consequences.     

Regeneration of spinal cord with cell and gene therapy

Objective: Transplantation of fetal spinal cord cells (FSCC) can promote regeneration of injured spinal cord, while Schwann cells (SC) and some growth factors have a similar effect. However, the synergistic effects and optimal combination of these modalities have not yet been evaluated. In the current study, the efficiency of cell therapy of FSCC and/or SC, with/without growth factors (nerve growth factor [NGF] and brain‐derived neurotrophic factor [BDNF]) was examined, with the aim of establishing an optimized protocol for spinal cord injury. Methods: One hundred and twenty adult rats were randomly divided into six groups with 20 rats in each group. One week after the thoracic spinal cord injury model had been created, the rats were treated with different therapeutic modalities: Dulbecco's modified Eagles medium (DMEM) in Group I, FSCC in Group II, FSCC plus SC in Group III, FSCC plus SC over‐expressing NGF in Group IV, FSCC plus SC over‐expressing BDNF in Group V, and FSCC plus SC over‐expressing both NGF and BDNF in Group VI. Subsequently, the rats were subjected to behavioral tests once a week after injury, while histology, immunohistochemistry and electron microscopy were performed at one and three month post‐operation. Results: Both SC and FSCC promoted regeneration of spinal cord injury when used separately, while a combination of the two types of cell resulted in better recovery than either alone. Both growth factors (NGF and BDNF) enhanced the outcomes of cell therapy, while synergistic effects meant that a combination of each individual component (group VI) achieved the best results according to locomotion scale, histology and immunoreactivity in the injured cords. Conclusion: SC, NGF and BDNF can enhance the outcome of FSCC therapy, while the combination of FSC with SC, NGF and BDNF is possibly the optimal protocol for clinical treatment of acute spinal cord injury.     

缺血后处理对大鼠骨骼肌缺血再灌注损伤的影响

目的 探讨缺血后处理对大鼠骨骼肌缺血再灌注损伤的影响以及应用缺血后处理的时机.方法 将32只大鼠随机分成四组,采用切断患肢全部皮肤、肌肉和神经,保留患肢股动静脉的动物模型,通过夹闭和开放股动静脉造成骨骼肌缺血和再灌注损伤.采用测定骨骼肌缺血4 h.再灌注1 h后血清丙二醛(MDA)、骨骼肌髓过氧化物酶(MPO),再灌注6 h后骨骼肌的死亡程度来观察缺血后处理对大鼠骨骼肌缺血再灌注损伤的影响,以及再灌注5 min后应用缺血后处理是否对骨骼肌缺血再灌注损伤有保护作用.结果 对骨骼肌缺血4 h再灌注6 h的损伤,再灌注开始后即刻应用30 s缺血、30 s再通,三次循环的缺血后处理对骨骼肌的缺血再灌注损伤即有保护作用,不仅减少了骨骼肌再灌注区域中性粒细胞浸润(MPO)和血清氧自由基水平(MDA)水平,而且减少了骨骼肌的死亡程度;再灌注5 min后应用缺血后处理并没有降低骨骼肌缺血再灌注区域的MPO和血清MDA水平,也没有降低骨骼肌缺血再灌注后的死亡程度,与直接缺血再灌注组相同,对骨骼肌缺血再灌注损伤并没有保护作用.结论 骨骼肌缺血后再灌注开始前立刻应用缺血后处理对大鼠骨骼肌缺血再灌注损伤有一定的保护效果,可以减少骨骼肌缺血再灌注损伤后的死亡程度;缺血后处理应用时机非常重要,再灌注5 min后应用缺血后处理则失去对骨骼肌缺血再灌注损伤的保护作用.     

生长抑素对大肠癌细胞凋亡的影响

目的 探讨生长抑素对大肠癌细胞凋亡的影响.方法 采用巢式RT-PCR方法检测2004年1月至2006年10月皖南医学院附属弋矶山医院收治的79例大肠癌患者癌组织中生长抑素mRNA的表达情况,采用免疫组织化学法检测大肠癌组织中生长抑素、Fas、FasL、半胱天冬蛋白酶(caspase)3和8蛋白的表达情况,TUNEL法检测细胞凋亡指数(AI).采用χ~2检验、q检验、Spearman等级相关检验对结果进行分析.结果 大肠癌组织中生长抑素mRNA与其蛋白表达呈正相关(r=0.98,P<0.05).低分化和中分化大肠癌组织中生长抑素mRNA及其蛋白的表达明显低于高分化组织(χ~2=10.78,11.24,5.27,5.24,P<0.05);生长抑素mRNA及其蛋白在乳头状腺癌的阳性表达率明显高于黏液腺癌+印戒细胞癌及未分化癌(χ~2=6.56,6.99,5.44,7.39,P<0.05);Dukes A、B期的生长抑素mRNA及其蛋白阳性表达率明显高于C、D期(χ~2=5.17,4.06,P<0.05).生长抑素高表达组、中表达组的AI明显高于低表达组(q=5.66,4.21,P<0.05);Fas、caspase-8、caspase-3在生长抑素高表达组、中表达组的阳性表达率明显高于低表达组(χ~2=5.48,5.62,6.89,4.32,4.19,3.91,P<0.05).结论 生长抑素对大肠癌细胞凋亡的调控可能与Fas/FasL基因的表达失衡、功能和信号系统的紊乱有关.