Colonoscopy of acute colitis

Complications that might lead to surgery in severe attacks of ulcerative colitis have been found to be correlated with the depth of colonic ulcerations as measured by pathological examination of colectomy specimens. In order to evaluate the value of colonoscopy for the assessment of colonic ulcerations, we have reviewed the clinical, biological, colonoscopic, and anatomical findings in 85 consecutive patients with attacks of ulcerative colitis involving at least the rectosigmoid and part of the descending colon, seen in our center between 1981 and 1989. All had colonoscopy performed by a senior endoscopist at entry. Extensive deep colonic ulcerations were diagnosed in 46 of them, and moderate endoscopic colitis in 39. No complication related to colonoscopy occurred except for one colonic dilatation. Forty-three of the 46 patients with severe endoscopic colitis were operated upon: 38 of them failed to improve with high-dose corticosteroids and five had a toxic megacolon. Extensive ulcerations reaching at least the circular muscle layer were found at pathological examination of colectomy specimen in 42 of the 43 patients. Conversely, 30 of 39 patients with moderate endoscopic colitis went into clinical remission with medical treatment, and only nine patients needed further surgery because of medical treatment failure. Six of these nine patients underwent another colonoscopy prior to colectomy, and all six showed features of severe endoscopic colitis. Deep ulcerations reaching the circular muscle layer were found at pathological examination in five of these six patients and in one additional patient whose colonoscopy had been performed 21 days before colectomy. We conclude that, in expert hands, colonoscopy is safe and accurately selects patients with high risk of surgical complications who need early surgery in case of failure of medical treatment.     

Measurement of radiographic joint space width in the tibiofemoral compartment of the osteoarthritic knee: comparison of standing anteroposterior and Lyon schuss views

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate progression of joint space narrowing in radiographs of osteoarthritic (OA) knees imaged in both the standing anteroposterior (AP) and the Lyon schuss positions, using alternative methods to measure joint space width (JSW). METHODS: Standing AP (extended view) and Lyon schuss (posteroanterior [PA] view, with 20-30 degrees of flexion) radiographic images of 58 OA knees were obtained twice (at baseline and 2 years later). With both methods, fluoroscopy was used to align the anterior and posterior margins of the medial or lateral tibial plateau with the central x-ray beam. Minimum JSW, mean JSW, and joint space area (JSA) of the medial or lateral femorotibial joint space were measured using a new digital image analysis system. The effects of knee flexion versus extension and parallel versus nonparallel tibial plateau alignment were evaluated with respect to the reproducibility of JSW in repeated examinations (intraclass correlation coefficient [ICC]), the mean of within-knee standard deviations of repeated measurements (SD(m)), and the sensitivity to changes in JSW in serial radiographs (standardized response mean [SRM]). RESULTS: The performance of the new software, as assessed by the reproducibility of repeated measurements of minimum JSW on the same image, was excellent in both the standing AP (ICC = 0.98) and Lyon schuss radiographs (2 SD(m) = 0.5 mm, ICC = 0.98). The reproducibility in different radiographs of the same knee was not evaluated. However, over 2 years, the mean (+/- SD) decrease in the minimum JSW of OA knees was 0.17 +/- 0.75 mm in standing AP radiographs (P not significant) and 0.24 +/- 0.50 mm in Lyon schuss views (P = 0.007), with SRMs of 0.23 and 0.48, respectively. The quality of alignment of the tibial plateau was satisfactory (<1 mm between anterior and posterior margins of the medial tibial plateau) in 66% of the pairs of Lyon schuss radiographs and in 57% of the pairs of standing AP radiographs. In the Lyon schuss radiographs, SRM was highly dependent on tibial plateau alignment. Minimum JSW was more sensitive to change than was mean JSW or JSA, in paired Lyon schuss radiographs that exhibited satisfactory alignment. CONCLUSION: Compared with the standing AP radiograph, PA imaging of the knee in 20-30 degrees flexion (the schuss position) increases the reproducibility of radiographic JSW measurements in OA knees and the sensitivity to change in JSW in serial radiographs. Sensitivity to change in minimum JSW is notably increased by aligning the medial tibial plateau with the central x-ray beam in the Lyon schuss radiograph.     

AIDS-related cholangiopathy

Several types of biliary tract abnormality of undertermined origin have been described among AIDS patients. The aims of this study are (1) to evaluate whether biliary tree involvement is in fact one or several homogeneous morphological entities, (2) to specify the role of CMV orCryptosporidium sp. infection, and (3) to evaluate the possible efficacy of treatment. Since ultrasound had revealed abnormality in the biliary tree, 26 consecutive AIDS patients underwent cholangiography. Cholangiograms enabled us to distinguish between two types of biliary tract involvement: (1) gradual and regular stenosis of the terminal portion of the common bile duct associated with dilation but without irregularity of the intrahepatic biliary ducts was present in 27% of our cases, and (2) distal stenosis of the extrahepatic biliary ducts combined with diffuse irregularity of the caliber of the intrahepatic bile ducts was present in 73% of our cases. Concomitant infection by CMV orCryptosporidium sp. was significantly more frequent when intrahepatic duct irregularities were present (94%) than when absent (14%,P<0.001). Anti-CMV treatment and sphincterotomy were unsuccessful in treating anomalies of the intrahepatic biliary tract. Conversely, sphincterotomy caused rapid and lasting disappearance of pain in all our patients. In conclusion, biliary tract involvement in AIDS patients is of two types. CMV infection and infection byCryptosporidium sp. are most frequent when the large intrahepatic ducts are implicated.     

Association of Alzheimer's disease onset with ginkgo biloba and other symptomatic cognitive treatments in a population of women aged 75 years and older from the EPIDOS study

BACKGROUND: Peripheral C4A treatment (cerebral and peripheral vasotherapeutics) and especially Ginkgo biloba extracts are prescribed for a number of symptoms, particularly memory impairment, in elderly patients. It is postulated that because of its pharmacological actions, this treatment could prevent the decline of cognitive function, but no studies have been published to date to test its efficacy in prevention of Alzheimer's disease. The potential association between use of C4A treatments, in particular EGb 761 (standardized Ginkgo biloba extracts), and dementia of the Alzheimer type was investigated. METHODS: A case-control study was nested in a cohort of 1462 community-dwelling elderly women aged over 75 years. Sixty-nine women with Alzheimer-type dementia were compared with 345 paired women whose cognitive function remained normal. This study involved women whose cognitive function was evaluated at baseline by use of Pfeiffer's test and whose medication history was taken. The onset of cognitive impairment was investigated over a 7-year follow-up period. In order to study the factors associated with the onset of dementia, the data concerning women with a score of > or = 8 on Pfeiffer's test at inclusion, indicating normal cognitive function, were analyzed. RESULTS: A multivariate analysis including potential confounding factors showed that fewer women who developed Alzheimer's dementia had been prescribed C4A treatment (including EGb 761) for at least 2 years (odds ratio = 0.31, 95% confidence interval = 0.12-0.82, p =.018). Figures for EGb 761 alone were similar but did not reach statistical significance (odds ratio = 0.38, 95% confidence interval = 0.08-1.76, p =.22). CONCLUSION: These results suggest that C4A treatment may reduce the risk of developing Alzheimer's dementia in elderly women. The potential preventive effect of C4A treatments, including EGb 761, requires further examination. To establish a causal relationship, these findings have to be confirmed with prospective studies.     

Management and treatment of hepatitis C virus in patients with HIV and hepatitis C virus coinfection: A practical guide for health care professionals

Concomitant HIV and hepatitis C virus (HCV) is a common yet complex coinfection. The present document is a practical guide for treating HCV infection in people coinfected with HIV. Effective antiretroviral therapies have prolonged survival rates for HIV-infected people over the past decade, which have made latent complications of HCV major causes of morbidity and mortality in these patients. Advances in the treatment of HCV (eg, combined pegylated interferon and ribavirin) offer the possibility of eradicating HCV infection in coinfected persons. The treatment of HCV must be considered in all cases. Intensive management of the adverse effects of HCV treatment is one of the factors for the success of these therapies. HCV eradication is predicted to decrease the mortality associated with coinfection and reduce the toxicity of HIV treatment.     

Ergonovine testing to detect spontaneous remissions of variant angina during long-term treatment with calcium antagonist drugs

A subgroup of 22 patients with variant angina who had responded well to calcium antagonist drugs were studied to determine if ergonovine testing could help assess the need for continued therapy. Before treatment all 22 patients exhibited angina with S-T elevation during ergonovine testing done in the coronary care unit according to a previously described protocol with sequential ergonovine doses of 0.0125, 0.025, 0.05, 0.1, 0.2, 0.3 and 0.4 mg administered at 5 minute intervals. After 9.4 ± 4.7 (range 1 to 24) months of treatment (nifedipine 7 patients, diltiazem 3, verapamil 8, perhexiline 3, nifedipine and diltiazem 1), all patients were free from anginal attacks. Medication was discontinued and ergonovine testing repeated 24 to 48 hours later (3 weeks for perhexiline). In 12 of the 22 patiénts, angina or S-T segment shifts did not occur during the second ergonovine test to a maximal dose of 0.4 mg. Treatment was not restarted in these patients and all 12 remain free of variant anginal attacks 4.2 ± 2.9 (range 1 to 13) months later. In seven patients angina and S-T elevation occurred during the second ergonovine test, in the same electrocardiographic leads as during the test before treatment. In three patients the ergonovine test induced angina with S-T depression in the leads where S-T elevation had occurred during the previous test. Treatment was reinstituted in these 10 patients with a positive test. No complications resulted from ergonovine testing in any patient.We conclude that in many patients with variant angina, symptoms will disappear spontaneously and the ergonovine test will revert to negative. Treatment with calcium antagonist drugs can probably be safely discontinued in some patients with variant angina; ergonovine testing appears to be helpful in identifying such patients. Longer periods of follow-up are required to confirm that symptoms do not recur.     

Hazardous substances in frequently used professional cleaning products

Background:

A growing number of studies have identified cleaners as a group at risk for adverse health effects of the skin and the respiratory tract. Chemical substances present in cleaning products could be responsible for these effects. Currently, only limited information is available about irritant and health hazardous chemical substances found in cleaning products. We hypothesized that chemical substances present in cleaning products are known health hazardous substances that might be involved in adverse health effects of the skin and the respiratory tract.

Methods:

We performed a systematic review of cleaning products used in the Swiss cleaning sector. We surveyed Swiss professional cleaning companies (n = 1476) to identify the most used products (n = 105) for inclusion. Safety data sheets (SDSs) were reviewed and hazardous substances present in cleaning products were tabulated with current European and global harmonized system hazard labels.

Results:

Professional cleaning products are mixtures of substances (arithmetic mean 3.5±2.8), and more than 132 different chemical substances were identified in 105 products. The main groups of chemicals were fragrances, glycol ethers, surfactants, solvents; and to a lesser extent, phosphates, salts, detergents, pH-stabilizers, acids, and bases. Up to 75% of products contained irritant (Xi), 64% harmful (Xn) and 28% corrosive (C) labeled substances. Hazards for eyes (59%) and skin (50%), and hazards by ingestion (60%) were the most reported.

Conclusions:

Cleaning products potentially give rise to simultaneous exposures to different chemical substances. As professional cleaners represent a large workforce, and cleaning products are widely used, it is a major public health issue to better understand these exposures. The list of substances provided in this study contains important information for future occupational exposure assessment studies.     

Biomarker Correlates of Survival in Pediatric Patients with Ebola Virus Disease

Outbreaks of Ebola virus disease (EVD) occur sporadically in Africa and are associated with high case-fatality rates. Historically, children have been less affected than adults. The 2000–2001 Sudan virus–associated EVD outbreak in the Gulu district of Uganda resulted in 55 pediatric and 161 adult laboratory-confirmed cases. We used a series of multiplex assays to measure the concentrations of 55 serum analytes in specimens from patients from that outbreak to identify biomarkers specific to pediatric disease. Pediatric patients who survived had higher levels of the chemokine regulated on activation, normal T-cell expressed and secreted marker and lower levels of plasminogen activator inhibitor 1, soluble intracellular adhesion molecule, and soluble vascular cell adhesion molecule than did pediatric patients who died. Adult patients had similar levels of these analytes regardless of outcome. Our findings suggest that children with EVD may benefit from different treatment regimens than those for adults.     

Trace-Forward Investigation of Mice in Response to Lymphocytic Choriomeningitis Virus Outbreak

During follow-up of a 2012 US outbreak of lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (LCMV), we conducted a trace-forward investigation. LCMV-infected feeder mice originating from a US rodent breeding facility had been distributed to >500 locations in 21 states. All mice from the facility were euthanized, and no additional persons tested positive for LCMV infection.