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.     

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.

     

头皮电烧伤骨外露带毛发皮瓣修复

目的：探讨头皮电烧伤骨外露用头皮扩张皮瓣移植修复的临床效果。方法：采用早期扩创,保留部分坏死骨质,用邻近头皮扩张使带毛发的头皮面积扩大后移植覆盖创面,电性失活骨质在血循环良好的皮瓣覆盖下,为周边及基底健康骨质生长起到支架作用,皮瓣扩张到一定面积后移植到裸露骨质上,使其得以修复。结果：在治疗的9例中,除1例皮瓣边缘在1．5cm×1．5cm坏死外,其余皮瓣全部成活,未发生感染坏死,创面均一次性封闭。结论：头皮电烧伤骨外露扩张后皮瓣带毛发修复,可缩短创面愈合时间,外形较好,易掌握,效果较为满意。     

真空灭菌器内室冷空气排除效果监测的研究

在监测灭菌器内室冷空气排除效果中,探索一种优于 B- D试验的检测方法.     

密盖息治疗49例恶性骨转移瘤疗效观察

目的:观察密盖息(鲑鱼降钙素)的治疗骨转移瘤疼痛和血清钙的临床疗效。方法:单用组用密盖息100IU,肌肉注射,每日2次,共7d。联合化疗组化疗后加密盖息100IU肌肉注射,每日2次,每次7d。治疗结束进行疗效评价。结果:单用组骨痛完全缓解66.7%(12/18)。联合化疗组骨痛完全缓解率87.1%(27/31)。单用组血钙降至正常,占77.8%(14/18),联合化疗组血钙完全降至正常占100%(31/31)。副作用是暂时性的心动过速、皮肤潮红、头晕、恶心呕吐,无需特殊处理,自行缓解。结论:密盖息治疗骨转移瘤有止痛、降低血钙作用良好,副作用小,可以在临床上安全使用。     

64层螺旋CT血管成像技术对主动脉夹层动脉瘤的诊断价值

目的:评价64层螺旋CT对主动脉夹层的价值及优势。方法:本组增强扫描对比剂为Omnipaque,浓度为350mgI/ml,剂量为100ml。注射速率为4ml/s,扫描延迟时间为25~30s。将扫描原始数据重建成0.625mm的横断面图像,然后传送至AW4.2高级图像处理工作站,分别进行VR、MPR、MIP重建。结果:①11例患者的血管成像扫描时间为7~10s;②De BackeyⅠ型主动脉夹层3例,De BackeyⅢ型8例;③11例患者在VR、MPR重建图像上均清晰显示出升主动脉、主动脉弓、降主动脉、腹主动脉、双侧髂总动脉、双侧髂内外动脉以及腹腔动脉干、肠系膜上动脉、双侧肾动脉主要分支的血管,图像清晰,血管对比明显,血管边缘无阶梯状改变;④11例患者均能清晰显示主动脉夹层的开口、范围及内膜瓣的情况;⑤3例肠系膜上动脉有不同程度的狭窄;2例患者肠系膜上动脉有夹层表现;5例患者一侧肾动脉有不同程度的狭窄,其中1例伴明显肾血供障碍;⑥11例患者均可以清晰显示真、假腔,4例患者假腔内有不同程度的血栓形成;⑦1例主动脉夹层患者经内支架置入术后,支架膨胀良好,其位置大小形态良好,原内膜破口被封闭,无渗漏现象,假腔内完全血栓形成。结论:64层螺旋CT血管成像技术可以在无创或微创的情况下清晰地显示主动脉夹层及主要分支血管的改变,为临床的诊断和治疗提供有价值的依据。     

还原型谷胱甘肽降低糖尿病大鼠心肌NF-κB和诱导型一氧化氮合酶表达

以链脲佐菌素制备糖尿病大鼠模型，造模后以还原型谷胱甘肽（GSH）治疗12周，结果显示GSH治疗组较糖尿病组心肌组织病理学损害改善，NF—κB活性降低，诱导型一氧化氮合酶表达下降。     

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.