Impact of cosmetic care on quality of life in breast cancer patients during chemotherapy and radiotherapy: an initial randomized controlled study

BACKGROUND: Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women and therefore represents a major problem in public health. Data from patients' self-report questionnaires provide valuable information about the side-effects that patients may view as having a significantly detrimental impact on their quality of life (QOL) and yet are not always recognized as important by healthcare professionals. Cosmetology is a specific care for patients and there is actually no scientific evidence regarding effects on QOL for women with breast cancer. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study is to assess the impact of cosmetic care on QOL in breast cancer patients during chemotherapy and radiotherapy. METHODS: We developed a prospective, multicentre, randomized, controlled study including 27 patients. All the patients had to fill in a French-validated dermatologic specific quality-of-life questionnaire to compare the QOL of the two groups, the cosmetic group and the control group, at three different times of the adjuvant treatment. RESULTS: The results show a statistically significant difference between the cosmetic group and the control group in two areas of QOL: mood state and self-perception of the disease. CONCLUSION: This study emphasizes the interest of cosmetic care in breast cancer patients. However, further larger trials are needed to confirm this study.     

Trapeziometacarpal joint osteoarthritis: a retrospective study comparing arthrodesis to tendon interposition arthroplasty

Abstract Surgical management of trapeziometacarpal joint osteoarthritis (OA) is still controversial. The aim of this study was to evaluate and compare results of trapeziometacarpal arthrodesis and of tendon interposition arthroplasty. One hundred twenty-six patients suffering from trapeziometacarpal OA underwent surgery between 1996 and 2001. Of these patients, 62 (78 thumbs) treated with joint arthrodesis and 33 (41 thumbs) treated with tendon interposition arthroplasty with abductor pollicis longus (APL) have been evaluated at follow-up and therefore entered this study. Mean age was 53 years, while the mean follow-up was 36 months. Overall results were satisfactory in 84 patients with good pain improvement. Patients treated with arthrodesis showed better functional ability in bi-digital pinch and grip strength. First finger opposition motion, however, was better conserved in patients treated with interposition arthroplasty. Fusions had an 11.5% complication rate (9 thumbs) with nonunions, whereas 14.8% (6 thumbs) of patients treated with interposition arthroplasty developed 1 first metacarpal base collapse, resulting in 1 first ray length reduction. Despite complications, however, patients did not report unsatisfactory results and generally experienced marked pain reduction. This study shows that arthrodesis can be considered the treatment of choice in patients suffering from trapeziometacarpal OA at Eaton stage III or less, whatever the age and when a good pinch strength is needed.     

Arthroscopic Coracoclavicular Ligament Reconstruction Using Biologic and Suture Fixation

Presented in this report is a modified arthroscopic approach to acromioclavicular joint reconstruction via suture and allograft fixation. An arthroscopic approach is used to expose the base of the coracoid by use of electrocautery. After an open distal clavicle excision is performed, clavicular and coracoid tunnels are created under arthroscopic visualization as previously described by Wolf and Pennington. The myotendinous end of a semitendinosus allograft is sutured to a Spider plate (Kinetikos Medical, San Diego, CA). The tendinous end of the graft is prepared with a running baseball stitch. A Nitinol wire with a loop end (Arthrex, Naples, FL) is used to pass 2 free FiberTape sutures (Arthrex) and the leading sutures from the tendinous end of the graft through the clavicular and coracoid tunnels, exiting out the anterior portal. One of the FiberTape sutures is retrieved with a grasper and passed over the anterior aspect of the distal clavicle. The second FiberTape suture and the allograft are passed over the distal end of the resected clavicle. While the acromioclavicular joint is held reduced, the FiberTape sutures are tied to the plate and the allograft is tensioned medially until the plate is embedded against the superior surface of the clavicle. The tendinous end of the graft is secured to the superior surface of the clavicle with a Bio-tenodesis screw (Arthrex) medial to the clavicular tunnel.     

Natural killer cell activity and quality of life were improved by consumption of a mushroom extract, Agaricus blazei Murill Kyowa, in gynecological cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy

A mushroom extract, Agaricus blazei Murill Kyowa (ABMK), has been reported to possess antimutagenic and antitumor effects. Here, we investigate the beneficial effects of ABMK consumption on immunological status and qualities of life in cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy. One hundred cervical, ovarian, and endometrial cancer patients were treated either with carboplatin (300 mg / m(2)) plus VP16 (etoposide, 100 mg / m(2)) or with carboplatin (300 mg / m(2)) plus taxol (175 mg / m(2)) every 3 weeks for at least three cycles with or without oral consumption of ABMK. We observed that natural killer cell activity was significantly higher in ABMK-treated group (ANOVA, n = 39, P < 0.002) as compared with nontreated placebo group (n = 61). However, no significant difference in lymphokine-activated killer and monocyte activities was observed in a manner similar to the count of specific immune cell populations between ABMK-treated and nontreated groups. However, chemotherapy-associated side effects such as appetite, alopecia, emotional stability, and general weakness were all improved by ABMK treatment. Taken together, this suggests that ABMK treatment might be beneficial for gynecological cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy.     

眼轴线后部眶容积增大与眼球内陷比值的测定研究

目的:通过测量眼眶爆裂性骨折伴有眼眶扩大患者的后部眼眶容积、观察眼球内陷出现的时间及程度,研究后部眶容积扩大与眼球内陷的关系比值,为病情预测和眶内填充手术提供比较精确的参考数据。方法:将96例患者按发病时间分为早期病例组(60例、受伤时间1周以内)和晚期病例组(36例、受伤时间3个月以上),早期组除进行后部眼眶容积测量外,分别于1周、2周、3周测定眼球突出度(相差>1mm为阳性),记录眼球内陷出现时间,用卡方检验进行统计学分析;晚期组测量后部眶容积增大值和眼球内陷量,对其相关性采用Pearson统计方法进行统计学分析,并得出回归方程及相关系数。结果:早期组60例患者中,(58.33%)例患者在1周内出现眼球内陷,4(880%)例在2周内出现内陷,3周时有5(388.33%)例呈现出内陷;2周时出现眼球内陷的例数与1周时有显著性差异(χ2=62.484,P<0.001),2周时出现眼球内陷例数与3周时无差异(χ2=1.563,P>0.05),1周时出现眼球内陷例数与3周时有显著差异(χ2=76.885,P<0.001),后部眶容积增大与眼球内陷的比值约为1.0,两者之间呈正相关(r=0.994,P<0.001),即后部眶容积每增加1ml,产生1.0mm的眼球内陷。结论:眼球内陷通常于伤后2周～3周出现,3个月时趋向稳定;后部眶容积增大与眼球内陷产生比值为1.0,呈正相关;后部眶容积扩大与眼球内陷比值可预测发生眼球内陷的可能性和程度,为手术矫正眼球内陷提供可靠、精确的参考,具有十分重要的临床指导意义。     

护士执业权及其法律保护初探

护士执业权是依法取得护士执业证书,以护士名义为社会提供护理服务的医务人员进行护理工作的权利和相关权益,是护士执业规则的核心内容,护士执业权属于公民劳动权益的范畴,是一种具有职业特权性质的特殊劳动权,应立法保护。本文试图通过对护士执业权的法理初步探讨,结合目前存在的侵害护士执业权的突出现象分析,提出保护该项权利的立法建议。     

骨外科患者拔尿管时注入药物对排尿的影响

目的探讨提高长时间留置导尿管病人拔管后2h内排尿成功率的方法。方法按入院先后随机将64例导尿的男性骨折病人分两组,单数为观察组,双数为对照组。对照组常规拔尿管,观察组拔尿管时遵医嘱注入地塞米松5mg+2%利多卡因5ml+生理盐水5ml+庆大霉素8万U,比较首次排尿的自觉症状,包括尿痛、排尿困难、排尿障碍等。结果观察组较对照组病人首次排尿出现自觉症状的例数明显减少(P<0.01),有显著性差异。结论拔尿管时注入药物安全有效,明显提高了长期置管病人拔除尿管后首次排尿的成功率,减轻了病人的痛苦,有广泛的应用价值。     

Association analysis of genes in the renin‐angiotensin system with subclinical cardiovascular disease in families with Type 2 diabetes mellitus: The Diabetes Heart Study

Aims Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a major complication of Type 2 diabetes mellitus. The renin‐angiotensin system (RAS) and nitric oxide production are both important regulators of vascular function and blood pressure. Genes encoding proteins involved in these pathways are candidates for a contribution to CVD in diabetic patients. We have investigated variants of the angiotensinogen (AGT), angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE), angiotensin type 1 receptor (AT1R) and endothelial nitric oxide synthase (NOS3) genes for association with subclinical measures of CVD in families with Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Methods Atherosclerosis was measured by carotid intima‐media thickness and calcification of the carotid and coronary arteries in 620 European Americans and 117 African Americans in the Diabetes Heart Study. Because of the role of these systems in blood pressure regulation, blood pressure was also investigated. Results Compelling evidence of association was not detected with any of the SNPs with any outcome measures after adjustments for covariates despite sufficient power to detect relatively small differences in traits for specific genotype combinations. Conclusions Genetic variation of the RAS and NOS3 genes do not appear to strongly influence subclinical cardiovascular disease or blood pressure in this diabetic population.     

Linear atrophoderma of Moulin together with leuconychia: a case report

Linear atrophoderma of Moulin has a distinctive disease pattern characterized by hyperpigmented atrophoderma and was described originally in 1992. It follows the line of Blaschko, and occurs without preceding inflammation, subsequent induration or scleroderma. The lesions usually develop during childhood or adolescence, and the prognosis is good. The diagnosis is made clinically and histopathologically. In our 18-year-old male patient, there were atrophic plaques unilaterally located on the trunk and arm, and white discoloration on all finger nails. Histopathological examination revealed epidermal atrophy together with disruption of collagen fibres.