Self-selection of enrollers at the creation of a managed care organization

Factors affecting choice between a managed care organization(MCO) and a fee-for-service insurance plan were examined whenthe University of Geneva health insurance plan was transformedinto an MCO, in October 1992. A case-control study using a mailedquestionnaire (response rate 84%) was conducted to compare formermembers who joined the MCO (joiners, n=421) to former memberswho opted out in order to keep fee-for-service coverage (non-joiners,n=222). Non-joiners were more likely to be women (odds ratio(OR) from multivariate model was 1.15, p=0.50), to be born inSwitzerland (OR=2.04, p<0.01), to have an annual income >75,000Swiss francs (OR=2.00, p<0.01), to have a personal physician(OR=1.96, p<0.01) and to have consulted a specialist (OR=1.69,p=0.02) or used unconventional medicine (OR=4.59, p<0.01)in the past year. During the previous year, non-joiners hadmore health care visits than joiners (14.6 versus 9.1, p=0.01).Non-joiners reported better mental health and fewer complainedof persistent fatigue (OR=2.18, p=0.03). The choice of healthplan was strongly influenced by socio-demographic characteristics,past patterns of health services utilization and health status.The self-selection process was paradoxical: MCO joiners hadused fewer health care visits than non-joiners, but their self-reportedhealth status was worse. The differences we have observed betweenself-selected populations have important implications for thefinancial performance of competing health care delivery systems.     

双水平压力调节通气与反比通气对健康及急性肺损伤犬心肺功能影响的比较研究

目的 :比较双水平压力调节 (BIPAP)通气和反比通气 (IRV)对心肺功能的影响。方法 :在两种通气模式 0、0 .5和 1.0 k Pa呼气末压 (EEP)时 ,分别测定健康犬及油酸诱发急性肺损伤犬的呼吸力学、血流动力学及血气分析各参数。结果 :无论有无急性肺损伤 ,BIPAP通气时平均气道压 (m Paw )均明显低于 IRV时(P均 <0 .0 5 )。给健康犬用 IRV通气时 ,上述 3种 EEP水平的 m Paw分别为 (0 .437± 0 .10 3) k Pa、(0 .811±0 .0 93) k Pa和 (1.36 0± 0 .119) k Pa;用 BIPAP通气时则分别降为 (0 .2 2 5± 0 .0 71) k Pa、(0 .6 11± 0 .10 5 ) k Pa和(1.10 7± 0 .0 89) k Pa。油酸诱发急性肺损伤后 ,m Paw分别由 IRV时 (0 .72 5± 0 .2 2 2 ) k Pa、(1.186± 0 .2 98) k Pa和 (1.6 0 0± 0 .10 0 ) k Pa降至 BIPAP时 (0 .35 0± 0 .12 9) k Pa、(0 .6 2 5± 0 .15 0 ) k Pa和 (1.12 5± 0 .0 96 ) k Pa;但两种通气模式中气道峰压、心排血量并无明显差异。另外 ,急性肺损伤时 ,BIPAP通气的动脉血氧分压 (Pa O2 )分别为 (9.10± 1.79) k Pa、(11.43± 1.80 ) k Pa和 (13.40± 3.2 0 ) k Pa,较 IRV时 Pa O2 (7.87± 2 .33) k Pa、(9.0 7±3.0 5 ) k Pa和 (9.71± 1.85 ) k Pa增高 (EEP 1.0 k Pa时 ,P <0 .0 5 )。结论 :     

脓汁查抗酸阳性杆菌感染一例报道

患者，王丽莹，女，47岁，患者主诉，左侧乳房始终有一溃疡，并流脓汁，看过好多地方，用过好多抗菌素，始终未治愈。     

Contact dermatitis in patients with leg ulcers

100 patients with leg ulcers were patch tested against a standard battery of allergens. The readings were carried out daily from the 2nd to the 7th days. 55 patients showed positive reactions to one or more allergens. 32% of positive reactions developed for the first time after 48 h and 11% after 72 h. No single day or combination of two days gave 100% positive results. A single reading on the 4th day gave the highest number of positive reactions at 92%. The prevalence of positive patch tests was significantly higher in patients with surrounding eczema, and in patients with positive patch tests the ulcer duration was significantly longer than in those with negative patch tests. The total number of positive results in individuals increased linearly with the duration of the ulcer. Of allergens to which the ulcer was exposed, the occurrence of multiple sensitivity was significantly greater than predicted from the prevalence of individual sensitivities. However, there was no association between medicaments and metal sensitivity. This, together with the absence of an exponential rise in the number of allergens with the duration of ulcer, does not support the theory of systemic ampliative allergy.     

Hospital versus population controls in a retrospective study on diet and stomach cancer

The aim of the present study is to evaluate drawbacks and advantagesof the choice of hospital versus population controls in a casecontrol study on diet and cancer through the analysis of a retrospectivestudy on diet and gastric cancer (GC) conducted in Forli, Italy,involving 232 cases, 430 population controls and 252 hospitalizedcontrols. The present paper reports the comparison of resultson diet and GC risk obtained using the 2 types of controls.Population controls tended, in general, to eat all kinds offoods slightly more frequently (bread, pasta, cold cuts, freshfish, seasoned cheeses, legumes, garlic, onions and preservedfruits), with the exception of cooked vegetables, which werereported less frequently by population than by hospital controls.ORs for specific foods adjusted for confounders and other foodswere consistent in the separate models including populationand hospital controls respectively for all food groups, withthe exception of cooked vegetables which represented a protectivefactor only when hospital controls were considered (high consumers,population controls: adjusted, OR=0.9, trend p value 0.54; highconsumers, hospital controls, adjusted OR=0.5, trend p value<0.01). Hospital controls were slightly less often currentsmokers (22.6 versus 30.0%) and more often regular wine drinkers(57.5 versus 47.8%) compared with population controls, but noneof these variables was associated with GC risk. The main resultsin this study were consistent using both types of controls,nevertheless the distribution of some dietary variables notrelated to the disease under study differed between the 2 controlgroups, suggesting some caution in the use of hospital controlswhen studying diseases other than GC.     

Selection of an Escherichia coli O157:H7 bacteriophage for persistence in the circulatory system of mice infected experimentally

A bacteriophage lytic for Escherichia coli O157:H7 was isolated from bovine manure. Following in-vivo selection, the phage acquired the capacity to persist in the circulatory system of mice for at least 38 days. When mice were infected experimentally with E. coli O157:H7 (10(7) CFU/mouse), simultaneous injection of the mice with phage (10(8) PFU/mouse) cleared E. coli O157:H7 from the mice within 48 h.     

术前无创正压通气治疗对脊柱侧凸患者围手术期肺功能的影响

目的:研究术前使用呼吸机无创正压通气治疗对脊柱侧凸患者围手术期肺功能的影响。方法:将40例Cobb角≥60°、肺功能存在中度以上限制性通气功能障碍、行脊柱侧凸矫形术的脊柱侧凸患者,随机分成A组和B组,每组20例。A组在术前采用BiPAP呼吸机,经用面罩无创正压通气(NIPPV)治疗1个月;B组常规术前准备。观察A组患者治疗前后肺功能的改善及两组患者围手术期肺功能的差异。结果:两组患者性别、年龄、身高、体重、Cobb角度、手术时间、手术径路、融合椎体数等基本情况比较无统计学差异(P>0.05);A组患者经NIPPV治疗后肺活量(VC)、肺活量占预计值的百分比(VC%)、用力肺活量(FVC)、第一秒最大呼气量(FEV1.0)、最大通气量(MVV)和最大通气量占预计值的百分比(MVV%)较治疗前明显改善(P<0.01);两组患者术中氧合指数、术后拔管时间、拔管后15min动脉血气PO2、PCO2比较有显著性差异(P<0.05)。结论:术前无创正压通气治疗可改善脊柱侧凸患者围手术期的肺功能,可缩短手术后气管插管的拔管时间,改善术后通气功能,有助于脊柱侧凸患者手术后早期恢复。     

Adiabatic refocusing pulses for volume selection in magnetic resonance spectroscopic imaging.

Because of their excellent slice profiles and high immunity to RF inhomogeneity, adiabatic full passage (AFP) pulses are ideal for use in spatial localization. The nonlinear, position-dependent phase of a single AFP pulse generated during refocusing of transverse magnetization traditionally is eliminated by using identical pairs of AFP pulses, at the expense of increased RF power deposition and increased echo time (TE). Here it is shown that one can achieve significant phase refocusing by executing single AFP pulses along non-equivalent spatial axes. When used for volume selection in MR spectroscopic imaging (MRSI) the remaining nonlinear phase becomes inconsequential when the phase across a spectroscopic volume is small. Selection of rectangular and octagonal volumes is demonstrated with half the number of AFP pulses used in the traditional approach. It is shown that octagonal volume selection in the human brain provides excellent suppression of extracranial lipids, and thus allows multislice (1)H MRSI at 4 Tesla to be performed within the guidelines for RF power deposition.     

自体外周血纯化CD34+细胞移植治疗进展型多发性硬化

目的 评价自体外周血纯化CD34+细胞移植治疗进展型多发性硬化(PMS)的安全性和疗效.方法 2002-09―2006-03期间15例PMS患者在首都医科大学宣武医院接受了自体外周血纯化CD34+细胞移植.单独使用粒细胞集落刺激因子(G-CSF)动员造血干细胞,全部回输采集物进行CD34+细胞纯化.预处理采用BEAM(卡氮芥、依托泊甙、阿糖胞苷、马法兰)方案.中位随访期为21(3～45)个月,移植前后应用扩充神经功能残疾量表(EDSS)、年平均发病次数进行疗效评价. 结果分选后中位CD34+细胞纯度为93.2 (78.6～97.7)%,中位回收率为67.0(22.4～79.8)%,相当于减少了4个对数级的T细胞.无移植相关死亡,造血重建时间与其自体外周造血干细胞移植(APBSCT)相当,未出现严重的毒性反应及并发症.患者移植后12个月EDSS评分(3.95±2.55)较移植前(5.64±0.71)降低(P＜0.05),年平均发病次数移植后(0.45±0.82)较移植前(1.31±0.71)减少(P＜0.05).移植后45个月疾病无活动者生存率为(47.01±17.87)%,EDSS评分无进展者(包括稳定和改善)生存率为(57.69±20.24)%. 结论自体外周血纯化CD34+细胞移植治疗PMS安全有效.     

An open-label efficacy pilot study with pimecrolimus cream 1% in adults with facial seborrhoeic dermatitis infected with HIV

BACKGROUND: Seborrhoeic dermatitis (SD) is a common dermatosis in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-positive patients, many of whom do not respond satisfactorily to conventional topical treatments such as corticosteroids and antifungals. OBJECTIVE: A pilot study to investigate the efficacy and tolerability of pimecrolimus cream 1% in HIV-positive patients with facial SD. METHODS: In a single-centre study, 21 HIV-infected patients with mild to severe SD were treated twice daily with pimecrolimus cream 1% for 14 days. Thereafter, treatment was discontinued and patients followed up for 5 weeks. Skin involvement at baseline and on days 7, 14, 21, 35 and 49 was assessed using a four-point clinical score and digital photography. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Efficacy and safety of pimecrolimus cream 1% treatment and incidence of relapse in the follow-up phase. Results Marked improvement was seen in clinical parameters at day 7, with >or= 90% patients clear of symptoms at day 14. Relapse was observed at day 35 but signs were milder than at baseline. All patients responded to therapy, despite their immunological status. Pimecrolimus did not alter CD4(+) and CD8(+) T-cell counts or viral load during the treatment period. CONCLUSION: Pimecrolimus cream represents a new, effective therapeutic option for facial SD in HIV patients.