Maintenance of body temperature in elderly patients who have joint replacement surgery A comparison between the heat and moisture exchanger and heated humidifier

The effect of a heat and moisture exchanger on intra-operative aural canal (core) and mean skin temperatures was investigated in elderly patients who had elective total hip arthroplasty under general anaesthesia with artificial ventilation of the lungs. Group 1 (n = 20) did not receive any form of artificial humidification while in group 2 (n = 20) a heat and moisture exchanger was inserted in the breathing system and in group 3 (n = 20) the inspired gases were humidified and warmed at 40 degrees C by means of a heated humidifier. Time of surgery, intravenous fluid administration and operating theatre temperature were standardised. Mean (SD) aural canal (core) temperature decreased significantly in groups 1 and 2 (p less than 0.001), while there was a fall of 0.3 degrees C (0.6) in group 3, which was not significant. Mean skin temperature decreased during anaesthesia and surgery in both groups 1 and 2 (p less than 0.05), while it increased in group 3. There was a significantly greater loss of body heat in groups 1 and 2 compared with group 3 intra-operatively (p less than 0.001). We conclude tha a heat and moisture exchanger did not prevent the decrease in intra-operative body temperature in elderly patients.     

Pre- and postoperative nutritional care in liver transplantation in children

Orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT) is now a definitive treatment option for most cases of endstage liver disease (ESLD) in children. Efforts now focus on active supportive treatment to maintain, if not improve, the patient's clinical status before OLT and to ensure normal patterns of growth and development after OLT. Malnutrition adversely affects the outcome of OLT and is probably the single area in pre-operative management where the largest potential improvement can be made. Our studies indicate significant abnormalities of protein energy metabolism and body composition in children referred for OLT. We have shown that the use of enteral formulae, enriched with branched-chain amino acids, have significant advantages. Other adjunctive therapy, such as growth hormone, is the subject of current investigation. Following transplantation, catch-up weight and growth does occur with the advent of normal liver functioning, but patients at continuing risk for undernutrition, such as those with rejection and/or chronic infection, need to be targeted for specific nutritional therapy.     

小剂量多克隆抗体预防移植肾急性排斥反应

目的：探索能减少并发症，减轻病人经济负担，有效预防移植肾急性排斥反应的多克隆抗体的合理使用方案。方法：选择肾移植患者８０例，根据使用多克隆抗体的时间不同分３组，观察病人血ＣＤ３＋细胞数变化、急性排斥反应及并发症发生率，作前瞻性研究。结果：３组病人急性排斥反应率，术后５ｄ内ＣＤ３＋细胞数无统计学差异，而使用抗淋巴细胞免疫球蛋白（ＡＬＧ）时间较长者，术后６ｄ后ＣＤ３＋细胞数少于其他组，巨细胞病毒（ＣＭＶ）病及一般感染率明显高于其他组。结论：术后间歇使用小剂量ｔｉｅｎｔｓ′ＡＴＧ及术后连续３～６ｄ使用常规剂量ＡＬＧ是一种有效、安全、价廉的免疫抑制方案。     

One-shot percutaneous ethanol injection of liver tumors under general anesthesia: Preliminary data on efficacy and complications

Purpose: To verify the efficacy of ultrasound (US)-guided injection of large amounts of ethanol into large or multiple liver lesions, in a single session under general anesthesia (one-shot PEI) for percutaneous ablation of hepatic tumors. Methods: Twenty-nine patients (27 with 51 hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) nodules on cirrhosis, diameter range 1.0<+>–<+>9.0 cm; two patients with a single metastasis from the gastroenteric tract, 5.0 and 9.0 cm, respectively, in diameter) were treated with one-shot PEI. Results: The total volume of alcohol delivered per patient ranged from 16 to 210 ml. Mean ethanol volume in all patients was 49 ml. Dynamic computed tomography (CT) examination showed complete necrosis in 41 of 50 lesions. Two patients died of hypovolemic shock due to massive upper gastrointestinal bleeding, 3 and 7 days, respectively, after the interventional procedure. All the remaining patients are alive (follow-up 5<+>–<+>14 months) except one who died of liver failure 5 months after. New HCC nodules occurred in six patients within 6 months and one intralesional relapse was recorded. Conclusion: In this preliminary experience, one-shot PEI is as effective in inducing liver tumor necrosis as traditional PEI; its advantages are shorter treatment time and the capability of treating larger and multiple liver lesions.     

烧伤后红细胞损伤的机制——过氧化脂质、维生素E与溶血的关系

本实验发现大鼠体表面积20％Ⅲ°烧伤后,皮肤内产生了大量丙二醛(MDA),第二天达最高,第七天有第二高峰,血浆和红细胞(RBC)MDA第三天达最高,血浆和RBC维生素E(VE)于伤后第二天后迅速下降,RBC溶血第三天最甚。对皮肤MDA、血浆MDA、RBCMDA、血浆VE、BBC VE、1％H_2O_2溶血进行相关分析后发现在不同时相,有不同的相关关系,但基本遵循烧伤皮肤MDA增加、血浆MDA增加、RBC MDA增加、血浆和RBC VE降低,溶血增加的规律。文中讨论了RBC损伤的机制。     

Factors determining the performance of medical students of the Faculty of Medicine, University of Kuwait

An investigation was undertaken to determine the factors influencing performance of medical students at the Faculty of Medicine, University of Kuwait. Data were collected for the first batch of 42 candidates who successfully passed the 7-year medical programme. Results showed high correlations between high-school admission grades and subsequent performance during the medical programme. Similar results were also obtained with English proficiency. A partial correlation controlling for English proficiency, however, showed a systematic decline in the magnitude of the correlations between high-school grades and performance during the medical programme. In fact the relationship between high-school GPA and clinical GPA was non-significant. A prominent influence of English proficiency on performance is indicated.     

改良Sugiura术与青木春夫式断流术的比较

目的评价改良Sugiura术的疗效。方法回顾性分析2001年3月～2004年12月施行的改良Sugiura术50例患者的临床资料，并与随机抽取的以往施行的青木春夫式断流术50例做比较。结果改良Sugiura术：术后发生并发症10例，手术死亡5例，远期出血5例，肝性脑病3例，术后死亡4例；青木春夫式断流术：术后发生并发症7例，手术死亡2例，远期出血6例，肝性脑病2例，术后死亡4例，上述指标两者比较差异均无统计学意义，P〉0．05。改良Sugiura术手术时间和住院时间分别为（2．6±0．9）h、（27．5±10．5）d，显著短于青木春夫式断流术的（3．8±0．8）h和（53．2±34．2）d，P〈0．01。结论改良Sugiura术总体疗效肯定，是一种较好的青木春夫式断流术的替代手术，其操作简便，手术时间和住院时间短，值得临床推广。     

羊膜建库及其临床应用研究

目的 :制备与保存羊膜 (Amnioticmembrane,AM ) ,为临床移植治疗眼表泪液 (Ocularsur face&Teardisease ,OSTD)提供新鲜羊膜 (Freshamnioticmembrane ,FSAM )、冻干羊膜 (Frozenam nioticmembrane ,FZAM )并观察其眼表重建的特点与临床疗效。方法 :采用目前国际公认的羊膜制备与保存方法 ,制备FSAM、FZAM并进行保存研究 ,经组织染色和电子显微镜检查 ,观察保存羊膜的形态及其活性 ;并将FSAM、FZAM应用于 12例OSTD患者 ,行患眼FSAM或FZAM移植术。通过术后印迹细胞学追踪观察移植后AM上皮细胞存活与移行、替代时间 ,评估AM移植重建眼表的临床疗效。结果 :FSAM、FZAM在光镜和电镜下均与正常球结膜组织结构相近 ,主要结构为胶原纤维和网状纤维。 12例OSTD患者行羊膜移植术 (Amnioticmembranetransplantation ,AMT)后均未见明显急性排斥反应 ,术后 1～ 2周可见少量新生血管长入植片 ,AMT后印迹细胞学追踪检查 ,术后 3个月为阴性 ,4个月出现阳性反应。所有患者术后随访 5～ 18个月 ,平均 11个月 ,AM在术后 4～ 9个月逐渐溶解、消失 ,移植区眼表的色泽与结构基本恢复正常。结论 :FSAM、FZAM是目前理想的结膜替代材料并可有效地用于重建角、结膜表面 ,减轻炎症反应 ,减少新生血管的生成 ,抑制纤维组织增生 ,防止     

经导管动脉内溶栓治疗急性动脉血栓栓塞

5例急性动脉血栓栓塞患者行经导管动脉内溶栓治疗 ,其中 4例一次溶栓成功 ,1例经两次溶栓成功 ,无一例出现并发症。对于急性动脉血栓形成的治疗过去常用静脉滴注溶栓剂的方法 ,小剂量效果不明显 ,加大剂量又易发生出血并发症。而采用经动脉插管至局部血栓部位灌注溶栓药物 ,并发症少 ,效果明确     

Role of β2 integrins in glomerular leucocytes in Henoch-Schoenlein purpura nephritis: an age-matched comparative study with immunoglobulin A nephropathy

SUMMARY: A comparative immunohistological study was performed for the glomerular deposition of complements (C1q and C3c), fibrin/fibrinogen‐related antigen (FRA), the expression of intercellular adhesion molecule‐1 (ICAM‐1), and the infiltration of leucocytes bearing β₂ integrins (leucocyte function associated antigen‐1 (LFA‐1), complement receptor 3 (CR3) and complement receptor 4 (CR4)) on renal biopsy specimens from 49 cases with Henoch‐Schoenlein purpura nephritis (HSPN), and 49 age‐matched cases with immunoglobulin A nephropathy (IgAN). the glomerular expression of ICAM‐1 was signifcantly correlated with the glomerular infiltration of leucocyte function associated antigen (LFA)‐1⁺ leucocytes in both diseases, and with that of CR3⁺ leucocytes in HSPN. the expression of ICAM‐1 was closely localized with the infiltration of LFA‐1⁺ leucocytes in the study with double immunostaining. the incidence and intensity of glomerular deposition of FRA were significantly higher in HSPN than in IgAN (P< 0.001), and those of C3c were significantly lower in HSPN than in IgAN (P< 0.001). the glomerular deposition of FRA was significantly correlated with the glomerular infiltration of CR4⁺ leucocytes in HSPN (P<0.05) but not in IgAN. In contrast, the glomerular deposition of C3c was significantly correlated with the glomerular infiltration of CR4⁺ leucocytes in IgAN (P<0.05), but not in HSPN. Studies with double immunostaining revealed a close association of CR4⁺ leucocytes with FRA deposition in HSPN and with C3c deposition in IgAN, respectively. the number of glomerular leucocytes bearing β₂ integrins was significantly correlated with urinary protein at the time of renal biopsy in both diseases. These results suggested the differential roles of β₂ integrins in the induction of glomerular injury in HSPN and IgAN. the ICAM‐1/LFA‐1 interaction may commonly be involved in the glomerular infiltration of leucocytes in both diseases. the ICAM‐1/CR3 interaction may be involved only in HSPN. Complement receptor 4 may function as a fibrin/fibrinogen receptor in HSPN, while CR4 may function as a complement receptor in IgAN.