An improved method of flexible endoscopic creation of tracheoesophageal fistula for voice restoration

We present improvements of a previously reported method of tracheoesophageal puncture for voice restoration in postlaryngectomy patients. Our method utilizes a flexible endoscope to enable the tracheoesophageal puncture to be made under direct visualization using only local anesthesia and intravenous sedation. After 3 days, the created tracheoesophageal fistula tract is mature enough to allow placement of a voice prosthesis in the office. This allows the entire procedure to be performed in an outpatient setting with minimal risk. Received: 24 October 1996/Accepted: 24 January 1997     

Factor analysis of bowel symptoms in US and Italian populations

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Functional gastrointestinal disorders are diagnosed by the presence of a characteristic set of symptoms. Aims of this study were to validate the Rome symptom criteria by factor analysis and to determine whether symptoms cluster in the same way in different cultures. METHODS: One thousand forty-one gastroenterology clinic patients in the US (response rate 53%) and 228 family members accompanying clinic patients in Italy (84%) completed a previously validated symptom questionnaire. Factor analysis identified clusters of symptoms which are highly correlated with each other, and these were compared to the Rome diagnostic criteria. RESULTS: In the US, 13 factors were identified. The irritable bowel factor was composed of three core symptoms corresponding to the Rome II classification system. Two dyspepsia factors were identified which correspond to the ulcer- and motility-like subtypes proposed in the Rome I classification system. All symptoms of constipation formed a single cluster as proposed in the Rome II classification system. Symptom clusters in the US agreed well with symptom clusters identified in Italian subjects. CONCLUSIONS: Empirically derived symptom clusters agree in most respects with the Rome II classification system and support their validity. These symptom clusters are independent of cultural differences in diet and behaviour.     

替勃龙改善绝经期功能性消化不良症状

目的 :探讨替勃龙能否改善绝经期功能性消化不良患者临床症状及其相关机制。方法 :14 3例绝经期功能性消化不良患者随机分成 3组 ,分别给予替勃龙、西沙必利及替勃龙 +西沙必利 ,治疗 4周 ,观察治疗前后各组患者上腹胀痛、餐后胀满、早饱、暖气等临床症状积分的变化。在随机分成的 3组中再随机各抽出 2 0例患者治疗前后测定胃 30min排空率及胃半排空时间 ,观察治疗前后胃动力的变化。结果 :3组药物治疗后 2周和 4周上腹胀痛、餐后胀满症状积分均明显下降。西沙必利治疗后 2周和 4周对早饱、暖气症状无明显缓解 ,替勃龙及替勃龙 +西沙必利则对所观察的所有症状均有明显缓解 ,替勃龙改善早饱和嗳气症状优于西沙必利 ,但与西沙必利合用无增强效应。 3种药物治疗后 ,胃 30min排空率均明显增加、胃半排空时间缩短 ,与治疗前比较有显著差异 (P <0 .0 5 ) ,但 3种治疗方案之间无显著性差异 (P >0 .0 5 )。结论 :替勃龙能通过增强胃动力 ,明显改善部分绝经期功能性消化不良患者的临床症状 ,疗效优于促动力药。     

Activity of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis in mice selected for left- or right-handedness

Asymmetry in brain modulation of the immune system has been previously described. In mice, paw preference has been shown to be associated with immune reactivity but the mechanisms involved in such an association are not yet known. The autonomic nervous system and the neuroendocrine system are considered as major candidates for neural influences on the immune system. In the present study, the activity of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis of adult female mice selected for paw preference (left-handers vs. right-handers) was assessed by measuring both adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) and corticosterone plasma levels, as well as the in vitro responses of hypothalamus and adrenocortical cells to various hormone releasing stimuli. The results reported here showed no difference in the activity of the HPA axis between left- and right-handed mice, suggesting that this neuroendocrine axis is not implicated in the association between functional brain asymmetry and immune reactivity. However, our results do not exclude the possibility that the HPA axis could play a role in such an association under other circumstances, such as during development or stressful situations.     

单一电铃电路条件性行为疗法在建立儿童自主排尿反射中的作用研究

本工作在于探讨单一电铃电路条件性训练在建立儿童自主排尿反射中的治疗作用。采用新型研制的电铃电路床单，将电铃声刺激与膀胱充盈刺激有效的吻合起来，夜间训练遗尿患儿清醒后自主排尿。对年龄５～１０岁，经多项检查诊断确定为功能性遗尿的患儿（男１８名，女４名）２２人施行条件性行为训练方法。临睡的铺平电铃电路床单、患儿遗尿初期浸湿床单，引起铃响（患儿不惊醒时由母亲唤醒），患儿起床自主排尿。采用阳性强化法对患儿自主排尿进行巩固，给予原发以及继发性奖赏。结果：单一电铃电路条件性训练平均１２个有效治疗日后，９４．９７％（１８／１９）患儿遗尿症状消失，其中效果最佳者仅用了３个有效治疗日，最后长的达３０个有效治疗日，２人因故中断治疗，１人治疗无效。可见，单一行为方法是一条治疗儿童功能性遗尿的有效措施。     

Evaluation of renal first pass blood flow with a functional image technique in hypertensive patients

The renal circulation of patients with essential hypertension and renovascular hypertension was evaluated using ^99mTc-DTPA. The first renal peak count (the first C_max; FC_max), time phase distribution (the first T_max; FT_max), and blood velocity (the FC_max/FT_max) were calculated by digital imaging. This yields a visual image of the renal circulation. We consider that the increase in the renal first pass blood flow in patients with essential hypertension is best observed pixel by pixel. The FC_max and FC_max/FT_max images before and after treatment by percutaneous transluminal renal angioplasty in patients with renovascular hypertension clearly show its therapeutic effect. The FI technique, therefore, has the advantage that it can be performed at the same time as the conventional routine examinations of renal function. This makes it very useful clinically.     

Allogeneic bone marrow stromal cells promote glial–axonal remodeling without immunologic sensitization after stroke in rats

We evaluated the effects of allogeneic bone marrow stromal cell treatment of stroke on functional outcome, glial–axonal architecture, and immune reaction. Female Wistar rats were subjected to 2 h of middle cerebral artery occlusion. Rats were injected intravenously with PBS, male allogeneic ACI – or syngeneic Wistar –bone marrow stromal cells at 24 h after ischemia and sacrificed at 28 days. Significant functional recovery was found in both cell-treated groups compared to stroke rats that did not receive BMSCs, but no difference was detected between allogeneic and syngeneic cell-treated rats. No evidence of T cell priming or humoral antibody production to marrow stromal cells was found in recipient rats after treatment with allogeneic cells. Similar numbers of Y-chromosome⁺ cells were detected in the female rat brains in both groups. Significantly increased thickness of individual axons and myelin, and areas of the corpus callosum and the numbers of white matter bundles in the striatum were detected in the ischemic boundary zone of cell-treated rats compared to stroked rats. The areas of the contralateral corpus callosum significantly increased after cell treatment compared to normal rats. Processes of astrocytes remodeled from hypertrophic star-like to tadpole-like shape and oriented parallel to the ischemic regions after cell treatment. Axonal projections emanating from individual parenchymal neurons exhibited an overall orientation parallel to elongated radial processes of reactive astrocytes of the cell-treated rats. Allogeneic and syngeneic bone marrow stromal cell treatment after stroke in rats improved neurological recovery and enhanced reactive oligodendrocyte and astrocyte related axonal remodeling with no indication of immunologic sensitization in adult rat brain.     

Erfahrungen zur PFFB von isolierten radiusköpfchenfrakturen

Zusammenfassung Den Vorteilen einer osteosynthetischen Versorgung einer Fraktur mit sofortiger Aufnahme seiner Funktion, stehen die aus der Literatur bekannten Komplikationen gegenüber. Diese und unsere eigenen unbefriedigenden Ergebnisse nach der operativen Versorgung von Radiusköpfchenfrakturen ließen uns zu einer prospektiven randomisierten Studie einer primär funktionellen Behandlung unter Verzicht auf eine äußere oder innere Stabilisierung greifen. Seit Dezember 1991 haben wir im UKH-Graz bis einschließlich Dezember 1992 insgesamt 70 Patienten nach einem strikten Behandlungskonzept, unter Zuhilfenahme der Computertomographie zur Verlaufsbeobachtung versorgt. Die in 91% der Fälle als sehr gut and gut einzustufenden Frühergebnisse sowie das fehlende Auftreten einer, wie bei operativer Versorgung möglichen Komplikation, ebenso die zusätzlich deutlich frühere Arbeitsfähigkeit bzw. deutlich kürzere, wenn auch aufwendigere Behandlungszeit, lassen uns diese Verfahren nicht nur in unserem Hans weiterführen, sondern können wir auch weiter empfehlen.

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Experience with internal fixation of fractures of the head of the radius

The advantages of internal fixation of fractures, with the possibility of immediate resumption of the function of the fractured bone, are in contrast to the well-known complications described in the literature. These complications and our own unsatisfactory results after surgical treatment of fractures of the head of the radius induced us to carry out a randomized prospective study of primary functional treatment of such fractures without external or internal stabilization. From December 1991 through December 1992, a total of 70 patients were treated according to a strict treatment protocol at the Graz Hospital for Accident Surgery, and CT was used for observation of the healing process. The positive early results, which in 91% of all cases were classified as very good or good, the lack of complications that sometimes follow surgical treatment, the markedly earlier recovery of the patient's working capacity, and the clearly shorter — albeit somewhat more expensive — treatment period required have led us to continue using this method at our hospital and also to recommend its use elsewhere.

     

脑利钠肽在评价功能性单心室患者TCPC后心功能中的价值及意义

目的探讨脑利钠肽(BNP)在评价功能性单心室患者行全腔静脉-肺动脉连接术(TCPC)后心功能中的价值及其意义。方法选择2004年4~11月间连续在我科随访的TCPC后患者11例(TCPC组),男7例,女4例;年龄8.2±4.1岁;随访时间2.1±1.6年。按照改良R oss标准对临床心功能评分。采集外周静脉血3m l,用酶标免疫法测定血浆BNP浓度。其中6例同期用磁共振成像(M R I)测定心功能,对BNP做相关因素分析。9人健康儿童作为正常对照(对照组)。结果(1)TCPC组血浆BNP水平为400pg/m l(IQR 200-690),较对照组的110 pg/m l(IQR 90-190)增高(P=0.003);(2)M R I测定结果:TCPC组6例患者舒张期末容量指数为65.76±8.65 m l/m2,收缩期末容量指数为31.90±6.36 m l/m2,心搏出量指数为39.09±11.76 m l/m2,射血分数(EF)为0.52±0.06,心脏指数(C I)为2.38±0.58 L/m in.m2,心肌质量指数为103.49±21.57 g/m2,心肌质量/心室舒张期末容量为1.57±0.24;(3)TCPC组BNP水平与手术时年龄呈明显正相关(r=0.632,P=0.041);BNP水平与上述M R I指标、R oss评分、性别、年龄、脉搏血氧饱和度(SpO2)及主心室类型等因素无关。结论TCPC后近2年神经内分泌系统仍处于应激状态,BNP增高可能与TCPC后特有的血流动力学状态有关;血浆BNP水平不能作为正确评估TCPC后心功能状态的指标。