The clinical encounter as local moral world: Shifts of assumptions and transformation in relational context

In this study we consider the process of the clinical encounter, and present exemplars of how assumptions of both clinicians and their patients can shift or transform in the course of a diagnostic interview. We examine the process as it is recalled, and further elaborated, in post-diagnostic interviews as part of a collaborative inquiry during reflections with clinicians and patients in the northeastern United States. Rather than treating assumptions by patients and providers as a fixed attribute of an individual, we treat them as occurring between people within a particular social context, the diagnostic interview. We explore the diagnostic interview as a landscape in which assumptions occur (and can shift), navigate the features of this landscape, and suggest that our examination can best be achieved by the systematic comparison of views of the multiple actors in an experience-near manner. We describe what might be gained by this shift in assumptions and how it can make visible what is at stake for clinician and patient in their local moral worlds—for patients, acknowledgment of social suffering, for clinicians how assumptions are a barrier to engagement with minority patients. It is crucial for clinicians to develop this capacity for reflection when navigating the interactions with patients from different cultures, to recognize and transform assumptions, to notice ‘surprises’, and to elicit what really matters to patients in their care.     

冷凝集阳性患者的体外循环处理

目的 探讨体外循环(CPB)术中发生冷凝集试验阳性的处理经验。方法 采用最适宜的温度(鼻咽温31．5℃—32．5℃，肛温34℃～35℃)，常温高钾停跳液，CPB大剂量抑肽酶和皮质激素的应用及激活全血凝血时间(ACT)的严格监测等等。结果 术中阻断主动脉65min，心脏自动复跳，术后无中枢神经系统并发症及血红蛋白尿。结论对CPB术中发生冷凝集试验阳性的病人采取综合性的防救措施可以有效的防止红细胞凝集、溶血等不良反应，确保手术安全。     

平阳霉素加地塞米松局部注射治疗婴幼儿血管瘤

目的探讨平阳霉素+地塞米松局部注射治疗婴幼儿血管瘤的疗效。方法将平阳霉素8 mg+地塞米松5 mg+2%利多卡因1~2 ml+生理盐水3~8 ml稀释后,行血管瘤内注射至肿胀发白为限,1次平阳霉素用量不超过8 mg。观察2周,视瘤体颜色及硬度决定是否继续用药,直至瘤体开始变硬萎缩为止,平阳霉素注射总量不超过40 mg。近两年来,用该方法治疗1~8个月龄婴幼儿体表增生期血管瘤36例,其中颜面部24例,胸部3例,背部2例,上肢5例,足2例;草莓状血管瘤30例,混合型血管瘤6例。血管瘤最小面积0.6 cm×1.2 cm,最大面积23.0 cm×12.0 cm。结果1次注射治愈2例,2~3次注射治愈25例,4~5次治愈9例,其中局部坏死1例(为足背足底大面积草莓状血管瘤),经换药及手术愈合。随访6~19个月,未见复发,除1例遗留瘢痕外,其余全部无瘢痕愈合。有效率达100%。结论平阳霉素+地塞米松局部注射治疗婴幼儿血管瘤,具有疗效显著、简便易行、安全可靠等优点,是治疗增生期血管瘤首选方法之一,值得推广。     

新型加速器放疗网络的研制及其临床应用

目的研制新型加速器放疗网络。方法采用服务器-客户端模式．服务器采用SQL—Server2000为数据库服务软件，客户端使用VC＋＋6．0语言编写．通过RTP—Link以及DICOMRT和新型加速器连接传输病人治疗参数资料。结果成功研锚的新型加速器放疗网络包括病人资料管理模块、定位计划管理模块、定位图像预处理模块、靶区勾画模块、计划设计管理模块（包含MLC（多叶光栅）设计以及低熔点挡铅设计）和治疗参数输出（包括报表打印、连接加速器）。结论网络系统操作简单，适合新型全数字化加速器的常规放射治疗管理．是科室常规放疗治疗的质量保证（QA）和质量控制（QC）的有效工具。     

重复腋路臂丛麻醉不同穿刺定位法的效果比较

目的：观察应用不同穿刺定位法施行重复腋路臂丛阻滞麻醉效果。方法：３２４例随机分为两组，在局麻药浓度、容量相同的情况下，Ａ组采用一针穿刺单次给药逐次移位定向挤压法，１６２例中，臂丛阻滞７３０次；Ｂ组采用一针穿刺单次给药法，１６２例中，臂丛阻滞６７０次。结果：在诱导时间、维持时间和阻滞完全方面，Ａ组均明显优于Ｂ组。结论：臂丛神经处于椎前筋膜及其延续的筋膜间隙中，因此，一针穿刺单次给药能获得有效的阻滞。     

Regulation of local sweating in sleep-deprived exercising humans

Summary Thermoregulatory sweating [total body (m _sw,b), chest (m _sw,c) and thigh (m _sw,t) sweating], body temperatures [oesophageal (T _oes) and mean skin temperature (T _sk)] and heart rate were investigated in five sleep-deprived subjects (kept awake for 27 h) while exercising on a cycle (45 min at approximately 50% maximal oxygen consumption) in moderate heat (T _air andT _wall at 35° C. Them _sw,c andm _sw,t were measured under local thermal clamp (T _sk,1), set at 35.5° C. After sleep deprivation, neither the levels of body temperatures (T _oes,T _sk) nor the levels ofm _{sw, b},m _{sw, c} orm _{sw, t} differed from control at rest or during exercise steady state. During the transient phase of exercise (whenT _sk andT _sk,1 were unvarying), them _{sw, c} andm _{sw, t} changes were positively correlated with those ofT _oes. The slopes of them _{sw, c} versusT _oes, orm _{sw, t} versusT _oes relationships remained unchanged between control and sleep-loss experiments. Thus the slopes of the local sweating versusT _oes, relationships (m _{sw, c} andm _{sw, t} sweating data pooled which reached 1.05 (SEM 0.14) mg·cm^–2·min^–1°C^–1 and 1.14 (SEM 0.18) mg·cm^–2·min^–1·°C^–1 before and after sleep deprivation) respectively did not differ. However, in our experiment, sleep deprivation significantly increased theT _oes threshold for the onset of bothm _{sw, c} andm _{sw, t} (+0.3° C,P<0.001). From our investigations it would seem that the delayed core temperature for sweating onset in sleep-deprived humans, while exercising moderately in the heat, is likely to have been due to alterations occurring at the central level.     

Endometrial carcinoma: Does the addition of intracavitary vault caesium to external beam therapy postoperatively result in improved control or increased morbidity?

A retrospective analysis of treatment for endometrial carcinoma is reported here. From 1987 to 1989, 138 patients were referred to the oncology department following total abdominal hysterectomy and bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy for endometrial cancer. Forty-seven patients were not prescribed postoperative radiotherapy; 31 had Stage I well differentiated adenocarcinoma with minimal myometrial invasion, while the remaining 16 patients were considered unfit for postoperative radiotherapy. There were no instances of local relapse amongst the 31 patients with minimal myometrial invasion.The remaining 91 patients all received external beam irradiation to the pelvis and, according to the preference of the individual therapist, 51 were prescribed additional intracavitary vault caesium-137. Patients receiving postoperative radiotherapy were analysed according to whether or not they received additional intracavitary vault caesium. The two groups were also analysed for incidence of vaginal vault recurrence and treatment related morbidity.In the group receiving additional intracavitary treatment more patients had Stage II or III disease (P<0.05), and had greater depth of myometrial invasion (P<0.05). Vaginal vault recurrence was not observed in patients receiving intracavitary therapy in addition to external beam therapy. Four patients (10%) receiving external beam therapy alone developed vaginal vault recurrence.The incidence of Kottmeier-Perez grade 2 or 3 bowel toxicity following treatment was significantly higher in those patients receiving combined treatment (18% vs. 2.5%; P<0.03). There was also a higher incidence of vaginal stenosis in the group receiving both external beam and intracavitary therapy (21% vs. 3%; P<0.05). There was only one instance of grade 2 bladder toxicity in the external beam and intracavitary treatment group and none in the external beam therapy alone group.In conclusion, postoperative radiotherapy for Stages I-III endometrial carcinoma was carried out in a non-randomized manner by two regimens; either external beam therapy alone or external beam therapy with additional intracavitary vaginal caesium. The combined therapy gave significantly better local control but resulted in significantly more late bowel and vaginal morbidity.     

An alternative mechanism of actions for neuroleptic and antidepressant drugs

It has earlier been proposed by the author that the aetiology of schizophrenic symptomatology may be due to the presence of abnormally connected interhemispheric fibres which link specialised functions in the brains of schizophrenics that are not connected in normal subjects, and that the neuroleptic drugs may produce their action through a local anaesthetic-like effect in suppression of conduction in these fibres. This line of thought has been extended here to consider the possible mechanism of action of the neuroleptic drugs in more detail, as well as that of the tricyclic antidepressant drugs which are derivatives of the phenothiazine group. Pharmacological similarities with the local anaesthetics both structurally and functionally have been considered, as well as the effects that these drug groups may have in common with the lithium salts. It has been suggested that these drugs all produce their primary effect on cell membranes, though not necessarily at the synapse, that the time course of their clinical effect may correlate with their incorporation into various cell membranes within the CNS, and that they may thus bring about a fundamental alteration in cell membrane microstructure. The possible role of electroconvulsive therapy has also been considered. The corollary of this argument is that the affective disorders may be genetically determined diseases of cell membrane microstructure.     

局部浸润麻醉在隆乳术中的应用

目的 探讨局部浸润麻醉方法在隆乳术中的应用效果。方法 将2％利多卡因20ml加0．5％布匹卡因5ml配制成120ml局部麻醉液，采用局部浸润麻醉方法为568例受术者行隆乳手术，根据胸部神经、肌肉的解剖特点，行合理的分布药量和准确有效的注射。结果 568例隆乳术者，局部浸润麻醉方法均有效，且麻醉效果良好。无一例受术者因分离腔穴时产生疼痛而影响手术操作或停止手术。结论 局部麻醉效果理想可靠，方法简单易行，适用于任何术式的隆乳术。而在分离腔穴时产生的疼痛主要是因注射层次不当和药量分布不均所致。与麻醉方法无关；其麻醉效果与假体置入层次或乳腺胸大肌是否发达无因果关系。     

Hernia repair in elderly patients under unmonitored local anaesthesia is feasible

Background: There is a growing interest in the use of local anaesthesia for inguinal hernia repair. It certainly seems to be an acceptable alternative for the elderly. Supporting intravenous sedation, however, still requires monitoring, anaesthetic personnel and some preparations for the patient. Therefore we set up a feasibility study of hernia repair under local anaesthesia without intravenous sedation or monitoring in elderly patients. Method: A total of 62 patients (aged 65 years or more) with unilateral inguinal hernia received a Mesh Plug Repair. Prospectively collected data included procedure-related complications and information on pain and quality of life as measured by Short Form 36. Results: No procedure-related complications were noted. Comparing the preoperative scores, the SF-36 on day 14 (n=61) did not differ significantly. After a median follow-up of ten months (n=54), significantly higher scores were found for scales of physical and emotional role and pain (all p<0.05). Twenty-two patients reported some form of pain (40.7%). 94.4% of the patients would recommend the procedure when asked. Conclusion: The results of this study indicated that Mesh Plug Repair performed under unmonitored local anaesthesia with no intravenous sedation is a feasible alternative for elderly patients. It has advantages for the medical organization without disadvantages for the patient.