1999～2001年全国治疗药物监测室间质评结果

目的:通过开展室间质量评价活动提高临床实验室的检验结果质量。方法:每年向参加治疗药物监测(TDM)室间质量评价活动的单位发放质控品10个批号,测定项目包括茶碱、地高辛、苯妥英、苯巴比妥、卡马西平和环孢菌素A,实验室用常规方法测定并回报测定结果,经计算机软件对全部结果进行统计分析。结果:2001年参加TDM室间质评的实验室数为48家,测定结果的平均及格率分别为茶碱94.2％、地高辛82.6％、苯妥英83.8％、苯巴比妥88.4％、卡马西平94.2和环孢菌素A92.4％。1999～2001年全国TDM室间质评的年平均及格率分别为78.7％、84.7％和89.3％。不同测定方法的精密度分别为茶碱4.4％～14.2％、地高辛11.5％～21.9％、苯妥英8.5％～29.5％、苯巴比妥8.2％～13.9％、卡马西平10.8％～12.6％和环孢菌素A15.5％～16.6％。结论:多数参加TDM室间质评实验室的测定结果有较好的一致性,及格率逐年上升,但参加TDM室间质评的实验室数占开展TDM的实验室总数的比例较低,在不同的测定方法间还存在较大的差异。     

The natural history of untreated phenylketonuria over 20 years

Fifty-one adults with untreated phenylketonuria (PKU), have been reviewed after a 20 year interval, at ages ranging from 28.8 to 71.8 years. Five died of causes unrelated to PKU. Three severely affected individuals had shown a progressive loss of motor function and three had developed epilepsy, bringing the total with this problem to 12. No loss of abilities was apparent in 41 patients. Other health problems, including cataracts, were not frequent. Serum phenylalanine levels had decreased over the 20 year period. Untreated PKU does not generally cause progressive loss of abilities during adult life.     

Automatic assessment of levodopa-induced dyskinesias in daily life by neural networks.

We developed an objective and automatic procedure to assess the severity of levodopa-induced dyskinesia (LID) in patients with Parkinson's disease during daily life activities. Thirteen patients were continuously monitored in a home-like situation for a period of approximately 2.5 hours. During this time period, the patients performed approximately 35 functional daily life activities. Behavior of the patients was measured using triaxial accelerometers, which were placed at six different positions on the body. A neural network was trained to assess the severity of LID using various variables of the accelerometer signals. Neural network scores were compared with the assessment by physicians, who evaluated the continuously videotaped behavior of the patients off-line. The neural network correctly classified dyskinesia or the absence of dyskinesia in 15-minute intervals in 93.7, 99.7, and 97.0% for the arm, trunk, and leg, respectively. In the few cases of misclassification, the rating by the neural network was in the class next to that indicated by the physicians using the AIMS score (scale 0-4). Analysis of the neural networks revealed several new variables, which are relevant for assessing the severity of LID. The results indicate that the neural network can accurately assess the severity of LID and could distinguish LID from voluntary movements in daily life situations.     

Positive Outcome Expectancies and Smoking Behavior: The Role of Expectancy Accessibility

This study examined the association between smoking outcome expectancy accessibility and smoking behavior. Daily smokers completed a smoking expectancy accessibility task in which they made timed judgments to a series of positive consequences of smoking either after 6 hr deprivation or within 10 min of smoking. Participants then completed a questionnaire battery that contained assessments of smoking behavior and smoking outcome expectancies. Results of hierarchical regression analyses showed that expectancy accessibility was associated with the number of cigarettes smoked per day even when controlling for corresponding questionnaire measures of smoking expectancies. Moreover, smoking expectancy accessibility predicted urge to smoke ratings following exposure to a smoking cue after controlling for the effects of deprivation. Findings suggest that smoking expectancy accessibility may play a central role in smoking behavior and that individual differences in this attribute may be assessed directly through reaction time assessment.     

Lokalrezidive von Weichteilsarkomen an Extremitäten und Rumpf

Soft tissue sarcomas (STS) tend to recur locally. In a series of 140 patients operated on during the past two decades with STS of the extremities and trunk, prognostic factors influencing local recurrence were determined. Statistical significance was evaluated for the quality of surgical resection (P<0.001), regional positive lymph nodes (P=0.03), and adjuvant radiotherapy (P=0.01) [for resection without wide margins (R1) and low-grade (G3) tumors]. In 1988, the surgical procedure was standardized. After 1987, local recurrence decreased significantly (P < 0.001). In subfascial tumors, local recurrence occurred far less in cases of compartmental resection than with wide excision. These data indicate that the course of patients with STS can be beneficially influenced by optimal therapy. Resection with wide margins in all three dimensions is the aim of sarcoma surgery. Postoperative radiation therapy is indicated in the case of R1 resection.

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Lokalrezidive von Weichteilsarkomen an Extremitäten und Rumpf

Zusammenfassung Weichteilsarkome neigen zur Ausbildung von Lokalrezidiven. In einer Studie von 140 Patienten der letzten 20 Jahre mit Sarkomen an Extremitäten und Rumpf wurde untersucht, welche Faktoren das Auftreten von Lokalrezidiven beeinflussen. Statistische Signifikanz ergab sick fur die Qualität der chirurgischen Re sektion (R) (p<0,001), den regionalen Lymphknotenstatus (p=0,03) sowie eine adjuvante Strahlentherapie (p=0,01) [bei marginal resezierten (RI), niedrig differenzierten (G3) Tumoren]. 1988 wurde das chirurgische Vorgehen standardisiert. In der Zeit danach traten signifikant weniger Rezidive auf als davor (p < 0,001). Bei subfaszialer Lage traten Rezidive nach Kompartmentresektion wesentlich seltener auf als nach weiter Resektion. Der Krankheitsverlauf von Weichteilsarkomen ist also durchaus therapeutisch beeinflußbar. Ein dreidimensional weiter Sicherheitsabstand ist das entscheidende Therapieziel, eine Bestrahlung in R1-Situationen indiziert.

     

Characteristics of children and their families at entry into foster care

This study provides an overview of children, their families, and their circumstances at the time that the child entered foster care in Israel. Data regarding a representative sample of 800 children were collected as part of the ongoing operation of a clinical information system set up for Israel's foster care service in 1988. Implications of our findings for interventions are discussed.     

Reliability and validity of a health-related quality of life battery for evaluating outpatient antidepressant treatment

This study was designed to evaluate the reproducibility, validity and responsiveness of a health-related quality of life (HRQOL) battery that was assembled for the evaluation of antidepressant therapy. The Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale was used to measure severity of depression. The HRQOL battery contained measures of energy and fatigue, social behaviour, cognitive function, home and work role function, and general well-being (i.e., health perceptions, life satisfaction) selected from previously developed and validated instruments. The clinical investigators and research nurses reported on difficulty in using the HRQOL battery. Most patients were able to complete the questionnaire without problems within 10 min. Reproducibility was very good with intraclass correlation coefficients ranging from 0.74 to 0.97. The HRQOL scales showed evidence of good concurrent validity. The scales were moderately correlated with MADRS scores (r=0.30–0.62). The magnitude of these correlations indicate that HRQOL scales are related to depression measures, but they are not alternative measures of depression. Changes in MADRS scores were associated with changes in all scales, except for work behaviour, indicating that improvements in depression ratings also resulted in improvements in health status and well-being. The HRQOL scales included in this study were found to be reliable, reproducible, and valid and no appreciable burden was placed on patients or investigators participating in the study. With the exception of the Work Behaviour scale, the HRQOL scales were very responsive to changes in depression severity. This brief HRQOL instrument can provide a comprehensive assessment of the outcomes of antidepressant treatment.This research was supported by a grant from Pfizer International.     

Sarcomas of head and neck — A 10 yrs experience

38 cases of sarcoma of head and neck region were analysed in a retrospective way in relation to age, anatomic location, histological, clinical profile, and surgical approaches. Compared to other types of head and neck neoplasms, such as squamous cell carcinoma, soft tissue sarcomas have low rates of regional metastases. However the biological behaviour of soft tissue sarcoma is more aggressive specially in paediatric age group. In the present series, CT scan was considered as the primary modality of investigation. Surgery generally has been recommended as the primary method of treatment for achieving local control, except in those high-grade tumours arising in sites not amenable to resection. 3-year and 5-year survival rates in this present series 50% and 31.6% respectively.