Aspects of imported malaria at a district general hospital in non-endemic Kuwait,Arabian Gulf

There is no indigenous mosquito-borne transmission of malaria in Kuwait. However, in a five year period at a district general hospital, the number of laboratory-diagnosed cases of malaria increased annually from 25 to 84, a rise of 336%. Except for two induced infections, all were imported, mainly from the Indian subcontinent. Plasmodium vivax was responsible for 87.29% of the cases; P. falciparum (12.05%), a mixed infection of P. vivax and P. falciparum (0.33%) and a case of P. ovale (0.33%) were also identified. Rapid preparation of acetone-fixed, Giemsa-stained thick blood films, a heightened awareness of the infection, examination of multiple samples of blood from patients and the general resurgence of malaria in endemic areas were some of the factors responsible for the high number of cases diagnosed. Most patients were young males and presented with clinical malaria due to P. vivax between May and October each year, an apparent seasonal peak. However, many were already resident in the country for a variable period. Patients with P. falciparum though, presented clinically within two weeks of arrival in the country. Parasite densities were calculated to monitor the progress of treatment and identify quickly any possible chloroquine-resistant P. falciparum strains. A policy of active prophylaxis is suggested to stem the tide of imported malaria.Corresponding author.     

FEASIBILITY OF CONDUCTING CARDIOVASCULAR OUTCOME RESEARCH IN AUSTRALIAN GENERAL PRACTICE: RESULTS FROM THE ANBP2 PILOT STUDY

1. The present study aimed to determine the feasibility of conducting a 5 year cardiovascular outcome trial of the treatment of 6000 elderly hypertensive patients in Australian general practices. 2. General practitioners (GPs) were invited to participate by mail and personal follow-up. Patient records were reviewed to identify subjects for a blood pressure (BP) screening programme. Blood pressure was measured on three occasions and eligible subjects were included if the average BP was 160 mmHg systolic or 90 mmHg diastolic if systolic BP was 140 mmHg. 3. Seven hundred and forty-one GPs were approached and 89 were enrolled in the study (12% of mail invites and 75% of those receiving a personal contact). In 16 practices where screening was completed, 82 000 records were reviewed to identify 4% patients eligible for screening. Twenty-two per cent of eligible subjects attended screening. Of 1938 subjects screened, 180 (9%) had BP 5=160/90 mmHg. Forty-seven percent of subjects (n = 916) were receiving antihypertensive therapy and 184 (20%) were withdrawn from therapy. One hundred and sixteen (63%) of these subjects had BP return to study entry levels within 6 weeks. Fifty-seven newly diagnosed and 81 previously treated subjects were randomized (7% of the screened population). 4. Based on the high participation rate of GPs, the response rate of patients to attend a BP screening programme and the 7% randomization to screening ratio for entry into the study, the ANBP2 pilot study has demonstrated that it is feasible to recruit subjects from Australian general practices to a cardiovascular outcome trial.     

Cardiovascular collapse during anesthesia in a patient with preoperatively discontinued chronic MAO inhibitor therapy

We describe a patient in whom long-term monoamine oxidase (MAO) inhibitor therapy was discontinued 20 days before surgery with general anesthesia. This patient developed severe perioperative hypotension after administration of 10 mg of bupivacaine through an epidural catheter, which was corrected only after potent vasopressor therapy. We attribute this hemodynamic instability to attenuation of this patient's sympathetic tone based on several mechanisms: (1) residual effect of long-term administration of MAO inhibitor that caused a decrease in the number of β-adrenergic receptors (adrenergic subsensitivity due to receptor down-regulation), (2) recovered MAO activity causing effective degradation of sympathetic amines, and (3) combined attenuating effects of general and epidural anesthesia on sympathetic tone.     

Gastric contents and pH after oral premedication

Forty women, aged 26-40 years, were investigated with regard to gastric contents and pH before general anaesthesia. The patients were divided into two groups (20 in each). Group 100 received 0.3 mg kg-1 diazepam orally with 100 ml of water 2 h before surgery. Group 50 received 0.3 mg kg-1 diazepam with 50 ml of water 2 h before surgery. The amount of gastric content was significantly greater in Group 100 than in Group 50 (P less than 0.05). There was no statistical difference in pH values between the groups. The number of patients with both gastric pH less than 2.5 and gastric volume greater than 25 ml was significantly higher in Group 100 compared to Group 50 (P less than 0.05). We cannot recommend the use of oral premedication using these amounts of water, considering the increased risk of aspiration of gastric contents.     

综合医院医务人员感染SARS情况对比分析

目的：分析在防治SARS工作初期、后期医务人员感染SARS的差异和采取的对策，为减少综合医院内医务人员SARS的感染提供参考。方甚：对本院自2003年3月24日至6月2日SARS诊断治疗任务中发生的医务人员的感染原因和采取的对策进行回顾性分析。结果：防治SARS工作初期，急诊科交叉感染和在SARS隔离病房等与SARS患者密切接触的工作岗位，共有17名医务人员感染，及时隔离治疗，均已痊愈，未造成医护人员的进一步交叉感染：经加强防护培训，改善工作条件，在防治SARS工作后期，仅发生2名护工感染，亦已痊愈，派出非典医疗队实现零感染。结论：综合医院内医务人员感染SARS的问题严峻，加强医院内的全员防护培训，按岗分区管理，改善医务人员的工作条件和病人的隔离观察环境，做好监督检查，积极应对，可以减少医务人员的SARS感染。     

Introducing expert systems to medical students using esta, Expert System Teaching Aid

Medical students are allocated little curriculum time for exposure to expert systems. ESTA, a computer model of an expert system, was developed to make best use of this time. The nature of the students' interaction with ESTA is described, and their reactions to the expert system concepts and the place of expert systems in medicine are presented. A discussion of these reactions draws some conclusions about teaching expert systems in particular, and computers in general, in the basic medical course.     

Effect of fentanyl on the circulatory responses to orotracheal fibreoptic intubation

The effectiveness of fentanyl in attenuating the pressor and heart rate response to orotracheal fibreoptic intubation under general anaesthesia was assessed in 60 healthy patients undergoing elective surgery. Patients were randomly assigned to receive either fibreoptic intubation with or without fentanyl 6 micrograms.kg-1 or traditional Macintosh intubation with fentanyl 6 micrograms.kg-1. A standardised general anaesthetic was administered which included temazepam premedication, thiopentone, atracurium, oxygen, nitrous oxide and isoflurane. The pressor response to fibreoptic intubation was suppressed in those patients who received fentanyl and was similar to that seen in the Macintosh-fentanyl group of patients. The heart rate response to fibreoptic intubation was also significantly reduced in the patients who received fentanyl, but, in contrast, was still significantly greater than that in the Macintosh-fentanyl group. Fentanyl 6 micrograms.kg-1 appears to have a useful place in attenuating the cardiovascular effects of fibreoptic intubation under general anaesthesia.     

综合医院心理咨询门诊儿童咨客分析

目的；了解综合医院心理咨询门诊儿童咨客的特点。方法：总结中山大学附属三院心理咨询门诊近3年儿童咨客的资料。结果：咨客男女比例为1．96：1，咨客人数随着年龄的增长而增加，女童中13－16岁的比例男童大，5－8岁和9－12岁的比例较男童小。广州市内外的咨客比例为1．38：1，不同年龄儿童咨客的居住地构成是有差异的。最常见的病种是精神分裂症，神经症、精神发育迟滞，儿童多动症，单纯咨询和品行障碍，不同年龄，不同性别的儿童咨客的疾病构成是有差异的。结论：综合医院心理咨询门诊与儿童心理咨询门诊的儿童咨客是有差异的。     

1977～1990年同济医科大学新生视力状况分析

用统计学方法对14年来（1977～1990年）我校6746名新生（13492只眼）的视力状况进行分析。结果表明；新生正常视力逐年减少，视力不良率相应上升（P＜0.001）。城市学生的视力比农村学生差，男生的视力优于女生（P＜0.001）。17～19岁组的视力明显低于其他年龄组（P＜0.001）。高考分数线升高与正常视力者减少呈明显负相关；而与视力不良者增加呈正相关（P＜0.001,＜0.05）。本文认为近距离用眼持续时间过长及环境视域小等是引起视力不良的主要原因。     

利多卡因混合不同剂量肾上腺素局部浸润麻醉对全麻下鼻内窥镜手术患者血液动力学的影响

目的 观察利多卡因混合不同剂量肾上腺素局部浸润麻醉对全麻下鼻内窥镜手术患者血液动力学的影响。方法 69例拟在全身麻醉下行鼻内窥镜手术的患者随机分为3组（n=23），采用含不同剂量肾上腺素的1％利多卡因进行鼻粘膜下多点浸润注射。Ⅰ组：含1：20万肾上腺素的1％利多卡因4ml（20μg）；11组：含1：10万肾上腺素的1％利多卡因4ml（40μg）；Ⅲ组：1％利多卡因4ml（不含肾上腺素）。采用阻抗心动图（ICG）测量并记录浸润麻醉开始前（基础值）、浸润麻醉开始后0．75、1．5、2．25、3、3．75、4．5、5．25、6min平均动脉压（MAP）、心率（HR）、心脏排血指数（CI）、外周血管阻力指数（SVRI）和加速度指数（ACI），同时评价术中出血状况。结果与基础值比较，Ⅰ组和Ⅱ组在浸润麻醉开始后1．5min时MAP下降，HR增快（P〈0．01）；从浸润麻醉开始后1．5minSVRI下降，CI、ACI上升，到浸润麻醉开始后6min时仍未恢复（P〈0．05或0．01）。与Ⅱ组比较，Ⅰ组在浸润麻醉开始后2．25、3、3．75minMAP下降，从2．25min起CI下降（P〈0．01或〈0．05）。与Ⅲ组比较，Ⅰ组、Ⅱ组出血较少（P〈0．01）；Ⅰ组和Ⅱ组之间差异无统计学意义。结论 全身麻醉下鼻内窥镜手术中局部浸润麻醉时，局麻药中肾上腺素的吸收会引起明显的血液动力学变化，推荐在鼻内窥镜手术中使用含有5μg/ml肾上腺素的利多卡因。