Pressure stability of nasal CPAP and bilevel devices

Summary Question of the study   Nasal continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) prevents collapse of the upper airway during sleep in patients with obstructive sleep apnea provided that a positive transmural pressure can be maintained during inspiration. We examined pressure-flow characteristics in seven CPAP and bilevel devices during spontaneous breathing.
Methods   The CPAP devices were set to a pressure level of 9.8  hPa (10  cm H₂O) and adapted to a pneumotachograph using a standard CPAP hose and an outlet valve. We continuously measured flow, volume and pressure during resting ventilation and increasing voluntary hyperventilation and analysed the dependence of the variables on a breath-to-breath basis.
Results   Mean CPAP pressures differed between the devices (9.9 – 10.6  hPa) despite the same settings. In all machines pressure fell during inspiration to 8.4 – 9.8  hPa and increased during expiration to 11.1 – 11.7  hPa. This effect increased with higher flow rates. Maximum expiratory pressures rose to 12 – 19  hPa at peak flow rates of 2 l/s, mean expiratory pressures to 9.5 – 16  hPa. Inspiratory pressures dropped to 8.5 – 4.5  hPa (minimum) and 10.5 – 6.0 (mean). Bilevel devices showed a higher stability than CPAP devices. Pressure swings during the respiratory cycle increased the additional work of breathing.
Conclusions   Due to differences in mean and effective CPAP levels CPAP devices are not simply exchangeable but should be individually adapted. Patients with higher minute ventilation might benefit from more stable CPAP machines. The impact on patients' compliance remains to be evaluated.     

Protective effects of serotonin reuptake inhibitors, citalopram and clomipramine, against hippocampal CA1 neuronal damage following transient ischemia in the gerbil

To clarify the role of serotonin in cerebral ischemia, we examined the effects of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, citalopram and clomipramine, on ischemic neuronal damage in the gerbil. Pretreatment with citalopram (40 mg/kg i.p.) and clomipramine (20 mg/kg i.p.) protected against neuronal destruction of hippocampal CA1 pyramidal cells following 5 min of forebrain ischemia. Furthermore, microdialysis assays showed that a striking increase in extracellular excitatory amino acid levels during ischemia was significantly inhibited by pretreatment with citalopram and clomipramine. However, citalopram (40 mg/kg i.p.) did not alter the extracellular amino acid concentrations in normal gerbils. Thus, serotonin reuptake inhibitors have a protective effect against ischemic neuronal damage. Furthermore, the present result suggests that the protective effect is mediated through prevention of the accumulation of extracellular excitatory amino acids during and after ischemia.     

脑梗塞患者血清脂蛋白（a）测定及其临床意义

应用酶标法测定58例脑梗塞患者和56例健康对照者血清脂蛋白(a)[LP(a)]含量,并同时测定了其他脂代谢指标,对其中26例脑梗塞患者还测定了血浆纤维蛋白溶解(简称纤溶)指标。结果表明脑梗塞组存在显著的脂代谢和纤溶功能紊乱。LP(a)含量增高,与所测脂代谢、纤溶指标无显著相关,是脑梗塞发病独立的危险因素。     

Treatment time analysis for extensive amalgam restorations

The treatment times for the fabrication of Extensive Amalgam Restorations (EAR) as recorded in a longitudinal clinical trial at the Dental School in Nijmegen were analyzed. 269 EAR's with different retention methods were made on molars by three operators. A mean total treatment time of 60 min was found. The factor operator had a significant influence on all treatment phases resulting in a 26% difference in total treatment time between operators. Also significant influences were found in some treatment phases for the factor retention, side location of the tooth and extension of the restoration. The results of this study with regard to treatment times must be considered from the perspective of the quality of the care provided.     

脑囊虫病患者脑脊液中一氧化氮及肿瘤坏死因子α水平研究

目的　探讨脑囊虫病患者各期脑脊液中的一氧化氮 (NO)、肿瘤坏死因子α(TNF α)的变化规律及它们在脑囊虫病中的作用机制。方法　检测 4 9例明确诊断并依据MR分期 ,单发脑实质内囊虫的脑囊虫病患者和 2 0名对照者脑脊液中NO、TNF α水平。结果　NO在脑囊虫病的Ⅰ期显著降低而TNF α水平呈显著升高 ,NO、TNF α于Ⅱ期、Ⅲ期 (整个退变死亡期 )均表现为高水平 ,Ⅳ期恢复正常 ,NO和TNF α存在高度正相关关系。结论　在单发脑实质内囊虫病中NO、TNF α可能参与杀虫作用 ,其免疫调节与杀虫机制存在着动态平衡 ,参与感染控制     

锁骨中段骨折--手术与非手术治疗比较

有些证据表明,锁骨中段骨折采用手术或非手术治疗都可以获得成功,但非手术治疗的并发症更少。数据多数来自病例组研究,因此还需要对比研究来证明这些原始数据的真实性。     

出血性脑室铸型的疗效分析

目的 探讨出血性脑室铸型的治疗方法与疗效。方法 分析脑室外引流、尿激酶脑室内注入、气管切开、控制血压以及脑积水的处理等多种治疗手段在治疗脑室铸型过程中的作用及其效果。结果 经过综合治疗完全恢复日常生活者10例(28．6％)，部分恢复日常工作或独立进行家庭生活者13例(37．1％)，生活需要照顾或护理者7例(20％)，死亡5例(14．2％)。结论 对于出血性脑室铸型这类重症病人早期及时的脑室外引流是快速而有效的抢救措施，尿激酶脑室内注入对溶解血凝块，疏通脑室系统行之有效。气管切开对降低死亡率至关重要，控制血压是防止再出血的关键。脑积水的处理是康复过程中需要高度重视的环节。     

原发性输尿管癌31例临床分析

目的：提高原发性输尿管癌的术前诊断水平。方法：对南京医科大学第一附属医院1989-2002年间收治的31例原发性输尿管癌的临床资料进行回顾性分析。结果：31例中，肉眼血尿22例(71．0％)，腰痛11例(35，5％)。B超、静脉肾盂造影(IVU)、CT和逆行造影检查的阳性率分别为输尿管腔内占位4例(13．0％)、输尿管腔内占位3例(11．5％)、膀胱或合并膀胱占位8例(36．4％)，输尿管充盈缺损6例(40．0％)。29例患者经手术治疗，其中13例行患侧肾、输尿管、膀胱袖状切除。结论：老年患者反复发作的腰痛及血尿应考虑原发性输尿管癌的可能，造影诊断对本病有较高价值，应作CT及MRU无创检查。     

Benign osteoblastoma of the occipital bone: Case report and literature review

We present a case of benign osteoblastoma of the occipital bone. Benign osteoblastoma is an uncommon primary bone tumor, which usually involves the vertebrae and the long bones. This tumor rarely develops in the calvaria, showing a preference for the temporal and frontal bones when it does. To the best of our knowledge, this case is only the eighth reported case of benign osteoblastoma confined to the occipital bone. A 20‐year‐old male presented with a mild tender mass lesion of the occipital area, just below the lambda. Plain X‐ray films and CT scans demonstrated an osteolytic mass surrounded by the sclerotic rim within the diploic space. MRI proved to be effective for the evaluation of the intracranial and intraosseous extensions of the tumor. However, it was very difficult to formulate a differential diagnosis against other osteoblastic tumors, or osteoid osteoma, in view of its radiological appearance. The final diagnosis was obtained by careful consideration of the histopathological characteristics of the tumor combined with its clinical and radiological features. Although generally regarded as benign, a complete resection is preferred over conventional curettage as this can guard against possible recurrence and malignant transformation.     

The basis for treatment in multiple sclerosis

Contemporary licensed treatments for multiple sclerosis fail to provide a solution for the disease because their effects are limited to a modest reduction in the frequency of new episodes. They do not reduce disability or materially influence the progressive phase of the disease. A contemporary strategy for management requires a more detailed analysis of the separate contributions to the clinical features and overall course made by inflammation, axonal injury, compensatory mechanisms, and remyelination. From this formulation emerges the need either for early and fully effective suppression of the inflammatory response, limiting the damage to all components of the axon-glial unit; or the development of strategies for axonal and myelin repair that solve the issues of controlled differentiation, delivery and timing of these cell and growth factor-based interventions.