Validation of Probabilistic Linkage to Match De-identified Ambulance Records to a State Trauma Registry

Objectives: To validate the accuracy of using probabilistic linkage for matching de‐identified ambulance records to a state trauma registry. Methods: This was a retrospective cohort analysis. Three thousand nine hundred nineteen true matches between ambulance and state trauma registry data from 1998 to 2003 were identified by deterministic matching on trauma identification number and verified by human review. Two thousand thirty‐eight ambulance records from trauma patients not meeting criteria for a true match, and an identical number of trauma registry records randomly selected from the one local county served by a different EMS provider, were included as nonmatches. There were 17 variables considered for linkage, which included the following: age, gender, race, county, hospital, date, rural setting, call and arrival times, mechanism, penetrating injury, vital signs, intubation, and intoxication. Probabilistic linkage was used to link the two data sets, using seven different combinations of common variables (maximum, 17; minimum, 4). The sensitivity and specificity of identifying true matches and nonmatches (95% confidence intervals [95% CI]) were calculated for each combination of variables. Results: Using all 17 available variables, 3,766 of 3,919 true matches were appropriately linked (sensitivity, 96.1%; 95% CI = 95.4% to 96.7%), with eight mismatches (specificity, 99.6%; 95% CI = 99.2% to 99.8%). Sensitivity fell below 95% with < 15 variables; however, sensitivity was very dependent on the inclusion of variables with high discriminatory power. Specificity remained >98% regardless of the number of variables included. Conclusions: Probabilistic linkage is a valid method for matching ambulance records to a trauma registry without the use of patient identifiers; however, the sensitivity of identifying true matches is critically dependent on the number and type of common variables included in the analysis.     

Post–traumatic Alzheimer''s disease: preponderance of a single plaque type

The cause of Alzheimer's disease is unknown. Several factors have been proposed including head trauma. At present, the link between head injury and a subsequent neurodegenerative process is largely circumstantial, except in the case of dementia pugilistica (punch drunk syndrome) found in boxers. Recent studies have shown that the brains of boxers with this syndrome contain large numbers of 'diffuse' beta-protein immunoreactive plaques. We supposed that this plaque type might be associated with trauma induced Alzheimer-like degeneration. In order to test this hypothesis we have re-investigated a previously reported case of post-traumatic premature Alzheimer's disease. Immunocytochemistry using antibodies to amyloid beta-protein revealed large numbers of 'diffuse' non-Congophilic plaques with little or no neuritic component. A similar preponderance of this plaque type is present in the brains of boxers with dementia pugilistica. Our observations support the idea of a trauma induced Alzheimer-like degenerative process and indicate that such a condition is associated with a marked preponderance of 'diffuse' plaques.     

Prevalence of traumatic injuries to the permanent incisors in candidates for orthodontic treatment

Abstract  – The dental records made on presentation of 1367 consecutive patients (731 females and 636 males) for orthodontic treatment at a private orthodontic practice between 1998 and 2002 were examined for data relating to trauma to the permanent incisors. The results showed that 10.3% of these patients had suffered from dental trauma before the onset of orthodontic treatment. The highest prevalence of dental trauma was determined in the 11–15 years age group, corresponding to the dental developmental stage of the late mixed dentition. The most frequently affected teeth were the maxillary central incisors (79.6%), and the most common types of trauma were fracture of enamel–dentin without pulpal involvement (42.7%) and fracture of enamel (33.8%). Compared to patients with normal overjet and adequate lip coverage, the frequency of dental trauma was significantly higher in patients with increased overjet and adequate lip coverage ( P  = 0.028) or with increased overjet and inadequate lip coverage ( P  = 0.003). The results of the present study indicate that a significant percentage of candidates for orthodontic treatment, and especially those with increased overjet and inadequate lip coverage, suffer trauma to their permanent incisors before the onset of orthodontic treatment. It might also be concluded that preventive orthodontic treatment of such patients should be initiated and completed before the age of 11, i.e. in the early to middle mixed dentition.     

带桡神经浅支营养血管蒂的桡骨茎突骨(膜)复合瓣转位术

目的介绍一种修复掌、指骨缺损合并皮肤软组织缺损的新型手术方法。方法自2002年以来应用桡神经浅内侧支营养血管的骨(膜)皮瓣修复手部皮肤软组织缺损合并掌指骨缺损12例,该复合瓣以桡骨茎突和第2掌骨头的连线为轴心线,以桡神经浅内侧支营养血管构成筋膜蒂。皮瓣最大6cm×3cm,最小3cm×2cm;骨(膜)瓣最大3cm×1.5cm,最小2cm×1.5cm。结果术后12例复合瓣全部成活,创面一期修复,X线显示骨缺损和骨不连在术后2～3个月达到骨愈合,但6例有不同程度的掌指关节活动受限,经康复治疗后好转;术后随访8～12个月,手部外形及功能均较满意。结论桡神经浅内侧支营养血管骨(膜)皮瓣的设计合理,血供可靠,操作简便,适用于修复手背部皮肤软组织缺损合并第1、2、3掌骨和拇、食指指骨近节部分缺损。     

马来酸桂哌齐特在颅脑损伤患者的治疗效果观察

目的通过随机分组对照观察探讨马来酸桂哌齐特对颅脑损伤患者的治疗效果。方法100例急性闭合性颅脑损伤患者，分为对照组和用药组，各50例病人。分析对比治疗后对照组和用药组的实验室各项检查指标：血液流变学，TCD检查结果等变化情况。并且对出院后3—6个月随访调查结果进行比较分析。结果治疗后血液流变学检查中，用药组（马来酸桂哌齐特组）各项指标均低于对照组（P〈0．05）。经颅多普勒检测结果显示：用药组的脑血流速度与对照组相比明显减慢（P〈0．05），血管痉挛得到缓解。对比两组出院后随访结果可以看出，用药组的GOS评分、KPS评分及Barthel指数预后明显好于对照组（P〈0.05）。结论初步证明急性颅脑损伤早期应用马来酸桂哌齐特可增加病变区的脑血流，改善微循环，改善颅脑损伤患者的预后。值得推广和进一步研究。     

中等强度冲击波负压暴露对豚鼠耳蜗毛细胞游离钙浓度的影响

目的:观察实验性冲击波负压(BUP)暴露对豚鼠耳蜗外毛细胞内游离钙浓度([Ca2 ]i)的影响。方法:在激光共聚焦显微镜下,用钙敏荧光探针Fluo-3作为指示剂,观察豚鼠暴露中等强度实验性BUP后耳蜗外毛细胞[Ca2 ]i的变化。结果:中等强度BUP暴露后8 h,至暴露后24 h和3 d稍有回落,但仍高于正常对照组。上述这些变化与听性脑干反应阈值的升高是一致的。结论:豚鼠暴露中等强度性BUP可引起耳蜗外毛细胞内[Ca2 ]i的明显增高,且可能是听功能损害的主要原因之一。     

Liver regeneration in acute severe liver impairment: a clinicopathological correlation study.

BACKGROUND: Although normally quiescent, the adult mammalian liver possesses a great capacity to regenerate after different types of injury. Major players in the regeneration process are mature residual cells, including hepatocytes, cholangiocytes and stromal cells. However, if the regenerative capacity of mature cells is impaired, hepatic progenitor cells (HPCs) are activated and expand into the liver parenchyma. Upon transit amplification, the progenitor cells generate new hepatocytes and biliary cells to restore liver homeostasis. AIMS/METHODS: To study the relationship between different histopathological parameters as well as their correlations with clinical parameters and outcome, we examined liver specimens from 74 patients with acute or subacute severe liver impairment by immunohistochemistry for CK7/CK19 (evaluation of HPCs activation/differentiation), Mib1(Ki 67)/P21 (evaluation of proliferative activity/proliferation arrest of hepatocytes) and hematoxylin and eosin (evaluation of hepatocyte loss). RESULTS: Of the 74 patients, 32% survived without transplantation, 14% died without transplantation and 54% were transplanted. Our results show that a threshold of 50% loss of hepatocytes, associated with significant decrease in the proliferative activity of remaining mature hepatocytes, is needed for extensive hepatic progenitor cell activation. Such activation is a sign of disease severity and occurs early (within 1 week) in the disease course. However, development of intermediate hepatocytes, suggesting HPCs differentiation towards mature hepatocytes, takes at least 1 week's time. We found a positive correlation between histopathological parameters (percentage hepatocyte loss, number of proliferating hepatocytes and number of HPCs) and clinical parameters of liver impairment such as model for end stage liver diseases (MELD). Surviving patients compared with those who either died or were transplanted had significantly less hepatocyte loss, less HPCs activation and more mature hepatocyte proliferative activity. Hepatocyte proliferative activity and degree of hepatocyte loss were the most important independent histopathological parameters in predicting outcome. CONCLUSION: Liver biopsy can provide important additional information in a patient with severe acute liver impairment.     

Incretin mimetics as a novel therapeutic option for hepatic steatosis.

BACKGROUND: Fat accumulation in the liver or non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is regarded as a key pathogenic factor and component of the metabolic syndrome. It was reported that administration of the incretin mimetic exenatide reversed hepatic steatosis in an obese mouse model. We had the opportunity to study the effect of additional exenatide administration on liver fat content in a patient with type 2 diabetes. CASE REPORT: A 59-year-old male with poorly controlled type 2 diabetes was treated with exenatide in addition to metformin monotherapy. Following 44 weeks of exenatide therapy, mean the liver fat measured by liver spectroscopy declined from 15.8% to 4.3%. This dramatic decrease in liver fat was accompanied by significant beneficial changes in several cardiovascular disease risk factors and improvement of all liver enzymes, in particular alanine aminotransferase, the most important marker of liver steatosis. CONCLUSION: This case report suggests that the incretin mimetic exenatide decreases hepatic fat accumulation and may play a role in the future treatment of NAFLD, and the associated insulin resistance and cardiovascular risk factors in an ever-growing high-risk population.     

血管内栓塞外伤性颈动脉海绵窦瘘126例随访结果

目的探讨血管内栓塞治疗外伤性颈动脉海绵窦瘘（TCCF）的近期及远期效果。方法139例TCCF患者行血管内栓塞术后3个月开始通过再次入院、邮寄调查表或电话随访．其中再次入院完成及收回调查表共64例，电话随访62例，获随访126例（90．6％）。结果126例中26例术后行MRA检查，20例行颅脑CT检查，均未见异常；10例术后半年行DSA复查，未见复发。11例复发，经再次栓塞后治愈。结论血管内栓塞治疗TCCF，术后复发率不高，临床随访即可。