Peer educator vs. respiratory therapist support: Which form of support better maintains health and functional outcomes following pulmonary rehabilitation?

Objective

This study examined if ongoing support delivered by telephone following pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) assisted chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients to maintain health outcomes.

Methods

Phase one (n = 79) compared post-rehabilitation telephone-based support delivered by peers compared to usual care (UC). The second phase (n = 168) compared post-rehabilitation support from peer educators, respiratory therapists (RT), or UC. Primary outcome variables were St. George's Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ) total score and the six minute walk test (6MWT). Measures were obtained at baseline, immediately following PR, and six-months post PR.

Results

Six-month follow-up data for phase one was collected for 66 COPD patients (n = 35 peer support, n = 31 UC) and 142 for phase two (n = 42 peer support, n = 52 RT support, n = 48 UC). Per-protocol and intention to treat (ITT) analysis in both phases found no significant group by time differences for SGRQ or 6MWT.

Conclusion

Providing peer or RT support via telephone following PR was not more effective than UC for maintaining health outcomes.

Practice implications

There are concerns with using peers to provide ongoing support to COPD patients. Additionally, COPD patients require a higher level of care than telephone support can provide.     

The investigation of glucose metabolism and insulin secretion in subjects of chronic hepatitis B with cirrhosis

Aims: To investigate the situations of abnormal glucose metabolism and dysfunction of pancreatic islet beta cells in subjects of chronic hepatitis B (CHB) with cirrhosis. Methods: 106 hepatitis B virus (HBV) positive subjects with liver cirrhosis as well as with different grade of Child-Pugh and 37 healthy subjects were included in this study. The oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT), C-peptide and insulin release test were detected. Plasma glucose and insulin levels were analyzed periodically for 2 h after oral glucose loading. Results: There was no significant difference in the level of fasting plasma glucose and C-peptide between cirrhosis group and control group (P>0.05). The levels of OGTT 2 h glucose, insulin and C peptide were significantly higher in cirrhosis group than control group (P<0.01). Peak plasma glucose levels were obtained at 60 min in normal group and cirrhosis group. The peak insulin and C-peptide response occurred at 60 min in normal group, whereas it was delayed to 120 min in cirrhosis group. There was a significant difference between two groups in the pattern of plasma glucose levels at corresponding time points (P<0.05). The OGTT 2 h glucose and insulin levels were positively correlated with Child-Pugh Score (r1 = 0.389, r2 = 0.508, P<0.01). Conclusion: These findings implied that there was a certain degree of insulin resistance and abnormal glucose metabolism in the patients with liver cirrhosis.     

Robotic surgical systems in maxillofacial surgery:a review

Throughout the twenty-first century, robotic surgery has been used in multiple oral surgical procedures for the treatment of head and neck tumors and non-malignant diseases. With the assistance of robotic surgical systems, maxillofacial surgery is performed with less blood loss, fewer complications, shorter hospitalization and better cosmetic results than standard open surgery. However, the application of robotic surgery techniques to the treatment of head and neck diseases remains in an experimental stage, and the long-lasting effects on surgical morbidity, oncologic control and quality of life are yet to be established. More well-designed studies are needed before this approach can be recommended as a standard treatment paradigm. Nonetheless, robotic surgical systems will inevitably be extended to maxillofacial surgery. This article reviews the current clinical applications of robotic surgery in the head and neck region and highlights the benefits and limitations of current robotic surgical systems.     

耳蜗死区对感音神经性听力损失患者言语识别能力的影响

目的 探究耳蜗死区在感音神经性听力损失(sensorineural hearing loss,SNHL)患者中的存在情况及其对言语识别能力的影响.方法 采用纯音听阈测试筛选出41例(81耳)感音神经性听力损失患者,经均衡噪声阈值测试将患者分为有耳蜗死区组(35耳)和无耳蜗死区组(46耳),分别进行言语识别阈(SRT)和言语识别率(SDS)测试,分析81耳耳蜗死区的分布及其对言语识别能力的影响.结果 41例(81耳)感音神经性听力损失患耳中有35耳(43.21％,35/81)存在耳蜗死区,其中轻度SNHL患耳耳蜗死区检出率为0(0/11),中度SNHL患耳耳蜗死区检出率为24.1％(7/29),重度SNHL患耳耳蜗死区检出率为66.7％(24/36),极重度SNHL患耳耳蜗死区检出率为80.0％(4/5),不同听力损失程度耳耳蜗死区检出率差异有统计学意义(P＜0.05);高频耳蜗死区(16耳)明显多于低频耳蜗死区(8耳),但两者的言语识别能力差异无统计学意义(P＞0.05);有耳蜗死区患者的言语识别阈及言语识别率分别为61.63±16.76 dB HL,86.35％±12.03％,无耳蜗死区的患者分别为75.54±9.56 dBHL,64.97％±20.84％,二者间差异有统计学意义(P＜0.05).结论 听力损失越重,耳蜗死区检出率越高;高频耳蜗死区较低频常见,且存在耳蜗死区的感音神经性听力损失患者言语识别能力明显低于无耳蜗死区的患者.     

The video ocular counter-roll (vOCR): a clinical test to detect loss of otolith-ocular function

Conclusion: vOCR can detect loss of otolith-ocular function without specifying the side of vestibular loss. Since vOCR is measured with a simple head tilt maneuver, it can be potentially used as a bedside clinical test in combination with video head impulse test.

Objective: Video-oculography (VOG) goggles are being integrated into the bedside assessment of patients with vestibular disorders. Lacking, however, is a method to evaluate otolith function. This study validated a VOG test for loss of otolith function.

Methods: VOG was used to measure ocular counter-roll (vOCR) in 12 healthy controls, 14 patients with unilateral vestibular loss (UVL), and six patients with bilateral vestibular loss (BVL) with a static lateral head tilt of 30°. The results were compared with vestibular evoked myogenic potentials (VEMP), a widely-used laboratory test of otolith function.

Results: The average vOCR for healthy controls (4.6°) was significantly different from UVL (2.7°) and BVL (1.6°) patients (p?R?=?0.45, tap oVEMP R?=?0.51; p?p?=?0.59).     

儿童不明原因晕厥的临床特征与直立倾斜试验关系的研究

目的　分析直立倾斜试验阳性与不明原因晕厥患儿临床特征的关系。方法　对 47例不明原因晕厥患儿 ,根据其直立倾斜试验的结果分为二组 :直立倾斜试验阳性组和阴性组 ,将其临床特征进行对比分析研究 ,并对其各个临床特征与直立倾斜试验的结果进行Logistic回归分析。 结果　不明原因晕厥患儿的性别、年龄、有无晕厥诱因及有无晕厥先兆对直立倾斜试验的结果有影响 ,根据Logistic回归分析 ,对直立倾斜试验结果有显著影响的因素依次为晕厥诱因、晕厥先兆和年龄。结论　对于发生于青春期女孩不明原因的晕厥 ,而患儿又有较明确的晕厥诱因和晕厥先兆者 ,其直立倾斜试验阳性的可能性较大 ,临床可诊断为血管迷走性晕厥。     

威斯康星卡片分类测验用于注意缺陷多动障碍的meta分析

目的　分析注意缺陷多动障碍 (ADHD)患儿与正常儿童在威斯康星卡片分类测验 (WCST)中各指标成绩的差异。方法　复习国外 14篇有关文献 ,对ADHD患儿和正常儿童WCST的 4个指标 (持续性错误数、分类完成数、非持续性错误数和持续性反应数 )进行meta分析。结果　ADHD和正常对照组在WCST的持续性错误数、完成分类数和非持续性错误数的成绩差异有统计学意义 ,且可靠性较好。两组的持续性反应数也有统计学意义 ,但其可靠性较差。ADHD患儿的平均持续错误数比正常儿童高 0 4 6倍标准差。正常儿童的平均完成分类数比ADHD组高 0 37倍标准差。ADHD患儿的平均非持续性错误数比正常儿童高 0 37倍标准差。ADHD患儿的平均持续性反应数比正常儿童高 0 30倍标准差。 4个指标的效应尺度均在小至中的范围。结论　WCST值得推广应用于ADHD患儿 ,较敏感的指标包括持续性错误数、完成分类数和非持续性错误数。ADHD患儿可能存在前额叶功能缺陷。     

Somatostatin infusion withdrawal in the diagnosis of childhood growth hormone deficiency

OBJECTIVE: An evaluation of growth hormone (GH) testing for GH deficiency (GHD) in childhood is confounded by the lack of a world-wide consensus on the definition of GHD. Although a single GH test remains the most powerful biochemical tool in the evaluation of a child with growth failure, the test remains far from ideal. Withdrawal of somatostatin (SS) infusion is followed by a rebound rise of GH thought to be mediated by endogenous GH-releasing hormone (GHRH) function. This study was designed to compare the GH response to 90 min SS infusion in children with normal GH secretion versus children with GH deficiency. METHODS: Ten children with GHD and 10 healthy controls (NC) have been evaluated for GH response to somatostatin infusion withdrawal (SSIW) and compared with response of two provocative tests, glucagon plus propranolol test and L-Dopa test. All children received constant infusion of somatostatin for 90 min (3 microg/kg per h, Stilamin, Serono, Aubonne, Switzerland). In order to determine GH, blood samples were obtained 90 min before the SS infusion and 0, 15, 30, 45, 60, 75, and 90 min after the cessation of infusion. RESULTS: Growth hormone peak levels with SSIW were significantly lower in GH deficient children than in healthy children (2.5 +/- 1.2 ng/dL, vs 21.9 +/- 5.3 ng/dL, respectively, P < 0.01). No adverse effects were observed during or after somatostatin infusion. CONCLUSION: In the present study, SSIW elicited a significant GH rise in healthy children but not in children with GH deficiency. Although further controlled studies using more data are necessary to expand these findings, the results suggested that children with GH deficiency can be reliably discriminated from healthy children by SSIW.     

Acanthosis nigricans is a reliable cutaneous marker of insulin resistance in obese Japanese children

BACKGROUND: Acanthosis nigricans (AN) is a skin condition characterized by darkening and thickening of skin with formation of irregular folds, usually limited to a few specific areas of the body. Recently, AN has been reported to be linked to hyperinsulinemia and obesity. The aim of the present study was to determine whether or not the presence of AN in obese Japanese children is a reliable cutaneous marker. METHODS: The authors analyzed the clinical characteristics of 439 obese Japanese children (260 boys, 179 girls; mean age 10.1 years; mean percentage overweight 51.9%), who had visited Tsuruoka City Shonai Hospital in 1990-2000. Eighty-two of the 439 children were examined using an oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT). Of these children, the authors retrospectively studied 16 subjects: eight with AN and eight without AN (age range: 10.8-13.9 years; percentage overweight range: 54.3-97.0%). They were age and percentage obesity-matched males with normal glucose tolerance during OGTT. Females with normal glucose tolerance during OGTT were excluded from the 16 subjects because the number was too small and children with impaired glucose tolerance or type 2 diabetes during OGTT were also excluded because of glucose toxicity. Eighty-two children including the 16 subjects were analyzed at their first visit for the presence or absence of AN on the posterior of the neck, and for characteristics including age, birthweight, body height, bodyweight, percentage overweight, blood pressure, liver function markers serum lipid concentrations, fasting plasma glucose concentrations and insulin concentrations shown by the results of OGTT. RESULTS: (1) Children with AN showed significantly more glucose intolerance including impaired glucose tolerance and type 2 diabetes compared with those children without AN, and fasting plasma insulin concentrations were most significantly correlated with the presence of AN. (2) Insulin resistance based on fasting plasma insulin concentrations was seen in significantly more children with AN than in children without AN, even in age and percentage obesity-matched subjects with normal glucose tolerance during OGTT. CONCLUSIONS: Acanthosis nigricans could be a reliable cutaneous marker of insulin resistance in obese Japanese children.     

Hay fever and predictive value of prick test and specific IgE antibodies: A prospective study in children

Little is known from population-based studies in children about the diagnostic values of allergen-specific IgE antibodies (RAST) and skin prick test (SPT) with respect to hay fever. We aimed to determine and compare the diagnostic values of SPT and RAST to aeroallergens with respect to the incidence of hay fever cases in schoolchildren at different cut-off points. A prospective cohort study was performed on 1100 school children (5–7 and 8–10 years). Information on a doctor's diagnosis of hay fever was obtained by questionnaire and allergic sensitization to grass and birch pollen, cat, and Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus were measured using SPT and RAST between September 1992 and July 1993. Thirty-eight children give a history of hay fever (3.5%) in 1992/93 and additionally 37 cases occurred until 1996. Allergic sensitization was present in 17.9% (SPT), 30.2% (RAST) and more frequent in children with a history of hay fever (SPT: OR 11.7, 5.5–24.7; RAST: OR 10.6, 4.3–26.4). This difference was most pronounced for sensitization to pollen allergens. The sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values (PPV, NPV) for SPT and RAST were 65.6, 83.7, 11.9, 98.6 and 79.3, 71.6, 9.3, 99.0, respectively, with differences for specificity being significant (p < 0.001). Whereas NPV were equally high for SPT (99.2) and RAST (99.3), the incidence of hay fever cases were predicted rather poorly though somewhat better by SPT than by RAST (PPV 16.7 vs. 9.8; p < 0.001) initially. With increasing cut-off point for RAST reactivity, the PPV increased and reached 25.0 at 17.5 kU/l, whereas the NPV decreased to 97.9, which was lower than that of SPT reactivity (p < 0.01). At the cut-off point of 1.5 kU/l almost identical predictive values for SPT and RAST were obtained. SPT and RAST perform better in the negative than positive prediction of hay fever cases in epidemiological studies. Differences in the predictive capabilities depend on the chosen cut-off point for RAST reactivity.