Assessment of sickness severity of illness in neonates: review of various neonatal illness scoring systems

Sickness severity scores are widely used for neonates admitted to neonatal intensive care units to predict severity of illness and risk of mortality and long-term outcome. These scores are also used frequently for quality assessment among various neonatal intensive care unit and hospital. Accurate and reliable measures of severity of illness are required for unbiased and reliable comparisons especially for benchmarking or comparative quality improvement care studies. These scores also serve to control for population differences when performing studies such as clinical trials, outcome evaluations, and evaluation of resource utilisation. Although presently there are multiple scores designed for neonates’ sickness assessment but none of the score is ideal. Each score has its own advantages and disadvantages. We did literature search for identifying all neonatal sickness severity score and in this review article, we discuss these scores along with their merits and demerits.     

Observation of the morphology and calcium content of vestibular otoconia in rats after simulated weightlessness

Conclusions

Reduction in bone formation may have been the main reason for the lower calcium content of the otoconia after simulated weightlessness in rats. The head-ward distribution of blood volume may explain the morphological changes observed in the middle and inner ears.

Objective

To observe morphological changes in the vestibular organs and measure the calcium content of otoconia in rats after simulated weightlessness.

Material and methods

We used a tail suspension model of simulated weightlessness and then investigated changes in the vestibular organs using scanning electron microscopy and X-ray microanalysis.

Results

In comparison to untreated rats, the vestibular otoconia of the rats subjected to simulated weightlessness were small, irregularly shaped or fissured, and were arranged loosely and out of order. In addition, the calcium content of the otoconia was markedly decreased.     

主动脉瓣置换术后患者腹胀原因分析及不同减压方法的疗效比较

目的：分析主动脉瓣置换术后患者出现腹胀的原因，比较不同减压方法在主动脉瓣置换术后中重度腹胀患者中的疗效。方法：①选取2015年01月至2017年01月期间在我科行主动脉瓣置换术的患者，多因素Logistic regression分析腹胀的危险因素。②上述研究对象中术后出现中重度腹胀并需要胃肠减压的患者，随机分为2组，分别选用不同的减压方法：A组经鼻置入小肠减压管，B组经鼻置入普通胃管。比较2组患者腹胀缓解有效率以及缓解时间。结果：①498例主动脉瓣置换术后患者出现腹胀132例，发生率为26.5%。多因素Logistic regression分析显示术后持续镇静/肌松时间≥72h是腹胀的独立危险因素。② A组52例患者腹胀缓解41例，缓解有效率为78.8%，缓解时间为46.9±18.6h；B组51例患者腹胀缓解30例，缓解有效率为58.8%，缓解时间为55.2±21.4h。A组腹胀缓解有效率明显高于B组，且缓解时间明显短于B组，差异有统计学意义。结论：主动脉瓣置换术后患者持续镇静/肌松时间≥72h是腹胀的独立危险因素。小肠减压管在胃肠减压方面较普通胃管疗效更为显著，心脏术后患者出现腹胀需要胃肠减压时，可优先考虑使用。     

Indirect decompression in spinal surgery

Indirect decompression in spinal surgery means decompression of spinal nerve tissues, such as spinal cord and nerve, without resecting the compressing tissue. Indirect spinal decompression procedures largely can be divided into segmental procedures and global spinal alignment procedures. Segmental procedures are mainly performed by the distraction between two vertebrae, which lead to the opening of the neural foramen and increases the epidural space. Such distraction can be performed through the disc space or using posterior instrumentation. Global spinal alignment procedures allow the spinal cord to migrate dorsally away from areas of anterior compression. Understanding the indirect spinal decompression procedures may broaden the options for surgical treatment and decrease the risk of spinal nerve tissue injury.     

A Double‐blind,Randomized, Prospective Study of Epidural Steroid Injection vs. The mild® Procedure in Patients with Symptomatic Lumbar Spinal Stenosis

Background: Epidural steroid injections (ESIs) are commonly used to treat low back pain, including symptomatic lumbar spinal stenosis (LSS). Reports on LSS treatment with ESIs have not differentiated between neurogenic claudication, which is believed to result from nerve root compression, and lumbar radicular pain, thought to be caused by inflammation. While there is overlap between these groups, the clinical relevance of ESI treatment cannot be generalized between these 2 distinct diseases with completely different pathophysiological causes. Methods: This was a double‐blind, randomized, prospective study of ESI vs. the mild procedure in patients with symptomatic LSS, conducted at a single pain management center. Patient reported outcome measures included Visual Analog Scale, Oswestry Disability Index, and Zurich Claudication Questionnaire (ZCQ) patient satisfaction. Results: Thirty‐eight patients were randomized into 2 treatment groups, 21 in mild and 17 in ESI. At 6‐ and 12‐week follow‐up, patients treated with mild reported significantly greater pain decrease over time (P < 0.0001), and significantly greater functional mobility improvement over time (P < 0.0018) than ESI patients. At week 6, mild ZCQ patient satisfaction score of 2.2 indicated a higher level of satisfaction than for ESI with a score of 2.8. In addition, 12‐week ZCQ satisfaction score was 1.8, demonstrating sustained near‐term satisfaction in the mild group. No major mild or ESI device or procedure‐related complications were reported. Conclusions: This study demonstrated that in LSS patients suffering with neurogenic claudication, mild provides statistically significantly better pain reduction and improved functional mobility vs. treatment with ESI.     

Decompression of the anterior thoracic spinal canal using a novel full‐endoscopic uniportal transthoracic retropleural technique—an anatomical feasibility study in human cadavers

Surgery for thoracic disc herniation and spinal stenosis is comparatively rare and often demanding. The goal is to achieve sufficient decompression without manipulating the spinal cord. Individual planning and various surgical techniques and approaches are required. This anatomical study examines the feasibility of a novel full‐endoscopic uniportal technique with a transthoracic retropleural approach for decompression of the anterior thoracic spinal canal. Operations were performed on three fresh adult cadavers. The endoscope used, from RIWOspine, Germany, has a shaft cross‐section of 6.9 × 5.9 mm and a 25° view angle. It contains an eccentric intraendoscopic working channel with a diameter of 4.1 mm. A transthoracic retropleural approach was used. The anatomical structures were dissected and the anterior thoracic epidural space was decompressed. The planned steps of the operation were performed on all cadavers. The transthoracic retropleural approach allowed the target region to be accessed easily. The anatomical structures could be identified and dissected. The anterior thoracic epidural space could be decompressed sufficiently. Using the uniportal full‐endoscopic operation technique with a transthoracic retropleural approach, the anterior thoracic epidural space can be adequately reached. This is a minimally invasive method with the known advantages of an endoscopic technique under continuous irrigation. The retropleural approach allows direct access. The instruments are available for clinical use and have been established for years in other operations on the entire spine. Clin. Anat. 31:716–723, 2018. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

小脑扁桃体下疝合并脊髓空洞症治疗分析

目的 探讨小脑扁桃体下疝合并脊髓空洞症的治疗.方法 回顾性分析1995年8月至2010年8月经治的29例小脑扁桃体下疝合并脊髓空洞症患者,均采用手术干预治疗,单纯行枕大孔减压术16例,行枕大孔减压加空洞-蛛网膜下腔分流术13例.术后随访6个月～3年观察治疗效果.结果 随访6个月～3年,单纯行后颅窝减压组中显效8例,有效6例,无效2例,恶化0例,总有效率为87.5％;后颅窝减压空洞-蛛网膜下腔分流组中显效6例,有效4例,无效2例,恶化1例,总有效率为76.9％,2组总有效率比较差异无统计学意义（P＞0.05）.结论 手术是小脑扁桃体下疝合并脊髓空洞症的首选治疗,因下疝和空洞致脊髓受损轻者减压术后恢复较好,而脊髓受损明显者则手术效果差.     

Hemifacial spasm caused by a tortuous recurrent perforating artery: A case report

IntroductionWhen the culprit vessel in hemifacial spasm (HFS) is hard to determine, this is a challenge in microvascular decompression (MVD) surgery. In such a situation, small arteries such as perforators to the brainstem might be suspected. But small arteries are omnipresent near the facial nerve root exit/entry zone (fREZ). How to decide whether a given small artery is responsible for HFS is unclear.MethodWe report a case with a previously unreported form of neurovascular impingement, in which the culprit was found to be the recurrent perforating artery (RPA) from the anterior inferior cerebellar artery (AICA). An aberrant anatomic configuration of the RPA was found intraoperatively, which we thought was responsible for generating focal pressure on the facial nerve.Case reportA 62-year-old woman presented with a 1-year history of paroxysmal but increasingly frequent twitching in her right face. MRI showed tortuosity of the vertebral artery and apparently marked neurovascular impingement on the asymptomatic left side, while only the right AICA could be implicated as the possible culprit. Hemifacial spasm was diagnosed based on the typical clinical manifestation, and MVD was performed. The pre-meatal segment of the AICA was found not to be impinging the facial nerve at any susceptible portion near the fREZ: root exit point, attached segment, or root detachment point. The real culprit was in fact the RPA. This occult culprit vessel was tortuous, forming a coil-shaped twist which was interposed between the facial nerve and the intermediate nerve near the root detachment point. Focal pressure atrophy of the nerve was clearly observed at the compressing site. The patient achieved total spasm relief immediately after surgery, and remained spasm-free at 1-year follow-up, without any postoperative complications.ConclusionMVD is the only curative treatment for hemifacial spasm, but with a failure rate of around 10%. Mistaking the real culprit has been reported to be the most likely reason for surgical failure. Therefore, intraoperative identification of atypical occult forms of vascular compression is of importance to improve surgical outcome. In the present case, the RPA formed a coil-shaped twist, which inflicted focal vascular compression causing hemifacial spasm. We recommend careful inspection of the recurrent perforating artery during MVD for HFS, and decompressing any such neurovascular impingement.     

Local injection versus surgery in carpal tunnel syndrome: Neurophysiologic outcomes of a randomized clinical trial

ObjectiveThe aim of our study was to characterize the neurophysiologic outcomes in a randomized clinical trial comparing local corticosteroid injection and decompressive surgery in idiopathic carpal tunnel syndrome.MethodsClinical and neurophysiologic assessments were done at baseline and 12 months after treatment. Four parameters were evaluated in the nerve conduction study (NCS): distal motor latency, motor amplitude, sensory conduction velocity and sensory amplitude. Statistic signification was established by the Student’s t test, independent and paired samples, and Mann–Whitney test. Repeated measures analysis of variance was used by the three domains of symptoms. Correlations between the changes showed in clinical parameters and those evidenced by electromyography were calculated by the Pearson’s test.ResultsBoth groups of therapy were comparable at baseline. In 95 wrists, a second NCS was done 12 months post-treatment. Although clinical outcome improved in a similar way in both groups, we found statistically significant improvement in three (distal motor latency, sensory conduction velocity and sensory amplitude) of four neurophysiologic parameters only in the surgery group, when compared to baseline values.ConclusionsAlthough local corticosteroid injection and decompressive surgery are clinically effective in reducing symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome, only surgery results in an improvement of the neurophysiologic parameters, at 12-months follow-up.SignificanceOnly decompressive surgery allows resolution of neurophysiologic changes. The symptoms of the syndrome are resolved with corticosteroid injections.