A randomized,double‐blind,placebo controlled,multi‐center study of intravenous iron sucrose and placebo in the treatment of restless legs syndrome

Iron deficiency may exacerbate symptoms in the Restless Legs Syndrome (RLS). We investigated the effect of intravenous iron sucrose or placebo on symptoms in patients with RLS and mild to moderate iron deficit. Sixty patients with primary RLS (seven males, age 46 (9) years, S‐ferritin ≤45 μg/L) recruited from a cohort of 231 patients were randomly assigned in a 12‐months double‐blind, multi‐centre study of iron sucrose 1000 mg (n = 29) or saline (n = 31). The primary efficacy variable was the RLS severity scale (IRLS) score at week 11. Median IRLS score decreased from 24 to 7 (week 11) after iron sucrose and from 26 to 17 after placebo (P = 0.123, N.S. for between treatment comparison). The corresponding scores at week 7 were 12 and 20 in the two groups (P = 0.017). Drop out rate because of lack of efficacy at 12 months was 19/31 after placebo and 5/29 patients after iron sucrose (Kaplan–Meier estimate, log rank test P = 0.0006) suggesting an iron induced superior long term RLS symptom control. Iron sucrose was well tolerated. This study showed a lack of superiority of iron sucrose at 11 weeks but found evidence that iron sucrose reduced RLS symptoms both in the acute phase (7 weeks) and during long‐term follow up in patients with variable degree of iron deficiency. Further studies on target patient groups, dosing and dosing intervals are warranted before iron sucrose could be considered for treatment of iron deficient patients with RLS. © 2009 Movement Disorder Society     

心脾综合征的多普勒超声心动图诊断

目的:探讨多普勒超声心动图对心脾综合征的诊断价值,分析其心脏伴随畸形漏诊及误诊原因,提高对心脾综合征诊断的准确率。方法:本文总结了221例心脾综合征患儿的超声检测结果,并与其心血管造影或磁共振检查结果进行对照。结果:超声心动图诊断为心脾综合征与心导管或磁共振结论符合者199例(占90.0%),诊断不符合者22例(占10.0%)。结论:多普勒超声心动图可以较准确地诊断心脾综合征,但对其心脏伴随畸形检出的准确率尚待进一步提高。     

大陷胸汤灌肠治疗流出急性肾衰的观察与护理

目的 探讨中药大陷胸汤高位保留灌肠对流行性出血热（EHF）急性肾衰的治疗作用。方法 将60例EHF急性肾衰患者随机分为对照组与治疗组各30例，对照组予以常规治疗，治疗组在常规治疗的基础上加用大陷胸汤高位保留灌肠，观察两组患者治疗前后的疗效。结果 治疗组治愈23例，好转6例，无效1例，总有效率96．7％；对照组治愈17例，好转7例，无效6例，总有效率80．0％；两组疗效比较，有显著差异性p〈0．05（x^2=4．630）。结论 大陷胸汤高位保留灌肠治疗EHF急性肾衰疗效显著，且简便、安全、经济、病人乐于接受等优点。     

Comparison of fecal microflora in children with atopic eczema/dermatitis syndrome according to IgE sensitization to food

Atopic eczema/dermatitis syndrome (AEDS) commonly often arises during early infancy. In several intervention studies a beneficial influence on AEDS course of certain intestinal bacteria, administered as 'probiotics', has been described. To evaluate the possible role of the natural intestinal microflora in children with allergic eczema/dermatitis syndrome regarding immediate type hypersensitivity to food allergens, children with food allergy (AAEDS, n = 68) have been compared with children without detectable food allergy (NAEDS, n = 25). All children (n = 93) in preschool age, mean age of 2.6 (+/-1.8) years, diagnosed with AEDS who were treated as inpatients in 2003 in a dermatological hospital were included. The correlation between fecal microflora, parasites and specific immunoglobulin E (IgE) antibodies against common food allergens was analyzed. A similar composition of intestinal microflora in children with AAEDS and NAAEDS was found. The food allergens that were most frequently detected were egg white, cow milk, casein, peanut and hazelnut. Furthermore, a significant association between IgE sensitization against important food allergens and components of the fecal microflora could not be demonstrated. With aging changes occur in the intestinal microbiota [Proteus/Klebsiella and age (rho = -0.607) and Enterococcus and age (rho = -0.428)]. In two subjects of the AAEDS group Blastocystis hominis was found. The composition of natural intestinal microflora in children with AAEDS and NAAEDS was similar. Hence, there is no evidence of a role of the intestinal microflora with regard to the development of infant (food) allergy in children with AEDS. The possible consequences for allergic diseases later in life require further investigation.     

Detection of glaucomatous damage using multifocal ERG

The first‐order kernel analysis in multifocal electroretinogram (mfERG) using low contrast stimulation is suggested as a way to detect the inner retinal responses in animal studies. In this case report, this protocol is applied to human patients with glaucoma to demonstrate the possibility of using mfERG as a tool to detect glaucomatous damage. Two patients with glaucoma were recruited and had mfERG measurements with the 103‐scaled hexagonal stimulus pattern at low (50 per cent) contrast. Their responses were analysed and compared with those from normal subjects with the mfERG measured under the same condition. In the normal subjects, there were obvious oscillatory components on the ascending and descending limbs of the first‐order kernel response to 50 per cent contrast. In the glaucomatous patients, the oscillatory component on the descending limb was obviously diminished. In addition, this component was significantly diminished in the quadrant with a glaucomatous visual field defect. This suggests that the low‐contrast stimulation condition in mERG measurement may provide a good way to detect glaucomatous damage and this may help in clinical diagnosis of glaucoma.