Risk factors for recurrences of febrile convulsions

Risk factors for predicting recurrences of febrile seizures were studied in an unselected series of 169 children after their first febrile seizure. Follow-up data covering 2.1–6.8 (mean 3.8) years from the first febrile seizure were available from 167 of them (98.8%) including 72 girls. Altogether 35/167 (21.0%, 95% confidence intervals (CI) 14.6% to 29.1%) had further febrile seizures, and multivariate logistic regression analysis showed the number of febrile episodes (p = 0.011) and the occurrence of such seizures among first degree relatives (p = 0.015, relative risk 3.75, CI 1.22 to 11.5) to be significant risk factors for recurrences. Our findings indicate that more emphasis should be placed on preventing febrile episodes rather than concentrating only on preventing seizures with antiepileptic therapy.     

胃癌的危险因素调查及癌前病变动态观察

报道温州地区胃癌高发区瑞安塘下的致癌危险因素的调查情况,结果表明它是由多种致癌危险因素的综合影响。作者应用内镜活检在18000例慢性胃病患者中查出癌前病变(高危人群)1132例,经3月～14年活检随访,表明胃癌前病变有一定的可逆转性;癌变率较高的是胃溃疡(GU)+不典型增生(ATP)组、GU+慢性萎缩性胃炎(CAG)组及CAG+ATP组均为4.1％;总癌变率为3.1％。早癌检出率占胃癌总数的48.6％,为门诊早癌检出率的6.8倍。此方法简单、经济实用。     

A model for estimating the potential costs and savings of osteoporosis prevention strategies

A model was developed which estimates the costs of osteoporosis risk evaluation and treatment, and the resulting savings in terms of reduced fracture frequency, for the adult female population of the United States. In the absence of treatment, the model predicts 1.44 million fractures will occur annually from non-violent causes. Treatment of all women beginning at age 50 with an agent that slows bone loss by 50% would reduce the number of these fractures by 0.59 million. Selective treatment of the 47% of women at the greatest fracture risk would reduce the number of fractures by 0.45 million, but would only cost 47% as much as treating all women. Additional data are required before the model can be used to evaluate specific treatment regimens. However, it appears that selective treatment of those at highest risk would yield the greatest benefit to cost ratio, if only benefits related to reduced fracture frequency are considered.     

Sulphanilic acid: divergent results in the guinea pig maximization test and the local lymph node assay

The guinea pig maximization test (GPMT) has proven to be a valuable tool for the identification of the skin sensitization potential of chemicals. The method identifies a hazard which can lead in the EC to compulsory labelling of that chemical. In the present study, data on sulphanilic acid derived from the GPMT has been compared with results from a second guinea pig assay (the cumulative contact enhancement test) and the murine local lymph node assay, both of which require only topical application of chemical. Except for the GPMT, no test identified any sensitizing activity associated with exposure to sulphanilic acid. These latter results are consistent with the experience gained from substantial human exposure in an occupational setting and from which no cases of allergic contact dermatitis to sulphanilic acid have arisen over a 20-year period. In consequence, it is questioned which test protocol in practice has given the more accurate identification of sensitization hazard relevant to man.     

广西武鸣华侨农场心血管病危险因素的调查研究

对广西武鸣华侨农场4158人进行基线普查,410人进行膳食调查和作8小时夜尿电解质测定,并将高血压低发区广西的资料与高发区的北京作对比.结果显示,体重指数高是高血压一个重要的危险因素,而体重过重又与膳食中摄入碳水化合物和总热量大有关.另一主要的危险因素是钠,膳食中摄入钠高,尿Na和Na/K比值高者,血压水平和高血压的患病率亦高.     

Factors associated with recovery and recurrence of depression in older people: A prospective study

The Liverpool Continuing Health in the Community Study has followed up 1070 elderly community subjects over 6 years. In the first year 123 subjects had case-level depression. Three years later 49 (39.8%) of the previously depressed were recovered, 33 (26.8%) were depressed, 16 (13%) were not available for interview and 25 (20.3%) were dead. This study looks at factors associated with the 3-year outcome of patients who were depressed at year 0. Two outcome groups that were compared were a recovered depression group and a recurrent/persistent depression group. The factors that were significantly associated with a recurrence of depression (or persistent depression) at year 3 were bereavement of a close figure in the 6 months before interview, loneliness and life dissatisfaction at year 3. A variety of traditional risk factors for depression (including age, marital status, physical ill-health and incapacity) failed to attain significance in predicting recurrent or persistent depression. When combined, both recovered and recurrently depressed groups at year 3 had significantly higher levels of pain and a higher number of serious upsets in the past 6 months and 6 weeks compared to a compared to a control group. The depressed at year 0 were more likely to have entered more dependent forms of accommodation by year 3.     

麻城市农村某社区O～6岁儿童意外伤害流行状况及影响因素研究

目的 探讨农村地区0-6岁儿童意外伤害流行病学特征及影响因素，为开展伤害预防干预提供依据。方法 以问卷方式调查湖北省麻城市宋埠镇1998年所有发生意外伤害的0—6岁儿童，采用1：1配对病例对照研究的方法探索危险因素。结果 该地区0—6岁儿童意外伤害发生率为3．56％，男女比例为2．67：1。跌伤、烧烫伤和动物咬伤是最常见类型。13．63％的受伤儿童需住院治疗，因伤害致残疾者占1．82％。意外伤害医疗资用支出占家庭年总收入的3．94％。农村儿童意外伤害的影响因素为儿童的照顾者、家庭社会经济状况及儿童性格行为特点等。结论 意外伤害严重影响着农村地区0-6岁儿童的健康，给家庭和社会造成经济损失。预防重点是培训村级医师，开展健康教育，尤其需要提高儿童家长的安全知识水平。     

非体外循环冠状动脉旁路移植术在高危冠心病中的应用

目的 探讨用非体外循环冠状动脉旁路移植术(OPCAB)的方法，以避免体外循环对冠心病高危因素患者产生的不良影响。方法 对100例冠心病患者行OPCAB，其中69例伴有冠心外科手术的高危因素。血管病变主要涉及左、右冠状动脉各分支。结果 手术死亡1例(1.4％)，手术转换2例(2．9％)，移植血管失功1例(1.4％)，术后非致命性心肌梗死4例(5．8％)，肾功能衰竭1例(1．4％)，胸骨感染1例(1．4％)，24小时内拔除气管内插管68例(98.6％)，接受输血17例(25．O％)。术后随访56例，随访时间1—13个月，死亡2例，心绞痛复发4例，充血性心力衰竭2例。术后无脑血管意外、再次手术止血、室性心律失常、下胶切口感染和呼吸衰竭等并发症发生。随访病例中14例做冠状动脉血管造影术，仅1例移植血管狭窄大于50％。所有乳内动脉血管桥均通畅。结论 对某些具有冠心外科手术高危因素的患者，采用OPCAB可降低并发症发生率和手术死亡率。然而，这种技术较适用于冠状动脉解剖条件较好的病例。远期结果需要长期随访进一步加以证实。     

Perception and social consequences of tuberculosis: A focus group study of tuberculosis patients in Sialkot, Pakistan

Treatment defaulting is one of the major causes of the failure of TB control programs. In Bethania Hospital. Sialkot, defaulting rates are high: 72% for the standard 12 months course and 56% for the 8 months course. Attrition is especially important in the first weeks of treatment: < 70% of the patients start the 10th week of treatment. A focus group discussion study has been carried out to gain a better understanding of the impact of social stigmatization, treatment cost and pregnancy on defaulting. The study population consisted of 3 male and 3 female groups each with 8 hospitalized TB patients. The study shows that TB is perceived as a very dangerous, infectious and incurable disease. This perception has many social consequences: stigmatization and social isolation of TB patients and their families; diminished marriage prospects for young TB patients, and even for their family members; TB in one of the partners may lead to divorce. Due to fear patients often deny the diagnosis and reject the treatment. While both male and female TB patients face many social and economical problems, female patients are more affected. Divorce and broken engagements seem to occur more often in female patients. Females are usually economically dependent on their husbands and family in law, and need their cooperation to avail of treatment. The belief that pregnancy enhances the risk for relapse decreases their marriage prospects. Pregnancy is also a reason for stopping TB treatment as both are considered as incompatible. The findings of this study reveal the urgent need for a health education campaign to convince the general population that tuberculosis is curable. All health care providers should act as destigmatizers.     

SRTR Center-Specific Reporting Tools: Posttransplant Outcomes

Measuring and monitoring performance—be it waiting list and posttransplant outcomes by a transplant center, or organ donation success by an organ procurement organization and its partnering hospitals—is an important component of ensuring good care for people with end-stage organ failure. Many parties have an interest in examining these outcomes, from patients and their families to payers such as insurance companies or the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services; from primary caregivers providing patient counseling to government agencies charged with protecting patients.
The Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients produces regular, public reports on the performance of transplant centers and organ procurement organizations. This article explains the statistical tools used to prepare these reports, with a focus on graft survival and patient survival rates of transplant centers—especially the methods used to fairly and usefully compare outcomes of centers that serve different populations. The article concludes with a practical application of these statistics—their use in screening transplant center performance to identify centers that may need remedial action by the OPTN/UNOS Membership and Professional Standards Committee.