Emergency Medicine Practitioner Knowledge and Use of Decision Rules for the Evaluation of Patients with Suspected Pulmonary Embolism: Variations by Practice Setting and Training Level

Background Several clinical decision rules (CDRs) have been validated for pretest probability assessment of pulmonary embolism (PE), but the authors are unaware of any data quantifying and characterizing their use in emergency departments. Objectives To characterize clinicians' knowledge of and attitudes toward two commonly used CDRs for PE. Methods By using a modified Delphi approach, the authors developed a two‐page paper survey including 15 multiple‐choice questions. The questions were designed to determine the respondents' familiarity, frequency of use, and comprehension of the Canadian and Charlotte rules. The survey also queried the frequency of use of unstructured (gestalt) pretest probability assessment and reasons why physicians choose not to use decision rules. The surveys were sent to physicians, physician assistants, and medical students at 32 academic and community hospitals in the United States and the United Kingdom. Results Respondents included 555 clinicians; 443 (80%) work in academic practice, and 112 (20%) are community based. Significantly more academic practitioners (73%) than community practitioners (49%) indicated familiarity with at least one of the two decision rules. Among all respondents familiar with a rule, 50% reported using it in more than half of applicable cases. A significant number of these respondents could not correctly identify a key component of the rule (23% for the Charlotte rule and 43% for the Canadian rule). Fifty‐seven percent of all respondents indicated use of gestalt rather than a decision rule in more than half of cases. Conclusions Academic clinicians were more likely to report familiarity with either of these two specific decision rules. Only one half of all clinicians reporting familiarity with the rules use them in more than 50% of applicable cases. Spontaneous recall of the specific elements of the rules was low to moderate. Future work should consider clinical gestalt in the evaluation of patients with possible PE.     

甲状腺微小癌36例临床分析

目的:探讨甲状腺微小癌的诊断和外科治疗经验。方法:36例甲状腺微小癌患者,10例行患侧腺叶切除术,20例行患侧腺叶加峡部切除术,3例行甲状腺次全切除术,加局部淋巴结清扫术1例,加功能性颈淋巴结清扫术2例,术后均服用甲状腺素片80~120mg/d,服药时间维持手术后1~3年,定期复查甲状腺激素水平,以"轻度甲亢"症状为用药标准调整服药用量。2例术后做同位素治疗。结果:术后2例曾出现短暂声音嘶哑,后逐渐恢复,1例出现短期的低钙抽搐。34例术后随访3~10年,平均随访5年,除1例混合型癌伴发肝转移者死亡外,其余无复发和死亡。结论:甲状腺微小癌女性发病较多,以单发癌结节为主,B超、细针穿刺细胞学检查(FNAC)、术中快速冰冻病理检查等方法综合运用能提高甲状腺微小癌的检出率,甲状腺微小癌手术治疗的预后较好。     

91例甲状腺疾病临床病理诊断分析

在临床病理手术切除中甲状腺疾病很常见，其疾病的良恶性鉴别和具体类型诊断有一定难度。因甲状腺疾病的病因复杂，有多病变并存现象，且密切相关、相互影响，如何合理准确地进行病理诊断是指导临床治疗和随诊的重要依据。现将我科2002年1月至2004年12月91例甲状腺病理活检材料进行回顾性分析，以进一步提高甲状腺疾病诊断和鉴别诊断水平。     

The predictive value of specific immunoglobulin E levels for the first diagnosis of cow''s milk allergy. A critical analysis of pediatric literature

Investigators have tried to identify a level of seric specific immunoglobulin E (IgE) that had a sufficient predictive value to diagnose a food allergy without having will resort to the food challenge. To search in literature, all the studies that have estimated the possibility to identify a level of seric specific cow milk IgE with a positive predictive value (PPV) of 95% for the first diagnosis of cow's milk allergy (CMA) in pediatric age. We have identified six studies, nearly all studies suffer from relevant methodological bias. Proposed cut-off are all different. The studied pediatric populations were highly selected. Also neglecting the methodological bias of the studies and the great difference of value between the proposed cut-off, it always remains to consider that the pre-test probability of having a CMA between the children enrolled in the six studies included in this review is particularly high. The likelihood ratio helps to transfer the results of a study on a diagnostic test just to our population, and it is more realistic rather than to entrust itself to the PPV or the negative predictive value, that are much influenced from the prevalence of the disease in the studied population.     

免疫组化在恶性间皮瘤鉴别诊断中的应用价值

目的 对恶性间皮瘤进行免疫组化的对比性研究,以进一步评价它们在恶性间皮瘤鉴别诊断中的价值。方法 采用免疫组织化学染色(LSAB)法对22例恶性间皮瘤和20例对照组腺癌组织进行EMA、CEA、CK、vimentin、间皮细胞(M-cell)等5种单克隆抗体的标记。结果 恶性间皮瘤的阳性率分别为 M-cell 91％,CEA 9％,vimentin 73％,CK82％,EMA64％;而腺癌的阳性率为分别为M-cell5％,CEA 85％,vimentin 15％,CK100％,EMA 100％。结论 在恶性间皮瘤和腺癌的鉴别诊断中,M-cell和CEA是较理想的标记物,尤其是M-cell,CEA和vimentin三种抗体联合应用更具有价值。而在恶性间皮瘤和其他梭形细胞肿瘤的鉴别诊断中,还应联合使用CK和EMA。     

超声对宫角妊娠的诊断及治疗意义

目的 探讨对误诊率高，危害大的罕见特殊部位宫角妊娠的诊断和治疗。方法 对我院1991-2001年收治的宫角妊娠临床资料进行回顾性分析。结果 宫角妊娠17例中误诊宫内妊娠行人流失败4例。13例行腹部手术，3例行B超监视下人流术，1例行子宫动脉栓塞术。结论 宫角妊娠临床诊断困难，误诊率高，破裂后造成迅猛的腹腔内出血，应提高对少见部位宫角妊娠的认识，减少孕妇死亡。     

The structure of memorized knowledge in students and clinicians: an explanation for diagnostic expertise

This paper provides for the first time evidence of a consistent difference in the memory structures of novice and expert clinicians. The diagnostic performance of first- and third-year clinical medical students, senior house officers, registrars and consultants on four clinical problems in general medicine was studied. Comparisons were made of all diagnostic interpretations offered and the forceful features (personally important pieces of information which act as a key to particular memory structures which in turn give rise to the clinical interpretation) from which these were derived. Results demonstrate that the numbers of interpretations made and the numbers of forceful features identified did not differ significantly between groups (P greater than 0.05). However, the actual interpretations made in three out of four cases, and the actual forceful features identified in all cases, did differ significantly between groups (P less than 0.05). The numbers of interpretations made by all groups were large and demonstrated enormous variability. Highly individualized multiple responses to clinical information are associated with easy diagnoses. We conclude that there is no difference between groups of differing clinical experience in the breadth of thought but that there are marked differences in the precise content and structure of thought. This allows coherent explanation of variation in diagnostic expertise with clinical experience. The significance of the findings is discussed.     

变应性亚败血症33例报告

本文报告３３例变应性亚败血症，均以发热起病，伴有一过性皮疹和／或关节、肌肉酸痛，实验室检查以白细胞总数明显增高、血沉显著增快和粘蛋白增多为主要特点。本组病例初诊误诊率为８２．８％，起病至确诊时间平均４８ｄ，提示本病早期确诊较难，应提高对本病的充分认识。     

Leiomyosarcoma originating in Meckel's diverticulum: Report of a case and a review of 59 cases in the English literature

A 49-year-old woman was referred to our hospital with complaints of epigastric colicky pain and high fever. Abdominal computed tomography and ultrasonography showed a solid tumor in the lower abdomen. Laparotomy revealed a neoplastic mass arising in Meckel's diverticulum; therefore, a segment of the ileum, including the tumor-possessing diverticulum, was resected with a lymph node dissection. A histologic examination confirmed the lesion to be leiomyosarcoma. In the English literature, 59 cases of leiomyosarcoma in Meckel's diverticulum were reported from 1941 to 1994. The majority of patients were in their 4th decade of life, with both sexes equally affected. The most frequent symptoms associated with this disease were abdominal pain with nausea, vomiting, and melena. The majority were larger than egg-size. Although Meckel's diverticulum is difficult to diagnose preoperatively, mesenteric arteriography may at times prove useful. The standard management of this particular tumor is wide segmental resection, including the tumor and diverticulum with lymph node dissection.     

正常成人睾丸血流的彩色多普勒观察

为了探讨彩色多普勒血流显像技术显示正常人睾丸内血流的可行性，并探讨睾丸的血流动力学特征，我们对２０名正常人双侧睾丸进行了彩色多普勒检查。结果显示，彩色多普勒能显示所有睾丸的包膜动脉、向心动脉。正常睾丸的包膜动脉和向心动脉收缩期峰值血流速度的均值分别为９．００ｃｍ／ｓ和７．４２ｃｍ／ｓ；舒张末期血流速度均值分别为３．５０ｃｍ／ｓ和３．３８ｃｍ／３，本文对睾丸彩色血流显像和多普勒频谱特点也作了讨论。