Plasma steroid concentrations during alternate-day treatment with prednisone

Plasma steroid concentrations were measured in asthmatic children 24 and 48 hours after administration of alternate-day treatment with prednisone, and the results were compared with those of control patients who did not receive corticosteroid treatment as well as those of patients who were treated with prednisone each day. It was found that 24 hours after administration of prednisone in any dose, plasma steroid concentrations were significantly lower than those of the control group. The degree of suppression in plasma steroid concentration was less marked in patients who received treatment on alternate days than in those who received the same doses of prednisone each day. Within 48 hours after administration of alternate-day treatment, plasma steroid concentrations approached the values observed in the control group and were independent of the magnitude of the prednisone dose. Although alternateday steroid treatment was associated with transient and incomplete suppression of pituitary-adrenal function, patients whose therapy was changed from a daily to an alternate-day regimen sometimes exhibited prolonged suppression of adrenal cortical function.     

Twenty-four-hour venoarterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation without systemic heparinization in dogs

Venoarterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) was performed in five dogs without systemic heparinization to assess the feasibility of heparin-free ECMO. The surfaces of the inverted hollow-fiber-type oxygenator and circuit of the ECMO system were coated with heparin by the endpoint-attached (covalent-bonded) technique. No heparin was administered to the animal except for a small dose to maintain patency of the arterial line (1 IU/h). ECMO was run for 24 h at a pump flow of 50 ml/kg · min and was successful throughout the experiment in four of the five dogs. Scanning electron microscopy did not detect any blood clots in the oxygenator or circuit except for inside and outside the cannulas that were not coated with heparin in the carotid artery and jugular vein. Activated clotting time (ACT), fibrinogen, and anti-thrombin III (AT-III) activity remained within the normal physiological range. Serum heparin concentrations were low throughout the experiment, indicating minimal heparin release. Platelet levels decreased and fibrinopeptide B 15–42 (FPB 15–42) increased significantly after 6 h ECMO. D-dimer levels did not change throughout the experiment. ECMO was discontinued in one case after successful a 23-h run because of macroscopic clot formation at the oxygenator blood inlet. ACT had suddenly increased to 160 s approximately 1 h prior to this clot formation. These results suggest that the amount of systemic heparinization required can be substantially reduced by a heparin-coated ECMO system. Total abolishment of heparin administration in pediatric venoarterial ECMO may be possible by refinement of this technique. Monitoring of AT-III and FPB 15–42 in addition to ACT may be useful for early diagnosis of latent but ongoing coagulopathies during ECMO.     

The association of anemia and hypoalbuminemia with accelerated decline in GFR among adolescents with chronic kidney disease

We sought to describe rates of kidney function decline and to identify modifiable risk factors for CKD progression in a multicenter prospective cohort study of adolescents with CKD aged 11 to 18 years seen semiannually for up to three years. Of the 23 subjects meeting inclusion criteria, the average estimated GFR was 51 ± 27 ml/min/1.73 m² (0.85 ± 0.45 ml/s/1.73 m²) at entry. The overall annualized decline in GFR was 5.6 ml/min/1.73 m² (0.093 ml/s/1.73 m²) per year (95% confidence interval [95% CI]: 1.9 to 9.3 [0.032 to 0.16]). The adjusted annualized decline in GFR was found to be accelerated in males, as well as among those over 15 years of age. The adjusted annualized decline in GFR was greater among those with either anemia (hematocrit below 36%), or hypoalbuminemia (albumin below 4 g/dl [40 g/L]). After adjustment, anemia was associated with an accelerated decline of 7.8 ml/min/1.73 m² (0.13 ml/s/1.73 m²) (95% CI: 3.3 to 12 [0.055 to 0.20]) and hypoalbuminemia was associated with an accelerated decline of 17 ml/min/1.73 m² (0.28 ml/s/1.73 m²) (95% CI: 11 to 22 [0.18 to 0.37]). Further study is needed to evaluate whether treatment of anemia or hypoalbuminemia, as outlined in current clinical care guidelines for CKD, may slow the progression of CKD in adolescents.     

氯胺酮对小儿术后镇痛中吗啡作用的影响

目的　研究氯胺酮在小儿术后硬膜外自控镇痛中对吗啡作用的影响。方法　全麻下择期腹部手术病儿 37例 ,病人随机分为三组。负荷量 :Ⅰ组 (n =13)吗啡 10 μg/kg +氯胺酮 0 1mg/kg ;Ⅱ组 (n =10 )吗啡 10 μg/kg ;Ⅲ组 (n =14)吗啡 2 0 μg/kg。维持量 :Ⅰ组吗啡 1μg·kg-1·h-1+氯胺酮 0 0 3mg·kg-1·h-1;Ⅱ组吗啡 1μg·kg-1·h-1;Ⅲ组吗啡 2 μg·kg-1·h-1。单次给药剂量 :同各组每小时持续量 ;锁定时间 10min。按预定 6个时点记录疼痛、镇静评分、维持期吗啡耗量及不良反应发生率。结果　疼痛评分 :Ⅰ、Ⅲ组均为 0 0 0± 0 0 0 ,明显优于Ⅱ组 0 12± 0 17(P <0 0 1)。吗啡维持量 :Ⅰ、Ⅱ、Ⅲ组分别为 :5 1 0± 3 3μg/kg、6 3 4± 18 0 μg/kg、117 6± 2 0 1μg/kg(P <0 0 1)。镇静评分及不良反应发生率均无显著性差异。结论　小儿术后硬膜外自控镇痛中 ,微量氯胺酮明显增强吗啡的镇痛作用 ,减少吗啡用量     

Screening for blunt cerebrovascular injuries in pediatric trauma patients

BackgroundAdult imaging for blunt cerebrovascular injuries (BCVI) is based on the Denver and Memphis screening criteria where CT angiogram (CTA) is performed for any one of the criteria being positive. These guidelines have been extrapolated to the pediatric population. We hypothesize that the current adult criteria applied to pediatrics lead to unnecessary CTA in pediatric trauma patients.Study designAt our center, a 9-year retrospective study revealed that strict adherence to the Denver and Memphis criteria would have resulted in 332 unnecessary CTAs out of 2795 trauma patients with only 0.3% positive for BCVI. We also conducted a retrospective chart review of 776,355 pediatric trauma patients in the National Trauma Data Bank (NTDB) from 2007 to 2014. Data collection included children between ages 0 and 18, ICD-9 search for blunt cerebrovascular injury, and ICD-9 codes that applied to both Denver and Memphis criteria.ResultsOf 776,355 pediatric trauma activations, 81,294 pediatric patients in the NTDB fit the Denver/Memphis criteria for screening CTA neck or angiography based on ICD-9 codes, while only 2136 patients suffered BCVI. Strict utilization of the Denver/Memphis criteria would have led to a negative CTA in 79,158 (97.4%) patients. Multivariate regression analysis indicates that patients with skull base fracture, cervical spine fractures, cervical spine fracture with cervical cord injury, traumatic jugular venous injury, and cranial nerve injury should be considered part of the screening criteria for BCVI.ConclusionOur study suggests the Denver and Memphis criteria are inadequate screening criteria for CTA looking for BCVI in the pediatric blunt trauma population. New criteria are needed to adequately indicate the need for CT angiography in the pediatric trauma population.Level of evidenceIV.     

Ductus arteriosus aneurysm presenting as pulmonary artery obstruction: diagnosis and management

The occurrence of pulmonary artery obstruction in an 8 day old infant as a complication of an aneurysm of a nonpatent ductus arteriosus is reported, together with the echocardiographic and angiographic findings. To relieve the obstruction, the aneurysm and an intrapulmonary thrombus were successfully removed with the use of cardiopulmonary bypass when the infant was 3 months old.     

Anomalous left coronary artery from the pulmonary artery: significance of associated intracardiac defects

Two patients with anomalous origin of the left main coronary artery from the pulmonary artery had an associated defect (one, critical pulmonary stenosis; the other, ventricular septal defect). They presented with signs and symptoms of the associated defect and the coronary anomaly was unrecognized. Both cases at autopsy lacked the usual large right coronary artery seen with this anomaly. The pathophysiologic features of the combined defects are described, their differences from the isolated anomaly are noted and their relation to surgery is discussed.     

小儿巨大肾积水保留肾脏手术疗效观察

目的探讨小儿巨大肾积水保留肾脏手术的疗效。方法回顾性分析我院1995年3月至2006年8月收治的16例小儿巨大肾积水临床资料。男6例,女10例。平均年龄3岁（4个月～12年）。术前均行KUB,IVU,超声或CT确诊。肾盂输尿管连接部梗阻14例,下腔静脉后输尿管1例,输尿管异位开口1例。术中排出积水后测量肾皮质厚度和肾盂尿PH值,同时手术治疗原发病,患肾实质行内翻折叠成形术。结果16例均手术成功,术中测患。肾尿液PH〈6．1的1例1侧,PH在6．1～7．1的15例16侧。术后6-8d拔除输尿管支架管,术后2周拔除肾造瘘管。16例患儿均获得随访,随访时间中位数6年（6个月～11年）。所有患儿患肾功能有不同程度改善。无1例患儿因患肾功能丧失需再次行。肾切除术。结论小儿巨大肾积水不能作为。肾切除的指征,应结合肾皮质厚度和。肾盂尿PH值等选择外科手术治疗方法,尽可能保留肾脏。手术治疗原发病并行。肾实质折叠缝合是治疗小儿巨大肾积水的有效方法之一。     

临床实习儿科出科考试改革探讨

探讨客观反应小科室临床实习的方法．选择2002年至2006年临床医学本科儿科实习生为研究对象。进行出科考试改革探讨，随机分为抽签式考试组和传统式考试组，用病历书写为评判，得出在实习时间比较短的小科室中，多站式考试不能进行时可以开展抽签式考试．