Doppler echocardiography of 119 normal-functioning St Jude Medical mitral valve prostheses: a comprehensive assessment including time-velocity integral ratio and prosthesis performance index.

The purpose of this study was to provide, in a large number of patients, comprehensive Doppler echocardiographic assessment of normal St Jude Medical mitral valve prosthesis function using Doppler-derived hemodynamic variables, including the mitral valve prosthesis-to-left ventricular outflow tract time-velocity integral ratio and prosthesis performance index. The pressure half-time was less than 130 milliseconds in all patients, and all but one patient had either a peak early mitral diastolic velocity of 2 m/s or less or a mitral valve prosthesis-to-left ventricular outflow tract time-velocity integral ratio of less than 2.2. There was a significant (P < .001) negative correlation between the prosthesis performance index and prosthesis size. This negative correlation suggests that there is more efficient use of the in vitro geometric orifice area with smaller prostheses.     

Results of irradiation in the squamous cell carcinomas of the anterior faucial pillar-retromolar trigone

Between January 1966 and August 1981, 159 patients with previously untreated squamous cell carcinomas of the anterior faucial pillar or retromolar trigone received definitive radiation therapy at The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Hospital and Tumor Institute. All except 11 patients were treated by external radiation including combination of electron beams with high-energy photons or 60Co to doses ranging from 60 Gy to 75 Gy. In the N0 patients, as a rule, only the ipsilateral subdigastric nodes were treated electively to a dose of 50 Gy. The 5-year determinate survival rate for the overall group was 83%. The cumulative recurrence rate showed that 92% of the patients had recurrence by 2 years. Therefore, all patients except those who died with no evidence of local disease less than 2 years after treatment were evaluated for local control. The failure rate for the evaluable patients was 29% for T1 lesions, 30% for T2 lesions, 24% for T3 lesions, and 40% for T4 lesions. After salvage surgery, which consisted of intraoral resection in one-third of the patients and of a composite operation in the other two-thirds, the ultimate failure rate was 0% for T1 lesions, 6% for T2 lesions, 8% for T3 lesions, and 20% for T4 lesions. Whereas stage was a poor indicator for treatment outcome, there was a significantly higher failure rate for infiltrative and/or ulcerated lesions (35%) than for exophytic or superficial lesions (15%). Histologic grade was of no prognostic significance, nor was there any significant difference in the failure rate for lesions originating on the anterior faucial pillar versus that for lesions on the retromolar trigone. Following radiotherapy, 30% of the patients developed some degree of bone exposure but only 5.6% (9 patients) required a segmental mandibular resection. The probability of bone exposure was not dose related and more likely reflected tumor location on the mucoperiosteum. Of the whole group, 16 patients (10%) experienced a neck failure with 8 ultimate failures after salvage surgery. Among the 16 patients who had neck failures, 13 were originally staged N0; 6 of these patients had failures that occurred in the electively treated ipsilateral subdigastric area, but the field was too small to cover the nodes adequately. Aspects of the radiotherapy techniques with combined electron and photon beams that may influence the treatment outcome are discussed.     

Perceptions of fever among adults in a family practice setting

Febrile illnesses are common clinical problems for the family physician. A questionnaire study was conducted of 100 adult patients in a family practice clinic to gain understanding of their knowledge about fever and its management. Many misconceptions were documented among adult patients about their own fevers and those of children for whom they cared. Misconceptions included the conviction that fever is more dangerous in children than in adults and a distorted concern about bodily damage from fever. Patients demonstrated a poor understanding of normal body temperature, minimum and maximum febrile temperatures, and minimum temperatures warranting antipyresis. Though many owned thermometers, they indicated improper usage and demonstrated inaccurate temperature-reading technique. Questionnaire responses indicated that health care providers had done poorly in educating patients about fever, its consequences, and its proper treatment.     

Disability,depression and somatization in a low back pain population

Objective: The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of low back pain (LBP) in a primary care setting population and examine its association with the symptoms of depression and somatization. Methods: This is a cross‐sectional study, utilising a survey carried out in primary health care clinics (PHCs) in Al‐Ain, United Arab Emirates (UAE). A multistage stratified sampling design was used and a representative sample of 1304 UAE nationals aged 18–65 years who attended PHC clinics for any reason were included and 1103 (84.5%) subjects agreed to participate and responded to the questionnaire during a period from June 2001 to January 2002. A specially designed questionnaire with three parts was used for the data collection: socio‐demographic information of the studied subjects, modified version of the Roland‐Morris scale for evaluating back‐related functional disability and SCL‐90 R for depression and somatization subscales was used to assess depressive and somatic symptoms. Results: Of the total number of subjects surveyed (1103), 586 (53.1%) were men and 517 (46.9%) women. The mean age was 34.9 ± 13.4 years for men and 33.5 ± 11.8 years for women. The prevalence of LBP in the studied subjects was 64.7% (95% CI, 60.7–68.5] with 46.7% among men and 53.3% among women. There were a significant differences between the subjects with LBP and without LBP with respect to gender (P < 0.001), body mass index (BMI) (P < 0.001), occupational status (P < 0.001) and living environment (P = 0.016). Functional disability was higher in patients with LBP. Young patients in aged 15–34 years, patients with preparatory/secondary educational level and students showed higher depressive symptoms. A similar pattern was found in patients with somatic symptoms. Factor analysis revealed a strong association between depression and somatization in LBP patients. Conclusions: Functional disability was higher in with LBP. Furthermore, symptoms of depression and somatization are prevalent among LBP patients.     

Ex vivo neutrophil function in response to three different doses of glycosylated rHuG-CSF (Lenograstim)

Granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) is being considered as adjuvant treatment for infections in non-neutropenic patients. Normal healthy donors were given rHuG-CSF (Lenograstim) at 2.5, 5.0 and 7.5 μg/kg subcutaneously daily for 5 d. Polymorphonuclear leucocyte (PMN) function tests were carried out on peripheral blood PMN before the first injection and at 24 h and 96 h. Circulating PMN levels were also measured at these time intervals and found to be significantly increased with all doses by 24 and 96 h. Investigation of cell surface antigen expression revealed no changes in β₂ integrin (CD11b/CD18) expression. L-selectin (CD62L) expression was reduced with all doses by 96 h, this being significant with the 7.5 μg/kg dose. FcγRI (CD64) levels were significantly up-regulated with the 7.5 μg/kg dose by 96 h whereas FcγRIII (CD16) expression was found to be reduced during G-CSF treatment. Superoxide anion production was significantly increased in response to N -formylmethionylleucylphenylalanine (FMLP) and opsonized Staphylococcus epidermidis stimulation at 24 h and 96 h with the 5.0 and 7.5 μg/kg doses. The initial rate of phagocytosis (0–2 min) appeared to have increased with the 7.5 and 5.0 μg/kg doses at 96 and 24 h compared with PMN responses pretreatment, although these increases were not statistically significant. These results show that G-CSF enhances the functional responses of PMN stimulated by physiological agonists and may help in the treatment of infections.     

A combined course of primary health care practice and family medicine at the University of Gezira

The community-based course presented is a longitudinal course running through four semesters in the Faculty of Medicine, University of Gezira, Sudan. Students combine their regular work in primary health care centres with attachments to a number of families in Wad Medani town. They continue to visit these families regularly throughout their entire medical course with the aim of studying them and helping them with some of their medical and psychosocial problems.