OVERHEATING IN BED AS AN IMPORTANT FACTOR IN MANY COMMON DERMATOSES

Background. Extensive questioning of patients with a wide variety of skin disorders led to the impression that nocturnal overheating was probably an important factor in the initiation and the perpetuation of many skin disorders. Methods. In order to test the hypothesis, 12 “clean-skinned” subjects (6M/6F) aged 18 to 45 years were monitored electronically every 30 seconds during an 8 hour sleep period (2300 to 0700 hours), sleeping under a standard 10 tog duvet. Results. All the subjects were too hot by 3 to 4°C. All showed changes in their EEG patterns with reduced REM sleep, increased awakenings, and all showed changes in their sleep stage patterns. In addition, they all showed evidence of increased sweating in the “heat-sink” area. Conclusions. The mechanisms where by such changes could be implicated in the precipitation and perpetuation of skin disease are discussed. “Lifestyle” modification as a very effective, noninvasive, therapeutic regime is recommended. Further research along these lines would probably be very valuable and instructive.     

Long-term survivorship analysis of cruciate-sparing versus cruciate-sacrificing knee prostheses using meniscal bearings

A comprehensive, interchangeable, low-contact-stress, mobile-bearing knee prosthesis system was developed and used over a 12-year period with both cemented and cementless fixation. Individual components of the system included a bicruciate-retaining meniscal bearing, a posterior cruciate-retaining meniscal bearing, and a cruciate-sacrificing, rotating-platform tibial component mated to the same femoral and rotating patellar components. Survivorship analysis of each implant type was performed to identify specific failure modes and trends for long-term survival of the implants in a wide variety of primary knee arthroplasties. Clinically, there were 46 prostheses of the bicruciate type followed for up to 12 years, 57 prostheses of the posterior-cruciate type followed for up to six years, and 108 prostheses of the rotating-platform type followed for up to ten years. All knees in this study had rotating-bearing patellar prostheses. Cumulative survivorship analysis using an end point of implant revision or a poor knee score revealed a small early failure rate of each implant in the first three years, associated with technical positioning or undersizing errors. This study indicates a predictable long-term survival of both cruciate-retaining and cruciate-sacrificing mobile-bearing knee prostheses as well as rotating-bearing patellar prostheses when used in primary knee arthroplasties that minimized technical errors of insertion.     

Aortopulmonary window with patent ductus arteriosus and interrupted aortic arch: A case report

Indian Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery -     

Dizziness and the autonomic dysfunction syndrome

Dizziness resulting from inner ear or CNS disease has been well described. However, there is a large number of patients for whom dizziness does not seem to be related to either the ears or the CNS. We postulate an abnormality in the autonomic nervous system of such patients and have used standard tilt testing and Valsalva methods to assess the abnormality. Based on the results of these tests, we can suggest therapeutic options.     

Multicenter retrospective development and validation of a clinical prediction rule for nosocomial invasive candidiasis in the intensive care setting

The study presented here was performed in order to create a rule that identifies subjects at high risk for invasive candidiasis in the intensive care setting. Retrospective review and statistical modelling were carried out on 2,890 patients who stayed at least 4 days in nine hospitals in the USA and Brazil; the overall incidence of invasive candidiasis in this group was 3% (88 cases). The best performing rule was as follows: Any systemic antibiotic (days 1–3) OR presence of a central venous catheter (days 1–3) AND at least TWO of the following—total parenteral nutrition (days 1–3), any dialysis (days 1–3), any major surgery (days −7–0), pancreatitis (days −7–0), any use of steroids (days −7–3), or use of other immunosuppressive agents (days −7–0). The rate of invasive candidiasis among patients meeting the rule was 9.9%, capturing 34% of cases in the units, with the following performance: relative risk 4.36, sensitivity 0.34, specificity 0.90, positive predictive value 0.01, and negative predictive value 0.97. The rule may identify patients at high risk of invasive candidiasis. Results of this project were partially presented at Focus on Fungal Infections 14, New Orleans, LA, USA, 2004. Abstract no. 51.     

Enterovesical fistula secondary to mucinous adenocarcinoma of appendix

We report an unusual case of an enterovesical fistula secondary to adenocarcinoma of the appendix.