The surgical risk of colectomy in patients with cirrhosis

The records of 54 patients with documented cirrhosis who underwent colectomy between January 1970 and January 1984 were studied to assess the operative risk and to determine the preoperative predictive risk factors. In-hospital mortality was 24 percent (13 patients), and postoperative complications occurred in 48 percent (26 patients). The risk of surgical intervention was significantly increased if encephalopathy, ascites, anemia, or hypoalbuminemia was present before operation. A simple operative risk index involving the presence of encephalopathy and ascites and the levels of hemoglobin and albumin is proposed to help distinguish a low-risk subgroup in whom postoperative mortality was 12.8 percent from a high-risk subgroup in whom postoperative mortality was 53.3 percent.     

Knowledge and beliefs about tuberculosis among non-working women in Ravensmead, Cape Town

The results of a community-based survey on knowledge and beliefs about tuberculosis in non-working women are presented. The women in the sample showed a very good knowledge of the important aspects of tuberculosis: 90% were aware that it is a problem in their area; 97% knew that it affects the chest; 94% said that it could be fatal; 85% considered it to be infectious and 88% knew that the local clinic provided treatment. Their knowledge of symptoms was good overall but the study revealed misconceptions about the causes and transmission of tuberculosis; 16% indicated that they would not be keen to associate with people with tuberculosis owing to fear of infection. The design effect of cluster sampling was considered in the analysis. The highest design effects (i.e. the most clustering of responses) were found for responses to questions on the causes of tuberculosis and places where treatment could be obtained, possibly reflecting that these beliefs are influenced by neighbourhood contacts. Future tuberculosis education in this group needs to build on existing knowledge and awareness and should focus on changing attitudes such as misconceptions about transmission and the stigmatisation of the disease. Health workers face the challenge of changing behaviour in this community to ensure that people with symptoms present early for screening and that people diagnosed as having tuberculosis comply with treatment.     

Protection against the toxicity of microcystin-LR and cylindrospermopsin in Artemia salina and Daphnia spp. by pre-treatment with cyanobacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS)

Purified cyanobacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS) was not acutely toxic to three aquatic invertebrates (Artemia salina, Daphnia magna and Daphnia galeata) in immersion trials. However, pre-exposure (24 h) to 2 ng mL⁻¹ LPS increased the LC₅₀ of microcystin-LR significantly in all 3 species. Similar results were observed with A. salina pre-treated with the same concentration of cyanobacterial LPS and subsequently exposed to cylindrospermopsin, increasing the LC₅₀ by 8. The findings indicate the need to include exposures to defined combinations of cyanotoxins, and in defined sequences, to understand the contributions of individual cyanotoxins in accounting for cyanobacterial toxicity to invertebrates in natural aquatic environments.     

Relationship of knee joint proprioception to pain and disability in individuals with knee osteoarthritis.

Proprioception plays an integral role in neuromotor control of the knee joint and deficits in knee joint proprioception are well documented in individuals with knee osteoarthritis (OA). However, the functional relevance of these deficits is not clear. This cross-sectional study evaluated the relationship between knee joint proprioception and pain and disability in a large cohort of individuals with knee OA. Two hundred and twenty participants (145 F, 75 M) with symptomatic knee OA were recruited from the community. Five non-weight bearing active tests with ipsilateral limb matching responses were performed at 20 degrees and 40 degrees flexion to measure knee joint position sense. Pain and disability were assessed by self-reported questionnaires and objective measures of balance and gait. Results showed little association between knee joint position sense variables and measures of pain and disability (r values <0.24, most p>0.05). When comparing participants with the worst and best joint position sense, no significant differences in pain and disability could be found (p>0.05). While our study design does not allow causality to be established, these results suggest that deficits in joint position sense may be due to factors other than pain and that deficits are not large enough to impact upon disability.