How would Australian hospital staff react to an avian influenza admission,or an influenza pandemic?

Objective: To estimate the expected staff absentee rates and work attitudes in an Australian tertiary hospital workforce in two hypothetical scenarios: (i) a single admission of avian influenza; and (ii) multiple admissions of human pandemic influenza. Methods: A survey conducted at hospital staff meetings between May and August 2006. Results: Out of 570 questionnaires distributed, 560 were completed. For scenario one, 72 (13%) indicated that they would not attend work, and an additional 136 (25%) would only work provided that immunizations and/or antiviral medications were immediately available, so that up to 208 (38%) would not attend work. For scenario two, 196 (36%) would not attend work, and an additional 95 (17%) would work only if immunizations and/or antiviral medications were immediately available, so that up to 291 (53%) staff would not attend work. Staff whose work required them to be in the ED (odds ratios 2.2 and 1.6 for each scenario respectively) or on acute medical wards (odds ratios 2.2 and 2.0 respectively) were more likely to work. Conclusion: High absenteeism among hospital staff should be anticipated if patients are admitted with either avian or pandemic influenza, particularly if specific antiviral preventative measures are not immediately available. Measures to maximize the safety of staff and their families would be important incentives to attend work. Education on realistic level of risk from avian and pandemic influenza, as well as the effectiveness of basic infection control procedures and personal protective equipment, would be useful in improving willingness to work.     

Low triiodothyronine serum levels as a predictor of poor prognosis in burn patients

OBJECTIVE: Euthyroid sick syndrome is a common finding in critically ill patients with nonthyroidal illness, characterized by low serum levels of free triiodothyronine (fT3) with a peculiar increase in reverse T3 (rT3) and normal-to-low free thyroxine (fT4) as well as thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) levels. This condition has been proposed as a prognostic factor of worse outcome in critically ill patients, while no conclusive data are available in burns. METHODS: Since thyroid function testing is contained in our baseline laboratory tests at admission, we retrospectively evaluated fT3, fT4 and TSH in 295 consecutive burn patients admitted to the Burn Center of Turin from January 2002 to December 2006, comparing hormone levels in survivors and non-survivors. RESULTS: fT3 and TSH levels were significantly lower (p相似文献   

Electroanatomic mapping-guided endomyocardial biopsy in patients with apparently idiopathic ventricular arrhythmias

The management of ventricular arrhythmias (VA) in the presence of an apparently normal heart represents a major clinical challenge and a main field of clinical research. In the past years, new imaging techniques and the spreading of new generation genetic testing have improved our knowledge of the pathogenesis of apparently idiopathic VA. However, in the absence of specific recommendations, the type and the number of noninvasive and invasive studies necessary to rule out a possible underlying cause of VA or sudden cardiac death remain extremely variable. Therefore, in many patients the underlying cardiac disease is not recognized, and a possible specific therapeutic approach cannot be initiated. Endomyocardial biopsy (EMB) can provide a significant contribution to the identification of myocardial disorders causing VA but has never been definitively included in the routine diagnostic work-up of these patients due to the possible sampling error particularly in disorders with a focal or patchy distribution. Three-dimensional electroanatomic mapping (EAM) may guide EMB allowing to draw myocardial samples from abnormal voltage, areas of the ventricular wall, thus reducing sampling error and increasing the sensitivity of EMB. The systematic association of EAM with EMB represents a crucial approach to characterize the pathological substrate of electroanatomic abnormalities and VA and to further clarify the arrhythmogenic mechanisms of acquired and also inherited arrhythmic disorders.     

Advanced MRI imaging of nerve roots in lumbar radiculopathy due to discoradicular conflict: DWI,DTI, and T2 mapping with clinical and neurophysiological correlations

Purpose

To evaluate the lumbar nerve root alterations in patients with lumbar disc herniation sciatica using advanced multimodality MRI sequences and the correlations with clinical and neurophysiological findings.

Material and methods

We prospectively evaluated 45 patients suffering from unilateral lumbar radiculopathy due to disco radicular conflict. All patients underwent MRI examinations using a standard MRI protocol and additional advanced MRI sequences (DWI, DTI, and T2 mapping sequences). Relative metrics of ADC, FA, and T2 relaxation times were recorded by placing ROIs at the pre-, foraminal, and post-foraminal level, either at the affected side or the contralateral side, used as control. All patients were also submitted to electromyography testing, recording the spontaneous activity, voluntary activity, F wave amplitude, latency, and motor evoked potentials (MEP) amplitude and latency, both at the level of the tibialis anterior and the gastrocnemius. Clinical features (diseases duration, pain, sensitivity, strength, osteotendinous reflexes) were also recorded.

Results

Among clinical features, we found a positive correlation of pain intensity with ADC values of the lumbar nerve roots. The presence of spontaneous activity was correlated with lower ADC values of the affected lumbar nerve root. F wave and MEP latency were correlated with decreased FA values at the foraminal level and increased values at the post-foraminal level. The same neurophysiological measures correlated positively with pre-foraminal T2 mapping values and negatively with post-foraminal T2 mapping values. Increased T2 mapping values at the foraminal level were correlated with disease duration.

Conclusions

Evaluation of lumbar nerve roots using advanced MRI sequences may provide useful clinical information in patients with lumbar radiculopathy, potentially indicating active inflammation/myelinic damage (DTI, T2 mapping) and axonal damage/chronicity (DWI).

     

Bone echinococcosis with hip localization: A case report with evaluation of imaging features

Hydatid disease (HD) is a zoonotic parasitic disease caused by the larvae of Echinococcus. Bone echinococcosis is rare, accounting for 0.5% to 4% of all echinococcosis. We describe a particular case of pelvic echinoccosis. A 29-year-old man initially presents with pain in his left hip for several years. After an accidental fall from a tree, he suffered a fracture of the left acetabulum. X-rays and CT scans showed an osteolytic area of the acetabulum with bony cortical interruption. MR imaging demonstrated extensive area of osteostructural alteration of the iliac wing and the left acetabulum due to multiple cysts with enhancement of the walls after administration of Gadolinium-based contrast agents. A CT-guided biopsy of an osteolytic area was performed with diagnosis of echinococcus cyst. He underwent albendazole therapy and subsequently echinococcus cyst exeresis, bone curettage, and left hip arthroplasty. Twenty-two months after surgery, CT scan showed recurrence of disease. After 4 years and 6 months of chronic therapy CT scan showed an increase in size of the cyst at the site of the disease recurrence. Five years and 4 months after the first operation, a new cyst exeresis and pelvic bone curettage with implant retention was performed. This case report demonstrates that hydatid cysts should be considered as a possible cause for non-specific pelvic pain, especially in endemic locations.