Hip Displacement in Cerebral Palsy: The Role of Surveillance

IntroductionHip displacement is common in cerebral palsy (CP) and is related to the severity of neurological and functional impairment. It is a silent, but progressive disease, and can result in significant morbidity and decreased quality of life, if left untreated. The pathophysiology of hip displacement in CP is a combination of hip flexor-adductor muscle spasticity, abductor muscle weakness, and delayed weight-bearing, resulting in proximal femoral deformities and progressive acetabular dysplasia. Due to a lack of symptoms in the early stages of hip displacement, the diagnosis is easily missed. Awareness of this condition and regular surveillance by clinical examination and serial radiographs of the hips are the key to early diagnosis and treatment.Hip surveillance programmesSeveral population-based studies from around the world have demonstrated that universal hip surveillance in children with CP allows early detection of hip displacement and appropriate early intervention, with a resultant decrease in painful dislocations. Global hip surveillance models are based upon the patients’ age, functional level determined by the Gross Motor Function Classification system (GMFCS), gait classification, standardized clinical exam, and radiographic indices such as the migration percentage (MP), as critical indicators of progressive hip displacement.ConclusionDespite 25 years of evidence showing the efficacy of established hip surveillance programmes, there is poor awareness among healthcare professionals in India about the importance of regular hip surveillance in children with CP. There is a need for professional organizations to develop evidence-based guidelines for hip surveillance which are relevant to the Indian context.     

Ivermectin administration is associated with lower gastrointestinal complications and greater ventilator-free days in ventilated patients with COVID-19: A propensity score analysis

IntroductionCOVID-19 patients have been reported to have digestive symptoms with poor outcome. Ivermectin, an antiparasitic drug, has been used in COVID-19 patients. The objective of this study was to evaluate whether ivermectin has effects on gastrointestinal complications and ventilator-free days in ventilated patients with COVID-19.MethodsCOVID-19 patients who were mechanically ventilated in the ICU were included in this study. The ventilated patients who received ivermectin within 3 days after admission were assigned to the Ivermectin group, and the others were assigned to the Control group. Patients in the Ivermectin group received ivermectin 200 μg/kg via nasal tube. The incidence of gastrointestinal complications and ventilator-free days within 4 weeks from admission were evaluated as clinical outcomes using a propensity score with the inverse probability weighting method.ResultsWe included 88 patients in this study, of whom 39 patients were classified into the Ivermectin group, and 49 patients were classified into the Control group. The hazard ratio for gastrointestinal complications in the Ivermectin group as compared with the Control group was 0.221 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.057 to 0.855; p = 0.029) in a Cox proportional-hazard regression model. The odds ratio for ventilator-free days as compared with the Control group was 1.920 (95% CI, 1.076 to 3.425; p = 0.027) in a proportional odds logistic regression model.ConclusionsIvermectin improved gastrointestinal complications and the number of ventilator-free days in severe COVID-19 patients undergoing mechanical ventilation. Prevention of gastrointestinal symptoms by SARS-Cov-2 might be associated with COVID-19 outcome.     

基于DTI评价急性缺血性脑卒中运动功能缺损程度与肾虚髓亏证的相关性研究＊

目的 运用核磁共振弥散张量成像技术（DTI），从皮质脊髓束损伤程度评价的角度，探讨肾虚髓亏证与急性缺血性脑卒中运动功能缺损程度相关性，丰富中风病病机及证候诊断，拓宽缺血性脑卒中的中医药防治思路，为急性缺血性脑卒中肾虚髓亏证患者运动功能损伤程度提供临床依据，强调肾虚髓亏证在急性缺血性脑卒中运动功能损伤中的重要意义。方法 纳入符合诊断标准的90例病例，根据证候分别归入肾虚髓亏组和非肾虚髓亏组，每组各45例。每组患者均给予常规西药治疗。对两组患者入院后行弥散张量成像检测，同时分别于治疗前及治疗后14天，记录两组患者NIHSS评分、改良Barthel指数量表及简化Fugl-Meyer运动功能评分量表评分，比较两组病例发病时的轻重程度及治疗前后两组病例组间的恢复差异。结果 研究显示，治疗前肾虚髓亏组在NIHSS评分方面高于非肾虚髓亏组（P<0.05）；治疗前肾虚髓亏组在改良Barthel指数量表及简化Fugl-Meyer运动功能评分方面低于非肾虚髓亏组（P<0.05）。治疗前后NIHSS评分、改良Barthel指数评分及简化Fugl-Meyer运动功能评分改善情况，非肾虚髓亏组要优于肾虚髓亏组（P<0.05）。治疗前两组患者在健侧内囊后肢及大脑脚外侧处FA值及ADC值无明显差异；肾虚髓亏组在患侧内囊后肢及大脑脚外侧处FA值及ADC值均低于非肾虚髓亏组（P<0.05）。相关性分析得出，两组患者患侧内囊后肢FA值与患者治疗前NIHSS评分呈负相关；两组患者患侧内囊后肢FA值与患者改良Barthel指数评分及简化Fugl-Meyer运动功能评分呈正相关；肾虚髓亏组患者患侧内囊后肢FA值与肾虚髓亏证中医证候评分呈负相关。结论 肾虚髓亏是急性缺血性脑卒中运动功能障碍的重要病机。研究结果显示，两组皮质脊髓束损伤程度与神经功能及运动功能损伤存在相关性，且肾虚髓亏组在皮质脊髓束的损伤程度方面与其中医证候评分呈负相关。     

Is routine extubation overnight safe in cardiac surgery patients?

Objectives

Expedient extubation after cardiac surgery has been associated with improved outcomes, leading to postoperative extubation frequently during overnight hours. However, recent evidence in a mixed medical-surgical intensive care unit population demonstrated worse outcomes with overnight extubation. This study investigated the impact of overnight extubation in a statewide, multicenter Society of Thoracic Surgeons database.

Dual wavelength 5-aminolevulinic acid photodynamic therapy using a novel flexible light-emitting diode unit

Background

Photosensitizers used for photodynamic therapy (PDT) to treat dermatologic disease are metabolized into mainly protoporphyrin IX (PpIX), which has five absorption wavelength peaks: 410?nm, 510?nm, 545?nm, 580?nm, and 630?nm. Although only red light around 635?nm and blue light around 400?nm are used as light sources for PDT, the efficiency of PDT might be improved by using multiple wavelengths, including those that correspond to the other absorption peaks of PpIX. Furthermore, because the target disease often occurs on the face, a flexible-type light-source unit that can be fitted to the lesion without unnecessarily exposing the mucous membranes, e.g., the eyes, nostrils, and mouth, is preferred.

Incidence of pressure ulcers in intensive care units and direct costs of treatment: Evidence from Iran

Background and objective

Pressure ulcer (PU) is one of the important and frequent complications of hospitalization, associated with high treatment costs. The present study was conducted to determine the incidence of PU and its direct treatment costs for patients in intensive care unit (ICU) in Iran.

Relationship between EMG-detected and ultrasound-detected fasciculations in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: A prospective cohort study

ObjectivesFasciculation potentials (FP) are an important consideration in the electrophysiological diagnosis of ALS. Muscle ultrasonography (MUS) has a higher sensitivity in detecting fasciculations than electromyography (EMG), while in some cases, it is unable to detect EMG-detected fasciculations. We aimed to investigate the differences of FP between the muscles with and without MUS-detected fasciculations (MUS-fas).MethodsThirty-one consecutive patients with sporadic ALS were prospectively recruited and in those, both needle EMG and MUS were performed. Analyses of the amplitude, duration, and number of phases of EMG-detected FPs were performed for seven muscles per patient, and results were compared between the muscles with and without MUS-fas in the total cohort.ResultsThe mean amplitude and phase number of FP were significantly lower in patients with EMG-detected FP alone (0.39 ± 0.25 mV and 3.21 ± 0.88, respectively) than in those with both FP and MUS-fas (1.22 ± 0.92 mV and 3.74 ± 1.39, respectively; p < 0.0001 and p = 0.017, Welch’s t-test).ConclusionSmall FP may be undetectable with MUS. MUS cannot replace EMG in the diagnostic approach for ALS.SignificanceClinicians should use a combination of EMG and MUS for the detection and quantitative analysis of fasciculation in ALS.