Isolated Anisocoria as a Presenting Stroke Code Symptom is Unlikely to Result in Alteplase Administration

Background

Acute stroke codes may be activated for anisocoria, but how often these codes lead to a final stroke diagnosis or alteplase treatment is unknown. The purpose of this study was to assess the frequency of anisocoria in stroke codes that ultimately resulted in alteplase administration.

How current risk assessment and risk management methods for drinking water in The Netherlands cover the WHO water safety plan approach

In the Netherlands, safe and sufficient drinking water is provided to the general population by ten drinking water companies. To guarantee safe drinking water the World Health Organization (WHO) developed a Water Safety Plan (WSP), a Risk Assessment and a Risk Management (RA/RM) framework. The objective of the study was to identify legally required RA approaches, to document application of RA/RM activities at Dutch drinking water companies and to determine to what extent these RA/RM activities as a whole cover all the elements of the WHO WSP approach. This study could be of interest to both managers of large water utilities and decision makers.The assessment was performed by means of a policy review and interviews with two to four staff members involved in RA/RM from all ten Dutch drinking water companies combined with a joint workshop. The drinking water companies are well aware of the potential hazards and risks that can influence the drinking water quality. To guarantee the supply of safe and sufficient drinking water, the Dutch drinking water sector uses six different legally required RA/RM approaches. This study shows that by using the six legally required RA/RM approaches, all WSP steps are covered. WSP entails a generic risk assessment for identifying all hazards and hazardous events from source to tap, whereas the six legally required RA/RM each focus on specific risks at an advanced level. Each risk assessment provides information on specific hazards and hazardous events covering a part of the water supply chain. These legal requirements are complemented with additional RA/RM activities at sector and water company level such as codes of practices and standard operating procedures. The outcomes of all RA/RM approaches combined provide information from source to tap. When using multiple RA/RM approaches, it is crucial to share and combine information derived from the different activities.     

食管癌放疗中二次模拟定位临床探讨

目的：探讨食管癌放疗中间再次定位的必要性和重要性。方法：我院放疗科自1998年10月－2001年3月对356例食管癌患者行单纯放疗或放疗加化疗，356例患者照射全过程都进行二次模拟定位（第一次模拟定位后照射30－40GY／15－20次后进行第2次模拟定位）。比较分析前后二次模拟定位靶中心移位的情况。结果；靶中心移位＜0．5cm为157例，移位0．5－1．0cm为130例，移位＞1．0cm为69例。全部靶中心移位达55．90％。食管肿瘤长度＜5cm靶中心移位27例，5－8cm移位117例，病变长度＞8cm移位55例，P＜0．05；食管肿瘤发生于颈段，上胸段靶中心移位25例，而中、下段食管移位174例，P＜0．01。结论：食管肿瘤外照射达到一定剂量时，靶中心会出现不同程度的移位，肿瘤长度越长靶中心移位会更明显， 肿瘤位置越小，移位亦显著。因此，我们对食管癌患者放疗全过程必需进行2到3次定位，这样才能保证靶中心的精确度，以达到预期治疗目的。     

非霍奇金淋巴瘤采用CHOP方案治疗与护理

目的探讨NHL采用CHOP方案治疗中护理的重要性.方法对115例NHL采用CTX,750mg/m2 静滴第1日,VCR 1.4g/m2静滴第1.8日,PDN100mg/m2PO第1～5日,每21天为1周期,本组病例用药4～6个周期.结果顺利地完成了115例NHL的化疗,无1例出现化疗作用.结论肿瘤专科护理的措施是顺利完成化疗,减轻副作用,提高生活质量的保证.     

How Frequent Are Asthma Exacerbations in a Pediatric Primary Care Setting and Do Written Asthma Action Plans Help in Their Management?

Purpose. In the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Guidelines for the Diagnosis and Management of Asthma, the expert panel recommends that a written asthma action plan be provided for all patients with asthma. Studies evaluating the usefulness of the asthma action plan in children are limited. We aim to determine exacerbation frequency and usefulness of the asthma action plan in managing exacerbations that occur in a pediatric primary care setting. Methods. Caretakers of asthmatic children attending the general pediatric clinic in an inner-city hospital completed a one-page questionnaire covering topics such as asthma severity, frequency of exacerbations, and possession/usefulness of an asthma action plan. Although controversy exists over the definition of yellow and red zone exacerbations, we defined the yellow zone as symptoms that require albuterol more than three times a day or more than two nights in succession. The red zone was defined as symptoms requiring systemic corticosteroids and/or an urgent physician visit. Results. Seventy of 75 subjects completed the survey. Almost 80% of respondents carried the diagnosis of persistent asthma, whereas the remainder had intermittent asthma. Exacerbation frequency over a 3-month period was determined. Approximately 80% of children experienced at least one yellow zone episode: 42% had one or two yellow zone episodes, and 39.6% had between three and five episodes. Sixty-three percent of patients did not experience a single red zone exacerbation. Almost 75% (44 of 59) of subjects possessed an asthma action plan. Ninety percent (37 of 41) of respondents with action plans found the plan to be useful in managing exacerbations. Conclusion. Approximately four of every five asthmatic children seen in this primary care setting experienced a yellow zone exacerbation at least once during a 3-month period. One third experienced at least one red zone episode. Nine of every 10 caretakers with an action plan reported the asthma action plan to be of value in managing exacerbations.     

胶片剂量测量和验证方法的研究

目的设计和实现基于通用激光扫描仪的胶片剂量测量和验证系统。方法采用胶片饱和冲洗、非线性光学校正、多分辨率阈值滤波、离散傅里叶逆变换图像复原等方法,消除了普通扫描仪用于胶片剂量学定量处理中的各种伪影、噪声和畸变;采用过响应系数校正方法消除测量胶片对低能散射光子的过响应,改善了胶片剂量测量的准确性;采用γ结合NAT指标的方法对放疗计划进行二维定量验证,给出可视化图形表达和具有定量数据的验证结果。结果和三维水箱系统、VeriSoft胶片测量系统相比较,研制系统对放疗剂量的测量结果在±2%内符合一致,对IMRT放疗计划的定量验证结果在±3%内符合一致。结论该系统能够实现对放疗剂量的高精度测量和对适形调强放疗计划剂量的可靠验证。     

The Effect of Health Plan Characteristics on Medicare+Choice Enrollment

Objective. To provide national estimates of the effect of out-of-pocket premiums and benefits on Medicare beneficiaries' choice among managed care health plans.
Data Sources/Study Setting. The data represent the population of all Medicare+Choice (M+C) plans offered to Medicare beneficiaries in the United States in 1999.
Study Design. The dependent variable is the log of the ratio of the market share of the j th health plan to the lowest cost plan in the beneficiary's county of residence. The explanatory variables are measures of premiums and benefits in the j th health plan relative to the premiums and benefits in the lowest cost plan.
Data Collection Methods. The data are from the 1999 Medicare Compare database, and M+C enrollment data from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS).
Principal Findings. A $10 increase in an M+C plan's out-of-pocket premium, relative to its competitors, is associated with a decrease of four percentage points in the j th plan's market share (i.e., from 25 to 21 percent), holding the premiums of competing plans constant.
Conclusions. Although our price elasticity estimates are low, the market share losses associated with small changes in a health plan's premium, relative to its competitors, may be sufficient to discipline premiums in a competitive market. Bidding behavior by plans in the Medicare Competitive Pricing Demonstration supports this conclusion.     

分子吸附再循环系统对冠心病并发重度脓毒症患者心率和动脉压的影响

目的研究分子吸附再循环系统(MARS)对冠心病并发重度脓毒症患者心率和动脉压的影响.方法对2002年11月至2004年2月在ICU治疗的冠心病并发重度脓毒症患者所进行的12次床边MARS治疗有关资料进行回顾性分析和探讨.结果MARS治疗4 h后患者心率显著减慢,收缩压、舒张压和平均动脉压明显升高.结论MARS可改善MODS患者血流动力学指标.     

神经系统疾病患者血小板参数的变化及临床意义

目的 探讨神经系统疾病患者血小板参数的变化。方法 测定神经系统疾病患者血小板数(PLT)和平均血小板体积(MPV)，并与对照组作比较。结果 与对照组比较，脑梗死、椎-基底动脉供血不足患者PLT明显减少，MPV明显增大；脑出血组MPV、PLT均减少。结论 血小板参数的变化对神经系统疾病的诊断、预防和治疗有重要的参考价值。