Depression in palliative care patients – a prospective study

Psychological and psychiatric morbidity can be a major source of distress to terminally ill patients and their relatives and friends. A prospective study was carried out to determine the prevalence of undiagnosed depression in palliative care patients and to determine whether factors such as age, previous psychiatric history and perceived social support have any association with the development of depression when patients have advanced metastatic cancer. Patients aged between 18 and 70 years who had a prognosis of ≤6 months and who were receiving palliative care only for advanced metastatic cancer were interviewed using the Present State examination interview and a semi-structured interview to determine social support, information needs and past psychiatric history. One hundred patients were recruited and the prevalence of depression according to International Classification of Diseases 10 criteria was 22%. Perceived informal social support and past psychiatric history were not associated with being a case of depression but perceived information needs had a weak association. Younger patients and patients with breast cancer were more likely to be identified as being cases of depression. Further research is necessary to explore the aetiology and outcome of depression in palliative care. A high index of suspicion for depression should be maintained for younger patients with advanced metastatic cancer.     

The role of gold weight implants in the management of paralytic lagophthalmos

Background/aimThe study aims to evaluate the usage of gold weight implants and monitor complaints and comfort of patients.Materials and methodsA hundred and ninety-one implantations performed between January 2009 and January 2019 were analyzed. Seventy-eight patients included in this study The average age of the patients was 51.3 ± 14.5 years. Forty-five (57.7%) of them were male and 33 (42.3%) female. Patient satisfaction was measured with a questionnaire containing the most common complaints related to gold weight in the literature through telephone surveys.ResultsThe average follow-up time was 74.5 months. Ninety-three-point-five percent of subjects had operational causes, among which the most widespread was acoustic neuroma (44.9%). The average time between facial paralysis and implantation was 141.1 days. Implantation was performed 26.6 days on average after acoustic neuroma surgery and 3.2 days on average after temporal zone malignancy surgery. Thirty-eight patients had their implants removed over either complication (n = 14) or recovery (n = 24). Recovery was the fastest after facial nerve decompression (mean= 4.75 ± 3.6 (2–10) months) and the slowest after 7–12 cranial nerve transfer (mean= 18.3 ± 8.2 (3–31) months). Twenty-six-point-nine percent (n = 21) of patients had complications, of which the most common was extrusion (n = 10). The overall satisfaction rate was 88.5% with the highest in visual acuity and the lowest in continuous requirement for artificial tear. ConclusionThe gold weight implantation is an effective, reversible, and easy procedure significantly reducing complaints regarding paralytic lagophthalmos. Early implementation may be beneficial for ocular complications. A dynamic facial reanimation could terminate need of implant.     

国内康复医学相关资源网站综合评估与分析

目的：探讨网络技术在康复医学资源共享领域的运用。方法：收集近五年来国内有代表性的康复医学资源网站或网络技术，按照各自属性分为学术组织类、专职机构类、特色康复医疗专业类、个体类四组，从一般普通网站共有的特征以及与康复医学资源共享相关的指标两方面进行了分析和比较。结果：所有网站在一般的总体性能指标上差异并不明显，但在与资源共享相关的指标评测中，各类网站总体差异很大。结论：网络技术在康复医学资源共享领域的应用正处于发展阶段，诸多方面尚须深人探究，但将有限的资源最大化共享对推动康复医学事业的整体发展将起到难以估量的作用。     

The inhibition of Src kinase suppresses the production of matrix metalloproteinases in from synovial fibroblasts and inhibits MAPK and STATs pathways

Background/aimThe purpose of this study was to investigate the antiarthritic potentials of the inhibition of Src kinase in vivo and in vitro settings. Materials and methodsArthritis was induced by intradermal injection of chicken type II collagen combined with incomplete Freund’s adjuvant (collagen induced arthritis [CIA] model) in Wistar albino rats. One day after the onset of arthritis, dasatinib, a potent Src kinase inhibitor, (5 mg/kg/day) was given via oral gavage. Tissue Src, Fyn, MAPK and STAT mRNA expressions were determined by real-time polymerase chain reaction. On the other hand, fibroblast like synoviocytes (FLSs) were harvested patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) undergoing surgical knee joint replacement. FLSs were stimulated with cytokines and dasatinib was added in different concentrations. MMP –1, –3, and –13 levels in FLSs culture were determined by ELISA.ResultsThe tissue mRNA expressions of Src, Fyn, MAPK and STATs were increased in the arthritis CIA group compared to the control group. Their mRNA expressions in the CIA + dasatinib group were decreased and similar in the control group. In in vitro setting, MMP –1, –3, and –13 expressions from FLSs induced by IL-1β and TNF-α were increased, while dasatinib suppressed their productions from FLSs.ConclusionThe present study shows that the inhibition of Src kinase has antiarthritic potentials in both in vivo and in vitro settings. Src kinase inhibition may be candidate to further research in human RA.     

徐光星教授依主次病机从“燥”论治肺癌经验

[目的] 总结徐光星教授依主次病机从燥热伤肺、气阴不足论治肺癌的经验。[方法] 通过跟诊学习，整理相关医案，查阅历代中医文献及国医大师何任教授辨治肿瘤的相关论述与治疗肺癌验案，从病因病机、辨治思路两方面，分析徐教授依主次病机，从燥热伤肺、气阴不足辨治肺癌的临床经验，并佐以两则医案验证。[结果] 徐教授认为，肺癌的形成是由于正气内虚、邪毒侵袭、燥热伤肺、痰瘀互结所致，提出以燥热伤肺、气阴不足为主次病机治疗肺癌，并传承何任教授从益气养阴治疗中晚期肺癌的基本大法，治疗或以燥热伤肺、气阴不足为主病机，清热润燥、益气养阴为主法；或以燥热伤肺、气阴不足为次病机，化痰散结、活血化瘀、清热解毒为主法，兼以清热润燥、益气养阴。所附医案一辨为肺癌后期，以燥热伤肺、气阴不足为主病机，治拟益气养阴、清热润燥、化痰散结；医案二辨为肺癌中期，以痰热壅肺为主病机，燥热伤肺、气阴不足为次病机，治拟清热化痰、养阴润燥，均药治稳好。[结论] 徐光星教授以燥热伤肺、气阴不足为主次病机论治肺癌，疗效确切，临床实用，值得学习与推广。