Telemedicine: a cautious welcome

Telemedicine is a major new development. Having become technically and economically feasible, it deserves proper investigation. Rushing into equipment purchase, however, is almost certain to prove counterproductive. Face to face contact is fundamental to health care and enthusiasts of telemedicine should recognise that it is not as good as the real thing (and unlikely ever to be). However, constraints on time and resources will make face to face consultation increasingly expensive, and telemedicine has the potential to produce major efficiencies in the diagnostic process. The goal of current research is therefore to marry medicine with technology, capitalising on the advantages of telemedicine and producing a robust system that delivers an acceptable service at an appropriate price.     

Social psychological contributions to a legislative subcommittee on organ and tissue transplants.

Considers the role of the psychologist in public policymaking. The specific medico-legal issues related to organ and tissue transplants from minor donors are reviewed, along with the background of a subcommittee of the Massachusetts Special Legislative Commission Concerning Human Clinical Investigation and Experimental Therapy. Substantive social psychological contributions to the subcommittee are reported. The psycholgist's role in public policy is reconsidered; emphasis is placed on the need for (a) training in the application of basic-research knowledge to social problems, and (b) preparation for assuming more active policymaking roles. (2 p ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Early neutrophil sequestration after injury: a pathogenic mechanism for multiple organ failure

Polymorphonuclear neutrophils (PMNs) play a pivotal role in the inflammation that precedes multiple organ failure (MOF). In a rat model of MOF, PMNs become primed for enhanced superoxide anion (O2-) release and CD11b expression, sequester in end organs, and produce organ failure. Therefore, we hypothesized that circulating PMNs harvested in the first 24 hours after injury from trauma patients at risk for MOF would (1) exhibit a primed O2- release, (2) upregulate CD11b expression, and (3) show evidence of sequestration in tissues. Extracellular PMN O2- release and CD11b receptor expression were measured at 3, 6, 12, and 24 hours after injury in 33 torso trauma patients with Injury Severity Scores > 15; eight patients (24%) developed MOF. Healthy adults served as controls. PMNs after injury were primed for enhanced in vitro O2- release at 3, 6, 12, and 24 hours after injury, indicating prior in vivo priming. CD11b expression was also increased at 6, 12, and 24 hours after injury. Circulating PMN numbers increased sharply at 3 hours after injury, before decreasing dramatically at 6 and 12 hours, suggesting end organ sequestration. At 12 hours after injury, declines in circulating PMNs were significantly greater in MOF than in non-MOF patients (p < 0.05). These data indicate that PMNs are quickly mobilized into the circulation after injury and then primed for enhanced O2- release and CD11b expression. PMN priming appears to be a necessary preamble to PMN sequestration in patients with major torso trauma. Upregulation of PMN function, accompanied by subsequent end organ sequestration, may represent an important early event in the pathogenesis of MOF after injury.     

In defence of transplants: a case report

This article reviews the transplantation of maxillary canines: indications, contraindications, surgical technique, and success rates. A successful case is illustrated.     

Laparoscopic ultrasound: a valuable adjunct to laparoscopic surgery

Laparoscopic ultrasound represents a recent merger in the laparoscopic technology and intraoperative ultrasound and shows a diagnostic accuracy higher than preoperative studies. Laparoscopic ultrasound can be used during laparoscopic cholecystectomy to screen the bile duct. It is particularly useful for diagnosing and staging malignancies, including hepatobiliary, pancreatic and gastroesophageal cancers. By demonstrating the interior of organs and deep structures, it can compensate for the limitation of laparoscopic examination. Laparoscopic ultrasound will become a valuable adjunct to laparoscopic surgery.     

Glial reactions to lesions in neural transplants: a preliminary study

We encountered a 65-year-old man with tracheobronchopathia osteoplastica with "rock garden" findings on fiberoptic bronchoscopy. Many nodular elevated lesions were seen on all sides of the trachea and main bronchi except the membranous portion. The diagnosis was confirmed by examination of a biopsy specimen.     

Recurrence of haemolytic-uraemic syndrome in renal transplants: a single-centre report

BACKGROUND: The incidence of recurrence of haemolytic-uraemic syndrome (HUS) in renal allografts appears to vary by centre, with the highest rates reported from the University of Minnesota. It is possible that the high rate of HUS recurrence at this institution reflects a transplant population skewed towards patients with a form of HUS that is more likely to recur in the allograft. METHODS: This study examined whether the initial episode of HUS in the native kidneys was preceded by a diarrhoeal prodrome ('classical HUS') or not ('atypical HUS'), and evaluated transplant outcomes in 24 patients who received 36 transplants at the University of Minnesota between 31 May 1972 and 31 December 1994. RESULTS: Eighteen of the 24 patients had atypical HUS, three had classical HUS, and in three patients the presence or absence of a diarrhoeal prodrome could not be determined. Recurrent HUS, defined as microangiopathic haemolytic anaemia, thrombocytopenia, renal insufficiency, and allograft biopsy findings compatible with HUS, occurred 16 times in 14 grafts in 11 patients. Nine of these patients had atypical HUS, one had classical HUS, and in one the nature of the prodrome could not be determined. Eleven of the 14 initial recurrences took place within 2 months of transplant. Recurrence was not more frequent in patients who received cyclosporin or antilymphocyte preparations. Actuarial analysis using matched controls showed poorer graft survival in patients with a primary diagnosis of HUS (P = 0.007), due to the high frequency of graft loss in HUS patients with recurrence. CONCLUSION: Based upon these data and a review of the literature, it can be concluded that the risk of recurrence of HUS in the allograft is confined almost entirely to patients with atypical forms of HUS.     

Survival after a massive hydrofluoric acid ingestion

We measured the urinary excretion of nitrite/nitrate, stable metabolites of nitric oxide, using the brucine method in 90 healthy normal children (47 boys and 43 girls), aged from 1.0 to 17.1 years, to establish the age-related normal range in children. The urinary nitrite/nitrate excretion was highest in the youngest children and decreased in an age-dependent manner to reach constant levels at about 12 years of age in both sexes. The data may be useful in identifying sick children with abnormal nitric oxide production.     

Postinjury multiple organ failure: a bimodal phenomenon

To better define the epidemiology of postinjury multiple organ failure (MOF), we prospectively evaluated 457 high-risk trauma patients who survived more than 48 hours. Overall, 70 (15%) developed MOF. In 27 (39%) patients, the occurrence was early, while in 43 (61%) patients the presentation was delayed. At presentation, early MOF had more cardiac dysfunction, while late MOF had greater hepatic failure. Indices of shock were more critical risk factors for early MOF, while advanced age was more important for late MOF. While early and late MOF had a similar high incidence of major infections, these appeared to be more important in precipitating late MOF. Finally, while mortality is similar, early MOF patients appear to succumb faster. In conclusion, postinjury MOF remains a significant challenge and appears to present in at least two patterns (i.e., early versus late). Better understanding of the relative roles of the dysfunctional inflammation and infections in early MOF versus late MOF may facilitate the development of new strategies for the prevention and treatment of morbid syndrome.     

Personal performance profiles: a useful adjunct to quality assurance in cervical cytology

The purpose of this study was to determine whether the morphology of the midface differed in subjects with a retrognathic midfacial appearance (Class III malocclusions) using a combination of morphometric and cephalometric analyses. After obtaining appropriate consent, lateral cephalographs of 133 children of European-American descent, ages 5-11 years, were compared: 73 had Class III malocclusion, 60 had normal (Class I) occlusion. The cephalographs were traced and subdivided into seven age- and sex-matched groups. Average geometries based upon seven nodes (pterygoid point, PTS; rhinion, RO; posterior nasal spine, PNS; midpalatal point, MPP; anterior nasal spine, ANS; subspinale, A; prosthion, Pr), scaled to an equivalent size, were compared using a Procrustes routine. Euclidean distance matrix analysis (EDMA) was employed to localize differences in morphology. Bivariate analyses on unscaled data utilizing nine linear and six angular measurements were also undertaken. Results from Procrustes and EDMA analyses indicated that although the overall midfacial configurations differed statistically (P < 0.05), only about half of the seven age sub-groups maintained significance. Similarly, only four of the nine linear measures (PNS-MPP, MPP-ANS, A-Pr and PTS-RO) and two of the six angular parameters (PTS-RO-ANS and ANS-A-Pr) tested were significantly different (P < 0.05). Therefore, midfacial morphometric variability and morphological diversity may mask statistical differences. It is concluded that the midface may be the defining craniofacial component in the final appearance of Class III malocclusions compared to other craniofacial components, including the cranial base and mandible.     

Needle-knife papillotomy: a helpful and safe adjunct to endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography in a selected population

BACKGROUND AND STUDY AIMS: Needle-knife papillotomy (NKP) has been shown to be a useful alternative when standard techniques fail to provide access during ERCP. A retrospective review was conducted to reevaluate the indications, efficacy, and complications of NKP at a tertiary referral center. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A total of 1205 therapeutic endoscopic retrograde cholangiography procedures (ERCPs) were reviewed. Sixty-eight patients (5.6%) had undergone NKP after an established algorithm of techniques had failed to provide access. The NKP results were analyzed in two periods, including initial experience with 470 ERCPs (group 1, NKP n = 22) and later experience with 735 patients (group 2, NKP n = 46). RESULTS: Immediate free cannulation in group 1 was achieved in 14 of 22 patients (64%), vs. 34 of 46 (74%) in group 2. The delayed cannulation rate was five of eight patients in group 1 (62.5%) vs. 11 of 12 in group 2 (92%). The success rate was 19 of 22 patients in group 1 (86%) vs. 45 of 46 in group 2 (98%). The overall success rate was 64 of 68 (94%). Successful cannulation led to a therapeutic intervention in 94% of these patients. A complication rate of 6%, without mortality, was noted. CONCLUSIONS: NKP is a valuable tool that allows a high success rate for cannulation, with a low complication rate. The success rate increases with operator experience. NKP should be carried out by experienced endoscopists after standard maneuvers fail to provide access, and when cannulation is likely to be followed by a therapeutic intervention.     

Multiple system organ failure: a study of outcome

One hundred patients with Multiple System Organ Failure (MSOF) were studied. The precipitating factors were infections, poisoning, metabolic disorders, surgical disorders and cardiac arrest resulting in an overall mortality of 65%. Mean inpatient stay was 3.86 days, being significantly longer in patients who survived (6.25 days). Age, sex, addictions and premorbid health did not affect outcome. GIT (89%), CNS (81%) and Liver failure (62%) were seen most commonly. Highest mortalities were observed with RS (81.2%), CVS (80.37%) and CNS (76.5%). The mortality with 2,3,4,5,6 and 7 OSF was 8.3%, 18.7%, 70%, 92%, 100% and 100% respectively. The mortality was highest (50.76%) on the first day of MSOF and during the initial 48 hours of the total duration of disease. The method proposes an easily reproducible way to evaluate severity of illness and predicting outcome in acute MSOF.     

Autologous platelet concentrate as an adjunct in macular hole healing: a pilot study

PURPOSE: A pilot study was undertaken to assess the efficacy of autologous platelets in macular hole healing. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Eight eyes of eight patients with stage 3 or 4 macular holes, two of which had failed to heal after previous vitrectomy and gas tamponade, were included. The procedure consisted of pars plana vitrectomy with removal of posterior cortical vitreous, stripping of associated epimacular membranes, 15% perfluoroethane-air tamponade, and instillation of autologous platelet concentrate onto the posterior pole. Strict postoperative facedown positioning was observed for 12 days. Postoperative evaluation included visual acuity measurement, biomicroscopic macular appearance and scanning laser ophthalmoscope examination. The follow-up period ranged from 3 to 13 months (mean, 7 months). RESULTS: Of eight eyes, flattening of the surrounding retina and closure of the hole were achieved in seven (87.5%). Visual acuity improved two lines or more in four eyes (50%) Four eyes (50%) reached a postoperative visual acuity of 20/50 or more. Increased nuclear sclerosis was observed in six eyes (75%), and retinal detachment occurred in two eyes (25%). CONCLUSIONS: Autologous platelet concentrate administered peroperatively in full-thickness macular holes seems to be a safe and effective adjunct to vitrectomy with removal of posterior hyaloid and gas tamponade. A larger multicenter randomized prospective study is underway to verify these encouraging results before advocating the use of autologous platelets in macular hole surgery.     

A spectrophotometric assay of folic acid concentrations in rats: correlations with age and organ

Spectrophotometric assays have been used to determine FA concentration in tissue homogenates from various organs (liver, kidneys, brain, spleen) in white rats; these studies were undertaken to test the age--and organ--dependent variations of FA concentrations in tissue homogenates. The results showed a marked decrease of FA concentration in the adult group of rats when related to the young group, and in the aged group when compared to the adults respectively. Analysing the determined values of folates in tissue homogenates of various organs (in rats belonging to the same group of age), the highest concentration has been found in the liver homogenate, followed in decreasing order by kidneys and to a much greater distance, by the brain and spleen.