Backgrounds: cholecystitis is a common disease in surgery. The rate of acute cholecystitis alone without gall stones in the literature is approximately 50-10% of all acute cholecystitis. In Vietnam, this prevalence is very high, up to 47% of acute cholecystitis alone and the disease is common in people over age 50, with a history of hypertension. Objectives: to descript clinical, paraclinical features, and results of acute cholecystitis surgical treatment (open surgery and laparoscopic surgery) in the elderly at Viet Duc Hospital. Subjectives and Method: a cross-sectional study was carried out on 119 patients aged 60 or older diagnosed with acute cholecystitis, was operated at the Viet Duc hospital from January 2006 to July 2006. Status of body organs was assessed by classification of the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA). Results: cholecystitis in the elderly was mainly caused by chronic inflammation due to stone (88.2%). The rate of acute inflammation accounts for 11.8%. Female (63.9%). The most commonly age group was from 60-69 years old. Scheduled surgery accounts for 75.6%, emergency surgery 24.4%. Open surgery accounted for 11.8%, laparoscopic surgery accounted for 84%. Earlier results: good 87.4%, average 8.4%, poor 4.2%. Results after 3 months: good result accounted for 88.7%. Conclussion: cholecystitis in the elderly was mainly caused by chronic inflammation due to stone. Surgical treatment was generally good results (including early and late results).
Cholecystitis/ pathology ; surgery ;

Background: Laparoscopic cholecystectomy is the first laparoscopic surgery that was performed at Cho Ray hospital in September 1992. In 2005, Quang Tri general hospital has performed successfully the first case of laparoscopic appendectomy. Objectives: To access the preliminary results of application on endoscopic surgery in Quang Tri general hospital. Subjects and method: A prospective study was conducted on 140 patients with laparoscopic surgery or retroperitoneal surgery, was performed in Quang Tri general hospital from September, 2005 to April, 2006. Results:Among 140 patients was operated, there was only one case of postoperative intestinal obstructive complication (accounted for 0.7%), no case of death. Operative aged was between 11 and 70 years old. The average surgical time was 65 minutes for cholecystectomy, 35 minutes for appendectomy, 85 minutes for ureterolithotomy, 80 minutes for gynecological diseases. 2 cases of cholecystectomy and appendectomy changed open surgery. Conclusion: Laparoscopic surgery is a safe and effective method. It can be developed in provincial hospitals. Quang Tri general hospital has successful preliminary developed the new technique.
Laparoscopy ;

Background: Sodium bicarbonate is highly alkaline and may be helpful in relieving symptoms of gout. Sodium bicarbonate helps to adjust your body's pH level, slightly creating an alkaline-forming state that lessens the likelihood of gout attacks. We can prepare sodium bicarbonate in several ways to treat gout symptoms. Objective: To examine the efficacy of sodium bicarbonate for treatment of gout. Subjects and method: A study was conducted in 54 patients with gout at Department of Rheumatology of Bach Mai hospital, from September 2006 to March 2007. Patients were divided into two groups, group 1 included 29 patients treated with intravenous sodium bicarbonate and group 2 included 25 patients treated with oral sodium bicarbonate. This was a descriptive, cross-sectional study. Results: No significant changes showed between serum uric acid level, 24-hour urine uric acid level at before and after treatment in 2 groups. Gout patients with renal failure had increased level of 24-hour urine uric acid after treatment (p < 0.05). There were significantly increased level of urine volume, urine pH and decreased level of urine specific gravity after treatment. The effect of sodium bicarbonate was not different between intravenous usage and oral usage. Conclusion: Sodium bicarbonate could change urine environment, limit crystallization of urine uric acid of gout patients.
Gout/ therapy

Background: Acute gastroenterophathy usually caused by the Rota virus for children under 5 years old. Objectives: To present various types of data on epidemiology of ROTA virus diarrhea in Ho Chi Minh city from 12/2006-11/2007. Material and method: The data were collected from 500 stool specimens of diarrhea diagnosed chilren hosptalised at Thuy Dien Pediatric hospital 1, Ho Chi Minh city from December/2006 to November /2007. Results:There were 322 rotavirus-positive specimens, representing 64.4%. The proportions of monthly distribution of cases with diarrhea due to rotavirus were 90.1%, 54.39%, 85.37%, 74.51%, 72.92%, 41.67%, 26.67%, 58.33%, 79.31%, 52.63%, 69.05% and 57.78%, respectively. The numbers of rotavirus-positive cases in male and female were 216 (65.26%) and 106 (62.72%), respectively. The proportions of Rota virus positive children compared to total number of diarrheal cases with age 0-3, 3-6, 6-12, 12-24, 24-36 and over 36 months were 2.80%, 7.76%, 40.06%, 40.68%, 5.28% and 3.42%, respectively.\r\n', u'The results of typing identification indicated that the phenotypes of 98 among 100 specimens were identified (98%) in which there were sixty-one specimens of G1P8 (61%), one specimen of G2P8 (1%), fourteen specimens of G3P8 (14%), four of specimens of G4P8 (4%), eighteen specimens of GmixedP8 (18%). There were only two specimens of GnontypeableP8 (2%). Conclusion: Further studies should be carried out to clear this issue.\r\n', u'
Rotavirus ; gel type.

Several factors presumed to facilitate the transmission of Taenia spp. were reported in Vietnam. We conducted a cross-sectional study taking questionnaires from 1,185 participants, and collecting 1,151 sera and 1,036 stool samples in northern Vietnam. Sera were examined for circulating antigens of Taenia solium cysticerci using ELISA, stools for Taenia eggs by Kato-Katz smear, and copro-antigens by ELISA. Ag-ELISA revealed 4.6% antigen positivity, indicating infection with viable cysticerci. Taenia eggs were detected in 1.5% of participants. Copro-antigens were found in 2.8% of participants. Eating raw meat and/or vegetables was significantly associated with the presence of copro-antigen (OR=8.6, 95% CI: 1.16-63.9, P=0.01). Considering the high taeniasis prevalence and the associated threat, public health attention should be given to treat the tapeworm carriers in the projected areas.

Several factors presumed to facilitate the transmission of Taenia spp. were reported in Vietnam. We conducted a cross-sectional study taking questionnaires from 1,185 participants, and collecting 1,151 sera and 1,036 stool samples in northern Vietnam. Sera were examined for circulating antigens of Taenia solium cysticerci using ELISA, stools for Taenia eggs by Kato-Katz smear, and copro-antigens by ELISA. Ag-ELISA revealed 4.6% antigen positivity, indicating infection with viable cysticerci. Taenia eggs were detected in 1.5% of participants. Copro-antigens were found in 2.8% of participants. Eating raw meat and/or vegetables was significantly associated with the presence of copro-antigen (OR=8.6, 95% CI: 1.16-63.9, P=0.01). Considering the high taeniasis prevalence and the associated threat, public health attention should be given to treat the tapeworm carriers in the projected areas.