Ultrasonic pachymetry was carried out in 300 eyes of normal, myopic, and senile cataract patients with Alcon Surgical Pachymeter. The mean central corneal thickness was 0.527mm+/- 0.034mm. Corneal thickness wa significantly correlated with age, axial length, and sex. No statistical correlation was found between corneal thickness and the right or left eyes, corneal curvature, and ocular tention (within normal range). Pachymetric results were consistent if a good applanation of the probe occurred. Thus, reliable data could only be obtained by skilled user.
Ultrasonics ; Eye

Background: Flail chest is a severe condition of thoracic trauma, and it requires diagnosis and treatment as soon as possible. From year 2000, we developed an improved technique of open fixation in order to adapt the situations of Vietnam health settings. Objectives: To report preliminary results of application of improved open fixation technique in Viet Duc Hospital from 2001 to 2006. Subjects and method: This descriptive, prospective and retrospective study involved 19 patients with flail chest due to closed thoracic trauma or multiple traumas, treated by open fixation technique. The parameters included features of patients, characteristics of this technique and postoperative progression.Results: Of 19 patients, there were 16 males and 3 females, mean age: 47.8 years. All patients presented obvious signs of flail chest preoperatively, but only 9 cases were treated by open fixation technique and pleural drainage immediately. This technique canbe applied in all sugical settings with single local anaesthesia, and any kind of common surgical threads. The most suitable initial pulled weight is 2000 g. All cases of flail chest required pleural drainage. All patients had good outcomes with open fixation technique, no death. There were 3 patients with postoperative complications, all were severe multiple trauma patients. Conclusion: Improved open fixation technique applied in Viet Duc Hospital is simple, effective and safe, and can be widely used in all surgical settings.
Flail Chest ; Flank Pain/ therapy ;

Background: Acinetobacter spp are present everywhere in the environment and cause many epidemics in tropical countries.\r\n', u'Objectives: This study aims to learn about the status of multidrug resistance in ubiquitous and domination acinetobacter Spp caused nosocomial infections. Subjects and method: A descriptive, epidemiologic cross-sectional study on 65 nosocomial Acinetobacter spp isolated from 244 patients hospitalized at the intensive-care units, Bach Mai hospital and burn patients from the National Burn Institute from April, 2007 to May, 2008. Results: Rates of A.baumannii were 70.8% of the isolates. Acinetobacter spp were isolated from patients in intensive-care units showed resistant to almost all commercially available antibiotics groups, among Penicillin ranged from 94.6 to 97.4%; beta- Lactam ranged from 80.5 to 90%; Cephems were 97.6%; Aminoglycosides group ranged from 62.5 to 100% and Quinolon were 100%. The isolates that were susceptible to Netilmycin was 35% and Imipenem was 34.1%. Acinetobacter spp were isolated from burn patients, which showed resistant to Penicillin was 86, 7%; beta- Lactam was 93, 3%; Aminoglyco- sides ranged from 25% to 87.5% and Quinolon was 81,3%. The isolates were susceptible to Netilmycin was 75% and Imipenem was 31.3%. \r\n', u'Conclusion: Analysis of risk factors may help the study of epidemiology Acinetobacter to prevent hospital infections and reduce the mortality rate. \r\n', u'
Acinetobacter spp ; nosocomial infections

Background: Strains caused by hospital-acquired infections as acommon rule havehigh multiantimicrobial resistance andincrease the dispersal risks ofthese strains. Objectives: To learn about the status of multidrug resistance in ubiquitous and dominant pseudomonas aeruginosa in Ha Noi hospital. Subjects and method: 138nosocomial Pseudomonas aerug.\r\n', u'Results:114 nosocomial Pseudomonas aerug- inosa isolates from Hanoi hospital were studied in relation to their antibiotic susceptibilities and the results showed the ratesof resistance to antibiotics among beta lactams ranged from 29 to 41.7%; quinolones ranged from 45.7% to 47.3%; cephems ranged from 64.1 % to 74.4% and aminoglyy cosides ranged from 41.1 to 74,6%. Of the five dominant serogroups O12 (27.2%); O11 (18.4%); O16 (11.4%); O5 (6.1%) and O2 (5.3%). Multidrug resistance rates in the major serogroups were O16 (100%); O11 (95.2%); and O12 (93.5%).Conclusion: Efforts to monitor antibiotic resistance of hospital bacteria strainsnationalwide, regional and local levels is necessary to provide physicians with the selection of information for effective treatment. \r\n', u'\r\n', u'
multidrug resistance ; pseudomonas aeruginosa ;

Background: Hypertensive with impaired fasting glucose is the basic expression of metabolic syndrome. Objectives: To study the IR and the correlation between Fasting Plasma Insulin (FPI) and Fasting Plasma Glucose (FPG) concentration in hypertensive patients with Impaired Fasting Glucose (IFG). Subjects and method: The descriptive, cross-sectional study was carried out on 38 hypertensive patients with IFG (IFG group) and 30 hypertensive patients without IFG (control group). The data were collected and analyzed by SPSS 11.5 software. Results:The FPI and IR index in the IFG group were 14.6+/-5.2 micro mol/ml and 3. 94+/- l.40, respectively, higher than in the control group (9.6+/-4.2 micro mol/ml and 2.17+/-0.99/ respectively) with p<0.00l. There was a positive correlation between FPI and FPG systolic blood and diastolic blood pressure/ with correlation coefficients were 0.4/ 0.48 and 0.46/ respectively (p<0.00l). Conclusion: There was an increase of FPI and IR index in the hypertensive patients with IFG compared to those without IFG. \r\n', u'\r\n', u'
Insulin resistance ; hypertensive patients ; impaired fasting glucose.

Background: In the past decades, preventive medicine had achieved significant success by promoting the effective prevention. However, we were facing with the rising again of dangerous infectious diseases that had been controlled. Ministry of Health had approved the development support project for preventive medicine system to strengthen early detection and control diseases in time. Objectives: To survey the manpower and the demand for training in basic microbiology technique of Centres for preventive medicine. Subjects and method: Technicians of 29 centres for preventive medicine in North provinces were surveyed and the results were studied by the described cross method. Results: Number of technicians graduated difference, fluctuated from 3 to 14 person per unit. The women were 80.4%; men were 19.6%. The staff who have degrees of postgraduate was 5.3%; University graduated was 41.2%; middle-ranking was 53.6%. Their specialities were very different: medicine doctor was 15.2%; biologists were 8.8%. The rest were nurse, technicians convalesce nurse, Medical Public Health...(34.4%). Among the demand for obtain the train in Microbiology, basic and advance labiratory techniques, 19.4% were the requests for training in basic microbiology; 16.4% were for molecular technology; 21.4% were for bacterium isolate technology and 19.4% were for virus technology. Conclusion: The results were the basis of creating a appropriate technical training strategy to contribute to the success of the project.
Clinical Laboratory Techniques ; Education

Background: Acute lower respiratory tract infection, mainly pneumonia, were the main reasons cause death for children under 5 years old. Objectives: Determine the isolated rate of bacteria inpatients under 5 years old with acute lower respiratory tract infection in Ha Noi and antibiotic resistance of pneumococcal isolated form patients. Subjects and method: Patients under 5 years old with acute lower respiratory tract infection in National hospital of pediatrics and Bach Mai hospital from 01/2002. Using quantitative culturedand PCR method. Results: Out of total 164 patients with lower respiratory tract infection, there were 91 diagnosed pneumonia by chest X-ray, 73 cases of acute bronchitis. 73,6% of the pneumococcal isolated were penicillin resistance (gPRSP) with different genes such as pbp 1a+2x+ab. Most of the S.pneumoniae strains were serotype 19F or 23F. There were no statistic differences by comparison charactersistics of weight, vessel, subclinical symptoms such as: dissolved oxygen level (S\xac\xacp\xac\xac\xac\xacO\xac2\xac), the amount of leucocyte in blood. However, temperature of pneumonia patients was higher than bronchitis patients, breathing of pneumonia patients was also faster than bronchitis patients. Isolated bacteria with amount \ufffd?106 cfu/ml was H.influenzae, S.pneumoniae and Moraxell catarrhalis in pneumonia group, bronchitis group was 28,8% and control group was 17,1%. Conclusion: Penicillin, erythoromycin and co-trimoxazole resistance rate of S.pneumoniaein patients with acute lower respiratory tract infection was high. Quantitative cultured method has prognostic value in diagnosis pneumonia.
Genes ; MDR/ drug effects ; immunology ; Streptococcus pneumoniae/ growth & ; development ; Anti-Bacterial Agents

Background: Streptococcus pneumonia (S.pneumoniae) is the main cause of acquired pneumonia in the community along with otitis media, sinusitis, septicemia and meningitis. Objectives: The study determined antimicrobial resistance and serotype distribution of Streptococcus pneumonia isolates from hospitalized children at Hai Phong Children's Hospital, Vietnam. Subjects and method: From June 2006 to September 2007, 80 pneumococccal isolates were tested for susceptibility to the 13 antibiotics and 84 pneumococcal isolates were serotyped. Results:Seventy-five percent of strains showed multi-drug resistance. Ninety percent of strains showed resistance to penicillin (48% intermediate and 42% fully resistant). In addition, 100% of isolates were resistant to cotrimoxazole, 74% of isolates were resistant to cephalexin; 71 % of isolates were resistant to erythroomycin and 58% were resistant to cefuroxxime. Almost all the isolates were susceptible to amoxicillin, cefotaxime, ceftriaxone, ceefepime, ofloxacin and 100% of isolates were susceptible to vancomycin. Among the 84 serotypes, 82% were included in the 23 valent pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine including: 19F (30%), 23F (21 %), 14 (13%) and 6B (13%). Six other serotypes (13, 15C, 18, 11A, 15B and 6A) accounted for 12% of strains and 9 (11%) strains were untypeable. Conclusion: Pneumococcal antibiotics is spreading most rapidly among children in Vietnam, especially strains typs 19F and 23 F. Concerted efforts are necessary to prevent it spreading.\r\n", u'\r\n', u'
Antimicrobial resistance ; streptococcus pneumonia

To investigated the protective potential of ethanol extracts of Scutellaria baicalensis (S. baicalensis ) against lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced liver injury. Methods: Dried roots of S. baicalensis were extracted with ethanol and concentrated to yield a dry residue. Mice were administered 200 mg/kg of the ethanol extracts orally once daily for one week. Animals were subsequently administered a single dose of LPS (5 mg/kg of body weight, intraperitoneal injection). Both protein and mRNA levels of cytokines, such as tumor necrosis factor alpha, interleukin-1β, and interleukin-6 in liver tissues were evaluated by ELISA assay and quantitative PCR. Cyclooxygenase-2, inducible nitric oxide synthase, and nuclear factor-κB protein levels in liver tissues were analyzed by western blotting. Results: Liver injury induced by LPS significantly increased necrosis factor alpha, interleukin-1β, interleukin-6, cyclooxygenase-2, inducible nitric oxide synthase, and nuclear factor-κB in liver tissues. Treatment with ethanol extracts of S. baicalensis prevented all of these observed changes associated with LPS-induced injury in liver mice. Conclusions: Our study showed that S. baicalensis is potentially protective against LPS-induced liver injury in mice.

Balanophora laxiflora Hemsl. (Balanophoraceae) is a traditional medicinal plant with a diverse array of biological activities. In our exploration of new bioactive constituents from B. laxiflora, we isolated five compounds, including a new lignan, balanophorone (5), and four known phenolic compounds (1–4). The chemical structures of these compounds were determined by extensive spectroscopic analyses, including 1D and 2D NMR, HR-ESI-MS, and CD. In addition, we evaluated the effects of each of the isolates (1–5) on the messenger RNA expression levels of tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α and cyclooxygenase (COX)-2 in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated RAW 264.7 macrophages and cytotoxicity against MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells. Compound 2 showed significant inhibition of LPS-induced COX-2 and TNF-α expression in RAW 264.7 macrophages, while compound 4 showed moderate cytotoxicity against MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells, with IC 50 values of 18.3 and 30.7 μM, respectively. No significant effects on the viability of normal mammary epithelial cells were observed.