No abstract available.
Meningitis* ; Sepsis*

No abstract available.
Liver* ; Mesenchymoma*

No abstract available.
Captopril* ; Hypertension, Renovascular* ; Radionuclide Imaging*

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the relationship between postoperative increase in intervertebral disc space height (IVH) and posterior axial neck in cases of degenerative cervical disease treated with anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF). METHODS: A total of 155 patients who underwent ACDF with more than 1 year follow up were included. Radiologically, IVH and interfacet distance (IFD) of the operated segment were measured preoperatively and postoperatively. We clinically evaluated neck and arm pains according to visual analogue scale (VAS) scores and assessed neck disability index (NDI) scores preoperatively, postoperatively, at 3 months, 6 months, and 1 year postoperatively. The relationship between radiological parameters, and clinical scores were analyzed using a regression analysis. RESULTS: The mean increase in IVH was 2.62 mm, and the mean increase in IFD was 0.67 mm. The VAS scores for neck pain preoperatively, postoperatively, and at 3 months, 6 months, 1 year postoperatively were 4.46, 2.11, 2.07, 1.95, and 1.29; those for arm pain were 5.89, 3.24, 3.20, 3.03, and 2.18. The NDI scores were improved from 18.52 to 7.47. No significant relationship was observed between the radiological evaluation results regarding the increase in intervertebral height or interfacet distance and clinical changes in VAS or NDI scores. CONCLUSION: The increase in intervertebral space or interfacet distance by the insertion of a large graft material while performing ACDF for the treatment of degenerative cervical disease was not related with the change in VAS scores for neck and arm pains and NDI scores postoperatively and during the follow-up period.
Arm ; Diskectomy ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Intervertebral Disc* ; Neck ; Neck Pain* ; Transplants

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the therapeutic effect of Liujunzi decoction combined with Zuojin pills in treating the radioactive duodenitis and their mechanism, and compare with clinical routine acid suppressants combined with mucous membrane protective preparations to study the mechanism of their efficacy.

METHODAccording to the study of Williams J P and characteristics of duodenitis, and by reference to the radiation enteritis modeling standard, we took the lead in establishing the mouse radioactive duodenal injury model. The model mice were randomly divided into the control group (n = 26), traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) group (n = 16) and the western medicine (oral administration with famotidine 0.5 mL + almagate suspension 0.3 mL per mouse, once a day) group (n = 16). After the standard administrating, such objective indexes as general condition, weight, changes in health score, pathology and expression of inflammatory factors were observed to evaluate the efficacy.

RESULTThe radioactive duodenitis model of mice was successfully established with 12 Gy. Mice in the control group suffered from weight loss, anorexia, low fluid intake, loose stools, and occasionally mucous bloody stool, poor spirit, dim fur, lack of exercise and arch back. Mice in drug intervention groups were generally better than those in the pure irradiation group. The IL-6, IL-1beta, TNF-alpha mRNA expressions in spleen and mesenteric lymph node tissues in TCM and western medicine groups showed a declining trend compared with the control group. Their concentrations in peripheral blood serum also slightly changed. The TCM group revealed notable advantage in reducing inflammatory factors. The microscopic observation showed that a better mucosa repair in intervention groups than the pure irradiation group. The improved Chiu's scoring method showed a statistical significance in the difference between TCM and western medicine groups (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONLiujunzi decoction combined with Zuojin pills could treat acute radiation enteritis, regulate organic immunity, and inhibit acute injury, promote local tissue repair, with the potential to resist such adverse effects as radiation intestinal fibrosis. The regulation of inflammatory factor release is one of efficacy generation mechanisms.

Animals ; Cobalt Radioisotopes ; adverse effects ; Drug Interactions ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Duodenitis ; blood ; drug therapy ; Interleukin-1beta ; blood ; Interleukin-6 ; blood ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred BALB C ; Mucous Membrane ; drug effects ; radiation effects ; Radiation Injuries, Experimental ; blood ; drug therapy ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha ; blood

OBJECTIVE: To explore the application value of postmortem multi-slice spiral computed tomography (MSCT) by observing and analyzing the injury features in the traffic accident victims. METHODS: Ten traffic accident victims were scanned with whole body MSCT. The systemic autopsy was subsequently performed to compare with the results of MSCT. The advantages and disadvantages of autopsy and MSCT for obtaining the information of traffic accident injuries were then analyzed. RESULTS: MSCT could reveal 3D shape of fractures clearly and detect air accumulation in different positions of the body, which showed the obvious advantages compared with autopsy. However, the resolution of MSCT was limited compared to the detection of organ and soft tissue injuries. CONCLUSION A combination of MSCT and autopsy is the best way for determining the manner and the cause of death in traffic fatality victims.
Accidents, Traffic ; Autopsy ; Fractures, Bone ; Humans ; Soft Tissue Injuries ; Tomography, Spiral Computed

A full-thickness skin defect was made on the back of rabbits to evaluate the characteristics of commonly used artificial dermis. The artificial dermis used in this experiment was Alloderm , Integra and Terudermis . The Integra and Terudermis are bilayer membranes composed of bovine collagen matrix and silastic membrane which functions as the epidermis. Alloderm is acellular dermal matrix obtained from human cadaveric skin. These artificial dermis were applied to the full-thickness skin defect on the back of rabbits and the histologic changes were evaluated 3 days, 1 week, 10 days, 2 weeks and 4 weeks after its application. Thin split-thickness skin graft taken from the abdomen was applied on the artificial dermis immediate after Alloderm graft and 2 weeks after Terudermis and Integra graft. The process of skin graft "take" was evaluated on the 3 rd, 5 th, and 7 th day after split-thickness skin graft. The formation of new collagen and capillaries, and infiltration of fibroblasts were found earliest and most remarkably in case of Alloderm , latest and least remarkably in case pf Integra . The arrangement of collagen fibers was most regular in Alloderm but there was no significant difference between Terudermis and Integra . The original structure of the artificial dermis disappeared 1 week after Terudermis graft but the structure remained until 4 th week after Integra graft, which means the cross-link of Integra is stronger than the other artificial dermis. The thickness of artificial dermis decreased from initial 0.43 mm to 0.34 mm(79.7% of initial thickness) on the 4 th week in Alloderm , from 1.22 mm to 0.89 mm(73.0%) in Terudermis , from 1.34 mm to 1.13 mm(84.3%) in Integra . The decrease of thickness was statistically significant in all artificial dermis. In conclusion, Alloderm has best cellular affinity to the host: the skin graft over the Alloderm turns out to be the best, but Alloderm is the thinnest among artificial dermis. Terudermis has better cellular affinity to the host than Integra , which means better vascularity and more collagen fibers in Terudermis . However, Intra keeps thicker volume than Terudermis . Best artificial dermis will be chosen according to the clinical conditions.
Abdomen ; Acellular Dermis ; Cadaver ; Capillaries ; Collagen ; Dermis* ; Epidermis ; Fibroblasts ; Humans ; Membranes ; Rabbits ; Skin ; Transplants*

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study is to define the risk factors of S. epidermidis acquisition and the epidemiology of strain variation in acute leukemia patients. METHODS: The participants were 155 patients of acute leukemia admitted in a University hospital for 11 months. 83 patients are the isolated group who had isolated S. epidermidis from body sites (blood, oral cavity, nares, rectum) and 72 patients are the not isolated group who had not isolated S. epidermidis. Isolates were analysed by CHEF and cluster analysis with dendrogram. Differences In proportions were tested with the Chi-square and Fisher's exact test. RESULTS: Ninety-one S. epidermidis were obtained from blood, oral cavity, nares, and rectum. The major proportion of positive culture was 81.3% from nares. Eight-nine S. epidermidis were isolated from healthcare workers. There were significant development of bacteremia in patients with S. epidermidis from nares. Resistance rate of S. epidermidis was 75.8% to methicillin, 86.3% to erythromycin, 81.l% to gentamicin, 68.9% to ciprofloxacin, 0% on vancomycin. There was significant difference on resistance rate between patients and healthcare workers' group. There was no relation between the strain of patients and those of healthcare workers. Sex age, diagnosis, length of stay, type of chemotherapy, duration of chemotherapy, Type of central venous catheter. duration of central venous catheter, prior antibiotic therapy, number of antibiotics, site of nosocomial infection, neutropenic period were not significantly different between S. epidermidis isolated group and not isolated group. Significant risk factors included duration of central venous catheter. hyper-alimentation, and folliculitis. CONCLUSION: Our result suggests that S. epidermidis in nares can be a risk factor of bacteremia. This research would be helpful for decreasing the S. epidermidis of immunocompromised patients.
Anti-Bacterial Agents ; Bacteremia ; Central Venous Catheters ; Ciprofloxacin ; Cross Infection ; Delivery of Health Care ; Diagnosis ; Drug Therapy ; Epidemiology ; Erythromycin ; Folliculitis ; Gentamicins ; Humans ; Immunocompromised Host ; Length of Stay ; Leukemia* ; Methicillin ; Molecular Epidemiology* ; Mouth ; Rectum ; Risk Factors* ; Staphylococcus epidermidis* ; Staphylococcus* ; Vancomycin

Endoscopic sphincterotomy (E.S.T.) has relatively low complications and is the theraphy of choice in patients with common bile duct stones. It is also an useful technique for decompression of biliary tract obstruction. Thirty two cases of patients were selected according to opedrative risks: old age, severe jaundice and recurrent or retained bile duct stones after cholecystecomy from 1986 to 1988. The results were as follows, 1) In thirty two cases nf E.S.T., male to female ratio was 1:1.46. Most frequent age was older than 40 years. (male, 84.6%, female, 84.2%). 2) Out of thirty two cases, 20 cases (62.5% were under post clholecystectomy state, 12 eases (37.5%) were obstructive jaundice. 3) Spontaneous stone passage after E.S.T. was 81.3% (26 cases), and total stone remoral rate was 87.5% (28 cases), 4) Complications of E.S.T. were noted in three cases. In the two cases of bleeding, it was spontaneously improved and a case of acute pancreatitis was treated by medical care.
Bile Ducts ; Biliary Tract ; Common Bile Duct* ; Decompression ; Female ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Jaundice ; Jaundice, Obstructive ; Male ; Pancreatitis ; Sphincterotomy, Endoscopic*

This is a preliminary report on a method of evaluating recovery from general anesthesia with fifty-four randomly selected anesthetized patients in the Hanyang Medical Center. This method is usefull not only for the reduction of post-anesthetic complications in the recovery room, but is also an excellent training program for residents, interns and nurses in recovery room duties. It is a simple, direct, self-performance, objective test with pencil and paper to measure recovery from general anesthesia. Since this test measures sensory and paychomotor performances, it is valuable as a critical determinant of recovery from anesthesia. Even though this method has several variables dependent upon individual operator skill and tenhicque with regard to surgical procedures and medications administered, it provides an excellent measure of recovery from clinical general anesthesia and may also serve as a medicolegal record for one-day surgical out-patients.
Anesthesia ; Anesthesia, General ; Education ; Humans ; Outpatients ; Recovery Room