337 patients with the first ever strokes were treated at the hospital of Hai Duong province from January 1999 to December 2000. All poststroke patients were evaluated their functional outcome at admission and discharge; 3 months and one year after stroke onset by using the Bathel score. After one year poststroke, 209 patients (62%) were still alive and followed up continuously; 128 patients died (38%). The average Bathel score were 83; 48.3% of patients had independent activities of daily living (ADL). After one year poststroke, the rate of movement function defects in arms was 66.5%; leg function impaired 54.5%; speech disorders 23.2%; bowel incontinent 8.6%. This study confirmed there were the high rate of mortality and decreased ADL in community-living stroke survivors one year after stroke. A high proportion of movement function defects prevents the patients from reintegrating to normal living.
Stroke ; Stroke/rehabilitation

A study on the changes of blood cells and lymphocyte T and the relation of the reduced lymphocyte TCD4 and some hematological indicators in patients with HIV/AIDS has shown that the amount of the lymphocyte T CD4 was reduced in patients with the HIV infection and was reduced significantly in patients with AIDS comparing with these in the normal people. The amount of the lymphocyte T CD8 was increased which lead the increase of lymphocyte TCD3. The amount of neutral leukocytes and thrombocytes in patients with HIV and/or AIDS were reduced when compared with these in the normal people. The amount of leukocyte and erythrocyte were reduced. The reduction of the lymphocyte TCD4 was closely related with the reduction of the thrombocytes and leukocytes.
HIV ; Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome

Return to work after stroke plays an important role in reintegration to normal living in the community. Objective; (1) to estimate the prevalence of patients who return to work after stroke and (2) to describe the predictors of return to work. Methods: A follow up study was performed to examine the proportion of patients who return to work one year after stroke in the community and factors influencing on ocupational outcomes. Results: The proportion of patients who return to work one year after stroke was 39.7%, in which 31.6% can do their previous work. The adjusted odds ratios of return to work for patients with severe stroke (Orgogozo<25) versus patients with less severe stroke (Orgogozo>=25), with older patients versus younger patients were 3.08 (P<0.05) and 1.99 (P<0.05), respectively. Gender did not influence on return to work after the event. Conclusions: The proportion of return to work after stroke was not high and less severe stroke, young age were significant predictors of return to work after stroke.
Stroke, Stroke/rehabilitation

Background: Untill now, many minimal invasive methods have been applied in treating ureteral stones such as the endoscopic ureterolithotripsy technique of Perez-Castro and Martinez-Pinero (1980), the tetroperitoneal laparoscopic ureterolithotomy technique of Wickham (1979) and so on. Retrograde endoscopic ureterolithotripsy with holmium laser has been applied in management of ureteral stones at the Post hospital I Hanoi since 2003. Objective: To show results of retrograde endoscopic ureterolithotripsy with holmium laser in management of ureteral stones at the Post hospital I Hanoi. Subjects and method: A retrospective study was conducted in 183 patients who underwent retrograde endoscopic ureterolithotripsy with holmium laser at the Post hospital I Hanoi, from July/2003 to July/2005. Results:In 183 patients, female was more than male (54.7% versus 45.4%); the mean age was 45.4 (range 14-77). There were total 212 lithotrity stones, of which the rate of left, right, upper-third, middle-third and lower-third ureteral stone was respectively 51.9%, 48.1%, 43.2%, 22.4% and 34.4%. The mean size of ureteral stone was 15.1mm x 11.17mm and the average time of ureterolithotripsy was 48.1 minutes (range 15 -120). Conclusion: The rate of success for etrograde endoscopic ureterolithotripsy with holmium laser was high (92.9%), especially the success rate for lower-third ureteral calculi (100%) and the success rate for upper-third ureteral stones (84.8%). However, 5/165 patients (3%) who had follow-up examination for 2-4 years after surgery had ureteral stenosis. This complication was resulted from burned mucous membrane during endoscopic ureterolithotripsy with laser.
Ureterolithiasis/ surgery ; therapy ; Endoscopy/ methods ; Lasers

Background: at present, some enterovirus also was considered causes of acute respiratory infections in children. In Vietnam, no studies were published on the enteroviruses causing acute respiratory infections in humans. The research results would contribute to control and prevention of respiratory tract infections. Objectives: to identify enteroviruses causing acute respiratory infection syndrome in children. Subjectives and Method: a descriptive, prospective study, virus isolation. 185 samples of patients with acute respiratory tract infections, collected from both private clinics and from Dak Lak provincial general hospital, in 2004. Cells: RD, Hep2, L20B, and Vero provided by the World Health Organization (WHO). Antisera for diagnosing enteroviruses, antisera for diagnosing adenoviruses: A1-A7. Results: the results showed that 10.8% were positive with enteroviruses. These isolated enteroviruses consist of 13 Coxsackievirus B, 1 Echovirus, 1 Poliosabin type 1, and 5 untyped Enteroviruses. The result also showed that 8.1% of isolated viruses were Adenoviruses. Enteroviruses isolated mainly in September, followed by in February and in July accounted for 60% of isolated viruses. Conclusions: enteroviruses may be one of causes of respiratory infections in children. Some viruses had been isolated in the study such as: Coxsackievirus B, Echovirus, Poliosabin type 1, and untyped Enteroviruses.
Enterovirus/isolation & ; purification ; Enterovirus Infections/virology ; Respiratory Tract Infections/ virology ;

Background: People were infected with Cysticercus by either eating Taenia solium eggs from the environment or from proglottids in intestines. These eggs hatched to larvae in muscular and cerebral tissue, which causes specific symptoms. \r\n', u'Objectives: To determine symptoms of human cysticercosis. \r\n', u'Subjects and methods: Clinical and para-clinical processes were conducted on 30 cysticercosis patients, of which 21 were male (70%) and 9 female (30%).\r\n', u'Results and conclusion: The main symptoms were headache in 29 patients (96.7%), subcutaneous cysts in 28 patients (93.3%), epilepsy in 14 patients (46.7%), positive ELISA (antigen of T.solium) with samples in 28 (93.3%) and positive ELISA with CSF samples (73.3%), living cysts in the brain were discovered in 25 patients (83.3%) by CT scanner and eosinophylia in 24 patients (80%). Cysticercus nodules were collected from 28 patients in this study; the species were identified by molecular method. A portion of 652 bp of mitochondrial-encoded cytochrome oxidase b (cob) and 217 amino-acid was amplified by Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) and sequenced. The nucleotide sequence was comparatively aligned with the known corresponding sequences of Taenia solium Chinese (TsoCN1). Molecular-based analysis revealed that the Cysticercus from the patients in this study was identified as Taenia solium. There is absolute nucleotide and amino-acid similarity between Taenia solium Chinese (hemogeny 99.1-99.8% of nucleotide and 100% of amino acid).\r\n', u'
Cysticercosis ; diagnosis

Gastrointestinal arteriovenous malformations (AVMs) are a rare disease. Sigmoid-anorectal AVM has only been reported in a few cases. The condition is usually detected when patients have gastrointestinal bleeding complications. The diagnosis and treatment of colorectal AVMs are still challenging. This paper presents a case of an Asian 32-year-old female patient admitted to hospital because of lower gastrointestinal bleeding lasting 17 years. The patient was diagnosed with sigmoid-rectal arteriovenous malformation and failed with other medical treatments. The damaged gastrointestinal tract was removed by a laparoscopic low anterior resection. The results were positive after a three-month follow-up; the bleeding was resolved, and the anal sphincter function was intact. Laparoscopic low anterior resection is a safe, less invasive, and effective approach for managing patients with digestive tract bleeding due to extensive colorectal AVM and preservation of the anal sphincter.

Background: Primary nephrotic syndrome in adult patients is a common sign of patients with primary glomerular disease. Objective: To evaluate the responsiveness of adult patients with primary nephrotic syndrome to corticosteroid alone or in combination with cyclophosphamid and the treatment - related complications. Subjects and method: Based on pathological findings 91 patients with primary nephrotic syndrome divided into 2 groups: group 1 (75 patients) were assigned to receive corticosteroid alone at 1 mg/kg/day, group 2 (16 patients) were assigned to receive the corticosteroid at 0.5 mg/kg/day and cyclophosphamid at 2 mg/kg/day. 11 non - responders from group 1 were switched to group 2 after 6 months of treatment by \r\n', u'corticosteroid alone. The response to therapy was assessed after 3 months and 6 months of treatment. Results:In group 1 the number of patients responding to corticosteroid alone was increasing from 38 after 3 months to 50 after 6 months. In group 2 the number of patients responding to combined protocol was increasing from 4 (14.8%) to 12 (44.4%). The most frequently seen corticosteroid - related complication was cushingoid which is reversible after reducing dose or stop treatment. Severe complications were not common. For the whole group taking cyclophosphamid leucocytopenia, was seen in 4/27 (14.8%) patients, in subgroup of women hypo - amenorrhea was observed in 3/15 (20%) of cases. Conclusions: Results of study encourage the prolongation of treatment. Sterility and if possible preventive measures should be taken into consideration when cyclophosphamid is selected for young patients in reproductive age.\r\n', u'
Nephrotic Syndrome/ therapy

OBJECTIVEThe study aimed to evaluate and compare the efficacy and safety of dihydroartemisinin-piperaquine phosphate (Artekin) and artemisinin-piperaquine (Artequick) in the treatment of uncomplicated falciparum malaria.

METHODSA total of 103 uncomplicated falciparum malaria patients were enrolled and randomly assigned to two groups: 52 cases in the Artequick group, and 51 cases in the Artekin group. The patients in the Artequick group were administered with Artequick, twice in 24 h, whereas the patients in the Artekin group were given Artekin 4 times in 2 days. The mean parasite clearance time, mean fever clearance time, 28-day cure rate and parasite recrudescence rates of the two groups were then compared.

RESULTSThe mean parasite clearance time and the mean fever clearance time were 43.2+/-13.9 h and 24.7+/-9.9 h, in the Artequick group, and 36.5+/-17.1 h and 22.7+/-11.2 h, in the Artekin group. In both groups the 28-day cure rate was 100%, and the parasite recrudescence rate was 0.

CONCLUSIONBoth medicines had high cure rates, low recrudescence rates, and no serious adverse reactions. The administration of Artequick, however, was more convenient and lower incidence of gastrointestinal side effects than that of Artekin, so as to increase the efficacy in the malaria population.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Anti-Infective Agents ; administration & dosage ; adverse effects ; Antimalarials ; administration & dosage ; Artemisinins ; administration & dosage ; adverse effects ; Drug Combinations ; Female ; Humans ; Integrative Medicine ; Malaria, Falciparum ; drug therapy ; Male ; Quinolines ; administration & dosage ; adverse effects ; Treatment Outcome ; Young Adult

Objective To characterize viral co-infections among representative hospitalized measles cases during the 2014 Hanoi outbreak. Methods Throat swabs were collected from 54 pediatric patients with confirmed measles, and molecular diagnostics performed for 10 additional viral respiratory pathogens (Influenza A/H1N1pdm09; A/H3N2 and influenza B; Parainfluenza 1, 2, 3; Respiratory Synctial Virus, RSV; human Metapneumovirus, hMPV; Adenovirus and Picornavirus). Results Twenty-one cases (38.9%) showed evidence of infection with other respiratory viruses: 15 samples contained measles plus one additional virus, and 6 samples contained measles plus 2 additional viruses. Adenovirus was detected as a predominant cause of co-infections (13 cases; 24.1%), followed by RSV (6 cases; 11.1%), A/H1N1pdm09 (3 cases; 5.6%), PIV3 (3 cases; 3.7%), Rhinovirus (3 cases; 3.7%) and hMPV (1 case; 1.96%). Conclusions Viral co-infections identified from pediatric measles cases may have contributed to increased disease severity and high rate of fatal outcomes. Optimal treatment of measles cases may require control of multiple viral respiratory pathogens.