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INTRODUCTION@#Congenital heart disease (CHD) is a leading cause of infant mortality. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of a neonatal screening programme for CHD before the introduction of pulse oximetry.@*METHODS@#This was a retrospective review of live births in the period 2003-2012. Cases of CHD were detected through prenatal ultrasonography and/or postnatal examination, and confirmed using two-dimensional echocardiography. Data was rigorously checked against multiple sources. The antenatal detection rate, sensitivity, specificity, predictive values and likelihood ratios of the screening programme were analysed for all cases of CHD and critical CHD.@*RESULTS@#The incidence of CHD was 9.7 per 1,000 live births. The commonest CHD was ventricular septal defect (54.8%). The antenatal detection rate was three times higher in the critical CHD group (64.0%) compared to the group as a whole (21.1%). The sensitivity and specificity of screening was 64.5% and 99.7% for all CHD, and 92.9% and 99.1% for the critical CHD group, respectively. The positive likelihood ratio was 215 and 103, while the negative likelihood ratio was 0.36 and 0.07 for all CHD and critical CHD, respectively.@*CONCLUSION@#The CHD screening programme had excellent specificity but limited sensitivity. The high positive likelihood ratios indicate that where sufficient risk factors for CHD are present, a positive result effectively confirms the presence of CHD. The low negative likelihood ratio for critical CHD indicates that, where prior suspicion for critical CHD is low, a negative result is reassuring.
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@#Objective To compare three surgical treatments for mediastinal mass with myasthenia gravis. Methods Retrospective analysis was performed on the clinical data of 53 patients who underwent extended thymectomy between January 2010 and December 2017 in our hospital. There were 29 males and 24 females, aged 17-73 years. Patients were divided into three groups according to the surgical methods: a group A (video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery with the da Vinci robotic system, n=22), a group B (video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery, n=12) and a group C (median sternotomy, n=19). The gender distribution, age, intraoperative blood loss, operation time, postoperative extubation time, postoperative hospital stay, Osserman classification of myasthenia gravis, postoperative myasthenic remission rate, etc were compared in three groups. Results No perioperative death was observed in 53 patients. One patient in the group C suffered from postoperative myasthenic crisis and improved after active treatment. One patient with video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery was converted to median sternotomy due to the intraoperative injury of the left brachiocephalic vein. Compared with the group B and group C, the group A had shorter operation time, less intraoperative blood loss and drainage on the first postoperative day and fewer days of extubation. Postoperative hospital stay was less in the group A than that in the group C (P<0.05). The postoperative myasthenic remission rate was higher in the group A than that in the other two groups, but there was no statistical difference. Conclusion Because of the robot’s unique minimally invasive advantage, in this study, the outcome of patients with myasthenia gravis treated with Da Vinci robots and thymectomy is better than that of the remaining two groups in terms of perioperative outcomes and myasthenic remission rate. But long-term results and a large of number matching experiments are needed to confirm. However, it is undeniable that robotic surgery must be the future of the minimally invasive surgery.
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Allergic asthma is a disease that pathologically characterized by eosinophilia infiltration, airway inflammation and hyper responsiveness. In this study, we evaluated the anti-inflammatory and anti-allergy possibilities of honokiol, a bi-phenolic compound obtained from species of the genus Magnolia, which has long been involved in traditional Chinese prescriptions for asthma-related lung diseases, in an ovalbumin-induced mouse model of allergic asthma. We found honokiol significantly inhibited the eosinophilia infiltration, reduced the airway inflammation and suppressed the production of inflammatory cytokines] as well as the IgE in serum. Moreover, MMP-9 and? [IL-4 and IFN- NF-kB were found to be involved in the honokiol induced biological process. These results suggested that honokiol may be a possible candidate in the treatment of lung asthma related diseases
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Objective To investigate the curative effect of knee arthroplasty combined with denervation technique on knee patellofemoral arthropathy. Methods 60 patients with patellofemoral arthritis were selected from September 2009 to September 2015 for the study. All the patients were divided into observation group and control group by random number table. The patients in the control group were treated with arthroscopic treatment, and the patients in observation group were treated with arthroscopic cleaning and patellar biotherapy. The WOMAC score, the Lysholm score, and the Kujala score were compared between the two groups before and 3 months after surgery. Results There was no significant difference between the preoperative observation group and the control group (P > 0.05). The scores of WOMAC score, Lysholm score and Kujala score were higher in the observation group and the control group than those before the control group (P < 0.05 ). There were 2 cases of infection and 1 case of vascular nerve injury in 30 cases of postoperative 3 m observation group. One case of infection and 1 case of joint activity were restricted in 30 cases of control group. There was no significant difference in postoperative adverse reaction between the two groups (P > 0.05). Conclusions Given patellofemoral arthritis knee arthroplasty arthroscopy combined with patellar percutaneous nerve treatment can relieve pain, improve patellofemoral function and clinical efficacy, can be further popularized and used in clinical practice.
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Objective To investigate the curative effect of knee arthroplasty combined with denervation technique on knee patellofemoral arthropathy. Methods 60 patients with patellofemoral arthritis were selected from September 2009 to September 2015 for the study. All the patients were divided into observation group and control group by random number table. The patients in the control group were treated with arthroscopic treatment, and the patients in observation group were treated with arthroscopic cleaning and patellar biotherapy. The WOMAC score, the Lysholm score, and the Kujala score were compared between the two groups before and 3 months after surgery. Results There was no significant difference between the preoperative observation group and the control group (P > 0.05). The scores of WOMAC score, Lysholm score and Kujala score were higher in the observation group and the control group than those before the control group (P < 0.05 ). There were 2 cases of infection and 1 case of vascular nerve injury in 30 cases of postoperative 3 m observation group. One case of infection and 1 case of joint activity were restricted in 30 cases of control group. There was no significant difference in postoperative adverse reaction between the two groups (P > 0.05). Conclusions Given patellofemoral arthritis knee arthroplasty arthroscopy combined with patellar percutaneous nerve treatment can relieve pain, improve patellofemoral function and clinical efficacy, can be further popularized and used in clinical practice.
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BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to identify the clinical characteristics and potential mechanisms relevant to pathological proteins in Parkinson's disease (PD) patients who experience fatigue. METHODS: PD patients (n=102) were evaluated using a fatigue severity scale and scales for motor and nonmotor symptoms. The levels of three pathological proteins-α-synuclein oligomer, β-amyloid (Aβ)(1-42), and tau-were measured in 102 cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) samples from these PD patients. Linear regression analyses were performed between fatigue score and the CSF levels of the above-listed pathological proteins in PD patients. RESULTS: The frequency of fatigue in the PD patients was 62.75%. The fatigue group had worse motor symptoms and anxiety, depression, and autonomic dysfunction. The CSF level of α-synuclein oligomer was higher and that of Aβ1-42 was lower in the fatigue group than in the non-fatigue group. In multiple linear regression analyses, fatigue severity was significantly and positively correlated with the α-synuclein oligomer level in the CSF of PD patients, after adjusting for confounders. CONCLUSIONS: PD patients experience a high frequency of fatigue. PD patients with fatigue have worse motor and part nonmotor symptoms. Fatigue in PD patients is associated with an increased α-synuclein oligomer level in the CSF.
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Humans , Anxiety , Cerebrospinal Fluid , Depression , Fatigue , Linear Models , Parkinson Disease , Weights and MeasuresABSTRACT
<p><b>INTRODUCTION</b>Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) is a cardiopulmonary bypass technique (CPB) which provides life-saving support in patients with refractory cardiorespiratory failure until cardiopulmonary recovery or organ replacement.</p><p><b>MATERIALS AND METHODS</b>This is a single centre retrospective study reporting the largest series of paediatric patients in Singapore who received ECMO support over an 11-year period from January 2002 to December 2012. The objective is to describe the characteristics of the patients and to report the survival to hospital discharge, complications during ECMO and other long-term complications.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Forty-eight patients received ECMO during the study period. ECMO was initiated for myocarditis in majority of the paediatric patients whereas postoperative low cardiac output state was the most common indication in the neonatal population. The overall survival rate to hospital discharge was 45.8%. Survival was highest in the neonates with respiratory failure (75%). Haematological and cardiac complications were most common during ECMO. Age group, gender, duration of ECMO, need for renal replacement therapy, acute neurological complications were not associated with mortality. Those needing inotropic support during ECMO had poorer survival while those with hypertension requiring vasodilator treatment had a higher survival rate. The survival rates for ECMO patients more than doubled from the initial 6 years of 23% to 54% in the last 5 years of the study period. Long-term complications encountered included neurological, respiratory and cardiac problems.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>ECMO is a life-saving modality for neonatal and paediatric patients with cardiopulmonary failure from diverse causes. Patients with persistent need for inotropes during ECMO had poorer outcome. Centre experience had an impact on ECMO outcome.</p>
Subject(s)
Adolescent , Child , Child, Preschool , Female , Humans , Infant , Infant, Newborn , Male , Young Adult , Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation , Heart Failure , Therapeutics , Patient Discharge , Respiratory Insufficiency , Mortality , Therapeutics , Retrospective Studies , Survival Rate , Tertiary Care CentersABSTRACT
<p><b>INTRODUCTION</b>We report a series of operated tetralogy of Fallot (TOF) patients focusing on complications and outcomes.</p><p><b>MATERIALS AND METHODS</b>Data from TOF patients seen at our centre's adult congenital heart disease clinic was analysed.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>There were 21 patients: the mean age was 32.2 +/- 12.4 years; the age at first operation was 9.0 +/- 7.9 years; the mean postoperative follow-up duration was 23.5 +/- 12.1 years; and the current New York Heart Association (NYHA) status: I, 82%; II, 4%; III, 14%. Fourteen patients had complete operative notes. All these patients underwent total TOF correction; 2 had staged aortopulmonary shunt with total correction at a mean of 3.2 years later, pulmonary artery patch augmentation in 8 patients and pulmonary valvotomy in 8 patients. Three patients required pulmonary valve homograft replacement for severe pulmonary regurgitation (PR) at 13, 28 and 36 years after the initial corrective operation.</p><p><b>CURRENT INVESTIGATIONS</b>RBBB on ECG (91%), QRS duration 137 +/- 29 ms. Echocardiography showed dilated right ventricular end-diastolic (RVED) diameters (3.2 +/- 0.8 cm); severe PR (67%), residual right ventricular outflow tract obstruction (RVOTO) (42%) and VSD patch leakage (9%). Cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) (8 patients) showed dilated RVED volumes 252.6 +/- 93.8 mL, indexed RV volume 165.7 +/- 34.8 mL; RV systolic function was preserved in most patients with a RV ejection fraction of 49.5 +/- 5.7%. One patient had atrial tachycardia and another had frequent non-sustained ventricular tachycardia that required radiofrequency ablation.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Patients with TOF who had full corrective surgery during childhood are now surviving into adulthood. Many challenges arising from complications in the postoperative period remain. It is imperative that adult TOF patients should have regular followup to monitor development and subsequent management of these complications.</p>