The Lived Experience of Novice Helpers as First Responders in a Shared War Reality.

Purpose: This study sought to explore the lived experience of trained social work students as first responders in a shared war reality. Method: Data were gathered from three focus groups conducted with social work students following their professional intervention during a period of protracted warfare. Results: The main theme depicts a movement from an experience of uncertainty to certainty, as the students shifted from being subjects under threat to being object-helpers on duty. Discussion: The findings highlight the interactive nature of individual and environmental aspects of resilience as a dynamic process in the face of adversity. Practical implications are discussed in the context of first responders' resilience in a shared war reality. Conclusion: First responders must experience certainty in order to function effectively. To provide more support to novice helpers, a first responders training program should be implemented as part of the mandatory curriculum of social work studies.

Discharge hemoglobin and functional outcome of elderly hip fractured patients undergoing rehabilitation.

AIM: Low hemoglobin level is considered a marker of poor functional outcome. The objective of this study was to explore possible relationship of discharge hemoglobin levels and functional outcome of elderly hip fracture patients, undergoing in-hospital rehabilitation. METHODS: A retrospective chart review study, comprising consecutive elderly patients suffering traumatic hip fractures. Main outcome measurement was the functional outcome of patients, as assessed by motor and total Functional Independence Measurement (FIM) scores upon admission and discharge. RESULTS: Mean discharge hemoglobin levels were significantly associated with prefracture function and Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE) score (P=0.002 and P=0.01, respectively). The authors observed a significant positive correlation between serum hemoglobin and total FIM at discharge (Pearson's coefficient =0.13; P=0.005) as well as with motor FIM at discharge (Pearson's coefficient =0.13; P=0.005). Regression analyses showed that high MMSE scores (beta=0.55; P<0.001), female gender (beta=0.07; P=0.01), younger age (beta=-0.10, P=0.001) and a better pre-fracture function (beta=-0.27 P<0.001) are associated with higher total FIM scores upon discharge. Neither discharge hemoglobin levels nor the number of transfused blood packs were significantly associated with better total FIM, motor FIM, FIM gain or FIM= or >80.scores. CONCLUSION: Higher hemoglobin at discharge was not associated with a better postfracture function, as reflected by FIM scores. The authors suggest that clinically reasonable low hemoglobin levels are not associated with adverse functional outcome of elderly hip fracture patients, thus, actively correcting hemoglobin levels, per se, may not result in better functional outcomes in this population.

UGT1A1 promoter polymorphism increases risk of nilotinib-induced hyperbilirubinemia.

Nilotinib is a novel BCR-ABL inhibitor with significantly improved potency and selectivity over imatinib. In Phase I and Phase II clinical studies of nilotinib in patients with a variety of leukemias, infrequent instances of reversible, benign elevation of bilirubin were observed. Uridine diphosphate glucuronosyltransferase 1A1 (UGT1A1) glucuronidates bilirubin in humans, and a polymorphism in the promoter of the gene that encodes it has been associated with hyperbilirubinemia during treatment with a number of drugs. Pharmacogenetic analysis of that TA-repeat polymorphism found an association between the (TA)7/(TA)7 genotype and risk of hyperbilirubinemia in Phase I patients with imatinib-resistant/intolerant chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) or relapsed/refractory Ph+ acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL); this result was replicated in two separate analyses of the chronic phase (CP) and accelerated phase (AP) CML arms of a Phase II study. As nilotinib is not known to be glucuronidated by UGT1A1, the combined impact of inhibition of UGT1A1 activity by nilotinib and genetic polymorphism is the most likely cause of the increased rate of hyperbilirubinemia.

A phase I study of oral LY293111 given daily in combination with irinotecan in patients with solid tumours.

BACKGROUND: LY293111 is an oral agent known to be a leukotriene B4 (LTB4) receptor antagonist and a 5-lipoxygenase inhibitor resulting in selective inhibition of the lipoxygenase pathway. Lipoxygenases metabolize arachidonic acid and have been involved in cancer cell proliferation and survival. In addition, LY293111 has been found to be a peroxisome proliferator activated receptor-gamma (PPAR-gamma) agonist. Antineoplastic activity of LY293111 has been identified in preclinical models both alone and in combination with chemotherapy agents including irinotecan. The NCIC Clinical Trials Group studied LY293111 in combination with irinotecan to determine the recommended dose of the combination and to describe its tolerability and pharmacokinetic interaction. In addition the anti-tumour activity of LY293111 in combination with irinotecan was documented. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Twenty-eight patients with advanced solid tumours were treated on seven dose levels with the combination of irinotecan and LY293111. Irinotecan was administered intravenously every 21-days as a single dose. LY293111 was administered twice daily continuously by mouth. RESULTS: Dose limiting toxicity (DLT) of grade 3 diarrhea was seen in two patients with doses of irinotecan 300 mg/m(2) IV every 21-days in combination with LY293111 300 mg BID. Subsequently the dose of irinotecan was decreased to 250 mg/m(2) IV every 21-days with escalating doses of LY293111. A DLT of grade 3 abdominal pain was seen at dose 600 mg BID of LY293111 with irinotecan 250 mg/m(2). The pharmacokinetics (PK) indicated that the administration of LY293111 did not have an effect on the PK of irinotecan or its metabolite SN-38. No responses were seen; seven patients had stable disease of a median duration of 4.4 months (range 2.8-13 months). CONCLUSION: The recommended phase II dose of LY293111 is 600 mg orally BID in combination with irinotecan 250 mg/m(2) IV every 21-days. Gastrointestinal adverse effects were common but could be well managed.

Frontal and parietal components of a cerebral network mediating voluntary attention to novel events.

Despite the important role that attending to novel events plays in human behavior, there is limited information about the neuroanatomical underpinnings of this vital activity. This study investigated the relative contributions of the frontal and posterior parietal lobes to the differential processing of novel and target stimuli under an experimental condition in which subjects actively directed attention to novel events. Event-related potentials were recorded from well-matched frontal patients, parietal patients, and non-brain-injured subjects who controlled their viewing duration (by button press) of line drawings that included a frequent, repetitive background stimulus, an infrequent target stimulus, and infrequent, novel visual stimuli. Subjects also responded to target stimuli by pressing a foot pedal. Damage to the frontal cortex resulted in a much greater disruption of response to novel stimuli than to designated targets. Frontal patients exhibited a widely distributed, profound reduction of the novelty P3 response and a marked diminution of the viewing duration of novel events. In contrast, damage to posterior parietal lobes was associated with a substantial reduction of both target P3 and novelty P3 amplitude; however, there was less disruption of the processing of novel than of target stimuli. We conclude that two nodes of the neuroanatomical network for responding to and processing novelty are the prefrontal and posterior parietal regions, which participate in the voluntary allocation of attention to novel events. Injury to this network is indexed by reduced novelty P3 amplitude, which is tightly associated with diminished attention to novel stimuli. The prefrontal cortex may serve as the central node in determining the allocation of attentional resources to novel events, whereas the posterior parietal lobe may provide the neural substrate for the dynamic process of updating one's internal model of the environment to take into account a novel event.

The relation of plasma total homocysteine levels to prevalent cardiovascular disease in older patients with ischemic stroke.

The objectives of this study were to describe the distribution of serum levels of total homocysteine (HCys) in a sample of older patients consecutively admitted following acute ischemic cerebral stroke, as compared with healthy controls, and to test for possible relationships of HCys levels to some of the prevalent cardiovascular diseases in these stroke patients. One hundred and thirty-seven stroke patients and 132 healthy controls (age > or =60) participated in this study. HCys levels were determined by HPLC method with fluorescence detection. Correlates of HCys levels and clinical data were examined. The results showed that stroke patients (mean age 74.6+/-9.2) had higher HCys levels as compared with controls (13.8 and 9.8 respectively, p<0.001). Advanced age, male gender, absence of diabetes and a positive history of previous myocardial infarction were the factors associated with HCys levels higher than 10 mmol/L (Odds ratio 2.72, 2.54, 3.12, 3.55, respectively). We conclude that hyperhomocysteinemia is prevalent in older patients with acute ischemic stroke. Few factors associated with increased risk for hyperhomocysteinemia in these stroke patients were identified. The study supports earlier observations regarding elevated HCys levels in stroke patients and increased prevalence of associated cardiovascular disease.

Dexamethasone does not significantly contribute to the response rate of docetaxel and estramustine in androgen independent prostate cancer.

PURPOSE: We evaluated the independent response rate of dexamethasone before docetaxel and estramustine administration as measured by changes in serum prostate specific antigen (PSA) in patients with androgen independent prostate cancer. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 12 patients received 20 mg. dexamethasone orally every 6 hours for 3 doses repeated every 3 weeks before starting cytotoxic therapy with estramustine and docetaxel. After progression on dexamethasone 280 mg. estramustine orally 3 times daily on days 1 to 5 and 70 mg./m.2 docetaxel intravenously for 1 hour on day 2 were given. RESULTS: None of the patients initially treated with dexamethasone monotherapy (median 1 cycle, range 1 to 5) had a PSA decline of 50% or greater. Median PSA increase on monotherapy was 47% (range 0% to 22%). On estramustine and docetaxel therapy PSA decreased 50% or greater in 11 patients (92%, 95% confidence intervals [CI] 60 to 99) and 80% or greater in 7 (58%, 95% CI 29 to 84), and normalized in 5 (42%, 95% CI 16 to 71), with a median duration of response of 153 (range 42 to 371), 132 (range 84 to 287) and 84 (range 21 to 174) days, respectively. Median times to reach 50% and 80% decreases in baseline PSA were 21 (range 21 to 209) and 63 (range 21 to 138) days, respectively. In 9 patients (75%, 95% CI 43 to 93) PSA decreased at least 50% by week 9. Of 4 patients with bidimensionally measurable disease 3 had a partial response. Median time to progression was 263 days (range 91 to 378). CONCLUSIONS: Administration of 20. mg. dexamethasone orally every 6 hours for 3 doses every 3 weeks does not significantly contribute to the PSA response rate of estramustine and docetaxel.

Phase I/II studies of docetaxel (Taxotere) combined with estramustine in men with hormone-refractory prostate cancer.

Evaluation of the combined regimen of estramustine and docetaxel (Taxotere; Rhône-Poulenc Rorer, Collegeville, PA) in men with hormone-refractory prostate cancer is in its early stages. While this combination is promising in terms of efficacy, adverse events associated with estramustine are a concern. Estramustine has been associated with side effects such as nausea, vomiting, edema, and serious vascular events. Reported here are the results of phase I and phase II trials in which 280 mg estramustine was given three times daily on days I to 5 in 21-day treatment cycles with docetaxel at varying doses. Data from patients evaluable thus far support the efficacy of this combination, both in chemotherapeutically naive patients and in those who have had prior therapy. A survival benefit from this combination appears achievable from these early studies. As significant antitumor activity can be achieved with docetaxel alone, future studies need to define the minimal dose of estramustine for this combination.

[Premature birth and cognitive functioning in adolescence].

Premature infants are considered a high-risk population for developing cognitive dysfunction. Studies have indicated lower cognitive performance among elementary school children born prematurely. We focused on cognitive functioning of such adolescents. This age was chosen because of its critical importance in the development of the individual. 50 adolescents aged 14-16 years born prematurely were compared with 50 born at full-term and matched for gender, age and socioeconomic status. All subjects attended regular schools and did not suffer severe neurological disorders. Cognitive functioning was measured by the Bender-Visual Motor Gestalt Test and by 3 subtests from the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (revised WISC-R test). Results revealed that prematurely born adolescents scored lower than those born at term on all measures of cognitive performance. The results are discussed in terms of their developmental meaning and of therapy for the prematurely born.

Emergence of symptoms of Tourette's syndrome during fluvoxamine treatment of obsessive-compulsive disorder.

A 14-year-old boy with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) developed, under fluvoxamine treatment, acute symptoms of Tourette's syndrome (TS) with aggravation of the OCD. The TS symptoms did not respond to dopamine blockers and disappeared only after withdrawal of fluvoxamine. Readministration of fluvoxamine caused a re-emergence of the same symptoms.

Internality and externality correlates of potential drivers among high school pupils in Holon (Israel).

Car accidents are the leading causes of death and handicap among adolescents and young adults. Thirty-six pupils from the last class in high school (in the age group 17-18 years) have attended lectures with explanations concerning the consequences of car accidents by physicians of rehabilitation centers. They also were taken on a one-day visit to such a center. They have seen and talked with persons who were severely handicapped because of car accidents, and have followed the physical therapists and occupational healing therapists throughout their work day. The pupils completed the Rotter and Montag Internality-Externality Scale questionnaire before and after the meeting and staging with the handicaps, and the results showed an increase of 10.28% in their Internal focus of control. The conclusion is that confrontation of young future drivers with handicaps as a result of car accidents in rehabilitation centers should be a routine and regular habit during the last classes of high school.

Evaluation and management of vascular injuries of the extremities.

We reviewed our experience with 315 extremity injuries in 306 patients for the possibility of accurately evaluating the presence of a potential vascular injury. Indications for surgical exploration based on the clinical finding of a bruit and/or thrill, ischemia, absent, pulse, shock, hemorrhage, neurologic deficit, hematoma, and proximity resulted in a rate of positive surgical exploration results of between 20% and 100%. Angiography was performed in 65 patients; 24 angiograms showed vascular injury and 41 did not. Angiography for proximity alone revealed 12% abnormal finding. Operative morbidity in the surgically explored group was 2%. We developed an algorithm for the treatment of these patients.

Use of a guide wire snare for placement of vena cava filters.

A guide wire snare was used to facilitate passage of a Mobin-Uddin vena cava filter through a tortuous left innominate vein, and a Kimray-Greenfield vena cave filter from the suprarenal into the infrarenal position of the inferior vena cava.

Management of vascular injuries to the leg.

Our experience with 69 vascular injuries in 56 patients led us to modify the management of vascular injuries to the leg. We believe that prompt and complete angiography whenever the general condition of the patient allows it, early fasciotomy when indicated before vascular repair, thrombectomy of the injured artery and vein and local instillation of heparinized saline solution, vascular repair before orthopedic stabilization of fractures in selected cases, external fixation of the fracture when there is significant soft tissue injury, and early skin grafting resulted in an improved level of care with a low morbidity and no mortality in our series.

Technical modifications in the placement of inferior vena caval filter devices.

Placement of 151 Mobin-Uddin vena caval umbrella filters and 17 Kimray-Greenfield vena caval filters since 1972 led us to make a number of technical modifications. The operative procedure is performed with local anesthesia in the vascular radiology suite. If the right internal jugular vein is narrowed and cannot be dilated, an approach through the left internal jugular vein is possible. The filters are advanced under fluoroscopic control after direct visualization of both renal veins. Since the patient is awake, he can be asked to roll on the left side if there is a tendency for the filter to advance into the hepatic veins or the right renal vein. Release of the filter is most accurately accomplished by withdrawing the carrier rather than advancing the filter. The carrier is then removed under fluoroscopic control and the internal jugular vein ligated. These modifications have resulted in a success rate of nearly 100 percent in recent filter placements, an operative morbidity of 8.3 percent and a 30 day hospital mortality of 8.9 percent.

Detection of a traumatic renal arterial venous fistula by radionuclide angiography (RNA).

Radionuclide angiography is a valuable screening test for arteriovenous (AV) fistulas. A case is presented of a young man with a post-traumatic AV fistula involving the renal artery and vein initially diagnosed by radionuclide imaging and subsequently confirmed by angiography. In the patient described dynamic flow studies showed concentration at the site of an AV fistula which was successfully treated operatively. We now recommend radionuclide angiography in patients with penetrating abdominal trauma and unexplained abdominal findings.

Lower gastrointestinal bleeding. Diagnostic approach and management conclusions.

The management of patients with lower gastrointestinal bleeding requires a systematic approach based on defined diagnostic and therapeutic methods. Although in 80 percent of patients bleeding will stop spontaneously, 25 percent will have rebleeding and 50 percent of those with rebleeding will bleed again. Angiography documents specific bleeding sites but raises questions related to the incidence, site and frequency of bleeding, as well as the necessity of demonstrating extravasation. We reviewed 49 arteriograms performed for lower gastrointestinal bleeding. We conclude from our findings that angiography identifies a presumptive cause of bleeding in 49 percent of patients; angiography identified the site of bleeding in 86 percent of the patients with active bleeding, thus allowing segmental colectomy. We believe that documentation of angiodysplasia in a patient with lower gastrointestinal bleeding is presumptive evidence for the site of bleeding. Angiography is useful and worthwhile in the work-up of patients with lower gastrointestinal bleeding in an attempt to plan localized, definitive resection, and this may lead to a lower mortality rate.