[Value of preventive tracheotomy in patients with acute cervical spinal cord injury].

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the value of preventive tracheotomy in patients with acute cervical spinal cord injury. METHODS: A retrospective analysis was performed on 54 cases of severe C4-C8 cervical spinal cord injury patients undergoing anterior fixation. They were classified as A and B according to the criteria of American Spinal Injury Association. And no tracheotomy was performed preoperatively. The patients with a high risk of dyspnea and with an indication for preventive tracheotomy received a preventive tracheotomy right after anterior fixation. 11 cases were classified into tracheotomy group and 43 cases were in non-tracheotomy group. The preoperative and hospital stays, incidence of hypoxemia and pulmonary infection, incidence of surgical incision site infection and mortality were analyzed between two groups. RESULTS: The preoperative and hospital stays of tracheotomy group were shorter than those of non-tracheotomy group (2.9 ± 1.2 vs 5.7 ± 4.4 days, 10.3 ± 4.0 vs 16.5 ± 9.2 days). The incidence of hypoxemia was lower in tracheotomy group (9.1% vs 44.2%). There was difference existed between two groups. 44.2% patients in the non-tracheotomy group underwent tracheotomy or endotracheal intubation for dyspnea and hypoxemia. There was no significant difference between two groups in the incidence of pulmonary infection (9.1% vs 7.0%) or surgical incision site infection (0 vs 2.3%). The mortality of non-tracheotomy group was 3.07 folds of that of tracheotomy group (9.1% vs 27.9%). But there was no significant statistical difference. CONCLUSION: The preventive tracheotomy is an effective solution for the patients with respiratory compromises, a high risk of dyspnea and with an indication for preventive tracheotomy. The preventive tracheotomy for severe cervical spinal cord can improve respiratory function effectively and fixation may be performed earlier. And there are lower rates of mortality and infection.

[Genetic polymorphism analysis of 6 STR loci on the X chromosome in Xi'an Han population].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the alleles and genotypes frequency of 6 short tandem repeat (STR) loci (DXS8378, DXS7132, DXS6789, DXS101, HPRTB and DXS7423) on the X chromosome in Han population. METHODS: The six X-chromosome STR loci were analyzed by PCR following polyacylamide gel electrophoresis and silver stain. RESULTS: Among 120 females from Xi'an Han population, the number of alleles in the 6 loci (DXS8378, DXS7132, DXS6789, DXS101, HPRTB and DXS7423) were 5, 6, 11, 10, 8, and 4 respectively; the number of genotypes in the 6 loci were 10, 17, 29, 32, 22, and 7 respectively; Exact tests demonstrated genotype frequencies in females had no departure from Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. CONCLUSION: The six X-chromosome STR loci are appropriate for individual identification, paternity testing involving a female child and for study on related disease.