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Larger Prospective Study (larger + prospective_study)
Selected AbstractsRecurrence of kernicterus in term and near-term infants in DenmarkACTA PAEDIATRICA, Issue 10 2000F Ebbesen Classical acute bilirubin encephalopathy (kernicterus) in term and near-term infants had not been seen in Denmark for at least 20 y until 1994. From 1994 to 1998, however, six cases were diagnosed. Aetiology of the hyperbilirubinaemia was known in two infants; spherocytosis and galactosaemia, most likely known in two infants; possible A-O blood type immunization, and unknown in two infants. However, one of these last-mentioned infants had a gestational age of only 36 wk. The maximum plasma total bilirubin concentrations were 531,745 ,mol/L. The increase in the number of cases of kernicterus was considered to have been caused by: (i) a decreased awareness of the pathological signs, (ii) a change in the assessment of the risk of bilirubin encephalopathy, (iii) early discharge of the infants from the maternity ward, (iv) so-called breastfeeding-associated jaundice, (v) demonstration of bilirubin being an antioxidant, and (vi) difficulty in estimating the degree of jaundice in certain groups of immigrants. Accordingly, for prevention: (a) Attempt to change the healthcare workers' understanding of the risk of bilirubin encephalopathy, (b) give further instructions, both orally and in writing, to mothers before discharge from the maternity ward, (c) be more liberal in giving infant formula supplements, (d) conduct home visits by the community nurse at an earlier stage, (e) follow authorized guidelines for phototherapy and exchange transfusion, (f) lower plasma bilirubin concentration limits as an indication for phototherapy and exchange transfusion, (g) screen all term and near-term infants, and (h) measure the skin's yellow colour with a device that corrects for the skin's melanin content. Conclusions: Audit of the six cases presented indicates that measures are necessary in both the primary and secondary healthcare sectors if the risk of kernicterus is to be avoided. Screening may be considered, but in order to identify the problems it would first be reasonable to perform a larger prospective study in which audit is performed on all newborn infants, born at term and near-term, who develop a plasma bilirubin concentration above the exchange transfusion limit. [source] Previous experience of spontaneous or elective abortion and risk for posttraumatic stress and depression during subsequent pregnancyDEPRESSION AND ANXIETY, Issue 8 2010Lydia Hamama Abstract Background: Few studies have considered whether elective and/or spontaneous abortion (EAB/SAB) may be risk factors for mental health sequelae in subsequent pregnancy. This paper examines the impact of EAB/SAB on mental health during subsequent pregnancy in a sample of women involved in a larger prospective study of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) across the childbearing year (n=1,581). Methods: Women expecting their first baby completed standardized telephone assessments including demographics, trauma history, PTSD, depression, and pregnancy wantedness, and religiosity. Results: Fourteen percent (n=221) experienced a prior elective abortion (EAB), 13.1% (n=206) experienced a prior spontaneous abortion (SAB), and 1.4% (n=22) experienced both. Of those women who experienced either an EAB or SAB, 13.9% (n=220) appraised the EAB or SAB experience as having been "a hard time" (i.e., potentially traumatic) and 32.6% (n=132) rated it as their index trauma (i.e., their worst or second worst lifetime exposure). Among the subset of 405 women with prior EAB or SAB, the rate of PTSD during the subsequent pregnancy was 12.6% (n,51), the rate of depression was 16.8% (n=68), and 5.4% (n,22) met criteria for both disorders. Conclusions: History of sexual trauma predicted appraising the experience of EAB or SAB as "a hard time." Wanting to be pregnant sooner was predictive of appraising the experience of EAB or SAB as the worst or second worst (index) trauma. EAB or SAB was appraised as less traumatic than sexual or medical trauma exposures and conveyed relatively lower risk for PTSD. The patterns of predictors for depression were similar. Depression and Anxiety, 2010.© 2010 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Is esophagoscopy necessary for corrosive ingestion in adults?DISEASES OF THE ESOPHAGUS, Issue 8 2009Burcin Celik SUMMARY The aim of the study was to determine whether early esophagoscopy is really necessary for the patients who have ingested a corrosive agent. Patients who were followed up with the diagnosis of corrosive ingestion in our clinic between the years 1998 and 2008 were studied retrospectively. The data were collected through the medical records of the patients and from interviews with them. The analyzed parameters included age, gender, the nature and the amount of the ingested agent, whether the event was accidental or suicidal, diagnostic tools, treatment and the results of the treatment, and long-term follow up. Over a 10-year period, a total of 124 cases of corrosive ingestion cases were determined. Of these, 64 (51.6%) were male and 60 (48.4%) were female. The mean age was 38 ± 17.5 years. The most commonly ingested corrosive agents were sodium hypochlorite in 50 (40.3%) patients and hydrochloric acid in 33 (26.6%) patients. The mean admission time for the emergency department after ingestion of the corrosive agent was 2.5 ± 3.7 hours. Ingestion was accidental in 82% of the patients and as a result of a suicide attempt in 18%. The amount of ingested corrosive agent in the suicidal group (190 ± 208.3 mL) was higher than that of accidental group (66 ± 58.3 mL) (P= 0.012). Nine patients underwent esophagoscopy, six of which were performed in other clinical centers. Only three (2.4%) patients experienced esophageal stricture, which were treated with repeated dilatations. In the long-term follow up, we could get in touch with only 63 patients and none of them had complications due to corrosive ingestion. The follow-up period ranged from 1 to 120 months (median 45 ± 29.2 months). Based on our study, early esophagoscopy appears to be unnecessary in adult patients who ingested the corrosive agent accidentally. A larger prospective study is needed to answer the question. [source] Impact of Body Mass Index on Markers of Left Ventricular Thickness and Mass Calculation: Results of a Pilot AnalysisECHOCARDIOGRAPHY, Issue 3 2005Ranjini Krishnan M.D. Specific correlations between body mass index (BMI) and left ventricular (LV) thickness have been conflicting. Accordingly, we investigated if a particular correlation exists between BMI and echocardiographic markers of ventricular function. Methods: A total of 122 patients, referred for routine transthoracic echocardiography, were included in this prospective pilot study using a 3:1 randomization approach. Patient demographics were obtained using a questionnaire. Results: Group I consisted of 80 obese (BMI was >30 kg/m2), Group II of 16 overweight (BMI between 26 and 29 kg/m2), and Group III of 26 normal BMI (BMI < 25 kg/m2) individuals. No difference was found in left ventricular wall thickness, LV end-systolic cavity dimension, fractional shortening (FS), or pulmonary artery systolic pressure (PASP) among the groups. However, mean LV end-diastolic cavity dimension was greater in Group I (5.0 ± 0.9 cm) than Group II (4.6 ± 0.8 cm) or Group III (4.4 ± 0.9 cm; P < 0.006). LV mass indexed to height2.7 was also significantly larger in Group I (61 ± 21) when compared to Group III (48 ± 19; P < 0.001). Finally, left atrial diameter (4.3 ± 0.7 cm) was also larger (3.8 ± 0.6 and 3.6 ± 0.7, respectively; P < 0.00001).Discussion: We found no correlation between BMI and LV wall thickness, FS, or PASP despite the high prevalence of diabetes and hypertension in obese individuals. However, obese individuals had an increased LV end-diastolic cavity dimension, LV mass/height2.7, and left atrial diameter. These findings could represent early markers in the sequence of cardiac events occurring with obesity. A larger prospective study is needed to further define the sequence of cardiac abnormalities occurring with increasing BMI. [source] Comparison of the diagnostic accuracy of the Cognitive Performance Scale (Minimum Data Set) and the Mini-Mental State Exam for the detection of cognitive impairment in nursing home residentsINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF GERIATRIC PSYCHIATRY, Issue 4 2007Louis Paquay Abstract Objective To compare the diagnostic accuracy of an outcome measurement scale of the Minimum Data Set of the Resident Assessment Instrument for nursing homes (MDS/RAI-NH), the Cognitive Performance Scale (CPS) and the Mini-Mental State Exam (MMSE) for the detection of cognitive impairment. The Cambridge Examination for Mental Disorders of the Elderly , Revised (CAMDEX-R) was used as the reference standard. Study design and setting This study was part of a larger prospective study (QUALIDEM) involving a diagnostic procedure and two-year follow-up on the quality of primary care for demented patients. CAMDEX-R and MDS/RAI-NH were administered to 198 residents, aged 65 or more, living in 42 low and high care institutions for aged people. Main outcome measures Indicators of diagnostic accuracy: sensitivity, specificity, predictive values, likelihood ratios, odds ratio and area under receiver operating characteristics curve (AUC). Results The CAMDEX-based prevalence of cognitive impairment was 75%. The diagnostic values of a CPS score of two or more for the detection of cognitive impairment were: sensitivity,=,0.81; specificity,=,0.80; PPV,=,0.92; NPV,=,0.57. The diagnostic values of a MMSE score of less than or equal 23 were: sensitivity,=,0.97; specificity,=,0.59; PPV,=,0.88; NPV,=,0.85. For CPS, the area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was 0.87 (95% CI, 0.81,0.91), and not significantly different (p,=,0.63) from the MMSE score, 0.88 (0.83,0.93). Conclusions CPS and MMSE demonstrated similar performance to detect cognitive impairment in nursing home residents. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Total and high molecular weight adiponectin concentrations in plasma of patients with end-stage renal disease before and after peritoneal dialysisNEPHROLOGY, Issue 3 2008JAE-HO PARK SUMMARY: Background: Adiponectin is an antiatherogenic adipocyte-derived proteins. The level of plasma adiponectin is inversely correlated to cardiovascular risk in patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD). The aim of this study was to elucidate the changes of adiponectin concentrations in newly diagnosed ESRD patients after peritoneal dialysis. Methods: In 16 newly diagnosed ESRD patients, total concentrations of adiponectin and high molecular weight (HMW) adiponectin, the HMW ratio (HMWR; ratio of the plasma level of HMW adiponectin to that of total adiponectin), the body mass index (BMI), insulin concentrations, blood glucose and estimation of the insulin sensitivity index by the homeostasis model assessment (HOMRIR) were compared before and after 1 year of peritoneal dialysis. Results: Plasma total adiponectin was decreased from 15.52 ± 9.35 ,g/mL to 11.80 ± 6.84 ,g/mL (P = 0.046), HMW adiponectin was decreased from 9.05 ± 6.48 ,g/mL to 4.83 ± 4.15 ,g/mL (P = 0.009), and HMWR was decreased from 0.51 ± 0.18 to 0.35 ± 0.20 (P = 0.008). Total and HMW adiponectin/BMI ratio was decreased. The BMI was increased from 25.2 ± 5.7 to 25.8 ± 6.2 (P = 0.036). The HOMRIR, insulin level and lipid profile were not changed. Conclusion: Total adiponectin, HMW adiponectin and HMWR were decreased in newly diagnosed ESRD patients after 1 year of peritoneal dialysis. The factors that influence the decrease of the level of adiponectin should be studied in a larger prospective study. [source] HLA-DR expression on lymphocyte subsets as a marker of disease activity in patients with systemic lupus erythematosusCLINICAL & EXPERIMENTAL IMMUNOLOGY, Issue 3 2001J. F. Viallard A major problem in the management of SLE patients is to predict a flare or to distinguish between active and quiescent disease. Serological markers are widely used to assess disease activity, but many patients have close to or normal values for these parameters while exhibiting obvious disease-related signs and symptoms. This study aimed to determine which serological parameters, among ESR, ANA and anti-dsDNA antibody titres, CH50 and the HLA-DR expression on circulating T-lymphocyte subsets, best reflected the development of SLE flares. Sixty SLE patients were included, 34 with quiescent disease throughout the entire follow-up period and 26 who experienced an SLE flare defined as having active disease. According to univariate analysis, all parameters were significantly higher for patients with active disease, with the percentage of CD8+DR+ cells being the most significant parameter (P = 10,7). Multivariate logistic regression analysis identified three independent variables enabling the identification of a lupus flare: CH50, the CD8+DR+ and CD4+DR+ cell percentages among total lymphocytes. The CD8+DR+ cell percentage is the biological parameter most significantly associated with a flare (P < 0·001), even more powerful than CH50 (P < 0·01). HLA-DR expression on CD8+ lymphocytes clearly coincided with disease evolution in seven patients enrolled as having quiescent disease, but who experienced one flare during follow-up that subsequently resolved. The percentage of circulating CD8+DR+ lymphocytes appears to be a biological marker which accurately reflects disease activity. A larger prospective study is needed to demonstrate the real efficacy of this marker in predicting an exacerbation in SLE patients. [source] | ||||||||||