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PubMed2006

[Main indications of cardiac surgery and interventional catheterisation in pediatric cardiac diseases].

Although prospective randomized studies about congenital heart diseases in children are virtually non existent, partly due to methodological difficulties related to the scarcity and the heterogeneity of patients with these rare diseases, general agreement has been reached concerning the indications for treating, and thus approaches to the management of most congenital heart diseases do not differ significantly between centres. Advances in surgical techniques are tremendous, allowing repair of complex diseases in younger and younger children with constantly improving survival. However, long-term follow-up of these seemingly cured survivors of heart surgery within infancy is a crucial point.

Cardiac Catheterization↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Human acute myeloid leukemia stem cells.

Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is a clonal disorder defined by the accumulation of abnormally differentiated myeloid cells that are not mature; any myeloid lineage can be affected and the extent of maturation of the leukemia blasts can also vary. Because mature blast cells of AML have very limited proliferative capacity, it is believed that the leukemic clone is perpetuated by a rare population of leukemia stem cells (LSC) that have acquired a dramatic increase in their ability to self-renew. Elucidating the nature of the target cell that undergoes leukemic transformation and the resultant LSC that can initiate and maintain AML is essential for both the understanding of the leukemogenic process and for the design of effective therapies. However, identifying such cells using only clinical data from human subjects has been difficult due to obvious restriction in experimental intervention in humans. In addition, before clinical symptoms are presented, it is virtually impossible to acquire a complete picture of the early events in leukemogenesis. Other experimental approaches involved the study of naturally occurring or induced animal (murine) leukemias. While many aspects of these animal leukemias reproduced the human disease, there were also inconsistencies. The advent of xenotransplantation to accurately model human AML growing within an animal system has provided an important tool to begin to answer the fundamental questions regarding AML. This review will examine the work done using the xenograft system to characterize the nature of the leukemic clone and will specifically highlight the advances made in phenotypically, molecularly, and functionally defining the LSC. Finally, a variety of novel AML therapeutics aimed at eradicating the LSC will be discussed.

Animals↗

PubMed1997

Incidence of congenital heart disease in Qatari children.

We surveyed the incidence of congenital heart disease in 49887 native live born children in the period between 1984 to 1994 in Qatar. Each child with clinically suspected congenital heart disease underwent echocardiographic examination. Magnetic resonance imaging, cardiac catheterization and surgical intervention were done at the discretion of the patient's pediatric cardiologist. Virtually no postmortem examinations were performed. Children with congenital heart disease were entered into a computerized database and were then followed for 1-11 years. Congenital heart disease was diagnosed in 610 of 49,887 children for an incidence of 12.23/1000 live births. The reasons for the high incidence were high proportion of small muscular ventricular septal defects discovered before the time of their spontaneous closure, referral to and follow up by a single group of pediatric cardiologists, location of the pediatric cardiology service in the same setting where nearly all of the deliveries took place, freely available health care service, and echocardiographic examination of every child with a clinical diagnosis of congenital heart disease.

Female↗

PubMed2000

Using the bedside wellness system during chemotherapy decreases fatigue and emesis in cancer patients.

BACKGROUND: The bedside wellness system (BSW) is effective for decreasing stress and improving mental well-being and should help relieve the side effects and mental disorders of patients during cancer chemotherapy. METHODS: The study was a randomized clinical trial. After giving informed consent, patients were randomly assigned to the BSW intervention or control groups. The patients were given the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) test before the trial to evaluate their emotional baseline. The Cancer Fatigue Scale, which was developed at our institute, and face visual analog scale were used to measure the emotional state and subjective feelings before and after the trial. The degree of emesis was measured using a visual analogue scale after the experience. We set up the system in a room in the outpatient clinic of the National Cancer Center New Hospital Building. RESULTS: The decreases in the fatigue score and emesis score 3-5 days after chemotherapy were statistically significant (both p < 0.05) and carry-over effects were detected. CONCLUSIONS: BSW intervention therapy is an effective way to treat fatigue and emesis. This virtual reality system is a new therapeutic method that can be used in palliative medicine.

Adult↗

PubMed2004

Surgical treatment of the infected diabetic foot.

Foot infections are common in the diabetic patient. Early recognition, proper assessment, and prompt intervention are vital. A combination of surgery and antibiotics is mandatory in virtually all foot infections. The aim of surgery is 2-fold: first, to control the infection, and second, to attempt to salvage the leg. The eventual goal is always to preserve a functional limb. Foot deformities resulting from surgery may cause reulceration and a high morbidity. The surgical treatment of the infection largely consists of draining of pus and removal of all necrotic and infected tissue. Frequently, revascularization of the foot is needed to save the limb; thus, there must be a close cooperation with the vascular surgical service. The surgeon must have a thorough knowledge of foot anatomy and must be familiar with the defects in wound healing that are caused by diabetes. The outcome of surgery mainly depends on the skill, care, and experience of the surgeon. The best results are achieved within a multidisciplinary setting.

Amputation, Surgical↗

PubMed1992

Heart disease, cancer, and stroke in Maryland.

Maryland has higher mortality rates from heart disease, cancer, and stroke (HCS) than the United States as a whole. More than 50% of deaths from HCS are premature, occurring before age 75. The health care and indirect costs from these three diseases total approximately $4.4 billion annually, placing a major economic burden on the state. A large body of scientific literature has shown the potential for the prevention of HCS. Currently, Maryland, like virtually all states, lacks the type of systematic, well-coordinated, comprehensive intervention campaign needed to lower morbidity, mortality, and health care costs from these three diseases. Such a campaign has now been planned by the University of Maryland at Baltimore. Similar campaigns are needed throughout much of the United States.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2002

The impact of an integrated family planning program in Russia.

In 1995, the U.S. Agency for International Development implemented an integrated program of family planning education and services in six Russian cities to increase physicians' and women's contraceptive knowledge and change current contraceptive use. Large population-based surveys of women ages 15-44 were carried out at the beginning of project implementation (in 1996) and 3 years later in two project sites and a comparison site. Results from these surveys indicate that project activities affected women's knowledge of family planning methods, and caused women to have more favorable attitudes toward modern contraception. In addition, abortion rates decreased in project sites while remaining virtually unchanged in the comparison site. Because of uneven implementation of project interventions in the demonstration sites, however, the intervention's actual impact on abortion rates remains unclear.

Abortion, Legal↗

PubMed2005

Percutaneous coronary revascularization in diabetics: from balloon angioplasty to drug-eluting stents.

Diabetic patients may have aggressive coronary disease with an excessive rate of restenosis and accelerated atherosclerotic progression. This article reviews the different modalities of percutaneous treatment and their results in the diabetic population, from the early days of balloon angioplasty to the current implementation of drug-eluting stents. As restenosis may be virtually eradicated in the near future, plaque progression remains the cornerstone for interventional cardiologists and the medical community. In this regard, attempts to modify life habits, and a more accurate control of the components of the metabolic syndrome should be the main therapeutic objective.

Angioplasty, Balloon, Coronary↗

PubMed1976

REM latency: a psychobiologic marker for primary depressive disease.

Previous investigations have indicated that one of the most consistent EEG sleep findings in depressive patients has been a shortened REM latency. On the basis of these studies, we have concluded that with the exception of drug withdrawal states (such as CNS depressant or amphetamine withdrawal and narcolepsy) shortened REM latency points to a strong affective component in the patient's illness. Short REM latency has also been observed in patients suffering from schizo-affective illness as well as in certain schizophrenic patients who require tricyclic antidepressants in their management. Furthermore, this psychobiologic marker is a persistent, rather than a transient phenomenon, and can be observed over a period of several weeks unless a patient's condition becomes more favorable through clinical intervention. This present report indicates that short REM latency is found in virtually all primary depressive illness and is absent in secondary depression. Thus, REM latency appears to be a dependable, measurable marker for diagnosing primary depression, and we argue that the phenomenon is independent of age, drug effect and changes in other sleep parameters. It is expected that EEG sleep and motor measurements can yield further significant data and improve differential diagnosis in psychiatry, in much the same way that laboratory data support other medical specialities.

Adult↗

PubMed1995

Assisting gay men to maintain safer sex: an evaluation of an AIDS service organization's safer sex maintenance program.

As the second decade of the AIDS crisis unfolds, increasing concern has been raised that the widespread adoption of condom use that occurred among gay men in the 1980s is not being maintained. Most interventions to promote condom use among gay men are delivered by community-based organizations via programs that are virtually undocumented; little is known about their effectiveness, or the processes by which they may work. This study describes safer sex practices among self-identified gay men following their participation in an intervention developed and implemented by a community-based organization. The intervention was designed to enhance men's attitudes, beliefs, and self-efficacy expectations to maintain safer sex. Among 150 men with complete data at both assessments, self-reported condom use was low. Men reported using condoms more consistently for anal sexual behavior than oral sexual behavior, but there were men who reported consistent unprotected anal sexual intercourse. The intervention had little impact on patterns of behavior over time, although desired changes in attitudes, beliefs, and self-efficacy expectations were evidenced following the intervention. The results suggest the importance of assisting community-based organizations to document program models. Findings also suggest that community-based organizations can develop interventions to successfully enhance factors that theoretically support maintenance of safer sexual behaviors.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Prenatally drug-exposed children in out-of-home care: are we looking at the whole picture?

Publicity on children exposed prenatally to drugs has fostered tremendous concern about their cognitive and behavioral development. This concern is reflected in the out-of-home care system, where the number of children from drug-involved families has increased dramatically. This article examines the conflicting views in the literature on the effects of prenatal exposure to drugs and reports on an early intervention project in a New York City agency. The rate of developmental delay was found to be virtually the same for children with and without prenatal exposure to drugs. Implications of these findings for practice and research are considered.

Child, Preschool↗

PubMed2002

Virtual reality treatment of flying phobia.

Flying phobia (FP) might become a very incapacitating and disturbing problem in a person's social, working, and private areas. Psychological interventions based on exposure therapy have proved to be effective, but given the particular nature of this disorder they bear important limitations. Exposure therapy for FP might be excessively costly in terms of time, money, and efforts. Virtual reality (VR) overcomes these difficulties as different significant environments might be created, where the patient can interact with what he or she fears while in a totally safe and protected environment-the therapist's consulting room. This paper intends, on one hand, to show the different scenarios designed by our team for the VR treatment of FP, and on the other, to present the first results supporting the effectiveness of this new tool for the treatment of FP in a multiple baseline study.

Adult↗

PubMed1993

Effects of bright light on mood in normal elderly women.

Reduced light appears to be a key factor in seasonal affective disorder (SAD). This study asks whether the reduced levels of light experienced by elderly persons might result in depression and other SAD symptoms, and how normal elderly persons might respond to bright light interventions similar to those used to treat SAD. In interviews with 140 senior citizens, we found virtually no seasonal variation in mood and behavior and very little depressed affect. Seventeen of these seniors who had good mental and physical health, with no major eye problems, participated in a crossover study of the effects of bright light on both positive and negative affect and sleep. Although sleep did not appear to be affected, the bright light intervention tended to make these normal elderly persons feel worse--more irritable, anxious, and agitated. These findings confirm earlier reports that bright light is not beneficial for normal individuals who are unaffected by seasonal changes.

Affect↗

PubMed2004

Motor rehabilitation using virtual reality.

Virtual Reality (VR) provides a unique medium suited to the achievement of several requirements for effective rehabilitation intervention. Specifically, therapy can be provided within a functional, purposeful and motivating context. Many VR applications present opportunities for individuals to participate in experiences, which are engaging and rewarding. In addition to the value of the rehabilitation experience for the user, both therapists and users benefit from the ability to readily grade and document the therapeutic intervention using various systems. In VR, advanced technologies are used to produce simulated, interactive and multi-dimensional environments. Visual interfaces including desktop monitors and head-mounted displays (HMDs), haptic interfaces, and real-time motion tracking devices are used to create environments allowing users to interact with images and virtual objects in real-time through multiple sensory modalities. Opportunities for object manipulation and body movement through virtual space provide frameworks that, in varying degrees, are perceived as comparable to similar opportunities in the real world. This paper reviews current work on motor rehabilitation using virtual environments and virtual reality and where possible, compares outcomes with those achieved in real-world applications.

Journal Article↗

PubMed2006

A randomised trial comparing genotypic and virtual phenotypic interpretation of HIV drug resistance: the CREST study.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to compare the efficacy of different HIV drug resistance test reports (genotype and virtual phenotype) in patients who were changing their antiretroviral therapy (ART). DESIGN: Randomised, open-label trial with 48-week followup. SETTING: The study was conducted in a network of primary healthcare sites in Australia and New Zealand. PARTICIPANTS: Patients failing current ART with plasma HIV RNA > 2000 copies/mL who wished to change their current ART were eligible. Subjects were required to be > 18 years of age, previously treated with ART, have no intercurrent illnesses requiring active therapy, and to have provided written informed consent. INTERVENTIONS: Eligible subjects were randomly assigned to receive a genotype (group A) or genotype plus virtual phenotype (group B) prior to selection of their new antiretroviral regimen. OUTCOME MEASURES: Patient groups were compared for patterns of ART selection and surrogate outcomes (plasma viral load and CD4 counts) on an intention-to-treat basis over a 48-week period. RESULTS: Three hundred and twenty seven patients completing >or= one month of followup were included in these analyses. Resistance tests were the primary means by which ART regimens were selected (group A: 64%, group B: 62%; p = 0.32). At 48 weeks, there were no significant differences between the groups for mean change from baseline plasma HIV RNA (group A: 0.68 log copies/mL, group B: 0.58 log copies/mL; p = 0.23) and mean change from baseline CD4+ cell count (group A: 37 cells/mm(3), group B: 50 cells/mm(3); p = 0.28). CONCLUSIONS: In the absence of clear demonstrated benefits arising from the use of the virtual phenotype interpretation, this study suggests resistance testing using genotyping linked to a reliable interpretive algorithm is adequate for the management of HIV infection.

Journal Article↗

PubMed1993

The role of prenatal diagnosis in congenital diaphragmatic hernia.

Prenatal diagnosis of surgically correctable fetal anomalies is increasing with the improvement of ultrasonographic techniques. In spite of theoretical advantages, the mortality rate in cases of CDH presenting in the early hours of life has remained high. We have experience of two consecutive cases of CDH, diagnosed prenatally. With maternal transport, planned delivery by Cesarean section, immediate resuscitation of the babies after birth, and prompt surgical intervention by pediatric surgeons, the babies were successfully managed even though they had severe hypoplasia of the left lung. Other reported cases of CDH, have died in the neonatal period mainly from associated lethal anomalies and contralateral lung hypoplasia and in spite of prenatal diagnosis and early surgical intervention. Most of these cases belong to group 3 in Ein's classification. Cases belonging to group 3 are virtually impossible to save with current medical techniques. The effects of prenatal diagnosis on the survival rate in CDH have been discouraging in those series which include these types of cases. The advantage of prenatal diagnosis and early surgical intervention are obvious in groups 1 and 2. Our cases show the importance of cooperation between obstetricians, neonatologists and pediatric surgeons in the prenatal and postnatal management of babies with CDH.

Female↗

PubMed2002

[Interventional radiology in managing post-partum hemorrhage].

UNLABELLED: EMBOLISATION OF THE UTERINE ARTERIES: Is the technique of choice for the management of post-partum hemorrhage, since it is efficient and virtually non-invasive. However, initial obstetrical measures and appropriate reanimation should never be neglected. The decision for embolisation must be made by all of the competent staff (obstetrician, reanimator, interventional radiologist). The clinical state of the patient must be assessed and the biological controls analyzed and eventually the decision can be made to transfer the patient to a specialized unit equipped not only with a team of interventional radiologists but also a multi-disciplinary team, experienced in the management of this type of pathology. PRACTICAL METHODS: An arterial inducer is placed in the femoral artery under local anesthesia. The angiographic exploration includes, when necessary, a global series showing the aorta and the pelvic vessels followed by the successive exploration of the two internal iliac arteries. Embolisation, conducted under scopic control, must be bilateral. Gelatin fragments or powder is the most appropriate embolus. LIMITS: Very few maternal delivery structures are able to perform an arterial embolisation at any time of the day or night. This raises the problem of transporting patients with uncontrolled hemorrhages; only those who exhibit no hemorrhagic disorders can be transported fairly easily. EFFICACY AND COMPLICATIONS: Concerning the three principle causes at the origin of post-partum hemorrhages, efficacy is constant in the case of uterine atonia; conversely, failures have been reported in the case of cervical-vaginal tearing and abnormal placental insertion (placenta accreta). In young women with healthy arteries, the complications of uterine embolisation during post-partum hemorrhage are exceptional.

Adult↗

PubMed2004

Cesarean scar pregnancy: quantitative assessment of uterine neovascularization with 3-dimensional color power Doppler imaging and successful treatment with uterine artery embolization.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to investigate the use of a 3-dimensional virtual organ computer-aided analysis imaging system for the monitoring of the quantification of changes of uterine neovascularization before and after successful treatment with uterine artery embolization in cesarean scar pregnancy. STUDY DESIGN: A case of cesarean scar pregnancy that was associated with extensive uterine neovascularization was diagnosed at 8 weeks of gestation with the 3-dimensional virtual organ computer-aided analysis imaging system. After appropriate counseling, a bilateral uterine arteries embolization procedure was performed with nonresorbable microspheres by interventional radiologists. RESULTS: The gestational cystic mass at the site of previous cesarean scar completely disappeared at the follow-up examination 3 months later. CONCLUSION: A 3-dimensional virtual organ computer-aided analysis imaging system can be used for the monitoring of the quantification of changes of uterine neovascularization before and after successful treatment with uterine artery embolization in cesarean scar pregnancy.

Adult↗