Outcome assessment in neuromuscular spinal deformity.

Patient-based outcome measures are important tools quantifying the disease-specific and/or global quality of life (QOL) effects of spinal deformity treatment. In patients with neuromuscular disorders such as cerebral palsy, muscular dystrophy, and myelomeningocele, treatment effects must be differentiated from underlying disease functional impairments. In general, the goals of spinal surgery in these patients are to improve QOL by enhancing sitting balance and posture, improving lung and gastrointestinal function, and reducing pain and deformity.

Prospective randomized study comparing the Teleflex Medical SaphLITE Retractor to the Ethicon CardioVations Clearglide Endoscopic System.

Background: Several minimally invasive saphenous vein harvesting techniques have been developed to reduce morbidities associated with coronary artery bypass grafting. This prospective, randomized study was designed to compare two commonly used minimally invasive saphenous vein harvesting techniques, the SaphLITE Retractor System (Teleflex Medical) and the Clearglide Endoscopic Vessel Harvesting System (Ethicon CardioVations, Inc.).

Back pain and backpacks in school children.

Objective: Back pain in adults is common and well studied. In contrast, back pain in children has received comparatively little scientific study, despite recent media attention. The purpose of this study is to see what factors influence the prevalence of back pain in middle school children, with particular attention to the weight of children's backpacks and the availability of school lockers.

Langerhans cell histiocytosis of bone in children and adolescents.

The purpose of this paper was to analyze the orthopaedic aspects of Langerhans cell histiocytosis and to assess the outcome after treatment. Fifty-six patients with Langerhans cell histiocytosis involving the bone were retrospectively studied. Three groups were identified with regard to the type of bone involvement.

Effect of Digoxin on Ventricular Remodeling and Responsiveness of beta-Adrenoceptors in Chronic Volume Overload.

BACKGROUND: Digoxin improves baroreflex function and reduces neurohumoral activation in severe heart failure, but it is uncertain how digoxin affects ventricular remodeling and progression to left ventricular dysfunction. In addition, the effect of digoxin in in vitro beta-adrenoceptor density and function, and contractile reserve in vivo is not well understood. METHODS AND RESULTS: To study this, we compared digoxin with placebo treatment in rats with chronic volume overload induced by aortocaval fistula and in sham-operated control animals.

Ascitic fluid-associated lymphocytes in patients with metastatic ovarian cancer. Analysis of lymphocyte subsets and of phenotypical changes induced by "in vitro".

Ascitic fluid and peripheral blood samples, from seven patients affected by peritoneal carcinomatosis secondary to ovarian tumors, were analyzed to examine the phenotypic properties of ascitic fluid-associated lymphocytes (AFAL) and then asses T-cell activities in the presence of different interleukins. The AFALs showed a relative enrichment of CD2+, CD3+, CD5+, CD4+ T cells compared to the peripheral blood samples, while the contrary was true for CD56+ and CD57+ cells. The same phenomenon was observed in both CD3+, CD56+ and CD2+, CD56+ cell populations.

Nonmedical personnel requirements for a pediatric radiology department.

The primary goal of a successful pediatric radiology department is to arrive at the correct clinical diagnosis as soon as possible. This responsibility is shared by radiologists, technologists, nurses, secretaries and clerks. The goal of this study was to determine the optimum number and type of nonmedical staff required to correctly and efficiently perform these examinations.