A model for assessing patient education.

Patient education is becoming a more visible activity. The Michigan Hospital Association and the Michigan state health planning and resource development agency (Office of Health and Medical Affairs) agreed to jointly pursue a patient-education project to determine its effectiveness. The overall goal of the project is to determine generically what constitutes a quality hospital-based patient-education program.

Factors affecting criteria met by hospital-based patient-education programs: a Michigan experience.

A patient-education program model with 18 criteria was refined into a survey instrument and sent to 217 Michigan hospitals. Of these, 181 hospitals and one free-standing clinic responded, with 47 indicating they had no applicable programs and 135 providing data on 281 existing patient-education programs. A mean (+/- SD) of 12.

The mechanical properties of "cement-antibiotic" mixtures.

The authors investigated the mechanical properties of "CMW cement-antibiotic" mixtures compared with those of the standard preparation. They carried out comparative tests of tensile strength, hardness and flexion (flexion breaking load, percentage flexion, modulus of elasticity to flexion). The antibiotics used were: streptomycin, ampicillin, cefalotin, carbenicillin, rifampicin, kanamycin, gentamycin and tobramycin.

Combined use of ultrasonography and transhepatic percutaneous cholangiography in obstructive jaundice.

The authors have evaluated the results of ultrasonography (US) and transhepatic percutaneous cholangiography (PTC) in 85 patients. The comparative results of US and PTC in the diagnosis of the level (proximal or distal) and the nature (benign or malignant) of the obstruction and in the evaluation of the extension and the site of the lesion are illustrated. PTC is superior in the evaluation of the level and the nature of the obstruction while US gives more information about extension and site of the lesion.

Ultrasonographic aspects of inflammatory and neoplastic diseases of the gallbladder.

The authors present the incidence of the typical ultrasonographic signs of acute cholecystitis (46 cases), chronic cholecystitis (25 cases), cholecystosis (9 cases), empyema (28 cases) and carcinoma of the gallbladder (30 cases). Ultrasonography, together with the clinical picture, enables the identification of the lesion, its extension and evolution in most of the cases. Rarely do differential diagnostic problems exist.

Advances in radiological anatomy of the kidney.

While using cortical nephrotomography to show the architecture and thickness of the cortical septa we have observed, in 76 out of 176 kidneys, the presence of 2 distinct parenchymal elements for which we suggest the term "renunculus". In such cases the upper renunculus is posterior relative to the lower. It lies rather obliquely, running downwards and laterally, while the lower renunculus lies more or less vertically and in front of the upper.

Grey-scale ultrasonography in the evaluation of primary carcinomas of the bile ducts.

The authors report the echographic findings observed in 24 proven cases of primary carcinoma of the bile ducts. Most tumours, either vegetating or infiltrating with extraductile extension, were recognized on ultrasound. This technique turned out to be accurate in detecting peripheral, hilar and distal ductal carcinomas.

Orbital pseudotumor. Pathologic and therapeutic considerations.

Orbital pseudotumor is a chronic, idiopathic granuloma acting as an orbital expanding lesion. The importance of clinical features for a proper diagnosis is relevant. A subdivision in three subgroups is made taking in account surgical, pathological and CT-scan patterns.

Iopamidol in urography. A comparison between ionic and nonionic contrast media in patients with normal and impaired renal function.

The radiographic results obtained in urography with iopamidol, a new low osmolality contrast medium, given to 50 patients with normal renal function and 42 patients with impaired renal function, have been evaluated and compared with those obtained with ionic media of current use (meglumine sodium diatrizoate and sodium iothalamate). Based on this comparison, the authors believe there are no significant radiographic advantages to iopamidol.

[Ultrasonographic evaluation of jaundiced patients: accuracy in 246 controlled cases (author's transl)].

In 246 controlled jaundiced patients, the value of ultrasonography was confirmed. The differentiation of medical from surgical jaundice was 96% accurate. There was an increase in the overall accuracy due to technological developments and better scanning techniques.

Hemispheric supratentorial astrocytomas in children. Long-term results in 29 cases.

In a series of 41 cases of hemispheric supratentorial astrocytoma (HSA) in children, 29 patients have been followed for periods ranging from 5 to 27 years. The follow-up data show that HSA's are relatively benign tumors. Twenty-two patients (76%) are still living: 12 in good, eight in fair, and two in poor neurological condition.

Investigation into the antibacterial activity in vitro of cement-antibiotic mixtures.

An investigation was made into the antibacterial activity in vitro of CMW cement and antibiotic mixtures. The results of this study are reported and the risk factors are discussed. On the basis of our studies, the use of this mixture in clinical practice would appear to be premature.

A flow-cell method for measuring hepatic excretion of pigments continuously in rats.

The electronic absorption of effluent bile from restrained rats with indwelling bile cannulas can be measured directly and continuously in the wavelength region 430-800 nm using commercially available micro flow-cells. The method is useful for studying and characterizing the hepatic excretion of endogenous and exogenous pigments. Biliary excretion curves are obtained directly without requiring separate analyses of individual bile samples.

Reduction of biliverdin and placental transfer of bilirubin and biliverdin in the pregnant guinea pig.

Biliverdin was reduced to bilirubin in pregnant and foetal guinea pigs, and the 100000 g supernatant from homogenates of foetal liver, placenta and maternal liver showed high biliverdin reductase activity. The placental transport of unconjugated bilirubin and biliverdin was compared by injecting unlabelled and radiolabelled pigments into the foetal or maternal circulation and analysing blood collected from the opposite side of the placenta. Injected bilirubin crossed the placenta from foetus to mother and vice versa, but injected biliverdin did not appear to cross without prior reduction to bilirubin.