Comparison of breath-actuated and conventional constant-flow jet nebulizers in treating acute asthmatic children.

To compare the therapeutic effects of two small-volume jet nebulization devices, a breath-actuated nebulizer (BAN) and a constant-flow nebulizer (CFN), this study was conducted. Seventy-two asthmatic patients, aged 5 to 15, were randomly enrolled into this study (39 to the CFN group, 33 to the BAN group). Nebulization treatment with terbutaline solution (5.

Efficacy of nebulized budesonide in hospitalized infants and children younger than 24 months with bronchiolitis.

To evaluate the effect of nebulized budesonide on acute, young, wheezing patients, a total of 73 patients, aged below 24 months, who were hospitalized due to bronchiolitis were randomly enrolled into this study according to age. They were divided into four groups and treated with four kinds of nebulized solutions. Group I consisted of 18 patients under 12 months old who were treated with budesonide (1 mg/2 ml) diluted with 2 ml isotonic sodium chloride.

The function profile of compressed-air and ultrasonic nebulizers.

In order to study the detailed function of two kinds of nebulizers commonly used in clinical asthma treatment, compressed-air and ultrasonic, this study was conducted. At the beginning, various flow rates were adjusted, paired with different volumes of solutions in the container. The changes of temperature, pH, and osmolality during the course of nebulization were examined.

Correlation of serum leptin concentrations with body composition and gender in Taiwanese hemodialysis patients without diabetes.

Objective: (1) To evaluate the impact of body composition and gender on serum leptin concentration in hemodialysis patients. (2) To study which marker of adiposity is most appropriate in Taiwanese hemodialysis patients without diabetes. (3) To compare the nutrition status between nonlean and lean subjects.

Central retinal artery occlusion caused by expansion of intraocular gas at high altitude.

Purpose: To report a case of central retinal artery occlusion caused by expansion of intraocular gas during mountain travel at high altitude.

Design: Interventional case report.

Methods: A 46-year-old man underwent vitrectomy with intraocular gas tamponade for rhegmatogenous retinal detachment, right eye.

A comparison of terbutaline and fenoterol unit dose vials in treating children with acute asthmatic attacks.

To compare the bronchodilation and adverse effects of two commercially marketed short-acting beta2-adrenergic agonists, terbutaline (Bricanyl, 5.0 mg/2ml) and fenoterol (Berotec,1.25 mg/2ml) unit dose vials (UDV), 108 acute asthmatic children, aged 5 to 14, were randomly enrolled into this study.

Fournier's gangrene--Taiwan experience.

Background: Synergistic necrotizing fascitis of the scrotum, penis and perianal region was first described by Fournier in 1883. If not recognized early, this infectious process will extend along the fascia plane to the lower abdominal and back regions, causing severe morbidity and even mortality.

Methods: The records of 8 patients diagnosed of Fournier's gangrene were reviewed between 1988 and 2000.

Steroid-induced acute psychosis in a child with asthma: report of one case.

A 5-year-old girl was admitted due to severe asthmatic attack. She was treated with methylprednisolone (40 mg i.v.

The feasibility of using photographs to estimate historical heights of children.

In studying the growth and development of children, records of body heights are often unavailable for certain periods of time. To evaluate the feasibility of using photographs to estimate body heights in the past, we obtained 23 photographs taken within two months of a documented measurement of height from a cohort of an on-going study. From each photograph, an object was selected as the reference, and the historical height of the child was estimated by proportional projection according to the height of the reference.

Rare complication of massive hemorrhage in neurofibromatosis with arteriovenous malformation.

Neurofibromatosis is rare in the general population. Its clinical manifestations are systemic and variable. The clinical presentation of cutaneous lesions is even more variable.

Clinical study of failure in continuous spinal anesthesia with bupivacaine.

Background: Continuous spinal anesthesia (CSA) has been considered to be better in temporal and dose flexibility, as well as hemodynamic stability than single dose spinal anesthesia. However, the failure of spinal anesthesia is not a rare experience for anesthesiologists. Here we present our experience in solving the problem and discuss the possible causes for the failure.

Pyogenic myositis: caused by viridans streptococci in an adult with tetralogy of Fallot.

A 34-year-old man came to this Emergency Room because of fever, swelling and pain in the right thigh. Tetralogy of Fallot with bicuspid pulmonary valve was diagnosed after serial examination, and computed tomography of the right thigh revealed pyogenic myositis. Surgical drainage of the right thigh abscess and a further pus culture yielded viridans streptococci.

Plaque-type blue nevus. Review and an unusual Case.

A 31-year-old male presented with a 13-15-mm blue-black plaque tumor on his left forearm, which had existed since birth. Histological examination showed a common blue nevus. Its small size and its location are unusual.

Usefulness of argyrophilic nucleolar organizer regions score to differentiate suspicious malignancy in pulmonary cytology.

Objective: Pulmonary cytologic specimens reported as "suspicious for malignancy" pose problems in clinical management. Silver staining for argyrophilic nucleolar organizer regions (AgNOR) has proved useful in making a cytopathologically differential diagnosis between benign and malignant cells. This study aimed to evaluate the usefulness of AgNOR score in the diagnosis of pulmonary cytologic specimens deemed inconclusive by conventional staining methods.

Asthma induced by ice water ingestion in ethnic Chinese asthmatic children: a challenge.

Unlabelled: The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between ice water ingestion and the induction of asthmatic symptoms and signs in ethnic Chinese asthmatic children. Sixty asthmatic children with a positive history of exacerbation of symptoms after drinking ice water were divided randomly into two groups: 34 children were instructed to drink 250 ml of 0-4 degrees C ice water within one minute, and 26 to drink 250 ml of 25 degrees C warm water. All of the asthmatic children were stable when studied.

Counseling clinic for pediatric weight reduction: program formulation and follow-up.

The feasibility and efficacy of an outpatient-based multicomponent weight reduction program was tested with 68 consecutively enrolled obese children and adolescents. The patients were invited to participate in an individualized six-session program that included parent involvement, diet education, exercise management and behavior modification by a culturally sensitive method. Fifty-six patients were followed up 1 year after treatment.

Beneficial effects of pravastatin on fasting hyperinsulinemia in elderly hypertensive hypercholesterolemic subjects.

We undertook this prospective double-blind, placebo-controlled study to evaluate the efficacy and safety of low-dose (15 mg) pravastatin in elderly hypercholesterolemic hypertensive subjects with concurrent antihypertensive treatment and to determine whether fasting hyperinsulinemia could also be improved. At three hypertension and lipid clinics of two medical centers, 96 elderly (49 women, 47 men) ambulatory subjects were randomized to active treatment or placebo for 12 months after a 3-month single-blind lead-in period. Hypertensive subjects with plasma total cholesterol levels of at least 6.

Effect of continuous positive airway pressure on cardiac output in neonates.

To determine the cardiac output change in neonates who were under nasal continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy, eleven newborn neonates, who were admitted to our neonatal intensive care unit with respiratory diseases, were enrolled in the study. Cardiac output was measured by pulsed Doppler echocardiogram at various pressures of 0, 2, 4, 6, 8, and 10 cm H2O and revealed 301 +/- 47, 300 +/- 49, 289 +/- 55, 275 +/- 64, 269 +/- 59 and 242 +/- 50 ml/min/kg, respectively. Cardiac output depressed significantly between 0 cm H2O and 8 cm H2O (P = 0.

Colored striae in obese children and adolescents.

To document the characteristics of the striae in obese children and adolescents, 89 obese patients (56 males, 33 females) with a mean age of 9.6 +/- 3.0 years and range of 3 to 19 years who came to our pediatric nutrition clinic were studied.

Benign parotid tumor with facial nerve paralysis: a case report.

The presence of facial nerve paralysis in the presence of an ipsilateral parotid gland tumor is almost an indication of parotid gland malignancy. Benign parotid gland tumor with facial nerve palsy is very rare. Only three cases have been reported in the literature.

Thrombophilia in patients with hypercholesterolemia.

To investigate a possible interrelationship between hypercholesterolemia and the coagulation and fibrinolytic system, the Cardiovascular Disease Risk Factor Two-Township Study in Taiwan was undertaken as a longitudinal prospective study focusing on the evolution of cardiovascular disease risk factors, with an emphasis on hemostatic factors. Hemostatic parameters measured in this study included prothrombin time (PT), activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT), fibrinogen, factor VIIc, factor VIIIc, antithrombin III, and plasminogen. Subjects of both sexes with hypercholesterolemia (> 6.

Transcatheter embolization of a coronary arteriovenous fistula with a complex, helical-fibered platinum coil.

Transcatheter embolization was successfully performed on a 51-year-old man with a coronary arteriovenous fistula arising from the left circumflex coronary artery and draining into the superior vena cava. The patient presented with typical manifestations of angina pectoris that were first noticed during childhood but had worsened over the past 5 years. A 2 x 20 mm complex, helical-fibered platinum coil was placed in the mid-portion of the fistula and successfully occluded the fistula within 30 minutes.

Effectiveness and safety of low-dose pravastatin and squalene, alone and in combination, in elderly patients with hypercholesterolemia.

A double-blind, placebo-controlled study was conducted to compare the efficacy and safety of low-dose (10 mg) prevastatin and squalene (860 mg), either alone or in combination therapy, with placebo in the treatment of elderly patients with hypercholesterolemia. Ambulatory elderly patients (N = 102) were assigned in randomized fashion to receive active treatment or placebo for 20 weeks after a single-blind placebo lead-in period of 8 weeks. Total cholesterol and triglyceride levels in plasma were at least 250 mg/dL and less than 300 mg/dL, respectively.