Physician and hospital characteristics related to length of stay for sudden sensorineural hearing loss patients.

The treatment of sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSNHL) has remained one of the most controversial issues in otolaryngology, and there are wide disparities between clinicians' treatment methods for SSNHL. Using five-year population-based data, we explored the relationship between physician and hospital characteristics and the length of stay (LOS) for SSNHL patients in Taiwan. The dataset was derived from the National Health Insurance Research Database.

Correlation between pulmonary vascular change and hemodynamics in patients with complete atrioventricular septal defect.

Background And Purpose: The study of the pulmonary vasculature in Taiwanese with atrioventricular septal defect has not been reported previously. This study investigated the correlation between pulmonary vascular change and hemodynamics in these patients.

Methods: Ten children with complete atrioventricular defect, 8 of whom had Down syndrome, underwent open lung biopsy.

Primary sinonasal non-Hodgkin's lymphoma masquerading as chronic rhinosinusitis: an issue of routine histopathological examination.

Primary non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) of the sinonasal tract is uncommon. Morphologically and radiographically, sinonasal lymphomas are difficult to distinguish from other malignant neoplasms or non-neoplastic processes. However, there is no general consensus about the need of routine histopathological examination for nasal polyps among otolaryngologists.

Foix-Chavany-Marie syndrome.

Anarthria and bilateral central faciolinguopharyngeomasticatory paralysis with automatic voluntary dissociation are the clinical hallmarks of Foix-Chavany-Marie syndrome (FCMS), the cortico-subcortial type of suprabulbar palsy. We present a 64-year-old man who was admitted due to acute onset of speechlessness for days. Neurological examinations demonstrated typical features of FCMS.

Decrease of muscarinic M2 cholinoceptor gene expression in the heart of aged rat.

It is well known that the baroreflex activity decreases with aging. However, the mechanisms of this change are still not clear. Thus, we investigated one of the parameters to see whether aging alters gene expression of muscarinic receptors in the heart of Wistar rat aged between 2 months (adult) and 24 months (aged).

Clinical experience of HIV/AIDS in a municipal hospital in Taiwan.

To describe the spectrum of epidemiological and major clinical manifestations of patients infected by human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) in a municipal hospital, a retrospective review was done of 53 HIV-1-infected patients who had been admitted to Taipei Municipal Jen-Ai Hospital between January 1990, and July 1996. The majority (94.3%) of the patients in the cohort were male.

The development of ABO isohemagglutinins in Taiwanese.

To evaluate the developmental pattern of ABO isohemagglutinins in Taiwanese, 644 blood samples (349 males, 295 females), including cord blood, were collected from individuals with ages ranging from newborn to 83 years. Synthesis of anti-A and anti-B could be demonstrated in most Taiwanese infants by 2-4 months of age, increasing progressively to reach adult levels (titers of 1:32-1:256) at around 1 year of age. Peak levels were reached at between 3-10 years of age and then declined with advancing years, with individuals of 80 years of age and over showing reduced levels similar to those seen in 6- to 12-month-old infants.

The effect of betamethasone on intraocular pressure in nephrotic children.

Intraocular pressure (IOP) was measured by Goldmann's or Schiotz's method in 46 nephrotic children, who were treated with betamethasone, and in 40 age-matched normal controls at the Taipei Municipal Chung-Hsin Hospital, from July 1, 1987 to June 30, 1990. We found the difference in mean IOP between patients treated at the end of a full-dose course of betamethasone and normal controls or patients before treatment, was statistically significant. This difference was also found between the measurement of IOP at the end of a full-dose course of betamethasone, and after stopping betamethasone therapy two to four weeks later.

Isokinetic and isometric testing of knee musculature in young female patients with patellofemoral pain syndrome.

By using a Cybex II+ isokinetic dynamometer, we performed isokinetic and isometric tests of the knee musculature in 29 female patients (aged 17-45 years) with patellofemoral pain syndrome (PFPS) and the same number of age- and weight-matched female controls. The pain was unilateral in 11 patients and bilateral in 18. The isokinetic testing was set at speeds of 60 degrees, 120 degrees and 180 degrees/sec; the isometric testing was set at 30 degrees and 60 degrees of knee flexion.

[An index for childhood nutrition--"chung-hsin" index].

For evaluation of growth and development of children, a nutritional index is one of the most important guides. Many methods have been proposed to estimate the index. Kaup's Index is one, used frequently to check the nutritional condition, but it is unsuitable for evaluation of infants under three-months-old.

Enhanced suppressor T cell activity resulting in increased IgM and decreased IgG productions in children with minimal change nephrotic syndrome.

In order to clarify the cellular basis accounting for the decreased serum IgG and increased serum IgM in children with minimal change nephrotic syndrome (MCNS), peripheral blood mononulcear cells (MNC) were obtained from 15 children with biopsy-proved MCNS and 15 age- and sex-matched normals. MNC were then separated into helper (OKT4) T cells, suppressor (OKT8) T cells, B cells and monocytes. Different cell populations from patients and normals were then recombined and pokeweed mitogen-stimulated in vitro immunoglobulin biosynthesis was studied.