Bioscience trends
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Historical Article
Medical emergency rescue in disaster: the international emergency response to the Haiyan typhoon in Philippines.
Following Typhoon Haiyan, the World Health Organization (WHO) has been supporting the Government of the Philippines in coordinating the incoming relief supplies from more than 30 international humanitarian health organizations. During the 10 days in Abuyong, Philippines, the Chinese medical rescue team consisting of 50 experts specialized in clinical medicine and disease prevention and control action was taken including, medical treatment, environmental disinfection and health education. ⋯ The international emergency response to the Haiyan typhoon in Philippines contributed to reconstruct the local disaster health system by the activities from international medical emergency rescue. To improve the capacity of international medical emergency rescue in disaster, the special project of foreign medical emergency rescue should be set in countries' medical emergency rescue, and disaster emergency medical rescue should be reserved as a conventional capacity.
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Extremely elevated intracranial pressure (ICP) in patients with HIV and cryptococcal meningitis is a poor prognostic predictor of death during initial therapy. The risks associated with implanting a cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) shunt into immunocompromised patients with ongoing CSF infection have historically discouraged surgeons from implanting CSF shunts in patients with HIV and cryptococcal meningitis. An unanswered question is whether ventriculoperitoneal (VP) shunts can effectively provide long-term treatment for patients with intracranial hypertension and HIV-associated cryptococcal meningitis in China. ⋯ Seven patients (77.78%) had good outcomes, with recovery from 1 month to 48 months. Two patients had poor outcomes; one died six months after shunting due to severe adverse reactions to antiretroviral drugs, and the other died two weeks after surgery. Patients with intracranial hypertension and HIV-associated cryptococcal meningitis who cannot tolerate cessation of external lumbar CSF drainage or frequent lumbar punctures may be eligible for VP shunt placement, despite severe immunosuppression and persistent CSF cryptococcal infection.