Chinese Med J Peking
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Chinese Med J Peking · May 2010
Case ReportsClinical features and diagnosis for Chinese cases with malignant hyperthermia: a case cluster from 2005 to 2007.
Malignant hyperthermia (MH), manifesting as MH crisis during and/or after general anesthesia, is a potentially fatal disorder in response to volatile anesthetics and depolarizing muscle relaxants. Though typical features of MH episode can provide clues for clinical diagnosis, MH susceptibility is confirmed by in vitro caffeine-halothane contracture test (CHCT) in western countries. It is traditionally thought that MH has less incidence and fewer typical characteristics in Chinese population than their western counterparts because of the different genetic background. In this study, we investigated the clinical features of MH in Chinese cases and applied the clinical grading scale and CHCT for diagnosis of MH. ⋯ These Chinese cases manifest as MH crisis. The clinical grading scale of diagnosis of MH may provide clues for clinical diagnosis. CHCT can also be used in confirming diagnosis of MH in Chinese cases though they have different genetic background from their western counterparts.
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Chinese Med J Peking · May 2010
Outcome of severely injured trauma patients at a designated trauma centre in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.
The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) of the People's Republic of China (PRC) has seen significant changes in its trauma service over the last ten years including the implementation of a regional trauma system. The author's institution is one of the five trauma centres designated in 2003. This article reports our initial clinical experience. ⋯ Trauma centre designation was feasible in the HKSAR and was associated with a gradual improvement in patient care. Trauma system implementation may be considered in regions equipped with the necessary socio-economic and organizational set-up.
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Chinese Med J Peking · May 2010
Sevoflurane postconditioning protects isolated rat hearts against ischemia-reperfusion injury.
Studies suggested that anesthetics administered upon the early reperfusion or "anesthetic postconditioning" could protect post-ischemic hearts against myocardial ischemia reperfusion injury (MIRI). However, the mechanism responsible for such protection was not well-elucidated. We investigated the cardioprotection induced by sevoflurane postconditioning (SpostC) in rat hearts in vitro, and the respective role of phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase (PI3K), extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1 and 2 (ERK 1/2), mitochondrial K(ATP) channels (mitoK(ATP)) and mitochondrial permeability transition pore (mPTP), by selectively inhibiting PI3K, ERK 1/2, mitoK(ATP), with LY294002 (LY), PD98059 (PD), 5-hydroxydecanoate (5-HD) and by directly opening of mPTP with atractyloside (ATR), respectively. ⋯ These findings demonstrate that PI3K, ERK 1/2, mitoK(ATP) and mPTP are key players in sevoflurane postconditioning induced cardioprotective mechanisms in isolated rat hearts subjected to MIRI.
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Chinese Med J Peking · May 2010
Computerized lung sound analysis following clinical improvement of pulmonary edema due to congestive heart failure exacerbations.
Although acute congestive heart failure (CHF) patients typically present with abnormal auscultatory findings on lung examination, lung sounds are not normally subjected to rigorous analysis. The goals of this study were to use a computerized analytic acoustic tool to evaluate lung sound patterns in CHF patients during acute exacerbation and after clinical improvement and to compare CHF profiles with those of normal individuals. ⋯ With clinical improvement of acute CHF exacerbations, there was more homogenous distribution of lung vibration energy, as demonstrated by the increased geographical area of the vibration energy image. Lung sound analysis may be useful to track in acute CHF exacerbations.