J Natl Med Assoc
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Sixteen trauma victims with adult respiratory distress syndrome were retrospectively examined. High injury severity score (mean: 44), massive transfusion requirements, and prolonged ventilator days characterize this group. Persistent intra-abdominal infection accounted for two of three deaths in this series. ⋯ High frequency jet ventilation was necessary in one subject. Two patients exhibited early ARDS reversal, ie, clinical improvement, better chest x-ray and decreased shunt (within 72 hours) when an intra-abdominal septic focus was eradicated. Principles of critical care for these patients remain: an FiO2 less than .40, limiting barotrauma, using PEEP for alveolar recruitment and close monitoring of O2 transport.
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This article presents seven cases of patients with tonsillar abscess formation and discusses the pathophysiology of intratonsillar abscess formation.
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In the first National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES 1), the epidemiology of resting pulse rate was examined in preschool children. Among 2800 children aged 1 to 5 years, pulse rate was higher in younger than in older children, and in girls than in boys. Only at ages 4 and 5 was pulse rate lower in blacks than in whites. ⋯ Previously reported negative correlations with mother's blood pressure were not seen. Boys with hypertensive mothers had lower age-adjusted pulse rates, but girls had higher pulse rates than children of normotensive mothers. Further research is needed to determine the mechanisms of these epidemiologic patterns and their relationship to the risk of hypertension and heart disease in later life.
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In 1971, radiographic anatomy of the human body was added to the gross anatomy course at UCLA. Radiographic contrast studies and plain anatomical displays were formulated into teaching packages for all organ systems. Residents presented each package to first-year medical students in the dissection laboratory to augment the teaching of anatomy. ⋯ Imaging the chest produced coronal and axial planes which displayed the muscles and soft tissues of the thorax. In 1986, the authors presented their study of MR anatomy of the chest and shoulder girdle to the American Association of Anatomists. The purpose of this presentation is to demonstrate the anatomy of the thorax and shoulder girdle as displayed by magnetic resonance, correlated with regional anatomy, with emphasis on soft tissue structures.
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Comparative Study
Current status of prostate cancer in North American black males.
The National Cancer Institute's Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) program is used to examine the most recent data available to draw inferences about black and white males in the United States with prostate cancer. Findings include a continuing rise in the incidence of prostate cancer which, as of 1985 SEER data, is 50% higher in the black male population than in white males. With the exception of minor fluctuations over the last 17 years, the mortality rate for black males demonstrates an upward trend. ⋯ To develop preventive strategies and cancer control interventions, a fuller understanding of the nature of the disease and its biologic course is necessary. Epidemiologic questions concerning socioeconomic status among and within racial groups, lifestyles, and behaviors that affect health seeking and diagnosis and treatment of prostatic cancer must be answered. By examining SEER data for prostatic cancer, we update the current status of this disease in North American blacks and infer possible directions for future epidemiologic surveys and cancer control intervention research.