Hong Kong medical journal = Xianggang yi xue za zhi / Hong Kong Academy of Medicine
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OBJECTIVE. To investigate the clinical efficacy and safety of irreversible electroporation for ablation of liver tumour in humans. DATA SOURCES. ⋯ CONCLUSION. Irreversible electroporation is a potentially effective liver tumour ablative therapy that gives rise to only mild and transient side-effects. Further studies with better patient selection criteria and longer follow-up are needed to clarify its role as a first-line liver tumour treatment modality.
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OBJECTIVE. To review demographics of patients with acute pyelonephritis, their outcomes of severe upper urinary tract infection, and to identify risk factors for long hospital stay and mortality. DESIGN. ⋯ There was high prevalence of bacteraemia and septic shock in patients with severe acute pyelonephritis. The factors of old age (≥65 years), male sex, deranged renal function, and presence of disseminated intravascular coagulation were associated with mortality. With the support of intensive care, early recognition of urinary tract obstruction and timely drainage, patients with severe acute pyelonephritis generally carry a good prognosis.
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Traditional Chinese medicine is commonly used locally, not only for disease treatment but also for improving health. Many people prepare soups containing herbs or herbal decoctions according to recipes and general herbal formulae commonly available in books, magazines, and newspapers without consulting Chinese medicine practitioners. However, such practice can be dangerous. ⋯ Aconite poisoning due to overdose or inadequate processing accounted for three cases. The other two cases involved the use of herbs containing Strychnos alkaloids and Sophora alkaloids. These cases demonstrated that inappropriate use of Chinese medicine can result in major morbidity, and herbal formulae and recipes containing herbs available in general publications are not always safe.
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Comparative Study
Comparison of different intubation techniques performed inside a moving ambulance: a manikin study.
OBJECTIVE. Airway management and endotracheal intubation may be required urgently when a patient deteriorates in an ambulance or aircraft during interhospital transfer or in a prehospital setting. The objectives of this study were: (1) to compare the effectiveness of conventional intubation by Macintosh laryngoscope in a moving ambulance versus that in a static ambulance; and (2) to compare the effectiveness of inverse intubation and GlideScope laryngoscopy with conventional intubation inside a moving ambulance. ⋯ CONCLUSIONS. En-route intubation in an ambulance by conventional Macintosh laryngoscopy is superior to inverse intubation unless the cephalad access is impossible. GlideScope laryngoscopy appears to be associated with lower rates of eventful intubation in difficult airways and has better laryngoscopic view versus inverse intubation.