Hong Kong medical journal = Xianggang yi xue za zhi / Hong Kong Academy of Medicine
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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.
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To evaluate the pattern of unplanned readmissions to the intensive care unit and identify patients at risk of readmission. ⋯ Incomplete resolution of respiratory conditions remained an important reason for potentially preventable intensive care unit readmission. Attention to fluid balance and sputum quantity before intensive care unit discharge might prevent unplanned intensive care unit readmission.
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The introduction of robot-assisted surgery, and specifically the da Vinci Surgical System, is one of the biggest breakthroughs in surgery since the introduction of anaesthesia, and represents the most significant advancement in minimally invasive surgery of this decade. One of the first surgical uses of the robot was in orthopaedics, neurosurgery, and cardiac surgery. However, it was the use in urology, and particularly in prostate surgery, that led to its widespread popularity. ⋯ A short introduction of the emerging areas of robotic surgery were also briefly reviewed. Despite the increasing popularity of robotic surgery, except in robot-assisted radical prostatectomy, there is no unequivocal evidence to show its superiority over traditional laparoscopic surgery in other surgical procedures. Further trials are eagerly awaited to ascertain the long-term results and potential benefits of robotic surgery.