Israel Medical Association Journal

Background: Q fever is endemic in Israel, yet a large series describing the clinical spectrum of inpatients with acute Q fever in Israel is lacking. 

Objectives: To report on the clinical characteristics and outcome of hospitalized patients with acute Q fever in Israel. 

Methods: We conducted a retrospective study of 100 patients hospitalized in six medical centers, in whom acute Q fever was diagnosed by the presence of immunoglobulin G and M antibodies to phase II Coxiella burnetti antigens. 

Results: The mean age of the patients was 42.7 ± 17.3 years with a male to female ratio of 1.6:1. Acute Q fever occurred throughout the year but was more common during the warm season. The most common clinical presentation was acute febrile disease (98%, mean length of fever 15.5 ± 8.6 days), followed by hepatitis (67%) and pneumonia (32%). The prominent laboratory findings included: accelerated erythrocyte sedimentation rate, normal or low white blood count with many band forms, thrombocytopenia, and abnormal urinalysis. Although the diagnosis of acute Q fever was not known during the hospitalization in the majority of patients, about 80% of our patients received appropriate antibiotic therapy and all patients recovered. 

Conclusions: Patients with acute Q fever present with a typical clinical picture that enables clinical diagnosis and empiric therapy in most cases. The prognosis of hospitalized patients with acute Q fever is excellent.

Background: In Japan, helicopters have rarely been used for emergency medical services. The use of helicopters not only ensures rapid evacuation but may also serve to provide emergency management to patients with life-threatening injuries in the prehospital setting.

Objectives: To evaluate a Japanese helicopter-based emergency medical system including an onboard physician, particularly in terms of probability of survival.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective review of trauma victims, and calculated two estimates of PS[1] – at the scene and on arrival at the emergency department – based on patient age, Injury Severity Score, and Revised Trauma Score.

Results: We identified trauma victims who had an ISS[2] above 15 and were transported from the scene by helicopter. Excluding cardiopulmonary arrest at the scene, 151 cases were studied. Thirty-two patients had hemodynamic instability with systolic blood pressures below 90 mmHg, caused by hemorrhagic shock (29 cases) or obstructive shock (3 cases). Their PS values were 0.56 ± 0.38 in the prehospital setting and 0.65 ± 0.38 on arrival at the ED[3], representing a significant difference (P = 0.0003). Twenty-four of these patients survived, reflecting successful resuscitation during prehospital and ED management.

Conclusions: A doctor-helicopter system was shown to improve probability of survival for life-threatening trauma in the Japanese emergency medical system.

Background: The prevalence of morbid obesity is increasing rapidly. Weight reduction is very difficult using diet restriction and physical activity alone. Sibutramine has been shown to be effective and safe as an adjuvant therapy to diet restrictions.

Objectives: To describe our experience using sibutramine in weight reduction treatment of adolescents suffering from morbid obesity.

Methods: The study group comprised 20 young persons (13 females, mean age 15 years 4 months, range 13–18 years) with morbid obesity (body mass index over the 95th percentile for age and/or ≥ 30 kg/m²) were treated with sibutramine 10 mg once a day for 1 year.

Results: Mean BMI[1] was 40 ± 5.6 kg/m² (range 30.1–49.5 kg/m²) at the beginning of treatment. Most patients showed an early weight reduction to mean BMI 39.3 ± 4.9 and 35.9 ± 5.7 at 3 and 6 months respectively, but stopped losing weight over the next 6 months. During the follow-up period 17 patients discontinued the treatment. The main reason for dropout was the slow rate of weight reduction after 6 months. Patients suffering from concomitant disorders (severe asthma, hypertension, sleep obstructive apnea) showed improvement after weight reduction. Adverse reactions from the treatment were transient, mild and well tolerated.

Conclusions: Sibutramine may help in achieving weight reduction for a short period and in improving concomitant health problems, however its long-term effect is limited.

Background: There are no national data on the burden and management of acute cerebrovascular disease in Israel.

Objectives: To delineate the burden, characteristics, management and outcomes of hospitalized patients with acute cerebrovascular disease in Israel, and to examine adherence to current guidelines.

Methods: We prospectively performed a national survey in all 28 hospitals in Israel admitting patients with acute cerebrovascular events (stroke or transient ischemic attacks) during February and March 2004.

Results: During the survey period 2,174 patients were admitted with acute cerebrovascular disease (mean age 71 ± 13 years, 47% women; 89% ischemic stroke or TIA[1], 7% intracerebral hemorrhage and 4% undetermined stroke). Sixty-two percent of patients were admitted to departments of Medicine and a third to Neurology, of which only 7% were admitted to departments with a designated stroke unit. Head computed tomography was performed during hospitalization in 93% of patients. The overall rate of urgent thrombolytic therapy for acute ischemic stroke was 0.5%. Among patients with ischemic stroke or TIA, 94% were prescribed an antithrombotic medication at hospital discharge, and among those with atrial fibrillation about half were prescribed warfarin. Carotid duplex was performed in 30% and any vascular imaging study in 36% of patients with ischemic events. The mean length of hospital stay was 12 ± 27 days for ICH[2] and 8 ± 11 days for ischemic stroke. Among patients with ICH, 28% died and 66% died or had severe disability at hospital discharge, and for ischemic stroke the corresponding rates were 7% and 41% respectively. Mortality rates within 3 months were 34% for ICH and 14% for ischemic stroke.

Conclusions: This national survey demonstrates the high burden of acute stroke in Israel and reveals discordance between existing guidelines and current practice. The findings highlight important areas for which reorganization is imperative for patients afflicted with acute stroke.

Background: Heat shock proteins are highly conserved immunodominant antigens found in various species. Humoral immune responses to mycobacterial HSP65[1] and human HSP60 have been established in a number of human autoimmune diseases.

Objective: To assess the prevalence of antibodies to HSP60 kDa and HSP65 kDa in patients with Sjogren's syndrome as compared to normal subjects.

Methods: Thirty-seven patients with SS[2] were compared with normal controls. The antibodies against human HSP60 were measured by the Anti-Human (IgG/IgM) HSP60 ELISA kit. IgGs[3] and IgMs to mycobacterial HSP65 were determined using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay with mycobacterial recombinant HSP65 antigens.

Results: The levels of both anti-HSP60 and -HSP65 were lower among patients compared with controls. IgG autoantibodies to HSP60 were significantly different between groups: 162 ± 55.1 ng/ml in controls versus 112.3 ± 30.6 ng/ml in SS patients (P < 0.001). The levels among controls of anti-HSP65 IgM isotype were also significantly higher than among patients: 111.6 ± 33.4 U/ml versus 96.1 ± 8.9 U/ml (P = 0.01).

Conclusions: The results of the present study show that the levels of different isotypes of anti- HSP60 and HSP65 antibodies were lower in patients with SS than in normal subjects. Additional studies on larger patient populations are required to evaluate the prevalence of these autoantibodies in SS patients.

Objectives: To review the current status of MAS[1] in a pediatric tertiary care center in Israel, in terms of feasibility, safety, and effect on standard practices.

Methods: We reviewed the files of all children who underwent a MAS procedure in our department during the period April 2002 to July 2004, and compared the findings with those of children treated by standard practices.

Results: A total of 301 procedures were performed in 271 patients: 107 thoracoscopic and 194 laparoscopic. There were no major intraoperative complications. The total conversion rate was 3.65%: 0 for thoracoscopy and 5.6% for laparoscopy (11/194). Twenty-four types of procedures were performed during the study period. The thoracoscopies accounted for 92.24% of all thoracic procedures in the department (107/116), and routine abdominal laparoscopic procedures replaced open surgery in 30–100% of cases (total 44.8%, 194/433).

Conclusions: MAS procedures appear to be safe for a wide range of indications in children. In our center they currently account for a significant percentage of pediatric surgeries. We suggest that the integration of MAS training in the residency programs of pediatric surgeons be made a major long-term goal. The creation of a pediatric MAS study group, which would allow for multi-institutional studies, is especially important in Israel where a relatively large number of pediatric surgery departments handle a small annual number of patients.

_________________

[1] MAS = minimal access surgery

Objectives: To assess the relative efficacy of clinical and laboratory methods in the diagnosis of Bordetella pertussis by patient age and immunization status.

Methods: We compared the clinical and laboratory diagnosis of B. pertussis in 87 pre-vaccinated, 78 recently vaccinated, and 75 post-vaccinated children with suspected pertussis. Serum and nasopharyngeal swabs were obtained for serology, culture and polymerase chain reaction.

Results: PCR[1] and culture identified 41% and 7% of patients with B. pertussis, respectively (P < 0.001). All positive cultures were PCR-positive. Positive PCR was less common among those recently vaccinated than among those in the pre- (P < 0.001) and post-vaccinated groups (P < 0.05). Positive culture was more common among those pre-vaccinated than among those recently vaccinated (P < 0.01). Positive tests for immunoglobulin M and A were more common among the post-vaccinated than the pre- and recently vaccinated (P < 0.001), respectively. Logistic regression analyses revealed that clinical criteria have no significant association with infection in recently and post-vaccinated children. Among the pre-vaccinated children, whoop and cough duration were associated with a positive PCR (odds ratio 7.66 and 0.5, P < 0.001). Seventy-six percent of pre-vaccinated, 39% of recently vaccinated and 40% of post-vaccinated children with positive PCR did not meet the U.S. Centers for Disease Control diagnostic criteria for B. pertussis.

Conclusions: PCR is a useful tool for pertussis diagnosis, particularly in pre-vaccinated infants. The yield of culture and serology is limited, especially among pre- and recently vaccinated children. In pre-vaccinated infants with whoop and less than 2 weeks of cough, PCR testing should be implemented promptly.

Objective: To establish population-based standards of birth weight of singletons in Israel.

Methods: Data on birth weight and gestational age were obtained from the registries of the Israel Ministry of Health and Ministry of the Interior. During the 8 year study period there were 1,074,122 infants delivered in Israel; 787,710 (73%) were included in this analysis.

Results: In this study we provide data of birth weight by gestational age of live infants born in Israel between 1993 and 2001. Ranges of birth weight by gestational age are also depicted for singleton and multiple pregnancies. Fetuses in multiple pregnancies grow in a similar manner to singletons until 30 weeks of gestation, after which their growth slows down.

Conclusions: Use of these data as a standard for “intrauterine” growth better represents the Israeli neonatal population than the American standards. In addition, curves of multiple pregnancies are significantly different from those of singleton pregnancies and might be more appropriate in these pregnancies.

Objective: To investigate hemodynamic variables, including small and large artery compliance, in cirrhotic patients during total paracentesis.

Methods: The study included 15 cirrhotic patients admitted for an episode of tense diuretic-resistant ascites. Hemodynamic variables including vascular compliance were measured using an HDI pulse wave cardiovascular profiling instrument CR-2000. The variables were measured in these patients before, immediately after and 24 hours following large volume (mean 5.6 L) paracentesis.

Results: Cardiac output increased immediately after paracentesis due to increment in stroke volume, with no change in heart rate. However, 24 hours later the cardiac output decreased to below the basal level. The fluctuation was statistically significant (P < 0.05). There was no change in large artery compliance, but small artery compliance increased after paracentesis (P < 0.05) and partially returned to the basal level after 24 hours. Systemic vascular resistance measurement showed the same pattern of change: vasodilatation occurred during paracentesis and was attenuated 24 hours later.

Conclusions: Large volume paracentesis with albumin replacement caused an accentuation of the vasodilatation (small but not large artery) already present in these patients. This may be the first sign of enhanced vasodilatation due to large volume paracentesis before the clinical expression of impaired hemodynamics and deterioration of renal function.

Objectives: To define the incidence of congenital CMV infection in two different subpopulations, as a model for the entire population of Israel.

Methods: Urine specimens were randomly collected from 2,000 newborns in Shaare Zedek Medical Center, Jerusalem, and HaEmek Medical Center, Afula (1,000 specimens each). These hospitals have many characteristic differences, presumably representing the diverse population of Israel. Urine specimens were subjected to a CMV PCR[2] reaction and positive specimens were validated by urine viral culture. Maternal seroprevalence was determined in a representative sample of the mothers in each hospital. Epidemiologic characteristics of the mothers were extracted from hospital records and compared.

Results: The population in Shaare Zedek Medical Center was mostly Jewish (95.8%) and urban (87.0%), as compared to that of HaEmek Medical Center (49.2% and 61.0%, respectively, P < 0.01). Nevertheless, CMV seroprevalence was similar: 81.5% and 85%, respectively. Ten (1.0%) and 4 (0.4%) newborns, respectively, were found to have congenital CMV infection (not significant).

Conclusions: The combined incidence of congenital CMV infection in the study population was 0.7% (95% confidence interval 0.3–1.0%). If this rate is extrapolated to the entire population of Israel, then a total of 945 cases of congenital CMV can be expected among the 135,000 annual deliveries. A nationwide screening program for congenital CMV should be considered.

________________

[1] CMV = cytomegalovirus

[2] PCR = polymerase chain reaction