תוצאת חיפוש

ע' בר-מאיר(1), א' גרובשטיין(1), ש' גבעוני(2) וב' תדמור(3)

(1) הענף לרפואת אב"כ, מפקדת קצין רפואה ראשי, (2) בית-חולים שניידר, (3) רפואה, פיקוד העורף, צה"ל

רעלים זרחניים אורגניים (רז"א) נגזרים מחומצה הזרחתית. זרחנים אורגניים (ז"א) מסווגים לשתי קבוצות: חקלאיים (אינסקטיצידים), ומלחמתיים ("גזי עצבים"). קיים דמיון בסיסי בין שתי קבוצות במבנה ובמנגנון פעולתן (חסימת האנזים אצטילכולין אסתרזה, AchE), אך בכל זאת הן נבדלות זו מזו במספר מאפיינים כימיים חשובים, הנובעים בעיקר מנקודת המבט השונה של המפתחים בהקשר לפעולה הרעלנית (toxicologic): בעוד שהז"א החקלאיים פותחו באופן שיאפשר הצלתם של בני אדם שנחשפו לחומר (מדי שנה מתים אלפי בני אדם ברחבי העולם מהרעלה), הרי שבז"א לשימוש צבאי-מלחמתי נעשה מאמץ בכיוון ההפוך.

כקבוצה, הז"א החקלאיים פחות מסוכנים מהמלחמתיים מכמה סיבות (היכולות להיות שונות על פי המצב): רעילות סגולית נמוכה יותר, נדיפות נמוכה, איטיות פעולה ואפשרות טובה יותר לטיפול בנפגע.

Treatment of Traumatic False Aneurysm of the Thoracic Aorta with Stent Graft

R. Avrahami, M. Noyman-Levine, M. Haddad, A. Koren, J. Dahan, G. Sivak, A. Zelikovski,

Department of Vascular Surgery, Rabin Medical Center, Beilinson Campus, Petah Tikva

and Sackler School of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University, Israel

The treatment of traumatic false aneurysm of the thoracic aorta by endovascular stent graft may have advantages over conventional surgery. This is a case study of two women suffering from false aneurysm of the thoracic aorta caused in one by a knife injury and in the other by a car accident. After the patients became hemodynamically stable, a commercially available endothelial stent graft (Talent, Gor) was deployed. Recovery was rapid in the first patient. The second patient required emergency laparotomy for venous bleeding one day after stent placement; she died two weeks later, mainly from organ failure.

Conclusions: Endovascular techniques can be used in selected cases to treat thoracic false aneurysms thereby avoiding the complexity and morbidity of conventional surgery.

Traumatic Brain Injury: The National Trauma Registry*

Einat Peles, Vita Barell, Valentina Boyko, Arnona Ziv, Giora Kaplan

Health Services Research Unit, Ministry of Health, Sheba Medical Center Tel-Hashomer

Background: Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) has been established as a category in reporting systems. Uniform data systems case definition has been suggested for hospital discharge data surveillance systems cases based on ICD-9-CM diagnostic codes. These include fractures and specific mention of intracranial injuries such as contusion, laceration, hemorrhage, and concussion. Inspection of data from the Israel National Trauma Registry suggested that two diagnostic groups of very different severity and outcome were being unjustifiably combined.

Aim: To evaluate the validity of categorizing TBI into two discrete groups, using the presence of specific mention of intracranial injury and/or loss of consciousness for more than one hour as the definition of definite TBI. Possible TBI includes skull fractures with no mention of intracranial injury and/or concussion with no loss of consciousness.

Methods: The study population includes all traumatic injuries admitted to hospital, dying in the ER or transferred to other hospitals and recorded in the 1998 Trauma Registry in all 6 level I trauma centers in Israel and two level II centers.

Results: The significant difference in severity between groups supports the validity of sub-dividing the TBI classification into definite and possible subcategories. As a result, we obtain two different severity groups without measuring specific severity scores which are limited in the reporting system.

Conclusion: The groups were significantly different in severity, hospital resource use, immediate outcome, demographic and injury circumstances.

*           Level I: Rambam, Beilinson-Schneider, Sheba, Ichilov (Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center), Hadassah Ein Karem and Soroka.

            Level II: Hillel Yaffe and Kaplan

The Influence of the Presence of Students on the Consultation - Attitudes of Tutors in Family Medicine Clinics

Shlomo Vinker, Shlomo Monnickendam, Orly Cohen, Simon Zalewski and Eliezer Kitai

Dept of Family Medicine, Sackler School of Medicine, University of Tel Aviv, Tel Aviv.

Background: The consultation is the pivot of clinical teaching in ambulatory care. It is therefore essential that students observe the consultation. The students' presence itself influences the consultation and also requires the patients' consent. Moreover the introduction in Israel of the ``Patients' Rights Act'' in 1996 has made us more acutely aware of the place of the patient in teaching especially with regard to the consent to be part of the teaching process.

Aim: This study was undertaken in order to investigate how tutors in family medicine perceive changes in the consultation caused by the presence of students.

Methods: An anonymous physician questionnaire was distributed on the first day of the 6th year clinical clerkship in family medicine. The questions pertained to perceived influence on length and content of the consultation. In addition physician and patient background information was gathered; and the physicians were asked to estimate the patients' willingness to be part of the teaching process.

Results: 46 tutors in family medicine participated, 70% of whom were female. Sixty four percent of the doctors thought that the student's presence had an influence on the consultation. Ninety one percent thought that it increased consultation length, especially of the physical part (93%). More than half thought that the student's presence might interfere with asking intimate questions. The majority held the opinion that the patient's gender and socioeconomic background were inconsequential. Ninety two percent of physicians estimated that 5% or less of the patients would refuse the presence of a student.

In conclusion: Tutors in family medicine think that the presence of a student affects the consultation. Those involved in and responsible for teaching should take this into account. Further research of these changes with objective measurements is needed.

גדעון הולן

המח' לרפואת-שיניים לילדים, הפקולטה לרפואת שיניים של האוניברסיטה העברית והדסה בירושלים

פגיעות באזור הפנים נגרמות כתוצאה מפעילויות ספורט, תאונות דרכים, התכתשויות, מעידות אקראיות ופגיעות מכוונות. פרט לפציעת הרקמות הרכות והסיכון לגרימת שברים בעצמות הפנים, גם השיניים עלולות להיות מעורבות בפגיעות כאלה. נמצא, שהפגיעה בשיניים שכיחה יותר בילדים ובני-נוער בהשוואה למבוגרים. השיניים הקידמיות העליונות מעורבות יותר מהשיניים האחוריות, בעיקר במצבים בהם השיניים העליונות בולטות ביחס לתחתונות. פגיעות בשיניים מתרחשות בעיקר במהלך עיסוק בפעילויות ספורט שונות.

[...]

המטרה במאמר זה היא להציג בפני ציבור הרופאים בכלל ורופאי מרפאות החירום בפרט, מצב חירום דנטלי בו נתלשת שן קבועה ממקומה, ולהגביר את מודעותם לחשיבות הרבה שיש לטיפול המיידי במניעת נזק בלתי הפיך לשיניים.

ענבר צוקר¹, לאה סירוטה¹, נחמה לינדר¹

¹המח' לטיפול נמרץ פגים, מרכז שניידר לרפואת ילדים בישראל, פתח-תקווה

ילודים, ובמיוחד פגים במשקל לידה נמוך, נמנים עם קבוצות החולים הנזקקות בשכיחות גבוהה לערויי-דם ותוצריו. על פי הערכות, כ- 80% מהילודים השוקלים פחות מ- 1500 ג', יקבלו מספר ערויי-דם בשבועות הראשונים לחייהם. ערויים אלה ניתנים כדי לתקן אנמיה תסמינית, הנגרמת כתוצאה ממישלב של חסר ייצור מספיק של דם ע"י הילוד ובמיוחד הפג הגדל, ושל איבודי דם מישניים לבדיקות. לעיתים, ניתנים ערויים במסגרת פעולות טיפוליות מיוחדות, המצריכות מתן ערויי דם בכמות גדולה, כגון ניתוחי לב וערוי חלופין. הטיפול בערויי דם יכול לגרום לשורה של סיבוכים מיידיים ומאוחרים. חלקם יכולים לחול בכל קבוצת גיל וחלקם ייחודיים לילודים. המטרה בסקירה זו היא לדווח על הסיבוכים האפשריים של ממתן ערוי-דם בילודים, תוך התייחסות למאפיינים הייחודיים לתת-אוכלוסייה זו של חולים.
 

Prematurity: Interplay between Psychological and Biological Risk Factors Leading to Infant Psychopathology

Miri Keren, Galia Tyano, Leah Sirota

Community-based Infant Mental Health Unit, Geha Hospital; Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University; Kibbutz Seminar, Ramat Aviv; Neonatal Intensive Care Nursery, Schneider Children's Hospital, Petah Tikva; and Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University

Concepts such as risk factor, vulnerability, protective factor and resiliency have become central in the field of developmental psychopathology. The birth of a very-low-birth weight premature baby can be used as a paradigm of the interplay between these factors. Indeed, prematurity implies for both infant and parents, biological as well as psychological risk factors. They may interact in such a way that the child's emotional, cognitive and social development will deviate from normal. Understanding the psychological impact of premature birth includes reference to both the normal psychological processes that characterize pregnancy that are jeopardized by a premature, often traumatic delivery, and to the special significance of being a parent in the Special Care Nursery.

The contrast between the expected appearance of the baby and that of the sick-looking, tiny premature, together with uncertainty about its medical status, often affect the parents' bonding process. In addition, must learn quickly to cope with issues such as total dependence on a verybusy team, loss of control of the care of their baby, and their unclear roles as parents. Added to these risk factors are the specific neurobehavioral characteristics of premature babies, which often make it hard for parents to read their cues and respond to them properly.

A clinical vignette illustrates the chain of psychological and biological events that lead to severe disturbance of the early parent-child relationship. It also brings up the question of psychosocial intervention in the Special Care Nursery, both in terms of early detection of families at risk and the types of intervention.

Combined Approach in Management of Penetrating Injury of Vertebral Artery

Y. Kluger, B. Sagie, D. Soffer, N. Hai, D. Oron

Rabin Trauma Center and Division of Invasive Radiology, Tel Aviv Medical Center

Penetrating injuries of the vertebral artery are not common. Although surgical control of this type of injury is well- documented, the combined approach (surgery and packing for temporary control of bleeding, followed by angiography and embolization for permanent control) is now recognized and practiced.

We describe a 40-year-old man who was stabbed in the neck. He was rushed to the operating theater in hemorrhagic shock. A vertebral artery injury was identified and packed. Angiography and embolization permanently controlled the bleeding.

The combined approach is safe and we recommend it in those in whom bleeding from the vertebral artery is initially well controlled with packing.

The Sixth Vital Sign: End-Tidal Co² in Pediatric Trauma Patients during Transport

Amir Vardi, Inbal Levin, Gideon Paret, Zohar Barzilay

Pediatric Transport Team of the Pediatric Critical Care Unit, Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer; and Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University

Transport of pediatric trauma victims, within as well as between medical centers, has become a frequent event and an integral activity of pediatric critical care units. Monitoring patients during transport is of utmost importance, as an unstable environment poses an increased threat to the patient's stability. The level of monitoring and care should approximate that of the critical care unit. Monitoring end-tidal CO² (EtCO²) has become routine for many pediatric intensive care unit patients but technical problems have limited its use during transport.

Our transport team uses a transportable EtCO² monitor of the side-stream type (NPB 75), requiring very small samples; midstream sampling overcomes humidity interference. The monitor is small and lightweight, operates on a rechargeable battery and is especially designed for the demanding environment of transport.

From October 1997 through January 1999, 187 pediatric patients, 62 of whom were trauma victims, were transported for a total of 45 hours, including 2 hours of in-flight transport. Age range was 3 months to 16 years. Of the 53 monitored for EtCO², in 9 (17%) monitoring resulted in a significant, immediate change of treatment during transport.

We find EtCO² an important adjunct in monitoring pediatric trauma patients during transport. In addition to conventional monitoring of heart rate, blood pressure, respiratory rate, body temperature and blood oxygen saturation, we suggest EtCO² as the sixth vital sign that should be monitored.

Prolonged Neuromuscular Damage following Cortico-Steroids and Muscle-Relaxants

Yehonatan Sharabi, Eran Segal, Ehud Grossman

Dept. of Medicine D and ICU, Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer and Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University

Many patients mechanically ventilated for acute respiratory failure, are treated with medication that includes a combination of cortico-steroids and non-depolarizing neuromuscular-blocking agents (NNBa). A third of them can be expected to develop delayed neuromuscular damage, which may be severe and prolonged.

We describe a 50-year-old man who suffered from acute myeloid leukemia and was ventilated due to pneumonia. He was treated with pancuronium and cortico-steroids, and during recovery suffered quadriparesis that lasted several months.

Typically this damage is purely motor and is accompanied by absent tendon-reflexes, sometimes with elevated creatin-kinase. Muscle biopsy usually shows deletion and degeneration of thick myosin filaments. The phenomenon is related to the duration of NNBa treatment, and probably results from an adverse synergistic effect on muscle tissue of the cortico-steroids and cortico-steroid-like NNBa given the immobilized patient.

Awareness of this adverse effect of steroids and pancuronium, the use of passive mobilization, shortening the use of NNBa and early rehabilitation would minimize disability due to this phenomenon.

Color Doppler Imaging of Central Retinal Artery in Retinopathy of Prematurity

Alon Harris, Hanna J. Garzozi, Mira Harris-Izhak, Nir Shoham, Daniel R. Holland

Depts. of Ophthalmology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis and of HaEmek Medical Center, Afula; and Eye Health Northwest, Portland, Oregon

Color Doppler imaging (CDI) is a noninvasive technique, combining 2-dimensional brightness-modulated (B-mode) ultrasound evaluation of eye and orbital structures, with simultaneous color-coded Doppler imaging of orbital blood flow. It has been used to characterize various ophthalmic disorders in adults. Currently there is no data describing orbital blood flow parameters in either normal children or in those with ophthalmic disease, such as the retinopathy of prematurity (ROP).

We evaluated blood flow in the central retinal artery of preterm infants undergoing examination for ROP. We also investigated whether useful readings could be obtained on a consistent basis, and the reproducibility of differences in central retinal artery blood flow between subjects with and without ROP (including the influence of "plus" disease).

We obtained hemodynamic readings in 43 of 46 eyes of preterm infants. 13 eyes had no signs of ROP; 18 had ROP (at least stage 1) without "plus" disease, and 12 had ROP with "plus" disease. There were no statistically significant differences in systolic blood flow velocity within the 3 groups. However the average velocity was slower in the "plus" disease group, correlating with the clinical finding of dilated and tortuous blood vessels which characterize the posterior retina of ROP eyes with "plus" disease.

Autologous Chondrocyte Transplantation - from Science Fiction to Routine Clinical Practice

Dror Robinson, Hana Ash, David Aviezer, Gabriel Agar, Nahum Halperin, Zvi Nevo

Dept. of Clinical Biochemistry, Sackler Medical School, Tel Aviv University, Ramat Aviv; Dept. of Orthopedic Surgery, Assaf Harofeh Medical Center, Zerifin; and CTI Ltd., Science Park, Kiriat Weizmann, Nes Ziona

Adult articular cartilage lacks the capacity for self-repair. The limiting factor appears to be the inability of chondrocytes to proliferate while embedded in the extracellular matrix typical of hyaline cartilage. Cartilage defects larger than 1 cm² change articular biomechanics and lead to eventual osteoarth-ritis and joint destruction.

During the past decade, several competing techniques have evolved to stimulate articular cartilage repair. Small lesions can be successfully treated by either micro-fracture or osteochondral cylinder grafting. The latter technique allows immediate weight bearing but leads to damage of previously uninvolved areas of articular cartilage, which limits its application to lesions of less than 2 cm².

When the damaged area is more extensive, grafting of autologous chondrocytes should be considered. First a diagnostic arthroscopy is performed to assess the damaged area and a small cartilage biopsy is taken. 6 weeks later, arthrotomy and chondrocyte transplantation are performed. In the interval, the antologous chondrocytes have expanded by 2 to 3 orders of magnitude. Our experience to date includes 10 cases with follow-up of 6 months to 5 years. Preoperative complaints of crepitation and locking disappear. There is functional improvement and pain reduction of approximately 50%. This procedure, currently limited to patients under 55 years of age with limited damage to an articular surface, for the first time allows reconstruction of damaged articular areas without resorting to allografts.

Botulin Toxin for Spasticity in Spinal Cord Damage

Ofer Keren, Flabia Shinberg, Amiram Catz, Neer Giladi

Loewenstein Rehabilitation Hospital, Ra'anana; Movement Disorder Unit, Tel Aviv Medical Center; and Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University

Therapeutic injection of botulin toxin is well-recognized for reducing tonus in local dystonia. However, its efficacy in reducing spasticity in spinal cord injuries is still unproven. 4 men and 1 woman (mean age 39 years, range 20-56) with spinal cord injury and debilitating spasticity, and no response to standard treatment for spasticity received injections of botulin, 200-300 U, into 4-8 points in their legs to block muscle-nerve synapses.

In all 5 tonus was reduced in the area of the block, while in some it was also reduced in more distal muscles. In 1 there was reduced tonus in both the injected and contralateral leg. The therapeutic effect on tonus persisted for 3 months. In spite of objective improvement in tonus in all 5, only 3 felt subjective improvement, but in none was there improvement on standard functional scaling.

We found injection of botulin toxin effective in reducing tonus in the spinal cord-injured, and to some extent in improving subjective feeling of well-being in some of them. Obective measurement might show functional improvement after larger doses of toxin injected into more muscles. This might be necessary because the muscle mass of the legs is large and the intensity of involuntary contraction is especially high in these patients.

Emergency Cesarean Section in a Comatose Parturient after Head Trauma 

R. Aviram, A. Shtraizent, Yoram Beyth, M. Fejgin

Ultrasound Division and High Risk Unit, Dept. of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Meir Hospital, Sapir Medical Center, Kfar Saba (Affiliated with the Sackler School of Medicine) and Neurosurgery Dept.,Rabin Medical Center, Petah Tikva)

Coma in pregnancy and labor is a rare and complicated situation. One of the causes is severe head trauma, which requires neurosurgical consultation and possibly urgent transfer to a neurosurgical unit. This should follow stabilization, confirmation of fetal viability, and cesarian section when indicated.

A 38-year-old primigravida at term and in labor, with severe head injury from a vehicular accident is reported. Emergency cesarean section was performed for severe fetal distress during resuscitation. Fetal distress in a comatose parturient with severe head injury may require a short delay in referral to a tertiary trauma center to allow for an emergency cesarean section.

Prioritizing Suspected Diagnosis of Both Brain and Abdominalinjuries: Is it a Problem?

Leon Levi, Moshe Michaelson

Dept. of Neurosurgery and Trauma Unit, Rambam Medical Center, Haifa

Current guidelines for management of suspected head and abdominal injuries are based on retrospective studies like that of Wisner & al, Following a recent review in this journal by Y. Kluger & al, which was based on non-Israeli data, we decided to define the current status at our trauma center.

We compare our data of 18 months of hospital admissions for acute trauma in which head CTs were done with those of 5 articles advocating specific protocols for decisions in pre-laparotomy diagnosis.

In the 861 cumulated cases, compared with the 800 of Wisner & al, craniotomy was required in 15% vs 7% (p<0.05); laparotomy was much less frequent, 2.7% vs 12.9% (p<0.05). The chance of finding a case requiring both craniotomy and laparotomy was 1 in 300.

As the clinical condition of multiple trauma involving the head and abdomen is becoming less frequent and includes diverse situations, a comprehensive algorithm might be inaccurate. Good clinical judgment of the clinician and teamwork are therefor preferable.