The comparison of the indoor environmental factors associated with asthma and related allergies among school-child between urban and suburban areas in Beijing / 中华预防医学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To study the indoor environmental factors associated with the prevalence of asthma and related allergies among school children.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>A cluster sampling method was used and the ISAAC questionnaire was conducted. A total of 4612 elementary students under Grade Five of 7 schools were enrolled in the survey for the impact of indoor environmental factors on the prevalence of asthma and related allergies in several urban and suburban schools of Beijing.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>A total of 4060 sample were finally analyzed including 1992 urban and 2068 suburban. The prevalence of wheeze, allergic rhinoconjunctivitis and atopic eczema in the past 12 months was 3.1% (61/1992), 5.3% (106/1992), 1.1% (22/1992) among urban children while 1.3% (27/2068), 3.1% (65/2068), 1.0% (22/2068) among suburban children respectively. The prevalence of wheeze and allergic rhinoconjunctivitis of the past 12 months in urban were both significantly higher than that in suburban (χ(2) = 14.77, 11.93, P < 0.01). The incidences of having asthma and eczema ever among urban children (5.3% (105/1992), 29.4% (586/1992)) were significantly (χ(2) = 39.03, 147.22, P < 0.01) higher than that among suburban (1.7% (35/2068), 13.8% (285/2068)). Although the distributions of indoor environmental factors were similar in both areas, passive smoking and interior decoration had different influence on the prevalence of asthma and related allergies among school children in the two areas. The significant impact of passive smoking on having asthma ever among suburban children was observed (OR = 2.70, 95%CI = 1.17 - 6.23) while no significant result in urban (OR = 1.06, 95%CI = 0.71 - 1.58); the percentage of interior decoration was 84.0% (1673/1992) among urban children and 80.0% (1655/2068) among suburban children, there was significant impact of interior decoration on the prevalence of having eczema ever among urban children (OR = 1.57, 95%CI = 1.17 - 2.10) but no significant results were found in suburban sample (OR = 1.06, 95%CI = 0.76 - 1.48).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The prevalence of asthma and related allergies among school children is much higher in urban areas than that in suburban areas and the indoor environmental factors such as passive smoking and interior decoration may differently explain the prevalence of asthma and related allergies in the two areas.</p>

Measures for brain protection in carotid angioplasty and stenting in patients with carotid artery stenosis and contralateral occlusion / 中华神经医学杂志

Objective To assess the value of brain protection measures in carotid angioplasty and stenting(CAS)for carotid stenosis and contralateral occlusion in reducing the perioperative cerebral isehemic events.Methods Twelve patients undergoing CAS in our department were included in this analysis.All the patients received balloon occlusion test(BOT)of the carotid artery preoperatively.Two patients who were intolerant to BOT received extracranial-intracranial vascular anastomosis,and another 2 patients relatively intolerant to BOT received CAS under general anesthesia.The brain protection measures including reduction of the cerebral blood flow occlusion time and prophylactic management of thrombosis were administered to prevent the ischemic events.The efficacy of the brain protection measures was evaluated by diffusion-weighted imaging(DWI)and observation of the clinical ischemic neurological symptoms.Results Three patients suffered transient ischemic attacks(TIAs),1 patient had temporary vision loss,and 1 had permanent ischemic neurological deficits after the operation.DWI yielded positive results in 50% of the patients after the operation,characterized mostly by small local lesions of 1-2 ram.Eight patients presented with carotid artery dilation by over 90%,and 4 by 70% to 90% after the operation.Conclusion The brain protection measures including precise preoperative evaluation of the ischemic tolerance and blood flow and reduction of cerebral blood flow occlusion time and prevention of thrombosis during the operation can effectively reduce the incidence of perioperative ischemic events in high-risk patients with carotid stenosis and contralateral occlusion.