Health- and oral health-related quality of life among preschool children with autism spectrum disorders.

PURPOSE: To assess the health-related quality of life (HrQoL) and oral health-related quality of life (OHrQoL) of preschool children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and to determine the associated factors. METHODS: A case-control study of preschool children with and without ASD was undertaken. H&OHrQoL were assessed employing Pediatric Quality-of-Life Inventory Version 4.0 (PedsQL™ 4.0) and Early Childhood Oral Health Impact Scale (ECOHIS). Differences in PedsQL and ECOHIS scores were determined between groups and correlation between PedsQL and ECOHIS was explored. Regression analyses were conducted to determine key factors associated with H&OHrQoL. RESULTS: Parents of 510 children (253 cases and 257 controls) completed the H&OHrQoL questionnaire assessments. Significant difference in PedsQL (p < 0.001) and ECOHIS (p < 0.001) scores was apparent between children with and without ASD. There was a positive and weak correlation between PedsQL and ECOHIS scores (r = - 0.45, p < 0.01). In regression analyses, the presence of ASD was associated with an increased likelihood of having lower PedsQL (OR 0.10, 95% CI 0.06-0.15, p < 0.001) and higher ECOHIS scores (OR 2.34, 95% CI 1.60-3.42, p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Differences in H&OHrQoL exist among preschool children with and without ASD. There was a significant but weak correlation between children's H&OHrQoL. Both H&OHrQoL were associated with autism spectrum disorders.

The number of stenotic coronary arteries and passive smoking exposure from husband in lifelong non-smoking women in Xi'an, China.

The relationship between the number of stenotic coronary arteries and passive smoking exposure from the husband was examined in a retrospective study of 78 cases with stenotic coronary arteries and 83 controls with normal coronary arteries. All the 161 subjects were examined by coronary arteriography and were Chinese women who had never smoked cigarettes (i.e. lifelong non-smokers). The Pearson's and Spearman's correlation coefficients between the number of stenotic coronary arteries and passive smoking exposure indices were 0.27-0.29 and 0.25-0.28 (all with P < 0.01), respectively. The linear prediction equations from multiple regression analysis showed that passive smoking exposure, after adjustment for other major risk factors, was a significant predictive variable for the number of stenotic coronary arteries. The multiple response logistic regression model was used to estimate the odds ratio of stenotic coronary arteries for passive smoking exposure categories. The crude and adjusted odds ratios showed that the number of stenotic arteries increased with the amount of exposure to passive smoking from the husband. These results provide new evidence to support that passive smoking is causally associated with coronary heart disease.

Effect of cimetidine on wedged hepatic venous pressure in cirrhotic patients.

According to our supposition that "humoral mechanism" plays an important role in the pathogenesis of portal hypertension due to cirrhosis, antagonists to some of humoral substances would lower the portal pressure in cirrhotic patients. Wedged hepatic venous pressure (WHVP) was used as an indicator for changes of portal pressure. Cimetidine was given intravenously to 8 cirrhotic patients, in whom an average lowering of 0.72 kPa (7.3 cm H2O) of WHVP was observed subsequently. This change was of clinical significance as compared with the previous results of splenorenal shunting operations.

Changes of blood humoral substances in experimental cirrhosis and their effects on portal hemodynamics.

The changes of humoral substances in the blood of cirrhotic rats were studied together with their effects on portal hemodynamics at different stages during the development of cirrhosis. The profiles of humoral substances and hemodynamics in two different cirrhotic rat models were also investigated. During the development of cirrhosis, glucagon increased markedly in all stages, histamine and vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (VIP) increased in the early stage, serotonin (5-HT) and somatostatin (SS) increased in the middle and late stages. There were different patterns of humoral substances in different cirrhotic models. Glucagon was the main humoral substance elevated in CCL4 induced cirrhosis, but histamine and 5-HT were mainly elevated in the blood in thioacetamide (TAA) induced cirrhosis. The hemodynamics altered differently in different stages during the development of cirrhosis and differently in the two cirrhotic rat models. Exchange transfusions between normal and cirrhotic rats resulted in an elevation of portal flow in normal rats, but no such changes were found after exchange pressure and an increase of portal blood transfusions between normal rats. The relationship between the humoral substances and portal hemodynamics is discussed. The results of this study strongly support the hypothesis of "humoral mechanism" in the pathogenesis of portal hypertension due to cirrhosis.

Passive smoking at work as a risk factor for coronary heart disease in Chinese women who have never smoked.

OBJECTIVE: To study whether passive smoking at work is a risk factor for coronary heart disease. DESIGN: Case-control study. SETTING: Xi'an, China. SUBJECTS: 59 patients with coronary heart disease and 126 controls, all Chinese women with full time jobs, who had never smoked cigarettes. RESULTS: The crude odds ratio for passive smoking from husband was 2.12 (95% confidence interval 1.06 to 4.25) and at work was 2.45 (1.23 to 4.88). The final logistic regression model, with passive smoking from husband and at work as the base, included age, history of hypertension, type A personality, and total cholesterol and high density lipoprotein cholesterol concentrations; the adjusted odds ratios for passive smoking from husband and at work were 1.24 (0.56 to 2.72) and 1.85 (0.86 to 4.00) respectively. For passive smoking at work, statistically significant linear trends of increasing risks (for both crude and adjusted odds ratios) with increasing exposures (amount exposed daily, number of smokers, number of hours exposed daily, and cumulative exposure) were observed. When these exposure variables were analysed as continuous variables, the crude and adjusted odds ratios were also significant. CONCLUSION: Passive smoking at work is a risk factor for coronary heart disease. Urgent public health measures are needed to reduce smoking and to protect non-smokers from passive smoking in China.

[Adenomyomatosis of the gallbladder: report of 42 cases].

This article reported 42 cases of adenomyomatosis of the gallbladder diagnosed by postoperative pathology. Since adenomyomatosis is often asymptomatic and accompanied by cholecystitis and gallstone, it is difficult to diagnose correctly before operation. Seven cases out of this group (16.7%) was diagnosed preoperatively. Correct diagnosis is based on alertness to this disease and cholecystogram. Cholecystectomy is the effective treatment. The relationship between the pathological types and Cholecystogram are discussed.

[The significance of electrocardiography in locating original sites of ventricular tachycardia].

The sites of origin of ventricular tachycardia (VT) in 12 patients were located by ECG during the episode and further confirmed by catheter mapping. The results showed that there were 14 sites of origin of VT in the 12 patients from ECG in which 1 site was incompletely mapped by catheter and 12 of the other 13 original sites were confirmed by the catheter endocardial or epicardial mapping. Of the 12 original sites of VT, the locating of 11 ones were completely consistent with those from ECG, which was 84.6% of the 13 original sites. Moreover, 8 of the 12 patients had been successfully treated by catheter direct or radiofrequency current ablation and 1 of the 12 by successful surgical operation. Thus, the original sites of VT located by ECG was reliable and could shorten the time of catheter mapping during non-pharmacological therapy of VT.

[Mechanism of the alternation cycle length phenomenon during intravenous verapamil for termination of atrioventricular reciprocating tachycardia].

The electrophysiologic-pharmacologic test of verapamil on 33 patients with the Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome with atrioventricular reciprocating tachycardia (AVRT) was studied. During intravenous verapamil for termination of AVRT, the alternating cycle length phenomenon was observed in 13 cases (39%). On the basis of the observations we attributed the phenomenon to alternating conduction between early and late phase of the AV nodal relative refractory period due to the AV nodal refractory period lengthened by verapamil except a few patients in whom verapamil unmasked the presence of concealed accessory pathways or dual AV nodal pathways as hypothesized by some scholars.

[The accuracy of locating the accessory pathway before and during surgery in patients with Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome].

The accuracy of locating the accessory pathways (APs) before and during operation in the operated 32 patients with the Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome (WPW) was reported. There were 27 cases with the single AP, in which 17 had left-lateral free-wall pathways, 6 had left-posterior free-wall pathways, 2 had posterior septal pathways, 1 had right free-wall pathway and 1 had anterior septal pathway, and 5 cases with double APs. Taking the double APs as a single apparent AP, the accuracy was 87% (20/23) by electrocardiograms (exclusive of 9 concealed WPW), 94% (30/32) by electrophysiologic studies (EPS) and 97% (31/32) by epicardial mappings (ECM). It was difficult to discover and locate the double APs. For the 10 APs of 5 cases with double APs, the accuracy was 60% (6/10) by EPS and 70% (7/10) by ECM.