BACKGROUND & AIMS: Various practice parameters have emphasized a step-wise approach to the treatment of asthma utilizing high doses of inhaled corticosteroids, i.e., 2000 ug per day for the most difficult-to-manage asthmatic patient, along with maximum bronchodilator therapy. The use of such vigorous therapy presupposes that various triggers that perpetuate asthma have been considered and hopefully eliminated or diminished, such as occupational incitants, gastroesophageal reflux, and concomitant medication such as beta blockers and perhaps difficult-to-recognize allergen stimulation. As new therapies emerge, their role in the treatment of a severe subgroup of the population remains uncategorized and will only be clarified with personal experience and appropriate double-blind studies. For example, there are data to support the concept that salmeterol plus moderate dose aerosol corticosteroids is superior to high dose corticosteroid aerosols. Theoretically, the use of anti-leukotrienes for a patient with aspirin idiosyncrasy may be superior to other combinations as would be conjectured from aspirin challenge data. Lidocaine has recently been employed in severe asthmatics, and preliminary data suggest benefit. The purpose of this review is to summarize some of our knowledge regarding medications that are either steroid-sparing or that might be useful in a subgroup of asthmatic patients with severe asthma.

背景与目标： 各种实践参数强调了使用高剂量的吸入皮质类固醇治疗哮喘的逐步方法，即对于最难管理的哮喘患者，每天2000 ug，以及最大的支气管扩张剂治疗。使用这种剧烈疗法的前提是，已经考虑并希望消除或减少了使哮喘持续存在的各种诱因，例如职业性诱因，胃食管反流以及伴随药物 (例如 β 受体阻滞剂和可能难以识别的过敏原刺激)。随着新疗法的出现，它们在严重人群亚组治疗中的作用仍然未分类，只有通过个人经验和适当的双盲研究才能阐明。例如，有数据支持沙美特罗加中等剂量气雾剂皮质类固醇优于高剂量皮质类固醇气雾剂的概念。从理论上讲，阿司匹林特质患者使用抗白三烯可能优于其他组合，这可以从阿司匹林激发数据中得出。利多卡因最近被用于严重哮喘患者，初步数据表明有益。这篇综述的目的是总结我们有关保留类固醇或可能对患有严重哮喘的哮喘患者亚组有用的药物的一些知识。

BACKGROUND & AIMS: :We report for the first time the possibility of weekly paclitaxel chemotherapy for a patient with advanced, nonresectable gastric cancer undergoing hemodialysis. A 50-year-old man with chronic renal failure due to bilateral polycystic kidneys, who had undergone hemodialysis three times a week for 5 years, presented with hematemesis in December 2004. Based on the diagnosis of gastric cancer with lymph node metastases, surgery was performed. On the 15th postoperative day, the patient was treated with chemotherapy using paclitaxel. Paclitaxel was administered at a dose of 60 mg/m2 as a 1 h iv infusion in 250 mL of saline. Hemodialysis was started 1 h after the completion of the paclitaxel infusion and was performed for 3 h. Paclitaxel was administered weekly on d 1, 8, and 15 on a 28-d cycle. The maximum plasma concentration of paclitaxel was 1390 microg/L. The area under the curve of paclitaxel was 4398.6 microg x h/L. Grade 2 leukopenia was encountered during the first cycle. The plasma concentrations of paclitaxel from 6 to over 24 h after the infusion were 0.01 to 0.1 micromol/L in our patient, and these concentrations have been shown to be effective on inhibiting the growth of gastric cancer cells without producing adverse side effects in the patient. The plasma concentration of paclitaxel was not influenced by hemodialysis. We conclude that the pharmacokinetics of paclitaxel is not altered in a patient with renal failure, and that weekly paclitaxel is a suitable treatment regimen for hemodialysis patients with advanced gastric cancer.

背景与目标： : 我们首次报告了接受血液透析的晚期，不可切除的胃癌患者每周进行紫杉醇化疗的可能性。一名50岁的男子因双侧多囊肾而患有慢性肾功能衰竭，他每周接受3次血液透析，持续5年，2004年12月出现呕血。根据胃癌伴淋巴结转移的诊断，进行了手术治疗。术后第15天，患者接受紫杉醇化疗。紫杉醇以60 mg/m2的剂量在250 mL生理盐水中静脉输注1 h。紫杉醇输注完成后1小时开始血液透析，并进行3小时。紫杉醇每周在第1、8和15天的28天周期给药。紫杉醇的最年夜血浆浓度为1390 μ g/L。紫杉醇曲线下面积为4398.6 μ g × h/L。在第一个周期中遇到2级白细胞减少症。在我们的患者中，输注后6至24小时内紫杉醇的血浆浓度被0.01至0.1 micromol/L，并且这些浓度已被证明可有效抑制胃癌细胞的生长，而不会在患者中产生不良副作用。紫杉醇的血浆浓度不受血液透析的影响。我们得出的结论是，在肾功能衰竭患者中，紫杉醇的药代动力学没有改变，并且每周紫杉醇是晚期胃癌血液透析患者的合适治疗方案。

BACKGROUND & AIMS: OBJECTIVE:To study the temporal relationships between cytomegalovirus (CMV) viral load and specific UL97 mutations in polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMNL) and plasma samples from a patient with AIDS who developed ganciclovir-resistant CMV retinitis.

METHODS:Sequential PMNL and plasma samples were analysed for determination of the CMV viral load using non-molecular methods and a quantitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay. Screening of the same samples for the most common mutations conferring ganciclovir resistance was performed using nested PCR and restriction enzyme analysis.

RESULTS:At the time of progression of CMV retinitis (after 6 months of ganciclovir), a rapid increase in the CMV DNA load was found in both PMNL and plasma samples. This increase paralleled the emergence of a specific mutation (V594) in the same samples and recovery of ganciclovir-resistant blood isolates. In this patient, however, the only tests that substantially predicted the progression of CMV disease were the quantitative PCR assay using PMNL and to a lesser extent the pp65 antigenemia assay.

CONCLUSIONS:Quantitative evaluation of the CMV viral load in PMNL using sensitive assays such as PCR appears to be a promising approach for monitoring antiviral therapy in subjects with AIDS. In addition, common mutations conferring ganciclovir resistance can be detected directly in PMNL and plasma samples.

背景与目标： 目标 : 研究巨细胞病毒 (CMV) 病毒载量与多形核白细胞 (PMNL) 和血浆样本中特定UL97突变之间的时间关系，该患者患有更昔洛韦耐药的CMV视网膜炎。
方法 : 使用非分子方法和定量聚合酶链反应 (PCR) 分析方法分析了连续的PMNL和血浆样品，以确定CMV病毒载量。使用巢式PCR和限制性内切酶分析对相同样品进行了更昔洛韦抗性最常见突变的筛选。
结果 : 在CMV视网膜炎进展时 (更昔洛韦6个月后)，在PMNL和血浆样品中发现CMV DNA载量迅速增加。这种增加与同一样品中出现特定突变 (V594) 和更昔洛韦耐药血液分离株的回收平行。但是，在该患者中，唯一可以基本预测CMV疾病进展的测试是使用PMNL的定量PCR测定，以及在较小程度上使用pp65抗原血症测定。
结论 : 使用敏感的检测方法 (例如PCR) 定量评估PMNL中的CMV病毒载量似乎是监测艾滋病患者抗病毒治疗的有希望的方法。此外，可以直接在PMNL和血浆样品中检测到赋予更昔洛韦抗性的常见突变。

BACKGROUND & AIMS: :Health care workers' perceptions of patient suffering have not been well studied. Patients and health care workers were invited to answer a single, open-ended question. To develop a survey tool that could be validated and used for future research, what health care workers thought causes or caused the most suffering for patients was compared with what patients actually identified as the cause of their worst suffering. Health care workers underestimated loss and significantly underestimated physical nonpainful symptoms as causes of maximal suffering. Communication, emotional, and systems issues were often overestimated by health care workers. Health care workers may not accurately perceive what causes the worst suffering for patients. More studies are needed.

背景与目标： : 医护人员对病人痛苦的看法没有得到很好的研究。邀请患者和医护人员回答一个开放式的问题。为了开发一种可以验证并用于未来研究的调查工具，将医护人员认为导致或导致患者最痛苦的原因与患者实际确定的最痛苦原因进行了比较。医护人员低估了损失，并大大低估了身体上的无痛苦症状，这是造成最大痛苦的原因。医护人员经常高估沟通，情感和系统问题。医护人员可能无法准确理解是什么导致了患者最严重的痛苦。需要更多的研究。

BACKGROUND & AIMS: :Substance-dependent individuals (SDIs) often show neurocognitive deficits in decision-making, such that their choices are biased toward the greatest immediate reward rather than the optimal future outcome. However, studies of SDIs are often hampered by two significant methodological challenges: polysubstance dependence and comorbid conditions, which are independently associated with neurocognitive impairments. We addressed these methodological challenges by testing heroin addicts in Bulgaria, where heroin addiction is highly prevalent but polysubstance dependence is rare. The goal of the current study was to evaluate the potential contribution of psychopathy to decision-making processes among this group of Bulgarian heroin addicts. We tested 78 male currently abstaining heroin addicts, classified as psychopathic or non-psychopathic using the Hare Psychopathy Checklist, Revised (PCL-R). Psychopathic heroin addicts showed notable deficits in decision-making in that they made significantly more disadvantageous decisions relative to non-psychopathic heroin addicts. Results indicate that the presence of psychopathy may exacerbate decision-making deficits in heroin addicts.

背景与目标： : 依赖物质的个体 (sdi) 通常在决策中表现出神经认知缺陷，因此他们的选择偏向于最大的即时回报，而不是最佳的未来结果。然而，对sdi的研究通常受到两个重大方法学挑战的阻碍: 多物质依赖和合并症，它们与神经认知障碍独立相关。我们通过在保加利亚测试海洛因成瘾者来解决这些方法上的挑战，那里的海洛因成瘾者非常普遍，但很少有多种物质依赖。本研究的目的是评估这群保加利亚海洛因成瘾者中精神病对决策过程的潜在贡献。我们使用修订的野兔精神病检查表 (pcl-r) 测试了78名目前戒除海洛因的男性成瘾者，分为精神病性或非精神病性。精神病性海洛因成瘾者在决策方面表现出明显的缺陷，因为相对于非精神病性海洛因成瘾者，他们做出了更为不利的决定。结果表明，精神病的存在可能会加剧海洛因成瘾者的决策缺陷。

BACKGROUND & AIMS: The dose, efficacy, and side effects of continuous intravenous infusion (CIVI) of morphine were compared with continuous subcutaneous infusion (CSCI) of morphine in patients with chronic cancer pain. Eligible patients were referred to the Palliative Care Program and were receiving a stable dose of CIVI of morphine. The design was a within-patient, one-way crossover; in which each patient provided data before and after a switch from CIVI to CSCI of morphine. "Rescue" doses were 50% of the hourly dose given every 2 hours as needed. Morphine was infused intravenously (i.v.) and subcutaneously (s.c.) via a McGaw/AccuPro Volumetric Infusion Pump. After baseline data, including side effects and pain assessment, were obtained, patients were evaluated twice daily for toxicity and analgesic efficacy. Those who had a stable CIVI dose for 48 consecutive hr were crossed over to the CSCI at the same dose as the intravenous (i.v.) phase. A stable dose was defined as no dose change, four or less rescue doses in the previous 24 hr, and a pain rating of none or mild. CIVI was considered equal to CSCI if these criteria were maintained for 96 consecutive hr. Fifty-seven patients were entered, and 40 were evaluable (15 women and 25 men). The median age was 67 (range 30-83 years). All 40 participants, after maintaining a stable dose throughout the i.v. phase, crossed to the s.c. phase and remained on s.c. for at least 48 hr. Thirty-two patients maintained a stable dose throughout the i.v. and s.c. phases. The mean stable i.v. dose (day 2) was 5.05 mg/hr, and the mean stable s.c. dose (day 4) was 5.7 mg/hr (P = 0.01). The mean number of rescue doses on day 2 was 0.83 per 24 hr versus 0.80 per 24 hours on day 4 (P = 0.6). The mean categorical pain score on day 2 was 0.83, and on day 4, 0.85 (P = 0.7). The mean visual analogue scale (VAS) on day 2 was 22.9 mm versus 17.6 mm on day 4 (P = 0.1). The mean incidence of side effects on day 2 was 1.7, and on day 4, 2.0 (P = 0.2). No patient was withdrawn or had a dose reduction due to unacceptable toxicity. There were two reports of local toxicity (mild erythema) at the SC needle insertion point, which required a site change. All of our 40 patients had adequate pain control with CIVI and CSCI morphine. Of the eight participants who were not maintained on the same i.v. and s.c. dose, all had adequate pain control and a similar side-effect profile on a higher s.c. morphine dose. These data suggest that the i.v. and s.c. routes are equianalgesic for most patients when administered as a continuous infusion. Pain control and side-effect profiles are quite similar and acceptable. s.c. morphine is an excellent alternative to i.v. morphine in both inpatients and outpatients requiring parenteral morphine for pain.

背景与目标： 比较了慢性癌痛患者持续静脉输注 (CIVI) 吗啡与持续皮下输注 (CSCI) 吗啡的剂量，疗效和副作用。符合条件的患者被转诊到姑息治疗计划，并正在接受稳定剂量的CIVI吗啡。该设计是患者内部的单向交叉; 其中每个患者在吗啡从CIVI切换到CSCI之前和之后提供数据。“抢救” 剂量是根据需要每2小时给予的每小时剂量的50%。通过McGaw/AccuPro容积输液泵静脉内 (i.v.) 和皮下 (s.c.) 注入吗啡。获得包括副作用和疼痛评估在内的基线数据后，每天两次评估患者的毒性和镇痛效果。那些连续48小时稳定的CIVI剂量的人以与静脉 (i.v.) 阶段相同的剂量交叉到CSCI。稳定剂量定义为无剂量变化，在之前的24小时内有四个或更少的抢救剂量，并且疼痛等级为无或轻度。如果连续96个小时保持这些标准，CIVI被认为等于CSCI。进入了57名患者，其中40名可评估 (15名女性和25名男性)。中位年龄为67岁 (范围30-83岁)。所有40名参与者在整个静脉内保持稳定剂量后。阶段，越过s.C.阶段并保留在s.c.至少48小时。32名患者在整个静脉内保持稳定剂量。和南卡罗来纳州阶段。平均稳定的静脉注射。剂量 (第2天) 为5.05 mg/hr，平均稳定s.c.剂量 (第4天) 为5.7 mg/hr (P = 0.01)。第2天的平均抢救剂量为每24小时0.83次，而第4天的平均抢救剂量为每24小时0.80次 (P = 0.6)。第2天和第4天的平均分类疼痛评分为0.83，0.85 (P = 0.7)。第2天的平均视觉模拟量表 (VAS) 为22.9毫米，第4天为17.6毫米 (P = 0.1)。第2天和第4天的平均副作用发生率为1.7，2.0 (P = 0.2)。没有患者因不可接受的毒性而退出或剂量减少。有两份关于SC针插入点局部毒性 (轻度红斑) 的报告，需要改变部位。我们的40名患者均使用CIVI和CSCI吗啡进行了足够的疼痛控制。在没有保持相同i.v.的八名参与者中。和南卡罗来纳州剂量，都有足够的疼痛控制，并且在较高的s.C.上有相似的副作用。吗啡剂量。这些数据表明，静脉注射和南卡罗来纳州当作为连续输注给药时，大多数患者的途径是等镇痛。疼痛控制和副作用特征非常相似且可以接受。吗啡是静脉注射的绝佳替代品需要胃肠外吗啡治疗疼痛的住院患者和门诊患者的吗啡。

BACKGROUND & AIMS: BACKGROUND:A large insurer in Hawaii mails annual reminders to its members regarding recommended health screenings. This study examined the associations between the characteristics of physicians visited after the reminders were sent and the health screenings received for breast, cervical, and colorectal cancers, and for diabetes and cholesterol. METHODS:The study population included members identified as needing health screenings from 2000 to 2003 based on age and gender criteria. The study used a longitudinal design focusing on the 12 months after reminders were sent. Data were analyzed using logistic regression examining physician visits, other health services, and receipt of health screenings by 1-month intervals subsequent to the reminder mailings. RESULTS:In adjusted, multivariable models, members who saw physicians they had not seen in the past year had odds ratios for obtaining health screenings 6 to 8 times higher than members who only saw previously visited physicians. This enhanced response occurred among members receiving their first, second, and third (or subsequent) annual reminder letter. The more physicians that were visited and who were new to the members, the more likely the members were to obtain health screenings. CONCLUSIONS:Members seeing physicians they had not seen in the past year had significantly higher screening rates than the members only seeing physicians they had previously visited. The results suggest that healthcare screening may receive less attention at repeat visits with a physician than at visits with a physician who is new to a member.

背景与目标：

BACKGROUND & AIMS: -2

背景与目标： -2

BACKGROUND & AIMS: BACKGROUND:Side-stream spirometry offers a non-invasive method to monitor continuously respiratory mechanics in intubated patients. We studied the effects of different positions on dynamic lung compliance during anaesthesia. METHODS:The study consisted of 56 patients, operated in supine, prone, kneeling or lateral park-bench position. Dynamic lung compliance and inspiratory peak pressure were recorded after induction of anaesthesia, 15 min and 1 h after posturing the patient. RESULTS:The first measured compliances were comparable in all groups. The compliance in the lateral and the prone positions was significantly lower than in the supine position at 15 min (P < 0.01) and 1 h (P < 0.001) after the posture change. The peak inspiratory pressure was significantly lower in the kneeling position than in the other groups (P < 0.01 at the first measurement, P < 0.001 at the later measurements). No correlation was found between body mass index and compliance. CONCLUSION:We found that dynamic lung compliance decreased significantly upon change of posture from supine to lateral or prone position, whereas in the kneeling position no change in compliance was observed. We suggest that the kneeling position might be preferable to the prone position.

背景与目标：

BACKGROUND & AIMS: :Severe preeclampsia rarely occurs prior to 20 weeks of gestation except in pregnancies with triploidy. The patient reported herein is a 29-year-old primigravida who developed severe preeclampsia at 20 weeks of gestation. Evaluation of the pregnancy demonstrated a markedly abnormal quadruple screen. Amniocentesis demonstrated a fetus with triploidy, despite a normal appearance.

背景与目标： : 除三倍体妊娠外，妊娠20周前很少发生严重的先兆子痫。本文报道的患者是一名29岁的初产妇，在妊娠20周时出现严重的先兆子痫。对妊娠的评估显示出明显异常的四重筛查。羊膜穿刺术显示胎儿具有三倍体，尽管外观正常。

BACKGROUND & AIMS: :Priority setting of health interventions is often ad-hoc and resources are not used to an optimal extent. Underlying problem is that multiple criteria play a role and decisions are complex. Interventions may be chosen to maximize general population health, to reduce health inequalities of disadvantaged or vulnerable groups, ad/or to respond to life-threatening situations, all with respect to practical and budgetary constraints. This is the type of problem that policy makers are typically bad at solving rationally, unaided. They tend to use heuristic or intuitive approaches to simplify complexity, and in the process, important information is ignored. Next, policy makers may select interventions for only political motives. This indicates the need for rational and transparent approaches to priority setting. Over the past decades, a number of approaches have been developed, including evidence-based medicine, burden of disease analyses, cost-effectiveness analyses, and equity analyses. However, these approaches concentrate on single criteria only, whereas in reality, policy makers need to make choices taking into account multiple criteria simultaneously. Moreover, they do not cover all criteria that are relevant to policy makers. Therefore, the development of a multi-criteria approach to priority setting is necessary, and this has indeed recently been identified as one of the most important issues in health system research. In other scientific disciplines, multi-criteria decision analysis is well developed, has gained widespread acceptance and is routinely used. This paper presents the main principles of multi-criteria decision analysis. There are only a very few applications to guide resource allocation decisions in health. We call for a shift away from present priority setting tools in health--that tend to focus on single criteria--towards transparent and systematic approaches that take into account all relevant criteria simultaneously.

背景与目标： : 卫生干预措施的优先级设定通常是临时性的，资源的使用没有达到最佳程度。潜在的问题是，多个标准发挥作用，决策很复杂。可以选择干预措施，以最大程度地提高总体人口健康水平，减少弱势或弱势群体的健康不平等，ad/或应对威胁生命的情况，所有这些都涉及实际和预算方面的限制。这是政策制定者通常不善于理性地、没有帮助地解决的问题。他们倾向于使用启发式或直观的方法来简化复杂性，在此过程中，重要的信息被忽略。接下来，政策制定者可能只出于政治动机选择干预措施。这表明需要合理和透明的方法来确定优先级。在过去的几十年中，已经开发了许多方法，包括循证医学，疾病负担分析，成本效益分析和公平性分析。但是，这些方法仅集中在单个标准上，而实际上，决策者需要同时考虑多个标准来做出选择。此外，它们并未涵盖与决策者相关的所有标准。因此，有必要开发一种多标准方法来确定优先级，并且最近确实已将其确定为卫生系统研究中最重要的问题之一。在其他科学学科中，多准则决策分析得到了很好的发展，得到了广泛的认可，并被常规使用。本文介绍了多准则决策分析的主要原理。只有很少的应用程序来指导健康中的资源分配决策。我们呼吁从目前的卫生优先事项设定工具 (往往侧重于单一标准) 转向透明和系统的方法，同时考虑到所有相关标准。

BACKGROUND & AIMS: The accuracy of cervicovaginal fetal fibronectin as a predictor of preterm birth was studied in patients with increased risk for preterm delivery (according to the Creasy-score). In a prospective blind observational study the smear from the posterior fornix vaginae of 56 pregnant patients without PROM was examined using a quantitative immunoassay for the detection of fetal fibronectin. The patients who tested positively for fetal fibronectin had significantly more preterm deliveries than those with a negative result (CHI square-test, p < 0.01, RR 5.1). Overall, sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values were 56%, 87%, 45% and 91%, respectively. In patients with preterm labor these values were 75%, 87%, 60%, and 93%, respectively. No patient with a negative result delivered preterm during the following two weeks. It is concluded that performing the fetal fibronectin test in patients with preterm labor is useful for the prediction of preterm birth. Routine testing in patients at increased risk (asymptomatic patients) is not recommended for lack of effectiveness.

背景与目标： 在早产风险增加的患者中研究了宫颈阴道胎儿纤维连接蛋白作为早产预测指标的准确性 (根据Creasy评分)。在一项前瞻性盲观察研究中，使用定量免疫测定法检查了56例无胎膜早破的孕妇的后穹窿阴道涂片，以检测胎儿纤连蛋白。胎儿纤连蛋白检测呈阳性的患者的早产明显多于阴性结果的患者 (卡方检验，p <0.01，RR 5.1)。总体而言，敏感性、特异性、阳性和阴性预测值分别为56% 、87% 、45% 和91%。在早产患者中，这些值分别为75%，87%，60% 和93%。在接下来的两周内，没有阴性结果的患者早产。结论对早产患者进行胎儿纤连蛋白试验对预测早产有一定的帮助。不建议对风险增加的患者 (无症状患者) 进行常规测试，因为缺乏有效性。

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Environmental pollution has become a major concern for the future of life on our planet; medical care, especially in hospitals, contributes significantly to this pollution. The increasing usage of highly-developed medical devices, drugs and disposable products are a drain on natural resources as well as financial ones. In this situation, it is a major task for hospital epidemiologists to maintain high standards of hygiene while reducing environmental pollution, reducing consumption of limited natural resources, and minimizing costs. The reduction of hospital waste, the control of polluting and toxic emissions, the avoidance of unnecessary disinfection procedures and disposables, the implementation of energy and water saving technologies are practicable measures in hospital ecology. To realize a sustainable development within hospitals, it is necessary that the need to maintain a balance between effective infection control and a good ecological environment is recognized and supported by health-care workers and the hospital management.

背景与目标： 环境污染已成为地球生命未来的主要问题; 医疗保健，尤其是医院的医疗保健，对这种污染有很大影响。高度发达的医疗设备，药品和一次性产品的使用日益增加，既消耗了自然资源，也消耗了金融资源。在这种情况下，医院流行病学家的主要任务是在减少环境污染的同时保持高标准的卫生，减少对有限自然资源的消耗并最大程度地降低成本。减少医院废物，控制污染和有毒排放物，避免不必要的消毒程序和一次性用品，实施节能节水技术是医院生态中的可行措施。为了实现医院内部的可持续发展，有必要在有效的感染控制和良好的生态环境之间保持平衡的需要得到医护人员和医院管理层的认可和支持。

BACKGROUND & AIMS: UNLABELLED:Decreased left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) is a relative contraindication for the use of potentially cardiotoxic chemotherapy. A resting LVEF of 50% is usually used as the lower limit of normal values. The decision to change chemotherapy, however, is complex and is affected by many factors, including ejection fraction.

METHODS:To determine how LVEF data were used by clinical oncologists in clinical decision making, we performed a retrospective analysis of patients referred for ejection fraction measurements from the hematology/oncology divisionS of Stanford University from March 1992 through March 1995. The records of 565 patients treated with potentially cardiotoxic chemotherapy were evaluated.

RESULTS:LVEFs < 50% were found in 153 patients. The charts of patients with reduced ejection fractions were reviewed to determine if the radionuclide measurement resulted in either discontinuation of the cardiotoxic agent or substitution of a less cardiotoxic drug or mode of administration. These specific changes in therapy occurred in only 43 of the 153 (28%) patients with ejection fractions below 50%; 24 of the 43 (57%) had ejection fractions < or = 40%. Patients with lower ejection fraction values were more likely to have their therapy changed than those with LVEFs close to normal. Patients with ejection fractions < or = 30 generally had cardiotoxic agents discontinued. Of patients who had a resting LVEF < 50% and whose therapy was not changed, 81% had a normal increase in LVEF with exercise.

CONCLUSION:In clinical practice at our institution, ejection fraction < 50% is not used as an absolute contraindication to cardiotoxic chemotherapy. When the LVEF is less than 40%, potentially cardiotoxic therapy is most often discontinued or omitted. Radionuclide evidence of cardiac reserve may account for decisions to continue cardiotoxic agents despite ejection fractions < 50% in the majority of patients. Further study will be needed to establish standard criteria. Reserve function, as measured by the change in ejection fraction from rest to stress may be an important parameter used by oncologists to help select patients for continued therapy in spite of a reduced ejection fraction. Our results argue that use of fixed criteria may be too restrictive.

背景与目标： 未标记 : 左心室射血分数 (LVEF) 降低是使用潜在心脏毒性化学疗法的相对禁忌症。50% 的静息LVEF通常用作正常值的下限。然而，改变化疗的决定是复杂的，并且受到许多因素的影响，包括射血分数。
方法 : 为了确定临床肿瘤学家如何在临床决策中使用LVEF数据，我们对1992年3月至1995年3月期间接受斯坦福大学血液学/肿瘤学部门射血分数测量的患者进行了回顾性分析。评估了565例接受潜在心脏毒性化学疗法治疗的患者的记录。
结果 : 在153例患者中发现LVEFs <50%。回顾了射血分数降低的患者的图表，以确定放射性核素测量是否导致停用心脏毒性药物或替代心脏毒性较小的药物或给药方式。这些特定的治疗变化仅发生在射血分数低于50% 的153 (28%) 患者中; 43 (57%) 中的24的射血分数 <或 = 40%。射血分数值较低的患者比LVEFs接近正常的患者更有可能改变治疗。射血分数 <或 = 30的患者通常停用心脏毒性药物。在静息LVEF <50% 且治疗未改变的患者中，81% 的LVEF随运动而正常增加。
结论 : 在我们机构的临床实践中，射血分数 <50% 不作为心脏毒性化疗的绝对禁忌症。当LVEF小于40% 时，潜在的心脏毒性治疗通常被停止或省略。尽管大多数患者的射血分数 <50%，但心脏储备的放射性核素证据可能解释了继续服用心脏毒性药物的决定。需要进一步研究以建立标准。储备功能 (通过从静息到压力的射血分数变化来衡量) 可能是肿瘤学家使用的重要参数，尽管射血分数降低，但可以帮助选择患者继续治疗。我们的结果认为，使用固定标准可能过于严格。

BACKGROUND & AIMS: A patient with heterozygous protein S deficiency experienced cutaneous necrosis following subcutaneous heparin administration. Deficiencies of both protein C and protein S, known risk factors for the more frequently encountered coumarin necrosis, may predispose patients to this complication of heparin therapy as well. The putative association of protein S deficiency with cutaneous heparin necrosis could not be proven, however, since attempts to reproduce the heparin necrosis were unsuccessful.

背景与目标： 杂合蛋白S缺乏症患者在皮下注射肝素后出现皮肤坏死。蛋白C和蛋白S的缺乏是香豆素坏死较常见的已知危险因素，也可能使患者易患肝素治疗的这种并发症。然而，由于试图重现肝素坏死的尝试均未成功，因此无法证明蛋白质S缺乏症与皮肤肝素坏死的关系。