“
“SETTING: A cohort of 78 adolescents was selected for evaluation with culture or histologically proven pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) from a tertiary paediatric facility in northern Taiwan.
OBJECTIVE: To assess
the validity of clinical features and radiographic findings for predicting positive smears of acid-fast bacilli (AFB) in adolescents with PTB.
DESIGN: A retrospective descriptive study of adolescents with a confirmed diagnosis of PTB. Clinical symptoms and chest radiographs were selleck chemicals llc assessed. Univariate analysis identified risk factors suggestive of a positive AFB smear, and the adjusted odds ratio (aOR) for these features was calculated using logistic regression.
RESULTS: Compound C chemical structure Patients who were AFB smear-positive and those who were smear-negative differed significantly on cough, haemoptysis, multilobar or superior segment of lower lobe involvement, cavitations or presence of pleural effusions. Logistic regression analysis revealed that risk factors of positive smear in adolescents with PTB were chronic cough
>4 weeks (aOR 13.8, 95%CI 2.3-83.1), lower lobe involvement (aOR 12.6, 95%CI 1.21-34.8) and pulmonary cavitations (aOR 7.7, 95%CI 1.0-57.7).
CONCLUSIONS: For adolescents with PTB, those suffering from chronic cough for >4 weeks, with involvement of the superior segment of the lower lobe or with cavitary lesions, have a greater likelihood of transmitting find more tuberculosis due to smear positivity.”
“To show the radiological results of adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) patients treated with posterior fusion using all-pedicle-screw construct with correction carried out using a convex rod reduction
technique.
Between October 2004 and June 2007, 42 AIS patients were treated with posterior fusion using all-pedicle-screw construct with correction done through the convex side. Two patients were lost to follow-up and were not included in the study. Forty patients had a minimum follow-up of 2 years. Patients were evaluated for the deformity correction in coronal and sagittal planes and for spinal balance.
The mean preoperative Cobb angle of the major curve and secondary minor curves was 60A degrees and 41A degrees, respectively. Immediate postoperative mean Cobb angle of the major curve and secondary minor curves was 17A degrees and 13A degrees, respectively. Postoperative 2-year average major curve loss of correction was 7 %. Postoperative 2-year average minor curve loss of correction was 5 %. Preoperative thoracic kyphosis of 28A degrees was changed to 22A degrees in 2-years follow-up. The loss of thoracic kyphosis was most noted in hyperkyphotic patients.
The correction of AIS by convex-sided pedicular screws yields a coronal correction comparable to what is described in the literature for segmental concave-sided screws.”
“SETTING: National Reference Laboratory, Benin.