Tehran University Medical Journal

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Background: Post-transplant erythrocytosis (PTE) is characterized by persistent hematocrit level above 51% that develops in 10-20% of kidney recipients, mostly 2 years after kidney transplantation. PTE is self limited in 25% of the patients but can be persistent in other patients with an increased susceptibility for thrombosis. The purpose of this study was to identify the risk factors for development of PTE in our center

Methods: We selected 45 patients who were transplanted at least 3 months before selection (minimum time required for detection of PTE) and were referred to the kidney transplantation clinic during 5 years (1998-2003) as the case group. At the same time, we considered 2 patients without erythrocytosis as control for each patient in the case group among kidney transplant recipients who were referred to the same clinic during 5 years (1998-2003). In total we had selected 135 patients, 45 patients with erythrocytosis as the case group and 90 patients without erythrocytosis as the control group. Patients who were affected by high hematocrit before transplantation (HC>51%),overt pulmonary disorder, and polycytemia Vera were excluded from this study. We collected basic information by using old charts and complementary information was added through phone conversations and physical examination in the clinic. All the information was entered in the digital questionnaire and was analyzed by the SPSS statistical package.

Results: There was no significant difference between the case and control group for age, history of hypertension, diabetes, pretransplant hematocrit, pretransplant transfusions, function of graft and source of kidney. A significantly higher proportion of PTE patients were male, also the case group had a significantly higher frequency for personal history of polycystic kidney disease , glomerulonephritis and higher frequency of azathioparine, prednisolone and cyclosporine regimen.

Conclusion: PTE is an important complication of kidney transplantation that can be fatal. There are multiple risk factors that should be addressed to prevent this complication.

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Background: Aeromedical transport provides immediate advanced medical treatment for certain critically ill and injured patients, bringing about rapid treatment and decreasing the time of hospitalization. With the great expense of helicopter emergency medical services (HEMS), research and review of experience is conducted to determine areas in which the enforcement of standards will enable the effective and optimal use of HEMS.
Methods: We examined peer-reviewed published articles in French, English and Persian journals and medical texts to determine the best use of, and standards for, HEMS.
Results: We found that HEMS effectively improves health care in three categories of services: the rapid transportation of medical personnel/equipment to an accident and of patients to the hospital (primary response) meeting road ambulances at an intermediate point coming from a hospital or accident to transport patients to a hospital (secondary response) the planned urgent inter-hospital transfers of critically ill patients for specialized care (tertiary response). HEMS standards have been set for: the flight equipment and crew, the types of emergencies to which HEMS should respond, the optimal length of time for each part of the mission (call out time, response time, on-scene time, transport time, and total rescue time) and the affect on patient survival. Some other standards include: algorithms for patient screening, flight heights for different diseases and injuries, rooftop and parking garage helipad at hospital, approach of flight paths and the facility at the touchdown area. HEMS standard medical equipment includes those needed for telemedicine and basic and advanced life support. Standard drugs on board the HEMS vehicle depends on the type of the missions selected for HEMS. The area of medical crew members, as well as their fundamental and the continuing training, also has standards that must be met. The standard scoring system for severity of injury, and finally, the standard method for the annual calculation of the cost and benefit of using HEMS in a specified region have also been considered.
Conclusion: As trauma is a common reason for requesting HEMS in Iran, the decrease in "Golden Hour" response time for trauma patients is a priority. HEMS is expensive and enforcing standards also requires increased effort and expense. Nevertheless, both can reduce the morbidity, mortality and expense for longer hospital stays. Thus, the proper telemedicine and life support equipment and drugs, as well as algorithms for patient screening can improve HEMS efficacy. Furthermore, enforcing proper communication and record keeping regarding trauma severity for HEMS missions allows hospitals to predict the proper immediate treatment for incoming patients and its future need for HEMS services.

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Background: Endometrial carcinoma is the most common malignancy of the female genital tract. Different molecular alterations have been described in endometrioid endometrial carcinoma that, the most frequently altered gene is mutations of PTEN. Up to 50-83% of endometrioid carcinoma reveal altered PTEN characterized by loss of expression. In endometrial hyperplasia, which are precursors of endometrioid carcinoma, loss of PTEN expression is 30-63%.
Methods: Immunohistochemical staining was performed on 90 cases of endometrial curettage including: 30 proliferative endometrium, 30 hyperplastic endometrium and 30 endometroid carcinoma. Immunohistochemical specimens were graded semiquatitatively by considering the percentage of staining with two cut-point 10% & 50% on the whole section for each specimen.
Results: loss of PTEN expression was observed 0%, 0%, 30% of 51.7% in proliferative, simple hyperplasia, complex hyperplasia and endometrioid carcinoma respectively with cut-point 10% and 0%, 5.3%, 30%, 52.2% in endometrioid carcinoma respectively with cut-point 50%. Also there was no difference in PTEN expression between atypical complex hyperplasia and endometrioid carcinoma but there was significant difference between simple hyperplasia and proliferative with endometrioid carcinoma & atypical complex hyperplasia.
Conclusion: These results show loss of PTEN expression in endmetrioid carcinoma and no differences between endometrioid carcinoma and atypical complex hyperplasia. Therefore, assessment of PTEN expression by negative immunostaining and matched with routine hematoxylin and eosin stained can be a new tool for diagnosis of endometrioid carcinoma.

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Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE AR-SA MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 Background: Appendicitis is more common during the second and third decade of life and appendectomy scar is important in terms of cosmetic issues. The scar is an important factor in the patient's satisfaction. Conventional teaching has an emphasis on the closure of skin incision with "separate" sutures. The aim of this study was to reconsider this dogma.
Methods: Among 321 patients with acute appendicitis who came to the emergency unit of Imam Khomeini Hospital in Tehran, Iran since april 2007 till april 2008, 278 (86.6%) patients had uncomplicated appendicitis and were enrolled in our clinical trial. The patients were randomly assigned to two groups of interrupted suture closure (n=139) and subcuticular suture closure (n=139). Anesthesia method and surgical technique were similar between the two groups. All patients were followed up post-operatively (four weeks) for the presence of infectious drainage, pain, erythema, swelling and warmness at the surgical site.
Results: The patients' sex and their mean age were not statistically different between the groups. There was no significant difference in the frequency of surgical site complications between the two groups (five cases in the "interrupted" group and eight cases in the "subcuticular" group p=0.415).
Conclusion: This study showed that appendectomy incision closure with subcuticular sutures did not increase the risk of wound complications. From the point of better cosmetic outcome of subcuticular sutures, this method may be the method of choice for the closure of appendectomy incisions in uncomplicated appendicitis.