Volume 95  ·   Issue 02  ·  1982

This paper reports smoking among students of 2 Beijing key middle schools and 6 ordinary middle schools and some influencing factors. There are 853 students in the key schools and 2,790 students in the ordinary schools. The boys and girls surveyed are about equal in number. Very few students (4 students) smoked in the key schools, while in the ordinary schools only 5 girls smoked whereas 19.7% of the boys smoked. Starting from 8.2% of junior high Class I and gradually increasing to 34.0% of senior Class II, smoking increased rapidly. There are significant differences between the succeeding grades. This survey also covers the grade at which high schoolers start smoking and how long they have smoked, pointing out that many of the smokers formed the habit in primary school but that most had acquired the habit only in the last 1 or 2 years. The patterns and causes of smoking are also analyzed. Parental influence is very important. A comparison is made with conditions abroad .

By increasing the total and individual doses of praziquantel, given 3 times daily, the authors demonstrated that the drug had excellent therapeutic efficacy against clonorchiasis. 100 cases were randomly allocated into 3 groups, each receiving 10 mg/kg, 12 mg/kg, and 14 mg kg, tid for 5 days. The total dosages were 150 mg/kg, 180 mg/kg, and 210 mg/kg. At the end of 3 months, the negative egg turn-over rates were 72.7%, 93.9% and 100% and the average egg reduction rates 98.2%, 98.8% and l00%. The general clinical condition of patients after treatment also improved. The adverse reactions to praziquantel were Mild and transient. All patients completed their were only mild, transient and reversible myocardial effects, as demonstrated by ECG. The therapeutic effect of praziquantel in larger dosages is comparable to hexachloroparaxylol (HCX) and may even be better. Praziquantel causers fewer adverse side reactions. No delayed side reactions are observed. If praziquantel can be mass produced at lower prices, it may replace HCX as the drug of choice in the treatment of clonorchiasis sinensis.

This article is a review of the use of gray-scale ultrasonography in this department.

Artificial blood vessels are plentiful, easy to sterilize and preserve and cause no bioantigenic reaction, therefore they are practical and efficient for temporary peripheral blood vessel repair. They obstruct only 1 year after operation without causing cyanosis, discoloration, pain, swelling or numbness and allow the injured extremity time to establish a permanent collateral bloodway enabling complete recovery of normal limb function.

7 strains of viruses were isolated from cervical specimens of cervical cancer patients. The viral isolates were herpes simplex viruses according to the morphologic, biologic as well as serologic characteristics. 5 of the 7 strains were typed and 3 were herpes simplex virus type-2. The problems of typing herpes simplex viruses are briefly discussed.

The effects of puerariae on coronary circulation and cardiac hemodynamics were studied in anesthetized open chest dogs which were either normal or in a state of acute myocardial ischemia induced by pituitrin. The blood flow of the left circumflex coronary artery and ascending aorta was measured by an electromagnetic flowmeter, blood pressure and heart rate were measured by mercury manometer and cardiac hemodynamic parameters calculated. The myocardial metabolism in normal open-chest dogs wars investigated by analysing oxygen, lactate and glucose contents in coronary sinus and artery blood. Intra-arterial injection of puerariae into the coronary artery induced marked dilation of the artery without influencing the other vessels. After intravenous injection of puerariae flavones and puerarin dilation of the coronary artery was much more marked than that of the other arteries. Heart rate, blood pressure and total peripheral vascular resistance decreased, while cardiac output was unchanged. In reserpinized dogs the effects of total flavones and puerarin on coronary circulation were similar to those in normal dogs. In pituitrin induced myocardial ischemic dogs, total flavones could increase coronary blood flow, but the pressor effect of pituitrin was not antagonized. It appears that the effect of puerariae may be due to direct relaxation of coronary vessels. Research on myocardial metabolism showed that blood content of oxygen, lactate and pyruvate in the coronary sinus increased and myocardial consumption of these substances decreased significantly after intravenous injection of puerariae. These effects may be beneficial in treatment of human coronary artery disease.

The clinical, roentgenologic and pathologic manifestations of 51 cases of carcinoid tumors arising in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract are reviewed. Their distribution is as follows: small bowel 29.4%, appendix 21.5%, colon 17.7%, stomach and rectum 15.7%. The radiologic and pathologic changes are principally studied. The chief X-ray findings are submucous elevated lesion; coexistence of intra- and extraluminal tumor mass or fungoid filling defect; infiltrative signs of the intestinal wall and stretching and rigidity of the mucous folds, fixation and wide separation of the intestinal loops, narrowing and partial obstruction of the intestine (signs associated with desmoplastic reaction), etc. Grossly carcinoid tumors can be classified into minimal, polypoid, giant massive and infiltrative types. Microscopically it is composed of small cells, very seldom are atypia and mitotic figures seen.

Of 11 cases of thoracoabdominal aortic coarctation treated surgically from 1964 to 1979, 10 were female, 1 male and 8 were under the age of 25. All 11 cases had marked symptoms of hypertension and ischemia of the lower limbs. A long bypass between the descending and abdominal aorta was constructed using a graft 14-16 mm in diameter (pure silk vascular prosthesis 9 cases and Teflon 2 cases). Of the 11 cases, 1 died shortly after operation and another was lost to follow up 1 year after operation. In the remaining 9 cases the shortest period of follow up was 2 months, the longest 13 years and 3 months. After operation all cases showed normalization of upper limb pressure and marked improvement of blood supply to the lower extremities. Two cases were complicated either by anastomotic aneurysm or leakage after operation. Surgical indications, operative method and complications are discussed.

24-hours urinary estriol (E3) was measured by the Brown and Coyle method in 588 samples from 389 pregnant women, including 63 normal pregnancies, 115 over-term pregnancies, 152 toxemia of pregnancy, 52 with other complications of pregnancy and 7 with doubtful fetal vitality or growth retardation. The estimated E3 value, 70% and 95% confidence intervals for each normal gestational week, were computed and 5 smooth curved lines plotted according to the exponential equation Ln(Y+5)=0.048239X+1.232665 (p<0.01). Before the 42nd week, we took the lower limit of 70% confidence interval as the borderline. The group with E3 values above this line had 15.4% perinatal morbidity, while the other group with E3 below this line had a higher figure of 33.98% showing a statistically significant difference (p<0.001). After the 42nd week, we took 15 mg as an earmark. The group with E3>15 mg had 17.24% perinatal morbidity in comparison with 63.89% in the E3<10 mg group, also a statistically significant difference (p<0.001). The factors affecting E3 metabolism and excretion and clinical E3 evaluation were also discussed.

100 cases with 123 episodes of status epilepticus are analyzed. 40% were caused by drug withdrawal, improper drug change and infection. 82 cases were secondary to cerebrovascular disease, infection of the central nervous system and brain tumor, frequently of the frontal lobe. Focal epileptic state may be seen in metabolic disorders. Three cases of psychomotor status are reported. One of these cases occurred as prolonged mental disorder, it was considered the third category psychomotor status, diagnosis being established with the help of an EEG made with acupuncture needle sphenoidal electrodes. 44% of the fatalitis were related to specific etiology and complications rather than to the epileptic state itself. Parenteral use of anticonvulsants, oxygen inhalation, clearing of the respiratory tract, prevention of pulmonary infection and good nursing care are essential in the treatment of status epilepticus.