Hong Kong Renal Registry 1995–1999

AbstractThis report was based on the data from the Renal Registry of the Hospital Authority of Hong Kong, accounted for 90% to 95% of all the patients on renal replacement therapy (RRT) in Hong Kong. Patients who received RRT under the private sectors were not included in this report. The data were as of 31 March 1999.There were 11 renal units, five satellite centers and four major renal transplant centers. The number of patients on RRT was 4268 [627 patients per million (pmp)], of which 58% (2490 patients, 360 pmp) were on peritoneal dialysis (PD), 13% (576 patients, 85 pmp) on hemodialysis (HD) and 28% (1202 patients, 177 pmp) with functioning kidney transplants (TX). The net increase of the number of patients on RRT from previous year was 10%. The incidence of end-stage renal failure was 762 (112 pmp). The median age of the existing patients on RRT was 52, of which 33% were above the age of 61 years. The median age of the new patients was 56 years, of which 50% were above the age of 61 years. The major causes of renal failure for existing patients were glomerulonephritis 32%, unknown 26% and diabetes 21%. For the new cases, 34% were due to diabetic nephropathy. Of all the patients on RRT, 10% were serologically positive for hepatitis B infection while 6% were positive for hepatitis C infection.Of all the patients on dialysis, 81% were on PD, of which 92% were on continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD). Of the CAPD patients, 13% were still using “connect” systems, 75% were using “disconnect” systems and 12% using UV flash systems. Nineteen percent of all the patients on dialysis were on HD, of which 54% were on hospital based HD, 21% on satellite center based HD, 9% on charitable center based HD and 3% on home HD. Of the 1202 patients with kidney transplants, 629 (52%) were transplanted in Hong Kong. Of these, 325 (52%) were cadaveric kidney transplantation. For the year ending 31 March 1999, 113 patients (17 pmp) received a kidney transplantation, of which 58 transplants were performed in Hong Kong (30 cadaveric kidneys and 28 living related kidneys). Thirty-one percent of all the patients on RRT were receiving erythropoietin therapy.The annual crude mortality rate for all RRT was 7% (8% for PD, 14% for HD and 1.6% with TX). The major causes of death were cardiovascular (24%), infection (22%) and cerebral vascular accident (6%). The 1 and 5 year patient survivals for kidney transplants performed in Hong Kong between 1 April 1993 to 31 March 1998 were 98%, 96% for living related kidney and 94%, 89% for cadaveric kidney. The 1 and 5 year graft survivals were 92%, 88% (censored), 91%, 85% (not censored) for living related kidney and 89%, 83% (censored), 86%, 79% (not censored) for cadaveric kidney. The overall peritonitis rate for all CAPD systems for the 7 months ending 31 March 1999 was one episode per 21 months. The peritonitis rate of the new disconnect systems was one episode per 20 to 27 months.The point prevalence rate of RRT (1997 data) for Hong Kong was within 15% range of that for Australia, Canada and most European countries, but only 40% to 60% of that for Japan, USA and Taiwan. The percentage of dialysis patients being treated with PD was highest in the world

Catalytic conversion of fructose, glucose, and sucrose to 5-(hydroxymethyl)furfural and levulinic and formic acids in gamma-valerolactone as a green solvent

The conversion of fructose, glucose, and sucrose to 5-(hydroxymethyl)furfural (HMF) and levulinic acid (LA)/formic acid (FA) was investigated in detail using sulfuric acid as the catalyst and gamma-valerolactone (GVL) as a green solvent. The H2SO4/GVL/H2O system can be tuned to produce either HMF or LA/FA by changing the acid concentration and thus allowing selective switching between the products. Although the best yields of HMF were around 75%, the LA/FA yields ranged from 50% to 70%, depending on the structure of the carbohydrates and the reaction parameters, including temperature, acid, and carbohydrate concentrations. While the conversion of fructose is much faster than glucose, sucrose behaves like a 1:1 mixture of fructose and glucose, indicating facile hydrolysis of the glycosidic bond in sucrose. The mechanism of the conversion of glucose to HMF or LA/FA in GVL involves three intermediates: 1,6-anhydro-beta-D-glucofuranose, 1,6-anhydro-beta-D-glucopyranose, and levoglucosenone

Comparison Between Pancreaticojejunostomy and Pancreaticogastrostomy After Pancreaticoduodenectomy

Pancreatic leakage is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality after pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD). Pancreaticogastrostomy (PG) has been reported to be associated with a lower pancreatic leakage rate and morbidity rate than pancreaticojejunostomy (PJ). This study compared the preoperative characteristics, surgical risk factors, intraoperative parameters, and postoperative outcome between PJ and PG. Methods: From March 1992 to March 2005, a comparative study between PJ and PG for patients with periampullary lesions undergoing PD was conducted. A total of 377 consecutive patients underwent PD. Among them, 188 patients underwent PJ and 189 underwent PG. Results: The overall mortality, morbidity and pancreatic leakage following PD were 5%, 45.1% and 10.6%, respectively. The mortality, morbidity and pancreatic leakage were 8.9%, 56.4% and 17.6% in the PJ group, and 2.1%, 33.9% and 3.7% in the PG group (p 65 years) were identified as risk factors for pancreatic leakage, while PJ, soft pancreas, pancreatic duct stenting and low surgical volume ( 65 years) were identified to be surgical risk factors for mortality. Conclusion: PG is a safer method than PJ following PD as a significantly lower rate of pancreatic leakage, surgical morbidity and mortality, shorter operation time, and shorter postoperative hospital stay are reported

Surgical resection for hepatocellular carcinoma in pregnancy: A case report

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) occurring in pregnancy is very rare. The prognosis is usually poor because of unclear clinical presentation. A 30-year-old woman who suffered from HCC during pregnancy underwent hepatectomy twice, and resection for pulmonary metastasis once. A healthy infant was delivered after the first hepatectomy. Currently, she remains disease free 55 months after the second hepatectomy and 39 months after pulmonary metastatectomy. Moreover, she had another healthy infant 37 months after pulmonary metastatectomy. Aggressive resection of recurrent HCC may prolong life, and pregnancy should not alter the treatment strategy for HCC

The gamma strength function method determination of radiative neutron-capture cross sections for unstable nuclei

info:eu-repo/semantics/publishe

The γsf method - determination of radiative neutron capture cross sections for unstable nuclei

An indirect method of determining radiative neutron-capture cross sections for unstable nuclei which we refer to as the γ-ray strength function (γSF) method is outlined and applied to Zr and Sn isotopes. Photoneutron cross sections for 91,92,94,96Zr and 117,116Sn near neutron threshold show the presence of extra γ-ray strengths known as giant M1 and pygmy E1 resonances on top of the low- energy γSF of GDR. Based on the γSF method, we present (n,γ) cross sections for two radioactive nuclei, a long-lived fission product, 93Zr with T1/2 = 1.5 × 106 y and an s-process branching point nucleus, 95Zr with T1/2 = 64.0 d.SCOPUS: ar.jinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishe