Case of Monostotic Fibrous Dysplasia in the hand

A case of monostotic fibrous dysplasia in the proximal phalanx of an otherwise healthy, twenty-five year old is discussed. Fibrous dysplasia in the hand is rarely seen. Our patient presented with a swelling in his proximal phalanx. Xrays showed a lytic lesion. The lesion was treated with excision biopsy and cancellous bone grafting. Histological examination excluded malignancy but was diagnostically inconclusive. At recurrence, two and a half years later, a diagnosis of fibrous dysplasia was made. Intractable pain necessitated a ray amputation of the affected phalanx. The indications for surgical intervention in cases of fibrous dysplasia are discussed.peer-reviewe

Hand and wrist configurations in patients with Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

The association between hand and wrist configurations was investigated in this study. The hand and wrist dimensions of sixty patients with carpal tunnel syndrome and sixty healthy control subjects were measured using specific anatomical landmarks. The palm width was significantly greater in the patient group. There was no significant difference in the hand length between the two groups. Both the wrist width and wrist depth were significantly greater in the patient group. The hand ratio and the wrist ratio were significantly smaller in the patient group indicating that the latter had squarer hands and wrists than the control group respectively. This suggests that the anatomy of the hand and wrist may predispose to carpal tunnel syndrome.peer-reviewe

Glycosylated haemoglobin (HbA1c) and cortisol levels on admission to intensive care as predictors of outcome

Objective: To evaluate the predictive value of glycosylated haemoglobin and cortisol on admission, in critical care patients. Design: Prospective, observational, single centre study. Setting: 14 bedded Intensive care unit of a tertiary-level university hospital. Patients: 124 consecutive emergency medical and surgical patients. Methods: Data collected on admission included patient demographics, medical history, medication, diagnosis, type of nutrition, TISS28 score, serum blood glucose, Glycosylated haemoglobin (HbA1c), cortisol, mean arterial blood pressure, and the use of inotropes in the first 24hrs. Daily baseline tests included complete blood count, urea and electrolytes, creatinine, twice weekly liver function tests. The primary outcome measure was intensive care unit mortality. Secondary outcome measures were ITU stay, days of ventilation, peak urea, peak creatinine, lowest platelet count, peak bilirubin, lowest Pa/FiO2, and the number of transfusions. Measurements and results: 124 patients (mean age 56.2 years SD 23.2) were included. Regression analysis was used to identify any potential predictors of outcome: HbA1c levels on admission were not found to be significantly associated with mortality (p=0.51), or any other secondary endpoints listed above. However, subgroup analysis revealed a predictive role of HbA1c with regards to length of ITU stay (p= 0.01) and number of days of ventilation (p=0.007) in those patients with a history of diabetes. Glucose level on admission emerged as an independent marker of mortality (p=0.009). Conclusions: This study suggests that HbA1c may not be a predictor of outcome in the general ITU population but may be of predictive value in diabetic ITU patients. On the other hand, blood glucose levels on admission emerged as a predictor of mortality, whilst no association was found between HbA1c and cortisol levels on admission.peer-reviewe

Sancta Maria

Ġabra ta’ poeżiji u proża li tinkludi: Bidla ta’ John Sciberras – Mysterium conjunctionis ta’ V. J. Galea – Lill-bilbla ta’ Dwardu Zammit – Sancta Maria ta’ Carmel Gatt.peer-reviewe

Aħħar għalqa

Ġabra ta’ poeżiji u proża li tinkludi: Jesu dulcis memoria ta’ P. Galea Curmi – Ewnuki ta’ Carmel Calleja – Is-sewwa – Sagrifiċċju ta’ Carmel Calleja – Epigrammi ta’ J. J. Camilleri – Ħajku ta’ Oliver Friggieri – Għal Ġorġ Pisani ta’ J. Zammit Tabona – Ibqa’ int miegħi ta’ H. F. Lyte bi traduzzjoni ta’ P. Galea Curmi – L-aħħar għalqa ta’ Lilian Sciberras.peer-reviewe

Fil-lejl li kiber miegħi

Ġabra ta’ poeżiji u proża li tinkludi: Flus lura ta’ Charles Clews – Afrika ta’ Oliver Friggieri – 5 ta’ Ottubru 1798: Ir-rewwixta taż-Żabbarin kontra l-Franċiżi ta’ Achille Mizzi – Durham ta’ Joe Friggieri – Tifkiriet: Għand Majsi l-parrukkier ta’ Maurice Mifsud Bonnici – Jacqueline ta’ Carmel Azzopardi – Is-Sibt 29 ta’ Marzu 1986 ta’ Alfred Massa – Lill-għasfur ta’ Nikol Vella Apap – Nixtieq nibki ta’ John Caruana – Imbierka s-sapjenza ta’ Charles Clews – Par għajnejn fid-dlam ta’ Val. V. Barbara – Iż-żmien u l-bniedem ta’ Paul J. Debono – Dixx ta’ l-istejnles stil ta’ Paul P. Borg – Nota bene ta’ Sergio Grech – Ħitan ta’ Alfred Degabriele – Data base ta’ Philip Sciberras – Freddie Mercury – Ġieħ ta’ Charles Briffa – Ħolma ta’ Joe Bugeja – L-imsiebaħ firxu d-dwal ta’ Emanuel F. Attard – Żamma ta’ Manwel Cassar – Awtur tal-baħar ta’ Charles Bezzina – Nixxiegħa tal-kuxjent minn Triq Ħas-Sajjied Birkirkara ta’ Tarcisio Zarb – Ċfuf u żigarelli ta’ Ġorġ Borg – Taħt is-saffi tqal ta’ Ġorġ Borg – Fil-lejl li kiber miegħi ta’ Ġorġ Borg.peer-reviewe

Afrika

Ġabra ta’ poeżiji u proża li tinkludi: Kavallier ta’ Sergio Grech – Tiġrib ta’ Toni Aquilina – Kappella pprofanata ta’ Ġorġ Borg – Leħħiet ta’ Pawlu Aquilina – Fir-raqda ħadra ta’ Carmel Calleja – Epigrammi: X’dinja din! ta’ J. J. Camilleri – Karnival 1999 (Għawdex) ta’ Joe M. Attard – Ħarsti lejn l-art ta’ Ġorġ Zammit – Lill-mewt ta’ J. Zammit Tabona – Tifkira ta’ Lillian Sciberras – Lill-pitirross ta’ K. Vella Haber – Lill-irġiel miżżewġa ta’ Ġanni A. Cilia – Meta Hamlet u l-fjuri eterni jiltaqgħu ta’ Doreen Micallef – It-tren iżomm il-ħin ta’ Pawlu Aquilina – Kemm tiswa tarbija? ta’ Ġorġ Mallia – Jien naf ta’ J. J. Cremona – Odessa ta’ Charles Coleiro – L-isptar ta’ Charles Coleiro – Agunija ta’ Charles Coleiro – Milied XXI ta’ Charles Coleiro – Entużjażmu ta’ Charles Briffa – Londra ta’ Charles Briffa – Dal-ġebel kbir ta’ Emanuel Attard – Lit-Teatru Rjal ta’ Maurice Mifsud Bonnici – Fl-Ewropa magħquda ta’ Doreen Micallef – Fil-mewt ta’ Ġorġ Pisani ta’ Carm Cachia – Lejl id-19 ta’ Diċembru ta’ Charles B. Spiteri – Kont waħdi ta’ Suzanne Gatt – Imħabbti ta’ Nathalie Micallef – Xi ġralek, Ma? ta’ Oliver Friggieri – Anki t-tislima ta’ Oliver Friggieri – Fuq xifer nimxu ta’ Oliver Friggieri – Afrika ta’ Oliver Friggieri.peer-reviewe

Servitude et grandeur militaires

Ġabra ta’ poeżiji u proża li tinkludi: Notturn op. 9 nru 2 ta’ Beverly Agius – Naf ta’ Carmel Azzopardi – Ħsejjes ħajja ta’ Clifton Azzopardi – Il-ġrajja t’għasfur stramb ta’ Mario Azzopardi – Tektik...u għana ta’ Rena Balzan – Kun af li f’qiegħ għajnejk ta’ Charles Bezzina – Il-qalb imwebbsa ta’ Ġorġ Borg – Bħal ħuta mġewħa ta’ Louis Briffa – Taħt il-Mezquita, Cordòba ta’ Norbert Bugeja – Il-maskarat ta’ Alfred Degabriele – Trid mara ta’ Leanne Ellul – Id-dgħajsa ta’ Victor Fenech – Ilħna ta’ Joe Friggieri – Roulette ta’ Joe Friggieri – Għera ta’ Joe P. Galea – Ħġieġa ta’ Maria Grech Ganado – Ġenna qatt mirbuħa ta’ Karmenu Mallia – Il-fantażma tal-mara mqarba ta’ Albert Marshall – Daħlet Qorrot ta’ Daniel Massa – Granada, parque central ta’ Immanuel Mifsud – Waħda mara ta’ Immanuel Mifsud – Mors ta’ Therese Pace – Għada ta’ Alfred Palma – Emmint xejn ma jintemm ta’ Ġorġ Peresso – Tuffieħa bl-imsiemer tal-qronfol ta’ John Peter Portelli – Lil Karmenu Vassallo ta’ Andrew Sciberras – Irrid il-qamar jiddi ta’ Carmel Scicluna – Din il-biċċa ħuta ta’ Steve Borg – Karta li taret mar-riħ ta’ Lina Brockdorff – Nixtieq, u kemm nixtieq! ta’ J. J. Camilleri – Caterina ta’ Sandro Mangion – L-għajta tal-pappagall ta’ Pierre J. Mejlak – Id-destin ta’ Laurence Mizzi – L-arloġġ tal-bozza ta’ Rita Saliba – Kurżità ta’ Alfred Sant – Il-ġeneral ta’ Vincent Vella – Mirja ta’ Trevor Żahra – L-adulteri ta’ Golan Haji, traduzzjoni ta’ Clare Azzopardi u Albert Gatt – L-istennija ta’ Berislav Blagojević, traduzzjoni ta’ Kit Azzopardi – Il-qattus ta’ Ghassan Kanafani, traduzzjoni ta’ Walid Nabhan – L-iben addottat ta’ Guy de Maupassant, traduzzjoni ta’ Josette Attard – Sunett nru. 18 ta’ William Shakespeare, traduzzjoni ta’ Alfred Palma – Llanto por Ignacio Sánchez Mejías ta’ Federico Garcia Lorca, traduzzjoni ta’ Therese Pace – Servitude et grandeur militaires ta’ Alfred de Vigny, traduzzjoni ta’ Paul Zahra.peer-reviewe

Nikteb...

Ġabra ta’ poeżiji u proża li tinkludi: L-iben il-ħali ta’ David Agius Muscat – Kaptan ta’ Kit Azzopardi – Il-lanterna ta’ Charles Bezzina – Li kelli mmur lura ta’ Ġorġ Borg – Firda ta’ Ġorġ Borg – Garden fairy ta’ Charles Briffa – Sejf jinfidlek ruħek ta’ Charles Briffa – Waqt ta’ Joseph Buttigieg – Vjaġġ ta’ John Caruana – Ċaqlembuta ta’ Antoine Cassar – Ħaġa tqila ta’ Carmel G. Cauchi – F’tarf il-blat ta’ Leanne Ellul – Int ta’ Victor Fenech – Pippin u l-bojja ta’ Charles Flores – L-arloġġ ta’ Joe Friggieri – Il-fjur tal-ġakaranda ta’ Joe Friggieri – Fjur tal-kaktus ta’ Joel Galea – Biss is-skiet ta’ Joel Galea – Għalissa ta’ Maria Grech Ganado – Ilsna ta’ Maria Grech Ganado – Is-sried ixoqqna fin fin ta’ Adrian Grima – Ħsieb ħalliel... ta’ Patrick Sammut – Lament lil ommi ta’ Salv Sammut – Hekk kif tinħass ġol-arja x-xitwa ta’ Lillian Sciberras – F’għajnejha, il-ħarsa siekta ta’ Clare Azzopardi – Għad jagħdab l-irdum ta’ Paul P. Borg – Forsi...xi darba ta’ Charles Casha – Faxxa ngħas ta’ Sergio Grech – Il-mejda tal-mogħdija ta’ Pierre J. Mejlak – Min jaf bi Stojan Kurepa? ta’ Immanuel Mifsud – L-eħrex jum tal-gwerra ta’ Maurice Mifsud Bonnici – Il-vażett tal-bewsiet ta’ Rita Saliba – Pjanu ta’ Trevor Żahra – Il-ħalliel ta’ Guy de Maupassant, traduzzjoni ta’ Toni Aquilina – Salvu tal-pasturi ta’ Francis Ebejer, traduzzjoni ta’ Steve Borg – Sunetti ta’ William Shakespeare, traduzzjoni ta’ Oliver Friggieri – Nikteb... ta’ Nizar Qabbani, traduzzjoni ta’ Kevin Saliba.peer-reviewe

Imramma

Ġabra ta’ poeżiji u proża li tinkludi: In-naska ta’ Frans Sammut – Is-sewwa ta’ Carmel Calleja – Emnuki ta’ Carmel Calleja – Osanna ta’ Ġorġ Zammit – Talba ta’ Carmel Calleja – Arzella ċkejkna ta’ Ġorġ Borg – Niġu lura ta’ Ġorġ Borg – dal-ġranet twal mingħajrek...philip ta’ Doreen Micallef-Chritien – Raqdet il-Belt ta’ Lillian Sciberras – Imramma ta’ Albert Marshall.peer-reviewe