Objective To explore the safety and effects of alpha-lipoic acid (ALA) in patients with ischemic heart failure (IHF). Methods A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial was designed (ClinicalTrial.gov registration number NCT03491969). From January 2019 to January 2023, 300 patients with IHF were enrolled in four medical centers in China, and were randomly assigned at a 1∶1 ratio to receive ALA (600 mg daily) or placebo on top of standard care for 24 months. The primary outcome was the composite outcome of hospitalization for heart failure (HF) or all-cause mortality events. The second outcome included non-fatal myocardial infarction (MI), non-fatal stroke, changes of left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) and 6-minute walking distance (6MWD) from baseline to 24 months after randomization. Results Finally, 138 patients of the ALA group and 139 patients of the placebo group attained the primary outcome. Hospitalization for HF or all-cause mortality events occurred in 32 patients (23.2%) of the ALA group and in 40 patients (28.8%) of the placebo group (HR＝0.753, 95%CI 0.473-1.198, P＝0.231; Figure 1A-1C). The absolute risk reduction (ARR) was 5.6%, the relative risk reduction (RRR) associated with ALA therapy was approximately 19.4% compared to placebo, corresponding to a number needed to treat (NNT) of 18 patients to prevent one event. In the secondary outcome analysis, the composite outcome of the major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) including the hospitalization for HF, all-cause mortality events, non-fatal MI or non-fatal stroke occurred in 35 patients (25.4%) in the ALA group and 47 patients (33.8%) in the placebo group (HR＝0.685, 95%CI 0.442-1.062, P＝0.091; Figure 1D). Moreover, greater improvement in LVEF (β＝3.20, 95%CI 1.14-5.23, P＝0.002) and 6MWD (β＝31.7, 95%CI 8.3-54.7, P＝0.008) from baseline to 24 months after randomization were observed in the ALA group as compared to the placebo group. There were no differences in adverse events between the study groups. Conclusions These results show potential long-term beneficial effects of adding ALA to IHF patients. ALA could significantly improve LVEF and 6MWD compared to the placebo group in IHF patients.

Background With the widespread application of ionizing radiation technology in non-medical fields, the number of non-medical radiation workers has steadily increased over the years. Individual dose monitoring serves as a crucial measure to safeguard the occupational health of non-medical radiation workers, as it can accurately identify occupational health risks and optimize radiation protection strategies. Objective To analyze the individual monitoring data of radiation workers from partial non-medical sectors in Shanghai from 2016 to 2023, to obtain the status of occupational radiation exposure and to provide a reference basis for non-medical radiation hygiene supervision and protection management. Methods The study subjects consisted of radiation workers from non-medical institutions in Shanghai who recieved individual dose monitoring at a Class-A radiation health technical service institution between 2016 and 2023. Under the Specifications for individual monitoring of occupational external exposure (GBZ 128-2019), thermoluminescence dosimetry was used for measuring personal dose equivalent, H_p(10), of various occupations encompassing industrial irradiation, industrial radiography, radioisotope production, accelerator operation, other industrial applications, education, and veterinary medicine. Kruskal-Wallis H test was used for comparison among multiple groups, Bonferroni method was adopted for pairwise comparison, and Mann-Kendall test was conducted for trend analysis to analyze the per-capita annual effective dose and its variation over time across different occupational categories of radiation workers. Results A total of 13728 person-times of non-medical radiation workers were monitored from 2016 to 2023, accumulating a collective effective dose of 3025.69 person-mSv. The per-capita annual effective dose M(P₂₅, P₇₅) was 0.14(0.08, 0.25) mSv. There were statistically significant differences in the per-capita annual effective dose of radiation workers in different years (H=874.826, P< 0.05). Similarly, significant variations were identified among various occupational categories (H=115.569, P< 0.05). Among them, the per-capita annual effective dose of radiological workers engaged in the production of radioactive isotopes was the highest, at 0.21(0.14, 0.32) mSv, followed by those in veterinary medicine, at 0.17 (0.11, 0.61) mSv; the difference between these two groups was not statistically significant (Z=1.231, P > 0.05), but both were significantly higher than those in other occupational categories (Z=3.913, 9.761, P<0.05). The veterinary medicine category had the highest proportion of monitored individuals with annual effective dose exceeding 1 mSv to the total number of monitored individuals(NR₁), reaching 17.12%, and the industrial radiography category showed the highest proportion of workers exposed to more than the annual investigation level 5 mSv to the total number of monitored individuals (NR₅), at 0.16%. Conclusion From 2016 to 2023, the overall individual doses of some non-medical radiation workers in Shanghai remain low, indicating well-controlled radiation levels in workplaces and low exposure risks. It is necessary to focus on radiation workers engaged in radioisotope production, veterinary medicine and industrial radiography.

Objective:To investigate the influence of hypomagnesemia on the prognosis of patients with severe sepsis.Methods:A retrospective study was conducted. The clinical data of 207 septic patients admitted to the department of critical care medicine of the First Affiliated Hospital of University of Science and Technology of China from January 1, 2016 to December 21, 2020 were analyzed, including gender, age and laboratory indicators within 24 hours after sepsis diagnosis [procalcitonin (PCT), C-reactive protein (CRP), blood lactic acid (Lac), pH value and blood magnesium, calcium, chlorine and phosphorus levels]. The acute physiology and chronic health evaluation Ⅱ (APACHE Ⅱ) score, sequential organ failure assessment (SOFA) score and 28-day prognosis were collected. The patients were divided into survival group and non-survival group according to the prognosis, and the clinical data and laboratory indexes were compared between the two groups. Pearson correlation test was used to analyze the correlation between clinical indicators. Multivariate Logistic regression analysis was used to screen the risk factors affecting the prognosis. The receiver operator characteristic curve (ROC curve) was drawn, and the area under ROC curve (AUC) was calculated to evaluate the potential prognostic indicators.Results:Among the 207 septic patients, 102 survived and 105 died on the 28th day, and the 28-day mortality was 50.72%. There were no significant differences in gender, age, CRP, pH value, blood chlorine or blood phosphorus levels between the two groups. The blood magnesium and blood calcium levels in the non-survival group were significantly lower than those in the survival group [blood magnesium (mmol/L): 0.68±0.14 vs. 0.80±0.12, blood calcium (mmol/L): 1.93±0.21 vs. 2.01±0.20, both P < 0.01], and PCT, Lac, APACHE Ⅱ score and SOFA score were significantly higher than those in the survival group [PCT (mg/L): 8.32 (1.64, 55.01) vs. 3.55 (0.97, 12.31), Lac (mmol/L): 2.90 (1.70, 4.30) vs. 2.10 (1.03, 3.89), APACHE Ⅱ score: 21.24±6.40 vs. 17.42±7.02, SOFA score: 9.14±3.55 vs. 6.91±3.31, all P < 0.01]. Among the 207 patients, 96 patients had normal blood magnesium level (0.75-1.25 mmol/L) and 111 patients had hypomagnesemia (< 0.75 mmol/L). The 28-day mortality of septic patients in the hypomagnesemia group was significantly higher than that in the normal magnesium group [61.26% (68/111) vs. 38.54% (37/96), P < 0.01]. Pearson correlation analysis showed that the blood magnesium level of sepsis patients was negatively correlated with PCT ( r = -0.173, P < 0.05), and it was positively correlated with APACHE Ⅱ score ( r = 0.159, P < 0.05), but it had no correlation with CRP or SOFA score ( r values were -0.029 and 0.091, both P > 0.05). Logistic regression analysis showed that serum magnesium, APACHE Ⅱ score and SOFA score were independent risk factors for 28-day death in patients with sepsis [serum magnesium: odds ratio ( OR) < 0.001, 95% confidence interval (95% CI) was 0.000-0.002, P < 0.001; APACHE Ⅱ score: OR = 1.092, 95% CI was 1.022-1.168, P = 0.010; SOFA score: OR = 1.168, 95% CI was 1.026-1.330, P = 0.019]. ROC curve analysis showed that blood magnesium and APACHE Ⅱ score had a certain predictive value for 28-day mortality in patients with severe sepsis [AUC (95% CI) was 0.723 (0.655-0.791) and 0.680 (0.607-0.754), respectively]. When the blood magnesium threshold was 0.64 mmol/L, the sensitivity was 41.0% and the specificity was 93.1%. When APACHE Ⅱ score threshold was 16.50, the sensitivity was 78.1% and the specificity was 55.9% indicating that the specificity of serum magnesium was higher than that of APACHE Ⅱ score. Conclusions:Severe septic patients complicated with hypomagnesemia have a poor prognosis. Serum magnesium level can be used as a prognostic indicator for severe septic patients.

Humans ; COVID-19 ; Consensus ; SARS-CoV-2 ; China

Acute respiratory failure due to acute hypoxemia is the major manifestation in severe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Rational and effective respiratory support is crucial in the management of COVID-19 patients. High-flow nasal cannula (HFNC) has been utilized widely due to its superiority over other non-invasive respiratory support techniques. To avoid HFNC failure and intubation delay, the key issues are proper patients, timely application and improving compliance. It should be noted that elder patients are vulnerable for failed HFNC. We applied HFNC for oxygen therapy in severe and critical ill COVID-19 patients and summarized the following experiences. Firstly, to select the proper size of nasal catheter, to locate it at suitable place, and to confirm the nose and the upper respiratory airway unobstructed. Secondly, an initial ow of 60 L/min and 37℃ should be given immediately for patients with obvious respiratory distress or weak cough ability; otherwise, low-level support should be given first and the level gradually increased. Thirdly, to avoid hypoxia or hypoxemia, the treatment goal of HFNC should be maintained the oxygen saturation (SpO) above 95% for patients without chronic pulmonary disease. Finally, patients should wear a surgical mask during HFNC treatment to reduce the risk of virus transmission through droplets or aerosols.
Aged ; Betacoronavirus ; isolation & purification ; Cannula ; Coronavirus Infections ; therapy ; Humans ; Oxygen ; administration & dosage ; Pandemics ; Pneumonia, Viral ; therapy

Acute respiratory failure due to acute hypoxemia is the major manifestation in severe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) induced by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection. Rational and effective respiratory support is crucial in the management of COVID-19 patients. High-flow nasal cannula (HFNC) has been utilized widely due to its superiority over other non-invasive respiratory support techniques. To avoid HFNC failure and intubation delay, the key issues are proper patients, timely application and improving compliance. It should be noted that elder patients are vulnerable for failed HFNC. We applied HFNC for oxygen therapy in severe and critical COVID-19 patients and summarized the following experiences. Firstly, to select the proper size of nasal catheter, to locate it at suitable place, and to confirm the nose and the upper respiratory airway unobstructed. Secondly, an initial flow of 60 L/min and 37℃ should be given immediately for patients with obvious respiratory distress or weak cough ability; otherwise, low-level support should be given first and the level gradually increased. Thirdly, to avoid hypoxia or hypoxemia, the treatment goal of HFNC should be maintained the oxygen saturation (SpO) above 95% for patients without chronic pulmonary disease. Finally, patients should wear a surgical mask during HFNC treatment to reduce the risk of virus transmission through droplets or aerosols.
Aged ; Betacoronavirus ; Cannula ; Coronavirus Infections ; complications ; therapy ; Humans ; Hypoxia ; etiology ; prevention & control ; therapy ; Masks ; Oxygen ; administration & dosage ; Oxygen Inhalation Therapy ; instrumentation ; standards ; Pandemics ; Pneumonia, Viral ; complications ; therapy

Objective:To investigate the clinical characteristics of gastrointestinal symptoms in patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) during the whole disease process, and provide reference for etiological diagnosis and treatment.Methods:The clinical data of patients with COVID-19 admitted in the Infectious Diseases Branch of the First Affiliated Hospital of University of Science and Technology of China from January 22nd, 2020 to March 8th, 2020 were analyzed retrospectively. According to whether there were gastrointestinal symptoms (poor appetite, nausea/vomiting and diarrhea), all patients were divided into gastrointestinal symptom group and asymptomatic group. The characteristics of gastrointestinal symptoms, such as poor appetite, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea were counted and analyzed, and the correlation between gastrointestinal symptoms and gender, age, basic diseases, disease severity, laboratory examination and drug treatment were analyzed.Results:A total of 80 COVID-19 patients were involved, 43 cases (53.8%) presented with poor appetite, 17 cases (21.3%) had nausea and vomiting, and 33 cases (41.3%) had diarrhea. Among them, 5 cases, 1 case and 4 cases respectively preformed poor appetite, nausea/vomiting and diarrhea before admission, while the others experienced gastrointestinal symptoms within 48 hours after admission. Duration of poor appetite, nausea/vomiting and diarrhea (days) of all patients were 5.3±2.1, 2.2±1.0 and 1.4±0.9, respectively. The patients with poor appetite were older than those without symptoms (years old: 48.2±17.6 vs. 39.3±15.1), albumin (Alb) level and the lymphocytes ratio were lower than those in asymptomatic group [Alb (g/L): 39.8 (35.7, 45.1) vs. 46.1 (42.6, 49.4), lymphocytes ratio: 0.19 (0.09, 0.28) vs. 0.28 (0.17, 0.35)], while the neutrophil ratio, the levels of C-reactive protein (CRP), D-dimer, and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) were higher than those in asymptomatic group [the neutrophil ratio: 0.74 (0.61, 0.85) vs. 0.64 (0.52, 0.76), CRP (mg/L): 21.4 (3.9, 52.9) vs. 5.6 (2.4, 14.0), D-dimer (mg/L): 0.2 (0.2, 0.5) vs. 0.2 (0.1, 0.3), LDH (μmol·s -1·L -1): 4.49 (3.59, 5.19) vs. 3.12 (2.77, 4.90)]; at the same time, more traditional Chinese medicine was used in the patients with gastrointestinal symptoms [65.1% (28/43) vs. 40.5% (15/37), all P < 0.05]. In addition, 14 cases of 18 patients with cardiovascular diseases presented with poor appetite, 7 patients had nausea and vomiting symptoms. All of the 3 patients with chronic kidney disease presented with poor appetite, nausea and vomiting, and 2 of them had diarrhea. Conclusions:The gastrointestinal symptoms in patients with COVID-19 are common. Whether it is caused by the virus or related drugs, diet and mental conditions, clinicians should analyze the causes of these symptoms timely, and then provide a better treatment for patients with COVID-19.

Objective To evaluate the efficacy and safety of radiotherapy combined with concurrent and then adjuvant temozolomide in the patient with glioblastoma.Methods The databases of PubMed,Cochrane library,Medline and OVID were retrieved according to the Cochrane systematical assessment method.The included literatures were performed the quality evaluation and the meta analysis was performed after extracting the data.Results The summary of comparison between temozolomide group and radiotherapy group in the included studies showed that the 12-month overall survival rate[RR 1.22,95 ％ CI(1.01,1.47),P=0.04]and 24-month overall survival rate[RR 2.65,95 ％ CI(1.53,4.40),P＜0.01]had statistically significant differences;the 12-month pregrossion free survival rate[RR 2.59,95 ％CI(1.53,4.40),P=0.000 4] and 24-month pregrossion free survival rate[RR 6.77,95 ％ CI (2.82,16.26),P＜ 0.01] also showed statistically significant difference.The results of adverse reaction events revealed that the hematological toxic reactions in the temozolomide group had statistical difference between the concurrent therapy period and radiotherapy period [RR 3.21,95％CI(1.89,5.46),P＜0.01];which in the temozolomide group had statistical difference between the concurrent period and adjuvant period [RR 0.48,95 ％ CI(0.36,0.65),P＜0.01);but the non-hematological toxic reaction had no statistical difference[RR 1.11,95％CI(0.72,1.70),P=0.64].Conclusion Radiotherapy combined with concurrent and then adjuvant temozolomide therapy improves the overall and progression free survival period in the patient with glioblastoma,the higher occurrence rate of hematologic toxic reactions is correlated with temozolomide treatment drugs.

Objective To analyze the intervention effect of the dose-dense schemes of temozolomide on the newly diagnosed glioblastoma compared with the standard schemes. Methods The Pubmed,Cochrane,Em-base,CNKI,CBM,Wanfang,VIP databases were used for the retrievals on the intervention effect.The quality of included papers was assessed to extract network meta-analysis data with using the statistical software Stata 13.0. Results The treatment plans were ranked according to the intervention effect from the best to the worst as follows:the dose-dense,the early,the metronomic,the standard,the RT and post-RT adjuvant temozolomide. The most common adverse effects in hematotoxicity were neutropenia,leucopenia,lymphopenia,thrombocytopenia and ane-mia. Between the different temozolomide therapeutic regimens,there was no significant difference. Conclusion The intervention effect of the dose-dense schemes with temozolomide is better than the standard therapy. It also revealed that,the hematoxicity in the different temozolomide schemes is not significantly different.

Objective Mild hypothermia provides protection for the brain and improves prognosis in the treatment of severe traumatic brain injury, which is widely acknowledged.The article aimed to analysis the prognosis and complications of long-term and short-term mild hypothermia on patients with severe traumatic brain injury. Methods According to the cochrane systematic review methods, thorough search was carried out in databases including Cochrane, Pubmed, Embase, CBM, CNKI, Wanfang and VIP.Eval-uation was made on the quality of selected documents, and Revman5.2 software was applied for meta analysis after data extraction. Results Long-term mild hypothermia achieved improved prognosis compared to short-term mild hypothermia ( GOS score 4 ~5 ) [RR=1.37, 95%CI (1.14, 1.64), P=0.0006].No significant difference was found between these two therapies in pneumonia in-cidence (P=0.94), arrhythmia incidence ( P=0.54) and stress ulcer incidence (P=0.99). Conclusion In comparison to short-term hypothermia therapy, long-term mild hypothermia therapy improved the prognosis of patients with severe traumatic brain inju-ry without obvious increase in the incidence of pneumonia, arrhythmia and stress ulcer.