Objective To realize hand hygiene status and effect of hand-drying measures on hand-washing of health care workers(HCWs)in an intensive care unit(ICU).Methods From February to April 2013,210 HCWs in an ICU were selected and randomly divided into three groups,group A dried hands with paper towel,group B with hand drier,and group C with personal towel,specimens from hands before hand-washing,after hand-washing,and after hand-drying were taken and performed detection.Results Hand microorganism count in group A,B and C before washing hands after contacting patients was (29.10±15.08)CFU/cm2 ,(31.42±14.76)CFU/cm2 and (30.36±15.52) CFU/cm2 respectively,the difference was not statistically different(F=0.048,P >0.05);After six-step hand-washing, hand microorganism count before hand drying in group A,B and C was (3.26 ±0.61 )CFU/cm2 ,(2.98 ±0.59) CFU/cm2 and (3.87±0.67)CFU/cm2 respectively,compared with hand microorganism count before hand-washing, the difference was statistically different(all P <0.01 ).After adopting different hand-drying methods,microorgan-ism count in three groups was statistically different(F =1 .892,P <0.05),group A ([1 .29±0.58]CFU/cm2 )was significantly lower than group B and C,group B ([9.51 ±0.73 ]CFU/cm2 )was significantly lower than group C ([22.76±4.11]CFU/cm2 );the qualified rate in group A (90.00%)was significantly higher than group B and C, group B (68.57%)was significantly higher than group C (47.14%).The top 5 pathogens isolated from HCWs’ hands were Pseudomonas aeruginosa ,Acinetobacter baumannii ,Klebsiella pneumoniae ,Escherichia coli ,and Coag-ulase negative Staphylococcus ,these strains were highly consistent with the top 5 multidrug-resistant organisms (MDROs)isolated from ICU patients in this hospital in 2013.Conclusion HCWs’hands are seriously contamina-ted after all kinds of medical performance;if hands are improperly dried,secondary contamination may occur;patho-gens isolated from HCWs’hands are highly consistent with MOROs from patients,timely and correct hand-washing and hand-drying is the key link to ensure the quality of hand hygiene,and is of great significance to reduce the occur-rence of MDROs infection in ICU patients.

Objective:To observe the effect of electroacupuncture (EA) and herbal cake-partitioned moxibustion on anxiety and depression in patients with Crohn’s disease (CD) in remission. Methods:Sixty CD cases were randomly allocated into an EA group (n=30) and an herbal cake-partitioned moxibustion group (n=30) using the random number table by the ratio of 1:1. In addition, 30 healthy subjects were included in a control group. Bilateral Tianshu (ST 25), Qihai (CV 6) and Zhongwan (CV 12) were used in the EA and herbal cake- partitioned moxibustion groups. The treatment was done 3 times a week, for a total of 12 weeks. The efficacy was evaluated using self-rating anxiety scale (SAS), self-rating depression scale (SDS) and traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) symptom scores. Results:Before treatment, the SAS and SDS scores in CD patients were remarkably higher than those in healthy subjects. After EA or herbal cake-partitioned moxibustion treatment, the SAS and SDS scores were significantly decreased in both groups, showing significant intra-group differences (P<0.05); the symptom scores of abdominal pain (severity, frequency and duration), bowel sounds/flatus and general fatigue were significantly decreased, showing significant intra-group differences (P<0.05); however, there were no between-group statistical differences (P>0.05). Conclusion:Both EA and herbal cake-partitioned moxibustion can significantly decrease abnormally high SAS and SDS scores in CD patients as well as TCM symptom scores. The two therapies share similar effects in alleviating common symptoms and improving anxiety and depression.

METHODS:A computer-based online research of PubMed, CNKI and VIP databases was performed with the key words of “epigenetic; inflammatory bowel disease; Crohn’s disease; ulcerative colitis; DNA methylation; histone modification; miRNA; moxibustion” in Chinese and English. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:The correlation of epigenetic modification with inflammatory bowel disease occurrence and development is elaborated. The mechanisms in inflammatory bowel disease have been related from DNA methylation, histone modifications and miRNA targets. The mechanism of moxibustion on inflammatory bowel disease is primarily associated with immune regulation, and its anti-inflammatory mechanism may be affected by epigenetic regulation of inflammatory cytokines.

Objective:To observe the effect of moxibustion on learning and memory abilities, corticosterone and glucocorticoid receptor (GR) in subacute aging rats. Methods:Twenty four Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were randomly divided into a normal group, a model group and a moxibustion group, 8 rats in each group. Rats in the model group and the moxibustion group were subcutaneously injected with 25% D-galactose [125 mg/(kg·bw)] for 40 d continuous; rats in the normal group were injected with saline at the same position for 40 d continuous. Rats in the moxibustion group were given mild moxibustion at bilateral Shenshu (BL 23) at the same time of modeling; rats in the normal group and the model group were only identically grabbed without moxibustion for 40 d. The learning and memory abilities of rats were observed using the Morris water maze at the end of the experiment. Abdominal aorta blood and thymus were collected after water maze experiment. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used to detect serum corticosterone level, and immunohistochemical method was used to detect the expression of thymus GR. Results:Compared with the normal group, rats in the model group showed that a significantly longer escape latency time (P<0.01) on the third and the fourth days; number of times crossing the platform in 70 s significantly reduced (P<0.01); activity times in the fourth quadrant significantly decreased (P<0.05); serum corticosterone levels increased (P<0.01); thymus GR expression decreased (P<0.05). Compared with the model group, rats in the moxibustion group showed that the escape latency times were significantly shorter on the third, the fourth and the fifth days (P<0.01,P<0.05); number of times crossing the platform in 70 s significantly increased (P<0.05); activity times in the fourth quadrant significantly increased (P<0.05); serum corticosterone levels decreased (P<0.05); thymus GR expression increased (P<0.05). Conclusion:Moxibustion could improve the learning and memory abilities of subacute aging rats, down-regulate serum corticosterone levels, and increase thymus GR content.

In recent years, with the widespread clinical application of moxibustion, the clinical trials on moxibustion research are also increasing. However, the establishment of negative control of moxibustion, also called as mimicking moxibustion, has become a major challenge in the randomized controlled trials (RCTs) . In this review, we summarized the establishment methods of mimicking moxibustion in RCTs at home and abroad, and evaluated and elaborated the design and application methods of mimicking moxibustion models from thermal effect, light radiation effect and smoke effect that generated by moxibustion, in order to provide insights for the establishment of an ideal and feasible mimicking moxibustion model in future RCTs of moxibustion.

OBJECTIVETo observe the effects and safety of clinical common symptoms of active Crohn's disease at the mild and moderate stages treated with acupuncture and moxibustion.

METHODSOne hundred and two patients were randomly divided into an observation group and a control group, 51 cases in each one. Herb-partition moxibustion and acupuncture were used in the observation group. Herbal cakes with(),(),(),(),(),() and() as the main ingredients were used on Tianshu (ST 25), Qihai (CV 6) and Zhongwan (CV 12); acupuncture was used at Zusanli (ST 36), Shangjuxu (ST 37), Sanyinjiao (SP 6), Taixi (KI 3), Gongsun (SP 4) and Taichong (LR 3). Bran-partition moxibustion and shallow acupuncture were applied in the control group. Wheat bran-partition moxibustion in the shape of cake was implemented on the same acupoints as the observation group; shallow acupuncture was used 1~2 cm next to the acupoints. Treatment was given three times a week for 12 weeks, 36 times totally. Clinical effects of eight symptoms were evaluated by TCM symptom score, and the symptoms included abdominal pain (degree, frequency, time), diarrhoea (number, shape and frequency), fatigue, anorexia, borborygmus andflatus, fear of cold, soreness and weakness of waist and knees, tenesmus.

RESULTSAfter 12-week treatment, the eight symptoms were improved apparently (all<0.05), with the scores of abdominal pain (degree, frequency, time), diarrhoea (shape and frequency), fatigue and anorexia in the observation group decreasing more obviously (all<0.01). There was no statistical significance about the other symptom scores between the two groups (all>0.05).

CONCLUSIONSHerb-partition moxibustion combined with acupuncture achieve safety and efficacy for mild and moderate Crohn's disease, and can improve the clinical common symptoms. Furthermore, their effects on abdominal pain (degree, frequency, time), diarrhoea (shape and frequency), fatigue and anorexia are better than those of bran-partition moxibustion and shallow acupuncture.