PURPOSE: The rate of complications among patients undergoing surgery has increased due to infection with SARS-CoV-2 and other variants of concern. However, Omicron has shown decreased pathogenicity, raising questions about the risk of postoperative complications among patients who are infected with this variant. This study aimed to investigate complications and related factors among patients with recent Omicron infection prior to undergoing orthopedic surgery. METHODS: A historical control study was conducted. Data were collected from all patients who underwent surgery during 2 distinct periods: (1) between Dec 12, 2022 and Jan 31, 2023 (COVID-19 positive group), (2) between Dec 12, 2021 and Jan 31, 2022 (COVID-19 negative control group). The patients were at least 18 years old. Patients who received conservative treatment after admission or had high-risk diseases or special circumstances (use of anticoagulants before surgery) were excluded from the study. The study outcomes were the total complication rate and related factors. Binary logistic regression analysis was used to identify related factors, and odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) were calculated to assess the impact of COVID-19 infection on complications. RESULTS: In the analysis, a total of 847 patients who underwent surgery were included, with 275 of these patients testing positive for COVID-19 and 572 testing negative. The COVID-19-positive group had a significantly higher rate of total complications (11.27%) than the control group (4.90%, p < 0.001). After adjusting for relevant factors, the OR was 3.08 (95% CI: 1.45-6.53). Patients who were diagnosed with COVID-19 at 3-4 weeks (OR = 0.20 (95% CI: 0.06-0.59), p = 0.005), 5-6 weeks (OR = 0.16 (95% CI: 0.04-0.59), p = 0.010), or ≥7 weeks (OR = 0.26 (95% CI: 0.06-1.02), p = 0.069) prior to surgery had a lower risk of complications than those who were diagnosed at 0-2 weeks prior to surgery. Seven factors (age, indications for surgery, time of operation, time of COVID-19 diagnosis prior to surgery, C-reactive protein levels, alanine transaminase levels, and aspartate aminotransferase levels) were found to be associated with complications; thus, these factors were used to create a nomogram. CONCLUSION Omicron continues to be a significant factor in the incidence of postoperative complications among patients undergoing orthopedic surgery. By identifying the factors associated with these complications, we can determine the optimal surgical timing, provide more accurate prognostic information, and offer appropriate consultation for orthopedic surgery patients who have been infected with Omicron.
Humans ; COVID-19/complications* ; Male ; Female ; Middle Aged ; Postoperative Complications/epidemiology* ; SARS-CoV-2 ; Orthopedic Procedures/adverse effects* ; Aged ; Nomograms ; Adult ; Retrospective Studies ; Risk Factors

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the dynamic changes of glucocorticoid (GC) dose and the feasibility of GC discontinuation in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients under the background of Chinese medicine (CM). METHODS: This multicenter retrospective cohort study included 1,196 RA patients enrolled in the China Rheumatoid Arthritis Registry of Patients with Chinese Medicine (CERTAIN) from September 1, 2019 to December 4, 2023, who initiated GC therapy. Participants were divided into the Western medicine (WM) and integrative medicine (IM, combination of CM and WM) groups based on medication regimen. Follow-up was performed at least every 3 months to assess dynamic changes in GC dose. Changes in GC dose were analyzed by generalized estimator equation, the probability of GC discontinuation was assessed using Kaplan-Meier curve, and predictors of GC discontinuation were analyzed by Cox regression. Patients with <12 months of follow-up were excluded for the sensitivity analysis. RESULTS: Among 1,196 patients (85.4% female; median age 56.4 years), 880 (73.6%) received IM. Over a median 12-month follow-up, 34.3% (410 cases) discontinued GC, with significantly higher rates in the IM group (40.8% vs. 16.1% in WM; P<0.05). GC dose declined progressively, with IM patients demonstrating faster reductions (median 3.75 mg vs. 5.00 mg in WM at 12 months; P<0.05). Multivariate Cox analysis identified age <60 years [P<0.001, hazard ratios (HR)=2.142, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.523-3.012], IM therapy (P=0.001, HR=2.175, 95% CI: 1.369-3.456), baseline GC dose ⩽7.5 mg (P=0.003, HR=1.637, 95% CI: 1.177-2.275), and absence of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs use (P=0.001, HR=2.546, 95% CI: 1.432-4.527) as significant predictors of GC discontinuation. Sensitivity analysis (545 cases) confirmed these findings. CONCLUSIONS RA patients receiving CM face difficulties in following guideline-recommended GC discontinuation protocols. IM can promote GC discontinuation and is a promising strategy to reduce GC dependency in RA management. (Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov, No. NCT05219214).
Adult ; Aged ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Arthritis, Rheumatoid/drug therapy* ; Glucocorticoids/therapeutic use* ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Retrospective Studies

Functional dyspepsia (FD), characterized by persistent or recurrent dyspeptic symptoms without identifiable organic, systemic or metabolic causes, is an increasingly recognized global health issue. The objective of this guideline is to equip clinicians and nursing professionals with evidence-based strategies for the management and treatment of adult patients with FD using traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). The Guideline Development Group consulted existing TCM consensus documents on FD and convened a panel of 35 clinicians to generate initial clinical queries. To address these queries, a systematic literature search was conducted across PubMed, EMBASE, the Cochrane Library, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), VIP Database, China Biology Medicine (SinoMed) Database, Wanfang Database, Traditional Medicine Research Data Expanded (TMRDE), and the Traditional Chinese Medical Literature Analysis and Retrieval System (TCMLARS). The evidence from the literature was critically appraised using the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) approach. The strength of the recommendations was ascertained through a consensus-building process involving TCM and allopathic medicine experts, methodologists, pharmacologists, nursing specialists, and health economists, leveraging their collective expertise and empirical knowledge. The guideline comprises a total of 43 evidence-informed recommendations that span a range of clinical aspects, including the pathogenesis according to TCM, diagnostic approaches, therapeutic interventions, efficacy assessments, and prognostic considerations. Please cite this article as: Zhang SS, Zhao LQ, Hou XH, Bian ZX, Zheng JH, Tian HH, Yang GH, Hong WS, He YY, Liu L, Shen H, Li YP, Xie S, Shu J, Zeng BF, Li JX, Liu Z, Xiao ZH, Xiao JD, Zheng PY, Huang SG, Chen SL, Fei GJ. International clinical practice guideline on the use of traditional Chinese medicine for functional dyspepsia (2025). J Integr Med. 2025; 23(5):502-518.
Dyspepsia/drug therapy* ; Humans ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional/methods* ; Practice Guidelines as Topic ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/therapeutic use*

Objective:To analyze the clinical features and laboratory indicators in patients with solid malignant tumor-associated venous thromboembolism(Ta-VTE),and to study the risk factors for Ta-VTE.Methods:The hospitalized patients with VTE in Guizhou Provincial People's Hospital from January to December 2020 were enrolled,and they were divided into Ta-VTE group and pure VTE group based on the presence or absence of solid malignant tumor.The differences in clinical data and laboratory indicators between the two groups were analyzed,and the indicators with significant differences were included in logistic regression model to analyze the risk factors of Ta-VTE.Results:A total of 288 patients with VTE were included in this study,including 64 cases in Ta-VTE group and 224 cases in pure VTE group,respectively.There were significant differences in the following indexes between the two groups,including the hospitalization time(14.20±15.29 d vs 10.05±6.90 d,t=3.112,P=0.002),pain(35.94％vs 65.18％,x2=17.554,P=0.000),recent surgery(75.00％vs 37.50％,X2=28.196,P=0.000),D-dimer[2.8(0.92,7.55)μg/ml vs 5.69(2.25,13.91)μg/ml,Z=-2.710,P=0.007],PLR[198.59(139.54,312.16)vs 149.76(114.08,233.66),Z=-2.924,P=0.003]and TBIL[10.90(7.63,15.68)μmol/Lvs 12.90(9.33,18.28)μmol/L,Z=-2.066,P=0.039].There was no significant difference in the other indicators(P＞0.05).The result of multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that elevated PLR(OR=1.003,95％CI:1.000-1.006,P=0.027),recent surgery(OR=4.312,95％CI:2.093-8.885,P=0.000)and prolonged hospitalization(OR=1.037,95％CI:1.002-1.074,P=0.038)were independent risk factors for Ta-VTE.However,pain(OR=0.274,95％CI:0.133-0.564,P=0.000)was a protective factor.Conclusion:Elevated PLR level,recent surgery and prolonged hospital stay are independent risk factors for Ta-VTE patients,and rational use of these indicators is helpful for the clinical diagnosis and treatment of Ta-VTE patients.

Objective To summarize the epidemiological and clinical features of infectious diseases of the central nervous system(CNS)by a single-center analysis.Methods A retrospective analysis was conducted on the data of 1247 cases of CNS infectious diseases diagnosed and treated in the First Medical Center of PLA General Hospital from 2001 to 2020.Results The data for this group of CNS infectious diseases by disease type in descending order of number of cases were viruses 743(59.6％),Mycobacterium tuberculosis 249(20.0％),other bacteria 150(12.0％),fungi 68(5.5％),parasites 18(1.4％),Treponema pallidum 18(1.4％)and rickettsia 1(0.1％).The number of cases increased by 177 cases(33.1％)in the latter 10 years compared to the previous 10 years(P<0.05).No significant difference in seasonal distribution pattern of data between disease types(P>0.05).Male to female ratio is 1.87︰1,mostly under 60 years of age.Viruses are more likely to infect students,most often at university/college level and above,farmers are overrepresented among bacteria and Mycobacterium tuberculosis,and more infections of Treponema pallidum in workers.CNS infectious diseases are characterized by fever,headache and signs of meningeal irritation,with the adductor nerve being the more commonly involved cranial nerve.Matagenomic next-generation sequencing improves clinical diagnostic capabilities.The median hospital days for CNS infectious diseases are 18.00(11.00,27.00)and median hospital costs are ￥29,500(￥16,000,￥59,200).The mortality rate from CNS infectious diseases is 1.6％.Conclusions The incidence of CNS infectious diseases is increasing last ten years,with complex clinical presentation,severe symptoms and poor prognosis.Early and accurate diagnosis and standardized clinical treatment can significantly reduce the morbidity and mortality rate and ease the burden of disease.

Objective:To compare the clinical efficacy of rotator cuff repair combined with transposition of the long head of the biceps tendon in the treatment of massive rotator cuff tears with or without subscapularis injury.Methods:A total of 73 patients with massive rotator cuff tears who underwent arthroscopic rotator cuff repair combined with transposition of the long head of the biceps tendon in the Department of Upper Arm, Sichuan Orthopaedic Hospital from January 2019 to September 2022 were retrospectively analyzed, including 35 males and 38 females, aged 58.8±7.6 years (range, 46-73 years). There were 11 cases on the left side and 62 cases on the right side. Causes of injuries: 6 cases of car accidents, 13 cases of fall injuries, 54 cases of no obvious cause of injury. The patients were divided into subscapularis injury group (37 cases) and no subscapularis injury group (36 cases) according to the subscapularis injury or not. The visual analogue scale (VAS), Constant - Murley score, University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) shoulder score and range of motion were used to evaluate shoulder pain and functional improvement. MRI of the shoulder was taken at the final follow-up and the rotator cuff was assessed for retear using Sugaya grading.Results:All patients successfully completed the operation. The VAS score at 1 year postoperatively in the group without subscapularis injury was 0.58±0.87, which was less than 1.16±1.14 in the group with subscapularis injury ( t=-2.426, P=0.018). The Constant-Murley score and UCLA score at 1 year postoperatively in the group without subscapularis injury were 94.03±6.19 and 32.94±2.59, respectively, which were greater than those of the group with subscapularis injury, which were 86.51±11.96 and 30.38±3.33, and the difference was statistically significant ( P<0.05). Anterior flexion and body external rotation at 1 year postoperatively in the group without subscapularis injury were 137.22°±26.79° and 54.72°±13.20°, which were greater than those in the group with subscapularis injury of 121.08°±22.83° and 38.65°±17.19°, and the difference was statistically significant ( P<0.05), and the difference between the two groups in body internal rotation was not statistically significant ( P>0.05). The subacromial spacing at 1 year postoperatively was 9.4±1.3 mm in the group without subscapularis injury and 9.0±1.5 mm in the group with subscapularis injury, and the difference was not statistically significant ( t=1.318, P=0.192). There were 2 cases of rotator cuff retear 1 year after surgery without subscapular muscle injury and 5 cases of subscapular muscle injury. Conclusion:The clinical efficacy of arthroscopic rotator cuff repair combined with transposition of the tendon of the long head of the biceps tendon in the treatment of massive rotator cuff tears with or without subscapularis muscle injury is satisfactory, and the improvement of pain and function is more obvious in patients without subscapularis muscle injury.

This paper makes an interpretation of the collection Acupuncture: how to improve the evidence base published by BMJ & BMJ Open. Studies show that the quality of randomized controlled trial (RCT) of acupuncture is low, and multivariable Meta-regression analysis fails to confirm most factors commonly believed to influence the effect of acupuncture. The methodological challenges in design and conduct of RCT in acupuncture were analyzed, and a consensus on how to design high-quality acupuncture RCT was developed. The number of acupuncture systematic reviews was huge but the evidence was underused in clinical practice and health policy, and a large number of western clinical practice guidelines recommended acupuncture therapy, but the usefulness of recommendations needed to be improved. In view of the problems in clinical research on acupuncture mentioned in this collection, combined with the analysis of the purpose of clinical research on acupuncture, perspectives, study types, as well as the relationship between evidence and clinical decision-making, a five-stage study paradigm of clinical research on acupuncture is proposed.
Acupuncture Therapy ; Acupuncture ; Research Design ; Consensus

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the correlation between glenohumeral joint congruence and stability in recurrent shoulder dislocations. METHODS: Eighty-nine patients (89 sides) with recurrent shoulder dislocation admitted between June 2022 and June 2023 and met the selection criteria were included as study subjects. There were 36 males and 53 females with an average age of 44 years (range, 20-79 years). There were 40 cases of left shoulder and 49 cases of right shoulder. The shoulder joints dislocated 2-6 times, with an average of 3 times. The three-dimensional models of the humeral head and scapular glenoid were reconstructed using Mimics 20.0 software based on CT scanning images. The glenoid track (GT), inclusion index, chimerism index, fit index, and Hill-Sachs interval (HSI) were measured, and the degree of on/off track was judged (K value, the difference between HSI and GT). Multiple linear regression was used to analyze the correlation between the degree of on/off track (K value) and inclusion index, chimerism index, and fit index. RESULTS: Multiple linear regression analysis showed that the K value had no correlation with the inclusion index ( P>0.05), and was positively correlated with the chimerism index and the fit index ( P<0.05). Regression equation was K=-24.898+35.982×inclusion index+8.280×fit index, R ²=0.084. CONCLUSION Humeral head and scapular glenoid bony area and curvature are associated with shoulder joint stability in recurrent shoulder dislocations. Increased humeral head bony area, decreased scapular glenoid bony area, increased humeral head curvature, and decreased scapular glenoid curvature are risk factors for glenohumeral joint stability.
Female ; Male ; Humans ; Adult ; Shoulder Joint/diagnostic imaging* ; Shoulder Dislocation/diagnostic imaging* ; Joint Dislocations ; Scapula/diagnostic imaging* ; Thorax

Objective:To investigate the common types of elbow joint injuries in skiing or snowboarding and their treatment.Methods:A retrospective study was conducted to analyze the data of 90 patients with elbow injury caused by skiing or snowboarding who had been admitted to Department of Upper Limbs, Sichuan Orthopaedic Hospital from February, 2015 to February, 2022. There were 53 males and 37 females with an age of (31.8±8.4) years. The types of elbow injury, visual analogue scale (VAS), range of motion (ROM) of the elbow and Mayo elbow performance score (MEPS) of the patients were recorded before treatment and at the last follow-up.Results:Of the patients, 18 were treated conservatively (3 simple Mason type I radial head fractures and 15 O'Driscoll type I coronal process fractures) and 72 surgically. Their follow-up time was (31.3±18.7) months. The fractures all healed by the time of the last follow-up. Simple elbow fracture was observed in 63 patients, simple elbow dislocation in 2 patients, fracture plus dislocation in 25 patients. The posterior dislocation was the most common (22 cases). Among the elbow fractures, radial head fracture occurred in 27 patients, ulnar coronoid process fracture in 41 patients, proximal ulnar fracture in 13 patients, and distal humeral fracture in 28 patients. Collateral ligament injuries were complicated in 65 cases. In the patients undergoing conservative treatment, their VAS, elbow ROM, and MEPS were all improved significantly from 4.7±1.4, 92.2°±14.4° and 63.9±6.5 before treatment to 0.4 (0,1.0), 110.6°±0.6°, and 92.2±3.9 at the last follow-up ( P<0.05); in the patients undergoing surgical treatment, their VAS, elbow ROM, and MEPS were also all improved significantly from 5.6±1.7, 24.3°±18.4°, and 26.9±12.2 before surgery to 0.6 (0,1.0), 97.4°±14.0° and 86.6±7.1 at the last follow-up ( P<0.05). After surgery, 8 patients presented with neurological symptoms and 7 patients developed heterotopic ossification. Conclusions:In skiing or snowboarding, the coronoid process of the ulna is the most vulnerable to fracture. In the elbow injuries due to skiing or snowboarding, posterior dislocation is the most common type which is often accompanied by injuries to the medial and lateral collateral ligaments. For simple Mason type Ⅰ radial head fractures and O'-Driscoll type Ⅰ coronoid process fractures in which the elbow is stable, conservative treatment can be adopted; surgical treatment is indicated for the other injuries.

Currently,the research or publications related to the clinical comprehensive evaluation of Chinese patent medicine are increasing,which attracts the broad attention of all circles. According to the completed clinical evaluation report on Chinese patent medicine,there are still practical problems and technical difficulties such as unclear responsibility of the evaluation organization,unclear evaluation subject,miscellaneous evaluation objects,and incomplete and nonstandard evaluation process. In terms of evaluation standards and specifications,there are different types of specifications or guidelines with different emphases issued by different academic groups or relevant institutions. The professional guideline is required to guide the standardized and efficient clinical comprehensive evaluation of Chinese patent medicine and further improve the authority and quality of evaluation. In combination with the characteristics of Chinese patent medicine and the latest research achievement at home and abroad,the detailed specifications were formulated from six aspects including design,theme selection,content and index,outcome,application and appraisal,and quality control. The guideline was developed based on the guideline development requirements of China Assoication of Chinese medicine. After several rounds of expert consensus and public consultation,the current version of the guideline has been developed.
Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Nonprescription Drugs ; Consensus ; China ; Reference Standards ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal