Objective To evaluate the application of cough reflex testing with various concentrations of citric acid for dysphagia post stroke. Methods 20 normal controls (NC), 20 stroke patients with dysphagia (SD) and 20 stroke patients without dysphagia (SND) were tested with cough reflex inhalated 4 kinds of dosage of citric acid: 0.2 mol/L, 0.4 mol/L, 0.6 mol/L and 0.8 mol/L. Results The incidence of pass (coughed twice or more) decreased in the SD compared with those in the NC as inhalated citric acid of 0.2 mol/L and 0.4 mol/L (P< 0.05), and decreased under 0.4 mol/L compared with the SND (P<0.05). There was no significant difference between the SND and the NC (P>0.05). 90% of the NC passed as inhalated citric acid of 0.4 mol/L; however, it was 45% in the SD, and increased when they inhalated more dosage of citric acid (P<0.05). The incidence of pass decreased under 0.2 mol/L citric acid in the SND compared with other concentration (P<0.05). The result of the test was reliable interrater (κ=0.97). The incidence of cough was consistent of 96.8% with the same concentration. No asthma and asphyxia was observed. Conclusion Cough reflex testing with citric acid inhalation can be used to assess the defensive function of airway in lower concentration for dysphagia after stroke.

Objective To analyze the effect of diabetes mellitus (DM) on the prognosis of patients with unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) after receiving transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE).Methods A total of 858 HCC patients,who were admitted to the Affiliated Xinhua Hospital,School of Medicine,Shanghai Jiaotong University,China,during the period from January 2010 to June 2015 to receive TACE,were selected.Among the 858 HCC patients,175 patients suffered from coexisting DM (DM group) and 683 patients had no DM (non-DM group).The differences in general clinical data and overall survival between the two groups were analyzed.Kaplan-Meier method was used to calculate the survival rate,the difference between the two groups was evaluated by log-rank method,and Cox proportional hazards regression was adopted to analyze the prognostic factors of HCC patients after receiving TACE.Results There were no statistically significant differences in sex,age,serum albumin,total bilirubin,prothrombin time,alpha fetoprotein (AFP),Child-Pugh grade,tumor size and number,cirrhosis,number of TACE treatment times and BCLC staging between the two groups (P＞0.05);the fasting blood glucose (FPG)level in DM group was higher than that in non-DM group (P＜0.05).The 1-,3-and5-year survival rates of the DM group were 60.9％,27.5％ and 10.7％ respectively,which were 70.9％,36.0％ and 17.6％ respectively in the non-DM group;the Log-rank test showed that the difference between the two groups was statistically significant (P=0.008).Multivariate Cox proportional hazard regression analysis revealed that the largest tumor diameter ＞5 cm,multiple tumor lesions,AFP＞20 ng/ml,BCLC stage and coexisting DM were independent risk factors that affected the prognosis of HCC patients after receiving TACE.Conclusion The coexisting DM is an independent risk factor that may affect the prognosis of patients with inoperable HCC after receiving TACE.