PURPOSE: To identify factors predicting the presence of overactive bladder syndrome (OAB)-wet, compared with OAB-dry. METHODS: Between September 2007 and September 2013, the medical records of 623 women with OAB who completed a 3-day bladder diary and underwent urodynamic studies in a medical center were retrospectively reviewed. OAB-wet was diagnosed in patients who complained of at least one episode of urgency incontinence in the previous month; otherwise, OAB-dry was diagnosed. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was used to predict the presence of OAB-wet. RESULTS: Age (odds ratio [OR], 1.05; P<0.001), maximal flow rate (Qmax) (OR,1.06; P<0.001), voided volume (OR, 0.996; P=0.001), detrusor pressure at maximal flow rate (PdetQmax) (OR, 1.02; P=0.003), urgency episodes (OR, 1.04; P<0.001) and urodynamic stress incontinence (OR,1.78; P=0.01) were independent predictors for the presence of OAB-wet vs. OAB-dry. If we use bladder contractility index as a variable for multivariable logistic regression analysis, bladder contractility index (OR, 1.012; P<0.001) become an independent predictor for OAB-wet. CONCLUSIONS: A smaller bladder capacity and more frequent urgency episodes were predictors of OAB-wet, and the above findings indicate that OAB-wet and OAB-dry might be a continuum of OAB. Old age, high Qmax, high PdetQmax and urodynamic stress incontinence were also predictors for OAB-wet, and the above results reveal that OAB-wet and OAB-dry have partially different clinical and urodynamic features. Further studies might be performed to elucidate whether different treatment strategies between OAB-dry and OAB-wet can improve treatment efficacy.
Female ; Humans ; Logistic Models ; Medical Records ; Retrospective Studies ; Treatment Outcome ; Urinary Bladder ; Urinary Bladder, Overactive ; Urodynamics

Purpose: Some patients with respiratory failure fail initial weaning attempts and need prolonged mechanical ventilation (MV). Prolonged MV is associated with many complications and consumption of heathcare resources. Objective weaning indices help staffs to identify high-potential patients for weaning from the MV. Traditional weaning indices are not reliable in clinical practice. Transitional percentage of minute volume (TMV%) is a new index of the work of breathing. This study aimed to investigate the utility of TMV% in the prediction of weaning potential. Methods: This study was prospectively performed including all patients with prolonged MV. Researchers recorded their demographics, TMV%, respiratory parameters, Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II score, and laboratory data upon arrival at the respiratory care center. The factors associated with successful weaning were analyzed. Results: Out of the 120 patients included, 84 (70.0%) were successfully weaned from MV. Traditional weaning indices such as rapid shallow breathing index could not predict the weaning outcome. TMV% was a valuable parameter as patients with a lower TMV%, higher tidal volume, higher hemoglobin, lower blood urea nitrogen, and lower Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II scores had a higher rate of successful weaning. TMV%, tidal volume, and HCO3- levels were independent predictors of successful weaning, and the area under the curve was .79 in the logistic regression model. Conclusion TMV% is a novel and effective predictor of successful weaning. Patients with lower TMV% had a higher MV weaning outcome. Once patients with a high potential for successful weaning are identified, they should be aggressively weaned from MV as soon as possible.

Purpose: Some patients with respiratory failure fail initial weaning attempts and need prolonged mechanical ventilation (MV). Prolonged MV is associated with many complications and consumption of heathcare resources. Objective weaning indices help staffs to identify high-potential patients for weaning from the MV. Traditional weaning indices are not reliable in clinical practice. Transitional percentage of minute volume (TMV%) is a new index of the work of breathing. This study aimed to investigate the utility of TMV% in the prediction of weaning potential. Methods: This study was prospectively performed including all patients with prolonged MV. Researchers recorded their demographics, TMV%, respiratory parameters, Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II score, and laboratory data upon arrival at the respiratory care center. The factors associated with successful weaning were analyzed. Results: Out of the 120 patients included, 84 (70.0%) were successfully weaned from MV. Traditional weaning indices such as rapid shallow breathing index could not predict the weaning outcome. TMV% was a valuable parameter as patients with a lower TMV%, higher tidal volume, higher hemoglobin, lower blood urea nitrogen, and lower Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II scores had a higher rate of successful weaning. TMV%, tidal volume, and HCO3- levels were independent predictors of successful weaning, and the area under the curve was .79 in the logistic regression model. Conclusion TMV% is a novel and effective predictor of successful weaning. Patients with lower TMV% had a higher MV weaning outcome. Once patients with a high potential for successful weaning are identified, they should be aggressively weaned from MV as soon as possible.

OBJECTIVES: To compare the short- and long-term hearing outcomes after successful inlay cartilage tympanoplasty between patients with small (< or =25%) and large (> or =50%) eardrums perforations. METHODS: This is a retrospective case series study conducted in a tertiary referral center. Twenty-five patients who underwent 27 procedures were enrolled. Their mean age was 60.26 years (range, 42 to 76 years). The mean follow-up time was 18.86 months (range, 12.30 to 35.83 months). The preoperative, initial postoperative, and long-term hearing results in patients with total repair of the eardrum were analyzed. RESULTS: In the small size group, the average (+/-standard deviation) air-bone gap (ABG) closure was 1.08+/-7.53 dB in the short-term and 2.33+/-11.56 dB in the long-term hearing examinations. There was no difference between short- and long-term ABG closure (P=0.689). In the large size group, the average ABG closure was 9.77+/-9.40 dB in the short-term and 16.25+/-6.01 dB in the long-term hearing examinations. There was a significant difference between short- and long-term ABG closure (P=0.029). CONCLUSION: Patients with large perforations have continuous hearing improvement and ABG closure for more than one year. In contrast, the short- and long-term postoperative ABGs are almost the same in patients with small perforations. More long-term postoperative follow-up of hearing results is necessary for large perforations.
Cartilage* ; Follow-Up Studies ; Hearing* ; Humans ; Inlays* ; Retrospective Studies ; Tertiary Care Centers ; Tympanic Membrane* ; Tympanoplasty*

From the time of Neijing (Internal Classic) and Nanjing (Classic of Medical Problems) till the end of Qing dynasty, the medical scholars of each dynasty had taken the recognition of deqi as the subject in the stud- ies. Through the historical analysis, the content of regulating deqi was further understood in relevant ancient liter- ature. By checking the ancient works of acupuncture in each dynasty till the end of Qing dynasty, in reference to the evidences in over 10 works, such as Zhenjiu Dacheng (Great Compendium of Acupuncture and Moxibustion) , Zhenjing Zhinan (Instruction of Acupuncture Canon), Zhenjiu Daquan, and in association with the academic views of acupuncture masters in modern time, it was discovered that the medical scholars after the time of Neijing and Nanjing had enriched the understandings of deqi, such as the connection of cold and heat reaction, radiation to the affected site, reinforcing and reducing purpose in qi regulation. The methods of deqi regulations had, been explored till the end of Qing dynasty since the time of Neijing and Nanjing and the understandings of it were vari- ous among scholars.
Acupuncture Therapy ; history ; methods ; Books ; history ; China ; History, Ancient ; Humans ; Medicine in Literature ; Qi ; history ; Sensation

Qi arrival is the meridian qi response to acupuncture stimulation. Through analyzing the relevant concepts of qi arrival and summarizing the general understanding of it in clinic and on the basis of the collection of the relevant literature at home and abroad on the determination of qi arrival and its strength, the characteristics are analyzed on the present method and the method for the determination of qi arrival and its strength is discussed in terms of the results in the needling sensation scale. It is believed that the needling sensation and its strength can be used to determine whether the qi is arrived or not and its strength. The components of different types of needling sensation are much better applicable for the analysis on the characteristics and rules on the influence on qi arrival. This method is in compliance not only with the theoretic connotation of qi arrival, but also with the clinical general understanding, which lays the foundation for the analysis on the scale results.
Acupuncture Therapy ; instrumentation ; methods ; Humans ; Meridians ; Qi ; Sensation

Objective By using infrared thermal imager (Flir-SC620), to observe the effect of needling Sanyinjiao (SP6) on the skin temperature at Guanyuan (CV4) and Sanyinjiao in patients with primary dysmenorrhea (PD) of cold and dampness stagnation pattern, and to explore the probability of using infrared thermal imaging for diagnosis and as an objective index for evaluating the action and needling qi of acupuncture. Method Thirty-six subjects were recruited and divided into four group, a health control group (group A), a control group of PD of cold and dampness stagnation pattern (group B), a needling-qi-expected group (group C) and a needling-qi-unexpected group (group D). Group A and B were not given acupuncture treatment, while group C and D were treated with acupuncture at bilateral Sanyinjiao with needles retained for 30 min, and the needling sensations were recorded. The infrared thermal imager was used to detect the skin temperature at Guanyuan and bilateral Sanyinjiao for 40 min for each group, and the temperature was recorded every 10 min. The temperature during different periods of time, 0-10 min, 20-20 min, 20-30 min, 30-40 min, 0-30 min, and 0-40 min were then calculated. In group C, those obtained the needling qi sensation were further grouped into C-1 and those didn’t obtain the sensation were into C-2; in group D, those obtained needling qi sensation were further grouped into D-1 and those didn’t obtain the sensation were into D-2. SPSS 17.0 was adopted for data processing, and the data were analyzed by using MANOVA of repeated measuring. Result Compared to group A (6 cases), the temperature at Guanyuan in group B (6 cases) was significantly decreased during 0-30 min and 0-40 min (P<0.05), the temperature at the left Sanyinjiao during 0-40 min in group B was significantly decreased (P<0.05), and the temperatures at bilateral Sanyinjiao during 30-40 min in group B significantly dropped (P<0.05). Compared to group B, the temperatures at Guanyuan during 0-30 min and 0-40 min in group C1 (12 cases) and group D1 (11 cases) were significantly increased (P<0.05), the temperature at left Sanyinjiao during 0-40 min in group D1 was significantly increased (P<0.05), and the temperatures at bilateral Sanyinjiao during 30-40 min in group D1 were significantly increased (P<0.05). There was no case in group C2 and only 1 case in group D2, hence, the data were not enough for analysis. Conclusion Decrease of the infrared temperature at Guanyuan and Sanyinjiao can be taken as one of the diagnostic criteria for dysmenorrhea of cold stagnation pattern. Increase of the infrared temperature at Guanyuan can be regarded as one of the objective evidences for the along-meridian transmission characteristic in needling Sanyinjiao.

Objective To explore the feasibility of using short-latency somatosensory evoked potentials (SLSEP) to quantitate Deqi.Methods A randomized crossover controlled trial was carried out. Healthy subjects were enrolled and allocated to treatment (thick needle, deep insertion and manipulation for Deqi) and control (thin needle, shallow insertion and no manipulation without Deqi) groups. Somatosensory evoked potentials were recorded before, during and after acupuncture. Deqi was assessed using the score scale in the subjets. The effects of Deqi and no Deqi at point Sanyinjiao (SP 6) on the potentials were observed.Results The preliminary exploration of the feasibility by the trial test showed that the effect of Deqi on short-latency somatosensory evoked potentials had certain regularity. It was worthy to be observed.Conclusion The plan is feasible. The formal test can be conducted.

ObjectiveTo explore the relation between the uterine position and acupoint effect by analyzing the data of a clinical trial of electroacupuncture in treating primary dysmenorrhea.MethodThe uterine position was detected by ultrasonic examination;Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) was used to evaluate the pain degree before and after intervention; Retrospective Symptom Scale (RSS) was adopted to determine the improvement of symptoms.ResultThere were no significant differences in comparing the VAS score, real-time effect and post-treatment effect, and effective rate among different uterine positions (P>0.05). Electroacupuncture at Sanyinjiao (SP 6) can produce a real-time effect in releasing abdominal pain and relevant symptoms of dysmenorrhea in patients with anteversion of uterus, a less significant effect was shown in patients with retroposition of uterus, while no effect was shown in patients with uterus at middle position.ConclusionElectroacupuncture at Sanyinjiao possibly has a specific effect in releasing abdominal pain and relevant symptoms of dysmenorrhea at anteversion of uterus, and the uterine position may be related to the corresponding meridians and Zang-fu organs. The current statistical result indicates that there is no relation between the uterine position and the effect of Sanyinjiao, but this conclusion still needs proving by prospective randomized controlled clinicaltrials.

Acupuncture-moxibustion theory believes that needling sensation is a crucial factor in influencing acupuncture efficacy. Judgment of occurrence of needling qi (qualitative measurement) and the intensity of needling qi (quantitative measurement) is the key section in studying the relationship between needling qi and efficacy. According to the relevant literatures, the judgment of the occurrence of needling qi mostly depended on the needling sensations, while a small amount of researches mentioned self-determined threshold or range of needling qi; the quantity of needling qi was measured by factor analysis, Massachusetts General Hospital Acupuncture Sensation Scale (MASS) based on exponential smoothing method, weighted average, addition of needling sensation score, etc. This article holds that the needling qi should be divided into two parts: overall needling qi and needling sensation components, the former referring to the occurrence and intensity of needling qi, and the latter for judging the different sensations and intensity. Currently, the studies on needling qi and efficacy should begin with single treatment at single point and multiple treatments at multiple points, to generally estimate the quality and quantity of needling qi, for seeking a qualitative and quantitative measurement in accordance with both acupuncture-moxibustion theory and clinical practice.