BACKGROUND: The perioperative hemorrhage of knee surgeries is a difficulty in clinic, and the efficacy of tranexamic acid to reduce postoperative bleeding has attracted more attention, but choosing which administrations remains controversial. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the efficacy of tranexamic acid by intravenous injection or articular injection for reducing the perioperative hemorrhage of total knee arthroplasty. METHODS: Sixty patients undergoing unilateral total knee replacement were enrolled, and were then randomized into three groups (n=20 per group): no tranexamic acid administration (group A); intravenous dropping of 15 mg/kg tranexamic acid before tourniquet application plus 10 mg/kg tranexamic acid at 3 hours postoperatively (group B); articular injection of 50 mL saline diluted with 1 g tranexamic acid through a drainage tube (group C). Two-hour closure of drainage tube was performed in all patients. The postoperative dominant and hidden blood loss, blood transfusion rate, pulmonary embolism as well as lower extremity deep venous thrombosis were recorded. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: (1) The dominant and hidden blood loss in the groups B and C were significantly less than those in the group A (P < 0.05); the dominant blood loss showed no significant difference between groups B and C (P > 0.05); the group B exhibited a significantly less hidden blood loss compared with group C (P < 0.05). (2) The blood transfusion rate in the groups B and C was significantly lower than that in the group A (P < 0.05). (3) No pulmonary embolism or lower extremity deep venous embolism occurred during 3-month follow-up. (4) That is to say, tranexamic acid can obviously reduce perioperative blood loss and blood transfusion rate without pulmonary embolism or lower extremity deep venous thrombosis, and intravenous administration exerts better clinical effectiveness.

OBJECTIVETo introduce one-staged correction of nasal deformity and unilateral complete cleft lip in infancy and to observe the nasal development after the operation.

METHODSThe unilateral complete cleft lip and nasal deformity were corrected in one stage in27 cases. They were followed up for several years. With post-operative photos, the anthropometric method was used to analyze the nasal development.

RESULTSThe long-term results were excellent in 10 cases, good in 14 cases, and poor in 3 cases.

CONCLUSIONSBased on the anatomic findings of nasal blood supply, one-staged correction of nasal deformity and unilateral complete cleft lip in infancy can be performed with no obvious interference with nasal development. The secondary nasal deformity before school age can be alleviated or avoided.

Abnormalities, Multiple ; surgery ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Cleft Lip ; surgery ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Infant ; Lip ; growth & development ; Male ; Nasal Septum ; growth & development ; Nose ; abnormalities ; growth & development ; Rhinoplasty ; methods ; Surgical Flaps ; Treatment Outcome

OBJECTIVETo determine the diagnostic value of pulmonary function testing in Chinese patients with known pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) without history of lung/heart valve diseases.

METHODSPulmonary function testing was performed in 41 PAH patients diagnosed by right heart catheterization and in 17 healthy controls.

RESULTSNormal pulmonary function testing results were found in 5 PAH patients (12.2%). Total lung capacity, vital capacity and FEV1 were significantly decreased in PAH patients [(80.27 +/- 11.46)% vs. (94.24 +/- 6.82)%; (79.09 +/- 14.89)% vs. (97.35 +/- 9.51)%; (75.40 +/- 16.58)% vs. (95.12 +/- 12.01)%, respectively, all P < 0.001], the ratio of residual volume/total lung capacity was significantly increased [(117.67 +/- 25.73)% vs. (93.39 +/- 10.87)%, P < 0.001]; FEV1/FVC and maximal expiratory flow of 25% to 75% tended to be lower (-6.0% and -19.4%, P = 0.21 and 0.09) while DLCO and DLCO/VA were significantly decreased by 36.6% and 29.8% (P < 0.001) compared with healthy controls.

CONCLUSIONSIncreased peripheral airway obstruction and normal lung resistance were found in these PAH patients. Normal pulmonary function testing results could not rule out the diagnosis of PAH.

Adult ; Case-Control Studies ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Female ; Forced Expiratory Volume ; Humans ; Hypertension, Pulmonary ; physiopathology ; Lung ; physiopathology ; Male ; Pulmonary Diffusing Capacity ; Respiratory Function Tests ; Vital Capacity

"Unblocking fu organs" is one of the essential principles of Ma's warm moxibustion technique, characterized as "dredging" and "harmonizing" for either deficiency or excess condition. Under the guidance of this therapeutic thought, the acupoints for moxibustion are mainly selected from the middle and lower parts of the body. Regarding the therapeutic approach, the acupoint prescription for moxibustion should be formed in line with warming and promoting circulation of fu organs; the moxibustion degree should be specially considered, in which, the mild moxibustion is recommended to induce promoting action; and the systematic moxibustion technique should be the root for dredging fu organs and regulating zang organs. Ma's mild moxibustion technique stresses on removing the obstruction of fu organs and emphasizes promoting the qi activity of sanjiao (triple energizer) and regulating the balance of five zang organs.
Acupuncture Points ; Acupuncture Therapy ; Ethnicity ; Humans ; Hyperplasia ; Moxibustion/methods*

OBJECTIVETo explore the anatomical characteristics and surgical selections of upper lumbar disc herniation, and evaluate its clinical effects.

METHODSFrom January 2009 to January 2013, 26 patients with upper lumbar disc herniation were treated in our department. There were 16 males and 10 females, aged from 28 to 51 years old with an average of 45.7 years, 4 cases were in L₁,₂, 9 cases in L₂,₃, and 13 cases in L₃,₄. The data was collected including distance between outer edge of lower facet and the spinous process, the outer edge of the isthmus and spinous process, the lower edge of lamina and the upper edge of the intervertebral space, nerve root arising points and lower edge of the corresponding pedicle. Transforaminal discectomy and interbody fusion combined with pedicle screw fixation was performed in patients with L₁,₂, L₂,₃ herniated disk and 5 patients with L₃,₄ herniated disk complicated with lumbar instability. However another 8 patients with L₃,₄ herniated disk were treated with posterior fenestration decompression. Clinical effects were evaluated by Japanese Orthopaedic Association(JOA). The relative height rate(R) of the intervertebral space was measured preoperatively and 1 year postoperatively. The fusion of the bone graft was also observed.

RESULTSIntraoperative anatomical measurement was taken in all patients. All patients were followed up for more than 1 year with an average of 16 months, and all incisions got healing, JOA was improved from preoperative(10.13±1.49) points to last follow up (25.21±2.13) points with the improvement rate of 79.9%. Among the patients underwent fusion operation, 17 cases obtained bone fusion and 1 case maybe non fusion and no internal fixation failure was found;the R value was (0.231±0.056) mm preoperatively, however (0.345±0.076) mm at 1 year after operation with statistical difference(<0.05). In the patient underwent posterior fenestration decompression, the R value was(0.243±0.036) mm preoperatively, and (0.212±0.046) mm at 1 year after operation without statistical difference (>0.05). No spinal instability and lumbar disc herniation recurrence were found in these patients.

CONCLUSIONSAccording to the anatomical characteristics of L₁,₂ and L₃,₄ herniated disk, these patients could be treated with transforaminal discectomy and interbody fusion. The anatomical characteristics and clinical manifestations of L₃,₄ herniated disk is similar with the lower lumbar disc herniation, for the patients, an appropriate surgical method should be chosen according to the lumbar stability.

BACKGROUND: Carbapenemase-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae (CP-Kp) poses distinct clinical challenges due to extensively drug resistant (XDR) phenotype, and sequence type (ST) 11 is the most dominant blaKPC-2-bearing CP-Kp clone in China. The purpose of this current retrospective study was to explore the genetic factors associated with the success of XDR CP-Kp ST11 strains circulated in the intensive care unit (ICU) of a Chinese tertiary hospital. METHODS: Six ST11 XDR CP-Kp strains were identified between May and December 2014 and validated by minimum inhibitory concentration examination, polymerase chain reaction, and pyrosequencing. The six ST11 XDR CP-Kp, as well as three multi-drug resistant (MDR) and four susceptible strains, were sequenced using single-molecule real-time method. Comprehensively structural and functional analysis based on comparative genomics was performed to identify genomic characteristics of the XDR ST11 CP-Kp strains. RESULTS: We found that ST11 XDR blaKPC-2-bearing CP-Kp strains isolated from inpatients spread in the ICU of the hospital. Functionally, genes associated with information storage and processing of the ST11 XDR CP-Kp strains were more abundant than those of MDR and susceptible strains, especially genes correlative with mobile genetic elements (MGEs) such as transposons and prophages. Structurally, eleven large-scale genetic regions taken for the unique genome in these ST11 XDR CP-Kp strains were identified as MGEs including transposons, integrons, prophages, genomic islands, and integrative and conjugative elements. Three of them were located on plasmids and eight on chromosomes; five of them were with antimicrobial resistance genes and eight with adaptation associated genes. Notably, a new blaKPC-2-bearing ΔΔTn1721-blaKPC-2 transposon, probably transposed and truncated from ΔTn1721-blaKPC-2 by IS903D and ISKpn8, was identified in all six ST11 XDR CP-Kp strains. CONCLUSION Our findings suggested that together with clonal spread, MGEs identified uniquely in the ST11 XDR CP-Kp strains might contribute to their formidable adaptability, which facilitated their widespread dissemination in hospital.
Anti-Bacterial Agents ; Bacterial Proteins ; China ; Electrophoresis, Gel, Pulsed-Field ; Hospitals ; Humans ; Klebsiella Infections/drug therapy* ; Klebsiella pneumoniae/genetics* ; Microbial Sensitivity Tests ; Multilocus Sequence Typing ; Pharmaceutical Preparations ; Retrospective Studies ; beta-Lactamases/genetics*

The present study optimized the ethanol extraction process of Ziziphi Spinosae Semen-Schisandrae Sphenantherae Fructus drug pair by network pharmacology and Box-Behnken method. Network pharmacology and molecular docking were used to screen out and verify the potential active components of Ziziphi Spinosae Semen-Schisandrae Sphenantherae Fructus, and the process evaluation indexes were determined in light of the components of the content determination under Ziziphi Spinosae Semen and Schisandrae Sphenantherae Fructus in the Chinese Pharmacopoeia(2020 edition). The analytic hierarchy process(AHP) was used to determine the weight coefficient of each component, and the comprehensive score was calculated as the process evaluation index. The ethanol extraction process of Ziziphi Spinosae Semen-Schisandrae Sphenantherae Fructus was optimized by the Box-Behnken method. The core components of the Ziziphi Spinosae Semen-Schisandrae Sphenantherae Fructus drug pair were screened out as spinosin, jujuboside A, jujuboside B, schisandrin, schisandrol, schisandrin A, and schisandrin B. The optimal extraction conditions obtained by using the Box-Behnken method were listed below: extraction time of 90 min, ethanol volume fraction of 85%, and two times of extraction. Through network pharmacology and molecular docking, the process evaluation indexes were determined, and the optimized process was stable, which could provide an experimental basis for the production of preparations containing Ziziphi Spinosae Semen-Schisandrae Sphenantherae Fructus.
Ethanol ; Molecular Docking Simulation ; Network Pharmacology ; Seeds/chemistry* ; Ziziphus/chemistry* ; Plant Extracts/chemistry* ; Schisandra/chemistry* ; Fruit/chemistry* ; Technology, Pharmaceutical