ObjectiveTo investigate the clinical characteristics of the inpatients suffering from dengue fever in order to provide references for better diagnosis and treatment.Methods The clinical data of 158 dengue fever patients admitted to the First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University from July 23rd to October 31st, 2014 during the 2014 epidemic in Guangzhou area were retrospectively analyzed, including general clinical manifestations, conventional examinations, pathogenesis, and prognosis.Results The mean age of the 158 patients was (56±20) years, with half of them over 60 years old (79 cases). Among them, 94 (59.49%) were male.① The common manifestations included fever (100%), headache (70.89%), myalgia/bone soreness (62.03%), and skin rash (54.43%). Bleeding and plasma leakage were found in 25.95% and 14.56% of the patients respectively.② Laboratory examination:leucopenia (75.32%) and thrombocytopenia (77.85%) were found, and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) were elevated in 57.59% and 77.85% of the patients respectively. However, elevation of blood hematocrit was rare (1.27%).③ It was found that in the acute phase (0 - 5 days of the onset), serum dengue virus antibody IgM (DF-IgM) was positive in 63.54% of the patients (61/96), and 92.62% (113/122) of patients were dengue virus RNA (DENA-RNA) positive.④ The rate of comorbidity in this study was 55.06% (87/158), including hypertension (27.22%) and type 2 diabetes (15.82%), which were the two most common co-morbidities.⑤ All the patients were given supportive therapy to prevent complications. They were also isolated for more than 5 days after onset, and at least for 24 hours after subsidence of fever in addition.⑥ The criteria for the diagnosis of severe dengue were fulfilled in 18 patients (11.39%). One patient died of massive hemorrhage from gastro-intestinal tract, and 1 patient voluntarily left hospital with untreated multiple organ dysfunction syndrome (MODS). Another 2 patients of dengue fever died from primary cardio-cerebrovascular disease, and the remaining 154 patients (97.47%) fully recovered with supportive therapy and complication prevention measures.Conclusions The clinical manifestations of inpatients with dengue fever in this study were typical, and they manifested a higher incidence of severe illness. DENA-RNA could be a sensitive indicator for early pathogenic diagnosis. With symptomatic and supportive therapy, most patients had a good outcome. However, early diagnosis and clinical interventions of severe dengue still need further studies.

Objective To evaluate the diagnostic performance of a point-of-care testing for sensitive cardiac troponin Ⅰ (POCT-cTnI) in early diagnosis of chest pain patients who had a high pretest probability of acute myocardial infarction (AMI).Methods Total of 127 patients with new-onset chest pain at the emergency department were enrolled.Blood samples were drawn for the routine blood test,and determined POCT-cTnI and central laboratory testing for high sensitive cardiac troponin T (CLT-hscTnT) at admission,three and then at six hours after admission.All patients were divided into AMI group and non-AMI group according to the final diagnosis,which was adjudicated independently by two physicians who reviewed all available medical records for the 90-day follow-up period,and they were unaware of the results of the investigational assays of cardiac troponins.The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were constructed to assess and compare the diagnostic performance of AMI of two cardiac troponin assays.The comparison of areas under the ROC curves (AUC) was performed by DeLong test,and the sensitivity,specificity,negative predictive values (NPV) and positive predictive values (PPV) for the target markers were calculated by applying a maker-specific cutoff value.Results The final diagnosis of AMI was made in 40 of 127 patients (31.5 ％).The diagnostic accuracy of the two assays oBtained at presentation,as quantified by AUC,was no statistically differences (AUC for POCT-cTnⅠ,0.901,95％ CI,0.901 to 0.947;and for CLT-hscTnT,0.907,95％ CI,0.842 to 0.951;Z =0.235,P =0.745).The AUC for POCT-cTnI at 3 hours after admission was significantly higher than that on admission (0.931 vs.0.858;Z =-2.038,P =0.042),while there was on further improvement at 6 hours after admission (0.931 vs.0.949;Z =-1.435,P =0.151).With use of POCT-cTnI (cutoff value 0.023 ng/mL,which was the 99th percentile upper reference limit) on adimission,the clinical sensitivity was 77.5％,and the specificity was 94.2％.A single sample of POCT-cTnI at 3 hours after admission improved the diagnostic accuracy,with a sensitivity of 96.4％,a specificity of 92.0％,and a NPV of 98.6％,a PPV of 81.8％.While,with use of CLT-hscTnT (cutoff value 0.014 ng/mL,was the 99th percentile upper reference limit) at 3 hours after admission,the NPV reached to 100％.Conclusions The use of a POCT-cTnI assay in chest pain patients can identify and exclude the AMI rapidly and exactly at three hours after admission,and the diagnostic performance is equivalent to CLT-hscTnT.

Objective To evaluate the value of diffusion tensor imaging(DTI)in cognitive impairment of patients with acute cerebral infarction.Methods Diffusion tensor images were obtained from 30 volunteers who underwent clinical MR imaging and were found to have no abnormalities on conventional MR images and 30 patients who were clinically diagnosed cerebral infarction and were found to have infarction lesions on conventional MR images.Color-coded FA images and three-dimensional color-coded tensor images were reconstructed.For volunteers,average apparent diffusion coefficient(ADC)and fractional anisotropy(FA)were measured in some main white matter structures of peripheral white matter, basal ganglia,and cerebral peduncle,etc.For infarction patients,ADC and FA were measured and compared between infarction lesions and corresponding contralateral normal regions.Pearson correlation analysis was used to determine correlation with cognitive impairment.Results In infarction patients group, FA and ADC of lesions unrecovered declined.Change in ADC and FA had positive correlation with cognitive impairment of patients with acute cerebral infarction.Conclusion DTI has positive correlation with cognitive impairment of patients with acute cerebral infarction.

Objective To observe the clinical efficacy of arthroscopy and fibula osteotomy in the treatment of medial knee osteoarthritis.Methods Thirty-six patients with medial knee osteoarthritis treated in our hospital from September 2014 to September 2016 were divided into two groups according to the acceptable surgical protocol.The control group was treated by fibula osteotomy,and the observation group received arthroscopy combined with fibula osteotomy.The clinical signs and symptoms,VAS and ISOA scores were evaluated and compared between the two groups.Results The control group of 18 cases,clinical recovery in 0 cases,markedly effective in 7 cases,effective in 8 cases,3 cases with no effect,the effective rate was 38.9％;observation group of 18 cases,3 cases clinically cured,effective in 10 cases,effective in 5 cases,the effective rate was 72.2％.The effective rate of observation group was better than that of the control group,the difference was signicant (P ＜ 0.05).VAS and ISOA in both groups were significantly improved after operation,the difference was signicant (P ＜ 0.05);VAS improvement in observation group was better than that in control group,the difference was signicant(P ＜ 0.05),ISOA score in observation group was significantly better than that in control group,the difference was signicant(P ＜0.01).The clinical signs and symptoms(pain and numbness,walking,living and working abilities,tenderness,straight leg raising test,knee and Achilles reflex,total score) in two groups were improved respectively compared with those before treatment,and the differences were statistically significant(P ＜ 0.05).The pain and numbness,walking,tenderness,straight leg raising test and total score in the observation group were significantly different from those in the control group(P ＜ 0.05).Conclusion The arthroscopy and fibula osteotomy is safe and feasible to treat patients of medial knee osteoarthritis with less traumatic,more effective and better functional recovery.

OBJECTIVEHemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) is a common primary disease that can cause acute renal failure in childhood. Renal disease is the most important long-term complication in patients who survived the acute stage of HUS. Use of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEI) and a restricted protein intake may be beneficial to the patients. However, it is not established whether such patients should be treated with steroids and immunosuppressors. The present study aimed to probe into the benefit of using steroid and immunosuppressor in patients after acute stage of HUS.

METHODSThe subjects included 17 patients (aged 9 months to 15 years, 12 males, 5 females) with HUS. Thirteen patients recovered from the acute stage of HUS, and underwent continuative treatment and follow-up. All the patients were treated with ACEI and early restriction of protein intake. Additionally, 2 children manifested as glomerulonephritis, one was treated with triperygium glycosides. Other 11 children who manifested as nephrotic syndrome were treated with prednisone, among them 5 children had no response or had incomplete response to prednisone, for these children short-term high dose cyclophosphamide or methylprednisolone pulse treatment were added; in 3 of the children short-term high dose methylprednisolone treatment was applied additionally for membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis and/or focal segmental glomerulosclerosis and crescentic glomerulonephritis.

RESULTSAfter follow-up for 2 months to 8 years, 4 patients with milder disease recovered, their blood pressure, renal function and urinalysis became normal, but 1 patient had recurrence. Among 9 patients with severe disease, 6 maintained normal blood pressure, recovered renal function and urinalysis, the other 3 patients failed to comply with treatment protocol and died during the 3rd, 9th and 13th month. The remainder (4 cases) gave up therapy and died on the 27th to 48th days of the course.

CONCLUSIONThe treatment applied in this study could improve the prognosis of patients after acute phase of HUS evidently by using the steroid and immuno suppressor according to clinical classification and pathological findings. It is recommended that triperygium glycosides is beneficial to children with glomerulonephritis, proteinuria and hematuria after acute stage of HUS. Adjustment of therapeutic schedule based on pathological findings after renal biopsy is helpful. To the patients with progressive renal failure who have no response to the steroid and immunosuppressors, steroid and immunosuppressor should be discontinued and dialysis treatment should be applied. Protocol compliance is also an important factor.

Acute Disease ; Adolescent ; Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors ; therapeutic use ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Combined Modality Therapy ; Diet, Protein-Restricted ; Drug Therapy, Combination ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Hemolytic-Uremic Syndrome ; diet therapy ; drug therapy ; physiopathology ; Humans ; Immunosuppressive Agents ; therapeutic use ; Infant ; Male ; Prognosis ; Steroids ; therapeutic use ; Treatment Outcome

BACKGROUNDDrug susceptibility assay is very important in tuberculosis therapy. Pyrazinamide is a first line antituberculosis drug and diagnosis of its resistance in Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M. tuberculosis) is difficult and time consuming by conventional methods. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the performance of the microscopic observation drug susceptibility (MODS) assay in the detection of pyrazinamide resistance in M. tuberculosis relative to the conventional Wayne assay and Lowenstein-Jensen (LJ) proportion method.

METHODSM. tuberculosis clinical isolates (n = 132) were tested by the MODS and the Wayne assay: the results were compared with those obtained by the LJ proportion method. Mutations in the gene were identified by direct sequencing of the pncA genes of all isolates in which pyrazinamide resistance was detected by any of the three methods.

RESULTSCompared to the LJ results, the sensitivity and specificity of the MODS assay were 97.8% and 96.5% respectively; the sensitivity and specificity of the Wayne assay were 87.0% and 97.7% respectively. Mutations in the pncA gene were found in 41 of 46 strains that were pyrazinamide resistant (3 tests), in 1 of the 4 strains (LJ only), in 42 of 48 strains (at least 1 test), but no mutations in 1 strain sensitive according to the MODS assay only. The MODS assay, Wayne assay and LJ proportion method provided results in a median time of 6, 7 and 26 days respectively.

CONCLUSIONSMODS assay offers a rapid, simple and reliable method for the detection of pyrazinamide resistance in M. tuberculosis and is an optimal alternative method in resource limited countries.

Antitubercular Agents ; pharmacology ; Microbial Sensitivity Tests ; Microscopy ; methods ; Mycobacterium tuberculosis ; drug effects ; Pyrazinamide ; pharmacology

Objective To evaluate the predictive value of HEART and GRACE scores for risk stratification and 30-day major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) in patients with acute chest pain in emergency department.Methods This is a prospective observational study.Patients with acute chest pain aged 18 years or older who were first diagnosed in our emergency department were enrolled from January 1,2016 to September 1,2017.The clinical data were collected,and HEART and GRACE scores were calculated.All causes of MACE in each patient were followed up for 30 days.Results This study included 1004 patients with acute chest pain for analysis.Finally this study enrolled 600 patients with an age range of 20-98 years (mean 63.28±15.47 years),351 males (58.5％) and 249 females (41.5％).The age,past history (smoking,coronary heart disease and diabetes),GRACE score and HEART score in MACE patients were significantly higher than those in non-MACE patients (P＜0.05).The area under the ROC curve of HEART and GRACE scores were 0.817 (95％ CI 0.771-0.863) and 0.739 (95％ CI:0.687-0.791),respectively.The percent of patients with 30-day MACE with GRACE score and HEART score were 6.2％ vs 4.1％ in low-risk stratification,19.7％ vs 15.1％ in medium-risk stratification,and 35.1％ vs 56.5％ in high-risk stratification,respectively.Conclusions The HEART score is superior to the GRACE score in predicting 30-day MACE in patients with acute chest pain in emergency department.

[Objective]To investigate the effect of GRACE scores on prediction of 30-day cardiovascular adverse events in acute chest pain patients.[Methods]A prospective,observational analysis was conducted in the patients with acute chest pain in Emergency Department(ED)from January 1,2016 through April 1,2016.Data including characteris-tics and GRACE scores were collected.All causes leading to MACE were followed up at 30th day after the onset of acute chest pain.[Results]Among a total of 209 patients presenting with acute chest pain enrolled in this study,110 were male (52.63%)and 99 were female(47.37%).The range of age was 20-98years old,and mean age was(65.28±16.85)years old.During follow-up period,12 patients had MACE,2 patients died in ED,3 patients died in hospital,6 patients died out of hospital,and 1 person was diagnosed with myocardial infarction. When compared with non-MACE group,factors including age,BMI,hospitalized patient number,and number of patients admitted in CCU as well as GRACE scores, were significantly higher in MACE group(P<0.05). The predictive ROC curve area of GRACE scores in 30-day MACE was 0.819(0.735 to 0.902). The optimal sensitivity and specificity were 0.92 and 0.65,respectively. The probability of 30-day cardiovascular adverse events in various GRACE score risk stratification was 0.95%(low-risk),6.67%(medi-um-risk),and 18.92%(high-risk),respectively.[Conclusion]The GRACE score was a useful predictor to the occur-rence of 30-day cardiovascular adverse events in acute chest pain patients.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the surgical treatment and effect of intracranial anterior circulation aneurysms. METHODS: Thirty-eight patients with intracranial anterior circulation aneurysms were enrolled, 9 were treated with endovascular embolization,and 29 with pterion approach micro-euthyphoria operation. RESULTS: One patient was postoperative death. Thirty-four patients were followed up. Among them, 26 were recovery, 1 was botan animation, 2 were meta-palsy, 3 oculomotor palsy, and 2 epilepsy. CONCLUSION Surgical treatment of intracranial anterior circulation aneurysms is the first choice to help blood tumor cleaning-up and intracranial pressure degrading. Embolotherapy can be applied for patients unfit for operation, but we do not recommend wide use of it due to preoperative cranial nerve injury.
Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Child ; Embolization, Therapeutic ; methods ; Female ; Humans ; Intracranial Aneurysm ; surgery ; therapy ; Male ; Microsurgery ; methods ; Middle Aged ; Young Adult

Objective To describe the effects of China diabetes educator training and explore the influencing factors.Methods Totally 314 diabetes educators who graduated from Johnson & Johnson Diabetes Institute(JJDI) from 2007 to 2014 were recruited and investigated via self-designed evaluation form.Results The total score was 76.64±22.24.The top three items with highest scores were performing nurses training (93.36±62.81),form of health education (84.27±23.09) and working responsibility and procedure of diabetes educator (82.07±32.43).The items scored lower than 60 were regular follow-up system(56.16±31.74),publishing health education papers(38.47±47.75) and conducting related researches (26.11±44.00).Multiple linear regression analysis showed that educators who had longer time of working in diabetes department(t=3.515,P=0.001) and whose post were educators(t=3.404,P=0.001) and who were not first line practitioners (t=-2.589,P=0.001) had higher scores.Conclusion The educators' main work in China is focusing on regular health education.Follow-up management and research renovation capacity should be enhanced in the future for educators.