OBJECTIVE: To observe the clinical efficacy and safety of automatic pressure-controlled pressure cupping in patients with lumbar disc herniation, and compare it with traditional cupping. METHODS: A total of 100 patients diagnosed with lumbar disc herniation from January 2022 to August 2024 were selected and divided into two groups:the automatic pressure-controlled pressure cupping group (controlled pressure cupping group) and the traditional cupping group (control group), 50 cases in each group. In the controlled pressure cupping group, there were 18 males and 32 females, with an age of (51.98±12.69) years;in the control group, there were 16 males and 34 females, with an age of (51.32±12.05) years. The visual analogue scale(VAS), comfort score, and lumbar range of motion were observed before treatment and after the 1st, 3rd, and 7th treatments to evaluate the efficacy and safety. RESULTS: All patients completed the treatment intervention, with complete follow-up data collected. No adverse reactions or complications occurred during treatment and follow-up. After the 3rd treatment, the VAS score of the controlled pressure cupping group was (2.38±0.49), which was lower than that of the control group (2.94±0.68), with a statistically significant difference (P<0.001). In the controlled pressure cupping group, the VAS scores after the 1st, 3rd, and 7th treatments were significantly better than those before treatment (P=0.026);in the control group, the VAS scores after the 3rd and 7th treatments were better than those before treatment, but the difference was not statistically significant(P=0.182). Repeated-measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) on VAS scores at different time points in both groups showed that there were statistically significant differences in inter-group, time, and interaction effects (P<0.05). After the 1st treatment, in the controlled pressure cupping group, 0 patients felt comfortable, 42 patients (84%) felt mild discomfort, and 8 patients (16%) felt moderate discomfort;in the control group, 0 patients felt comfortable, 28 patients (56%) felt mild discomfort, and 22 patients(44%) felt moderate discomfort;the difference between the two groups was statistically significant(P=0.005). After the 3rd treatment, in the controlled pressure cupping group, 30 patients(60%) felt comfortable, 20 patients (40%) felt mild discomfort, and 0 patients felt moderate discomfort; in the control group, 9 patients (18%) felt comfortable, 41 patients (82%) felt mild discomfort, and 0 patients felt moderate discomfort;the difference between the two groups was statistically significant(P<0.001). There was no statistically significant difference in comfort between the two groups after the 7th treatment(P>0.001). There was no statistically significant difference in lumbar range of motion between the two groups before and after treatment(P>0.05);compared with before treatment, the lumbar range of motion of both groups after treatment was significantly improved, with statistically significant differences (P<0.001). CONCLUSION Automatic pressure-controlled pressure cupping can effectively relieve symptoms in patients with lumbar disc herniation, with excellent safety.
Humans ; Female ; Male ; Intervertebral Disc Displacement/physiopathology* ; Middle Aged ; Adult ; Lumbar Vertebrae/physiopathology* ; Cupping Therapy/methods* ; Pressure ; Aged ; Treatment Outcome

Extensive studies have identified potential adverse effects on semen quality of obesity, based on body mass index, but the association between body fat distribution, a more relevant indicator for obesity, and semen quality remains less clear. We conducted a longitudinal study of 4304 sperm donors from the Guangdong Provincial Human Sperm Bank (Guangzhou, China) during 2017-2021. A body composition analyzer was used to measure total and local body fat percentage for each participant. Generalized estimating equations were employed to assess the association between body fat percentage and sperm count, motility, and morphology. We estimated that each 10% increase in total body fat percentage (estimated change [95% confidence interval, 95% CI]) was significantly associated with a 0.18 × 10 6 (0.09 × 10 6 -0.27 × 10 6 ) ml and 12.21 × 10 6 (4.52 × 10 6 -19.91 × 10 6 ) reduction in semen volume and total sperm count, respectively. Categorical analyses and exposure-response curves showed that the association of body fat distribution with semen volume and total sperm count was stronger at higher body fat percentages. In addition, the association still held among normal weight and overweight participants. We observed similar associations for upper limb, trunk, and lower limb body fact distributions. In conclusion, we found that a higher body fat distribution was significantly associated with lower semen quality (especially semen volume) even in men with a normal weight. These findings provide useful clues in exploring body fat as a risk factor for semen quality decline and add to evidence for improving semen quality for those who are expected to conceive.
Humans ; Male ; Adult ; Semen Analysis ; China ; Body Fat Distribution ; Longitudinal Studies ; Sperm Count ; Sperm Motility ; Body Mass Index ; Tissue Donors ; Obesity/complications* ; Spermatozoa ; Young Adult ; Middle Aged ; East Asian People

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: Blood culture remains the gold standard for diagnosing bloodstream infections. Clinical laboratories must ensure the quality of blood culture processes from receipt to obtaining definitive results. We examined laboratory analytical indicators associated with positive blood culture results. METHODS: Blood cultures collected from Peking Union Medical College Hospital between January 1, 2020, and December 31, 2022, were retrospectively analyzed. The mode of transportation (piping logistics delivery vs. staff), source of blood cultures (outpatient/emergency department vs. inpatient department), rotation of personnel, and time of reception (8:00-19:59 vs. 20:00-07:59) were compared between blood culture-positive and -negative results. RESULTS: Between 2020 and 2022, the total positive rate of blood culture was 8.07%. The positive rate of blood cultures in the outpatient/emergency department was significantly higher than that in the inpatient department (12.46% vs. 5.83%; P < 0.0001). The time-to-detection of blood cultures was significantly affected by the delivery mode and personnel rotation. The blood culture positive rate of the total pre-analytical time within 1 h was significantly higher than that within 1-2 h or > 2 h ( P < 0.0170). CONCLUSION Laboratory analytical indicators such as patient source, transportation mode, and personnel rotation significantly impacted the positive detection rate or time of blood culture.
Blood Culture/statistics & numerical data* ; Humans ; Retrospective Studies ; Emergency Service, Hospital/statistics & numerical data*

Objective:To investigate the correlation between serum albumin, urea nitrogen and Fazekas scores and cognitive function scores in patients with mild and medium ischemic stroke.Methods:Clinical data of 160 patients with acute ischemic stroke with the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS)≤7 scores admitted to the Department of Neurology of the First Affiliated Hospital of Hainan Medical College from June 2021 to April 2023 were selected for a cross-sectional study. According to the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) score, they were divided into normal cognitive group (28 cases) (MoCA≥26 scores), mild to moderate cognitive impairment group (74 cases) (MoCA 15-<26 scores), and severe cognitive impairment group (58 cases) (MoCA<15 scores). Demographic characteristics, serological indicators and imaging data of patients were collected, and the correlation between serum albumin, urea nitrogen and Fazekas scores and the total score of MoCA and the scores of each cognitive domain was analyzed. One-way ANOVA was used for comparison between the normal distribution and homogeneous variance data sets, LSD analysis was used for pairwise comparison, Kruskal-Wallis H test was used between the skew distribution or heterogeneous variance data sets. Bonferroni correction analysis was used for pairwise comparison. Chi-square test or Fisher exact probability method was used after the comparison between the count data sets. Spearman Spearman correlation analysis was performed on serum albumin, urea nitrogen and Fazekas scores with MoCA scores and cognitive domain scores. Multivariate ordered Logistic regression was used to analyze the independent risk factors of cognitive function in acute stage of mild and medium ischemic stroke patients. Results:The incidence of cognitive impairment in patients with acute mild and medium ischemic stroke was 82.50% (132/160). Comparison of age ((56.71±7.35), (60.32±10.20), (66.40±11.88) years old), sex (male/female: (23/5, 58/16, 33/25)), the proportion of education level above high school (25.0%(7/28), 16.2%(12/74), 6.9%(4/58)), hemoglobin ((149.26±14.91), (144.85±16.85), (137.63±17.22) g/L), albumin (39.5 (37.0, 41.2), 38.6(35.6, 40.8), 37.4 (34.5, 39.8) g/L), urea nitrogen (5.30 (4.00, 6.60), 4.81 (4.00, 6.32), 5.86 (4.55, 6.97) mmol/L), Hamilton Anxiety Scale (HAMA) score (5.0 (2.0, 10.0), 7.5 (5.0, 11.0), 10.0 (6.0, 14.3) scores),Hamilton Depression Scale (HAMA) score (5.5 (3.0, 12.5), 7.0 (4.0, 11.0), 9.5 (5.0, 14.0) scores), and Fazekas score (2.00 (1.25, 3.00), 2.00 (1.00, 4.00), 3.00 (2.00, 5.00) scores) among cognitive normal group, mild to moderate cognitive impairment group, and severe cognitive impairment group of patients, the difference were statistically significant (the statistical values were F=9.68, χ 2=9.29, χ 2=30.77, F=5.31, H=7.06, H=6.71, H=12.37, H=8.91, and H=10.96, respectively;the P values were <0.001, 0.010, <0.001, 0.006, 0.029, 0.035, 0.002, 0.012, and 0.004, respectively ). The total score of MoCA was negatively correlated with Fazekas score and serum urea nitrogen, but positively correlated with serum albumin ( r s values were -0.250, -0.168, and 0.212, respectively; P values were 0.001, 0.036, and 0.009, respectively). Serum albumin was positively correlated with scores in visual space and execution, naming, attention and orientation, serum urea nitrogen was negatively correlated with scores in language and orientation, and Fazekas score was negatively correlated with scores in visual space and execution, orientation, attention and language ( r s values were 0.291, 0.196, 0.191, 0.209, -0.205, -0.180, -0.248, -0.193, -0.188, and -0.183, respectively; P values were <0.001, 0.017, 0.020, 0.011, 0.012, 0.027, 0.002, 0.016, 0.020, and 0.023, respectively). Multiple Logistic regression analysis showed that low albumin ( OR=0.884, 95% CI: 0.813-0.963, P=0.005) and high urea nitrogen ( OR=1.195, 95% CI: 1.003-1.425, P=0.047) and high Fazekas scores ( OR=1.401, 95% CI: 1.132-1.733, P=0.002) were independent risk factors for cognitive function, while high education level was a protective factor ( OR=0.062, 95% CI: 0.019-0.202, P<0.001). Conclusion:The incidence of acute cognitive impairment is high in patients with mild and medium ischemic stroke. Higher education level is a protective factor for cognitive function. Low albumin, high urea nitrogen and high Fazekas score are independent risk factors for cognitive function.

Patients with severe trauma require an extremely timely treatment and transfusion plays an irreplaceable role in the emergency treatment of such patients. An increasing number of evidence-based medicinal evidences and clinical practices suggest that patients with severe traumatic bleeding benefit from early transfusion of low-titer group O whole blood or hemostatic resuscitation with red blood cells, plasma and platelet of a balanced ratio. However, the current domestic mode of blood supply cannot fully meet the requirements of timely and effective blood transfusion for emergency treatment of patients with severe trauma in clinical practice. In order to solve the key problems in blood supply and blood transfusion strategies for emergency treatment of severe trauma, Branch of Clinical Transfusion Medicine of Chinese Medical Association, Group for Trauma Emergency Care and Multiple Injuries of Trauma Branch of Chinese Medical Association, Young Scholar Group of Disaster Medicine Branch of Chinese Medical Association organized domestic experts of blood transfusion medicine and trauma treatment to jointly formulate Chinese expert consensus on blood support mode and blood transfusion strategies for emergency treatment of severe trauma patients ( version 2024). Based on the evidence-based medical evidence and Delphi method of expert consultation and voting, 10 recommendations were put forward from two aspects of blood support mode and transfusion strategies, aiming to provide a reference for transfusion resuscitation in the emergency treatment of severe trauma and further improve the success rate of treatment of patients with severe trauma.

Objective To investigate the distribution of traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)syndrome elements in the patients with diarrhea-predominant irritable bowel syndrome(IBS-D)overlapping functional dyspepsia(FD),and to explore the characteristics of TCM syndromes in IBS-D overlapping FD.Methods Clinical investigation was performed for collecting the clinical data of patients with IBS-D,FD and IBS-D overlapping FD(overlapping group),50 cases for each disease.The TCM syndrome elements were analyzed by syndrome-element dialectical methods,and the characteristics of TCM syndromes and syndrome types were summarized by frequency analysis,association rule analysis and cluster analysis.Results(1)The results of frequency analysis showed that emotional disorder was the main inducing or aggravating factor in the overlapping group,followed by improper diet.The primary syndromes in the overlapping group were diarrhea,abdominal distension,epigastric fullness,abdominal pain and postprandial fullness;the tongue color was usually pale,pale red,dark or red,the tongue body was usually enlarged or tooth-marked,and the tongue coating was usually thin white or white;slippery pulse,wiry pulse,deep pulse and thin pulse were the common pulses.The diseases-location syndrome elements mainly involved spleen,stomach,small intestine and liver,and the disease-nature syndrome elements mainly involved qi stagnation,dampness,qi deficiency and yang deficiency.(2)The results of association rule analysis showed that the combination of abdominal distension and diarrhea had the highest support(accounting for 70.00％)associated with TCM syndromes,the combination of spleen and stomach had the highest support(accounting for 80.00％)associated with diseases-location syndrome elements,the two combinations of dampness and qi stagnation,qi deficiency and qi stagnation had the highest support(both accounting for 36.00％)associated with disease-nature syndrome elements.(3)The results of cluster analysis showed that TCM syndromes in the overlapping group were clustered into four categories of syndrome manifestations,namely spleen deficiency and dampness stagnation syndrome,spleen deficiency and qi stagnation syndrome,spleen yang deficiency syndrome and spleen qi deficiency syndrome;the combinations of syndromes and syndrome elements were clustered into five categories,namely manifestations of liver depression and spleen deficiency syndrome combined with intestinal dampness stagnation syndrome,manifestations of food stagnation in the stomach syndrome,manifestations of spleen deficiency and qi stagnation syndrome,manifestation of greasy coating,and manifestations of stomach qi failing to descend and rebellious stomach qi syndrome.Conclusion IBS-D overlapping FD usually affects the spleen,and is closely related to the disorders of the stomach,liver and small intestine.The main syndromes of IBS-D overlapping FD are spleen deficiency and dampness stagnation syndrome,and liver stagnation and spleen deficiency combined with intestinal dampness stagnation syndrome.Qi stagnation and dampness stagnation contribute to the key pathogenesis of IBS-D overlapping FD.IBS-D overlapping FD is characterized by the mixture of deficiency and excess,with the presence of pathological products such as phlegm-dampness,food accumulation and blood stasis in the later stage.

Objective To investigate the relationship between single nucleotide polymorphisms(SNPs)in the eNOS gene and genetic susceptibility to systemic lupus erythematosus(SLE)in Hainan.Methods Blood samples were collected from SLE patients(SLE group,n=214)and healthy controls(control group,n=214)from January 2020 to December 2022 at the First Affiliated Hospital of Hainan Medical College and Hainan Provincial People's Hospital.The bases of eNOS gene rs3918188,rs1799983 and rs1007311 loci in each group were detected by SNaPshot sequencing technology.Logistic regression was used to analyze the correlation between genotypes,alleles and gene models(dominant model,recessive model,and overdominant model)of the above 3 target loci of the eNOS gene and genetic susceptibility to SLE.Haplotype analysis was conducted using HaploView 4.2 software to investigate the relationship between haploid and genetic susceptibility to SLE at each site.Results The results of logistic regression analysis revealed that the CC genotype and the C allele at rs3918188 locus were risk factors for genetic susceptibility to SLE(CC vs.AA:OR=2.449,P<0.05;C vs.A:OR=2.133,P<0.001).In recessive model at rs3918188 locus,CC genotype carriers had an increased risk of SLE development compared with AA+AC genotype carriers(OR=2.774,P<0.001).In contrast,in overdominant model at this locus,AC genotype carriers had a decreased risk of SLE occurrence compared with AA+CC genotype carriers(OR=0.385,P<0.001).In addition,polymorphisms of rs1799983 and rs1007311 were not associated with susceptibility to SLE in genotype,allele type and the 3 genetic models(P>0.05).Haplotype analysis revealed a strong linkage disequilibrium between the rs1007311 and rs1799983 loci of the eNOS gene,but no significant correlation was found between haplotype and genetic susceptibility to SLE(P>0.05).Conclusion The CC genotype and C allele at rs3918188 locus of eNOS gene may be risk factors for SLE in Hainan,while the risk of SLE occurrence is reduced in carriers of AC genotype under the overdominant model.

Objective:To investigate a new method for the reconstruction of hemifacial microsomia by sagittal osteotomy of the affected mandibular outer cortex combined with bone graft of mandibular outer cortex from healthy side.Methods:From March 2006 to March 2023, the clinical data of patients with hemifacial microsomia admitted to the Department of Craniomaxillofacial Surgery, Plastic Surgery Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences were analyzed retrospectively. Preoperative diagnosis and surgical design were performed based on clinical manifestations and imaging findings. All cases were operated under general anesthesia. The affected mandibular outer cortex was previously split by an intraoral approach, and then the mandibular outer cortex of appropriate shape and size on the healthy side was harvested and grafted into the split bone space according to the preoperative design, following by internal rigid fixation. Complications, facial appearance improvement, and patient satisfaction were followed up. Photographs were taken preoperative, immediately postoperative and at the long-term(last) postoperative follow-up, and the severity of the deformity was analyzed. CT data from preoperative, immediate postoperative, and long-term follow-up visits were imported into Surgicase Proplan medical three-dimensional image workstation in Dicom format. The mandible was reconstructed using Segmentation, and the thickness of the mandible was measured during pre-operative, immediate post-operative and long-term follow-up visits. Anova with repeated measurement design was used to compare measurements and LSD test was used for multiple comparisons. The Kruskal-Wallis rank sum test were used to statistically analyze malformation severity. P< 0.05 is considered statistically significant. Results:A total of 39 patients were included in this study, including 13 females and 26 males, with an average age of (22.21±4.57) years (15-27 years). All patients were followed up for an average of (45.56±39.41) months (6-153 months) after surgery. The grafted mandibular outer cortex grows well with the adjacent bone tissue, and the mandibular angle and mandibular body are significantly wider. Of the 39 cases, 1 developed an infection 1 year after surgery, the titanium plate was exposed, and the patient healed after debridement and removal of the immobilizing splint. The facial appearance of the other patients improved significantly. Preoperative, immediate postoperative and long term follow up of mandibular thickness measurements were compared in pairs, and the differences were statistically significant (all P<0.05). The patient’s appearance satisfaction score: the preoperative score was [2.0(1.5, 2.0)] points, the immediate postoperative score was [4.0(4.0, 4.0)] points, the score of the last postoperative follow up was [4.0(4.0, 4.0)] points. There was statistical difference in satisfaction among the three groups ( P<0.01). The preoperative scores were compared with the scores of the immediate postoperative and the last postoperative follow-up respectively, and the differences were statistically significant( P<0.01). There was no statistical significance in satisfaction between the immediate postoperative score and the score of the last postoperative follow up ( P>0.05). Conclusion:The sagittal splitting osteotomy of the mandibular outer cortex is consistent with the features of mandibular anatomy, and provides a good condition for the grafting and healing of autogenous bone. Removing the outer cortex of the mandible on the healthy side not only increases the thickness of the affected side, but also decreases the width of the angle of the mandible on the healthy side, so as to effectively correct the asymmetric deformity of the mandible. The method is simple, with few complications and good results, and is one of the ideal treatments to correct hemofacial microsomia.